HIPEX-Net: New SILVACO Full-Chip LPE Tool vs. Maverick

SILVACO is releasing its new layout parameter extractor: HIPEX-NET. The new tool will replace Silvaco’s Maverick, which is a part of Guardian LVS/ERC. While being fully compliant with Maverick, HIPEX-NET has many advantages over Maverick. The comparison chart in Table 1 shows the critical features, which make HIPEX-NET much more powerful for layout verification than Maverick.

Measurement of Spacing Checks in Guardian DRC

In previous versions of Guardian DRC there were only two ways of measuring the distance between two segments: the ordinary, Euclidean metric, and the square metric, which behaves differently when measuring distances from a corner of a shape. With decreasing feature sizes Euclidean metric does not always provide the adequate measurement of tolerances required during the IC fabrication. Therefore various DRC systems introduced other types of measurement. This article describes how Guardian DRC system performs measurements required for the execution of DRC spacing checks, which are based on separations between line segments (“width”, “indistance”, “outdistance”, “ovdistance”, “distance”, “compdistance”).
simstd_sep_2003_hints

Highlighting Two Nodes in the Expert Layout Editor and Other Tips

Q: I would like to highlight two nodes at the same time in Expert. I currently use Verification->Node Probing->Pick Node to highlight a node, but I donít see how I can have 2 nets highlighted at the same time.

The Effect of Carrier Spilling on Spreading Resistance Profiling (SRP) Accuracy

Spreading Resistance Profiling (SRP) retains its popularity in the semiconductor industry by an inexpensive means of capturing dopant profile information. However, device engineers often incorporate SRP data into process simulation studies without properly considering SRP’s many limitations. Failing to account for these limitations jeopardizes the reliability of the data and potentially lead designers to incorrect conclusions about a device.

Eye Diagram for a Direct Modulated Semiconductor Laser in ATLAS

An eye diagram is a convenient way to visualise how the waveforms used to send multiple bits of data can potentially lead to errors in the interpretation of those bits. This is the so-called problem of intersymbol interference. An eye diagram is also a useful means for readily obtaining information regarding the timing jitter, voltage swing and transition time of the modulation data. The eye diagram operation in ATLAS is a post processing function where the eye diagram is created by taking the time domain signal and overlapping the traces for a certain number of symbols. The time domain signal in this article represents the output from a directly modulated semiconductor laser. The modulation of the laser drive current takes a pseudo-random form.

Analysis of Light Power Dependence on the Leakage Current in a Buried Hetero- Structure p-InP Semiconductor Laser

An effective device structure for reducing leakage current in BH laser diodes with semiin-sulation doped Fe in InP blocking layers has been analyzed [3]. In this study, the leakage current and light output power as a function of the leakage current path is examined. The blocking region used follows p-n-p-n structure.

Generation of III-Nitride Transport Parameters with Mocasim

Mocasim is an advanced three-valley Monte Carlo simulator designed to generate the transport parameters used in Silvaco’s physical device simulators. It accurately calculates the material transport parameters of both direct and indirect band gap semiconductors, including group IV and III-V material systems. With the recent interest in III-Nitride material systems, we have added the capability of simulating materials with wurtzite as well as zincblende and diamond lattices. Mocasim derives a multi-dimensional parameter set, including mobility, velocity, energy and momentum relaxation times, and inter-valley potential energy, all of which can be extracted as a function of applied electric field, doping density, mole fraction(s), and lattice temperature.

EXACT Worksheet Utility to View Variables and Data

Q: EXACT has powerful scripting utilities for manipulating the final capacitance data and variables but is there an easier graphical front end that would also allow me to view the data?

HiSIM V1.2 Model Parameter Extraction with UTMOST-III

HiSIM (Hiroshima university STARC IGFET Model) is one of the surface potential based Spice models [1], [2] and pioneered the iterative approach to obtain the surface potential applicable in compact models. The model aims for MOSFET technology of 100 nm or below. The parameter extraction procedure was introduced first by the model developers: Semiconductor Technology Academic Research Center (STARC) [3], [4]. Silvaco UTMOST-III introduced the first version of the local optimization strategies for HiSIM-1.1 in 2002 [5]. Since then, the parameter extraction methodology has been reviewed thoroughly. This article is meant to provide significant aspects on the HiSIM version 1.2 parameter extraction for UTMOST-III users.

Shallow-Trench-Isolation (STI) Effects in BSIM4 and HiSIM MOSFET Models in SmartSpice & UTMOST-III

There are several ways to account for the effect of STI-induced stress in standard compact models. The purpose of this article is to present two different approaches developed by the universities of Berkeley and Hiroshima. In both cases, new equations were derived and new parameters have been introduced in the latest versions of BSIM4 and HiSIM compact models. These new versions are currently supported by Silvaco SmartSpice/UTMOST softwares.