Introduction to TCAD

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Outline:

• What is TCAD

• Why TCAD

• Synopsys Sentaurus

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What is TCAD
➢ TCAD = Technology Computer-Aided Design
• Process TCAD: modeling of semiconductor-chip process-manufacturing steps like
lithography, deposition, etching, ion implantation, diffusion, oxidation, silicidation, mechanical
stress, etc..

• Device TCAD: modeling of electrical, thermal, optical and mechanical behavior of semiconductor
devices (e.g., diode, BJT, MOSFET, solar cell,…).

➢ Major TCAD Tools :

Synopsys Sentaurus

Silvaco ATLAS

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Why TCAD

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Sentaurus Workbench (SWB)
Command Script:
➢ A framework to manage the different tools and the simulation flow
> swb
➢ It creates simulation trees with variation of parameter in a matrix organization
➢ Every instance in SWB is called “project”. When a project is saved, a directory
is created, containing ASCII files with the details of the saved project.

Node
Project

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 II. Working with Structures: S. Structure Editor

Sentaurus Structure Editor:

• Tool used for creating the
structures (devices) to be
simulated

Defining Device Materials Can be fully managed with the

and Geometry
comprehensive user interface options
and menus
Defining and Placing
Doping Regions

Defining and Placing

Contacts Or introducing command code from a
.scm file
Command Script: (more flexible and powerful)

> sde

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 Sentaurus Process

• Tool for emulating the technological

steps of a fabrication process

➢ It allows simulating:
- Deposition of layers of different materials
- Localized etching of material with a mask
- Ion implantation
- Diffusion of the implanted species (thermal
steps)
- Oxide and epitaxial growth
A specific mesh is
- Etc… (almost any process you can perform in a
created to solve the
real clean room) process emulation
equations
• It is a powerful tool, that can faithfully reproduce the
Command Script: fabrication processes of a given clean room.

> sprocess

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 II. FEM Simulations: SDevice

Sentaurus Device: Sdevice has not a graphical interface.

Instructions are introduced from a
• Tool used for FEM Simulations command file (.cmd)

Device Mode Mixed Mode

Devices in the
Files to Solve
Circuit
the Model

File with Spice

elements
Physics Models
Elements in
the Circuit
and their
connections

Types of Analysis:
Quasistationary,
Transient,
Command Script: ACCoupled

> sdevice

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Sentaurus Visual:
• Preferred tool for visualizing structures and representing different curves

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Sentaurus Visual:

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 IV. Additional Tools: SProcess

Sentaurus Process: Point of view from a foundry

➢ General Simulation flow

Complete Re-meshing
FEM
Process and
Simulation
Emulation adjustment

➢ Regular use of Sprocess in a foundry

• 1st Mode: From device performance to fabrication process
- Combined SDE and Sdevice Simulations are performance to obtain a
given characteristic
- Sprocess simulation is performed to determine the technological
steps that can give us the desired characteristic
• 2nd Mode: From fabrication process to device performance
- A given technological step is simulated with sprocess
- The performance of the whole device is analyzed with the aid of a
SDE+Sdevice simulation

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File name extension Description Remarks
Sentaurus Workbench variables are replaced by their actual
cmd Preprocessed simulation input command file.
values.
Error messages generated by Tcl procedures or licensing can
err File containing simulator error messages.
be found here as well.
sge.err Error messages from gjob. Contains error messages from gsub if the job failed.

out, log Simulation log file. Information about the progress of the simulation.
Contains solution variables at device terminals (such as
plt Device simulation current file.
voltages and currents).
The status can be one of the following: none | queued | running
| failed | aborted | done.
sta Status of the simulation.
The status is indicated by the color of the simulation node,
which also contains information about the execution host.
Contains field data such as doping distribution and
tdr The structure with simulation results.
electrostatic potential.
Contains information from the preprocessor and the simulation
job Information from gjob. job submission. Watch here for error messages if a simulation
node is not executed.

par Preprocessed parameter file. Used in Sentaurus Device, EMW, and Ligament Layout Editor.

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 Thank You
Any Question ?
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