# DiffPattern: Layout Pattern Generation via Discrete Diffusion

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.13060 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.13060/

## Key facts

- Cited by 8 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Placed in Image generation, text-to-image and editing, one of 14 directions in Diffusion models.
- Builds on 7 of its 19 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 23 Mar 2023.

## Placed in

- Diffusion models / [Image generation, text-to-image and editing](https://mlsanity.com/diffusion/image-generation-text-to-image-and-editing/)

## Builds on (most cited first, 7 of 7)

- [Attention Is All You Need](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1706.03762/) (2017)
- [Denoising Diffusion Probabilistic Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2006.11239/) (2020)
- [U-Net: Convolutional Networks for Biomedical Image Segmentation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1505.04597/) (2015)
- [Denoising Diffusion Implicit Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2010.02502/) (2020)
- [Structured Denoising Diffusion Models in Discrete State-Spaces](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2107.03006/) (2021)
- [Diffusion Models: A Comprehensive Survey of Methods and Applications](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2209.00796/) (2022)
- [Layout decomposition for triple patterning lithography](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1402.2459/) (2014)

## Built on by (most cited first, 8 of 8)

- [LLM-Enhanced Bayesian Optimization for Efficient Analog Layout Constraint Generation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2406.05250/) (2024)
- [Latent Diffusion Model for DNA Sequence Generation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.06150/) (2023)
- [ChatPattern: Layout Pattern Customization via Natural Language](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2403.15434/) (2024)
- [PatternPaint: Practical Layout Pattern Generation Using Diffusion-Based Inpainting](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2409.01348/) (2024)
- [TorchResist: Open-Source Differentiable Resist Simulator](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.06838/) (2025)
- [DiffPattern-Flex: Efficient Layout Pattern Generation via Discrete Diffusion](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2505.04173/) (2025)
- [RePaint-Enhanced Conditional Diffusion Model for Parametric Engineering Designs under Performance and Parameter Constraints](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2602.00384/) (2026)
- [SCALE: Self-Supervised Constraint-Aware Layout GEneration for Local P&R DRV Fixing at Advanced Nodes](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2607.21850/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Deep generative models dominate the existing literature in layout pattern generation. However, leaving the guarantee of legality to an inexplicable neural network could be problematic in several applications. In this paper, we propose toolDiffPattern to generate reliable layout patterns. toolDiffPattern introduces a novel diverse topology generation method via a discrete diffusion model with compute-efficiently lossless layout pattern representation. Then a white-box pattern assessment is utilized to generate legal patterns given desired design rules. Our experiments on several benchmark settings show that toolDiffPattern significantly outperforms existing baselines and is capable of synthesizing reliable layout patterns.