1. A method for generating shapes for a plurality of lithographic masks from design shapes for a design level, said method comprising processing steps of:
a first step of providing a design layout for a design level including design shapes, wherein lengthwise portions of said design shapes overlie line tracks extending along a lengthwise direction;
a second step of identifying said line tracks as mandrel-type line tracks and non-mandrel-type line tracks;
a third step of identifying design shapes as mandrel-type design shapes and non-mandrel-type design shapes, wherein all lengthwise edges of mandrel-type design shapes are within mandrel-type line tracks and all lengthwise edges of non-mandrel-type design shapes are within non-mandrel-type line tracks; and
a fourth step of generating mandrel design shapes by performing a union of said mandrel-type line tracks and said mandrel-type design shapes and then subtracting areas derived from lateral straps of non-mandrel-type design shapes by expansion by a spacer target width, wherein at least one step among said second, third, and fourth steps is performed employing a computer including one or more processors in communication with a memory device and programmed to perform said at least one step.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating sidewall design shapes by offsetting edges of said mandrel design shapes by said spacer target width.
3. The method of claim 2, further comprising generating block mask shapes defined by adding all areas that do not overlap with said design shapes or said sidewall design shapes.
4. The method of claim 2, further comprising generating block mask shapes by:
generating a union of said design shapes and said sidewall design shapes; and
generating a complement of said union, wherein said complement constitutes said block mask shapes.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein said identified line tracks constitute an alternating array of mandrel-type line tracks and non-mandrel-type line tracks.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein each of said design shapes is located on a single line track or includes a lateral strap that straddles only one line track or an odd number of line tracks.
7. The method of claim 7, wherein all lateral straps that straddle any line track includes a pair of edges that are perpendicular to said lengthwise direction.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein a spacing between a neighboring pair of line tracks is the same as said spacer target width.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein each spacing between a neighboring pair of line tracks is the same as said spacer target width or is at least two times said spacer target width.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein all vertices of said design shapes are on lengthwise edges of said line tracks that said design shapes overlie.
11. A system for generating shapes for a plurality of lithographic masks from design shapes for a design level, said system comprising a computer including one or more processors in communication with a memory device, said computer programmed to run an automated program, said automatic program comprising instructions which, when executed by said computer, performs processing steps including:
a first step of acquiring a design layout for a design level including design shapes, wherein lengthwise portions of said design shapes overlie line tracks extending along a lengthwise direction;
a second step of identifying said line tracks as mandrel-type line tracks and non-mandrel-type line tracks;
a third step of identifying design shapes as mandrel-type design shapes and non-mandrel-type design shapes, wherein all lengthwise edges of mandrel-type design shapes are within mandrel-type line tracks and all lengthwise edges of non-mandrel-type design shapes are within non-mandrel-type line tracks; and
a fourth step of generating mandrel design shapes by performing a union of said mandrel-type line tracks and said mandrel-type design shapes and subtracting areas derived from lateral straps of non-mandrel-type design shapes by expansion by a spacer target width.
12. The system of claim 11, wherein said processing steps performed by said instructions further includes a processing step of generating sidewall design shapes by offsetting edges of said mandrel design shapes by said spacer target width.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein said processing steps performed by said instructions further includes a processing step of generating block mask shapes defined by adding all areas that do not overlap with said design shapes or said sidewall design shapes.
14. The system of claim 12, wherein said processing steps performed by said instructions further includes a processing step of generating block mask shapes by:
generating a union of said design shapes and said sidewall design shapes; and
generating a complement of said union, wherein said complement constitutes said block mask shapes.
15. The system of claim 11, wherein said identified line tracks constitute an alternating array of mandrel-type line tracks and non-mandrel-type line tracks.
16. The system of claim 11, wherein each of said design shapes is located on a single line track or includes a lateral strap that straddles only one line track or an odd number of line tracks.
17. The system of claim 17, wherein all lateral straps that straddle any line track includes a pair of edges that are perpendicular to said lengthwise direction.
18. The system of claim 11, wherein a spacing between a neighboring pair of line tracks is the same as said spacer target width.
19. The system of claim 11, wherein each spacing between a neighboring pair of line tracks is the same as said spacer target width or is at least two times said spacer target width.
20. The system of claim 11, wherein all vertices of said design shapes are on lengthwise edges of said line tracks that said design shapes overlie.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A communication device configured to facilitate a mesh network comprising a media independent mesh function (MIMF) configured to exchange media independent mesh information between peer mesh entities.
2. The communication device of claim 1 further comprising more than one physical network links.
3. The communication device of claim 2 wherein the more than one physical network links are configured to communicate directly with the MIMF.
4. The communication device of claim 3 further comprising a media dependent mesh function and upper layer functions.
5. The communication device of claim 4 wherein the MIMF is configured to operate between the physical network links and the media dependent mesh function.
6. The communication device of claim 1 wherein the MIMF is configured to communicate with peer devices.
7. The communication device of claim 1 wherein the MIMF is configured to determine a mesh capability of a peer device.
8. The communication device of claim 1 wherein the MIMF is configured to monitor a plurality of radio access technologies (RATs) and report changes in peer device status.
9. The communication device of claim 1 wherein the MIMF is configured to compare a plurality of physical links from a plurality of RATs.
10. The communication device of claim 1 wherein the MIMF is configured to schedule data transfer across a mesh network.
11. The communication device of claim 1 wherein the MIMF is configured to determine a link cost estimate.
12. The communication device of claim 1 wherein the MIMF is configured to selectively activate a RAT and adjust a bandwidth between the device and a second device.
13. A method of communicating between multiple radio access technologies (RATs) in a mesh network, the method comprising:
a media independent multi-RAT function (MIMF) coordinating data flow between a plurality of mesh nodes; and
the plurality of mesh nodes transferring data based on a plurality of MIMF instructions and measurements.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein the MIMF is placed between a RAT layer and a mesh network layer.
15. The method of claim 13 further comprising the MIMF selecting a RAT based on a metric.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein the metric comprises at least one of quality of service, battery level of a device, RAT capability of a device.
17. The method of claim 13 further comprising the MIMF transmitting mesh data to a second MIMF, wherein the second MIMF resides in a separate mesh device.
18. The method of claim 13 further comprising the MIMF monitoring each RAT in the network and reporting changes in peer node status to a plurality of MIMFs residing in a plurality of mesh devices.
19. The method of claim 13 further comprising the MIMF determining a standardized measure of signal quality and tracking the standardized measure for all mesh nodes.
20. The method of claim 13 further comprising the MIMF adjusting bandwidth between devices by selectively activating and deactivating a RAT.