MicroTec for Windows: Semiconductor Process and Device Simulator
Waterloo, Ontario (PRWEB) February 28, 2015 -- After its first public release in early 90's MicroTec semiconductor device simulator was used for research and education in more than 30 countries. More than 130 schools including leading academic institutions, such as Tokyo Institute of Technology, University of California at Berkeley, Waseda University, University of Waterloo, etc. The software is designed as an addition to any book on semiconductor devices or processes. It allows students to virtually create devices using a realistic semiconductor processing flow and then test their performance. A limited version of MicroTec was published by John Wiley & Sons as a supplement to Semiconductors Devices Explained by Prof. Ton Mouthaan's from the Twente University. Another example of how MicroTec could be used with a text book on Semiconductor Devices is presented here for a popular book by Ben Streetman and Sunjay Banerjee “Solid State Electronic Devices”.
MicroTec is somewhat simplified compared to other TCAD tools, but was nevertheless used by 30+ semiconductor companies including leading semiconductor manufacturers such as Hitachi, NTT, Matsushita, National Semiconductor, General Electric, Texas Instruments and Integrated Device Technology. MicroTec is particularly efficient for computationally extensive simulations of power semiconductor devices with large dimensions where it may outperform most of the commercial TCAD tools. MicroTec is remarkably stable for devices made of wide bandgap materials such as SiC, GaN and others. This is why it had been used for a few years for SiC device simulation at Cree Research. Lately MicroTec has become a simulator of choice for Solar Cells due to its robustness for large area devices.
The most critical feature of MicroTec is its robustness, semiconductor engineers very well know how frustrating “convergence problems” can be and how much time can be wasted to finally get a desired IV-characteristic. It is also very user-friendly and needs very little memory. For educational use, the main MicroTec feature is ease-of-use. The newly released version of MicroTec has new features such as non-planar semiconductor device modeling capability, parameterized simulation runs, graphical device structure editor, etc.
Demo of the latest version of MicroTec is available at our download page. The graphical user fully functional, users are able to create their own projects but they can only run simulation of demo MOSFET example.
MicroTec includes SiDif for 2D semiconductor process simulation including implantation, diffusion, oxidation and epitaxy and SemSim for steady-state 2D semiconductor device simulation including MOSFET, DMOS, SOI-MOSFET, JFET, IGBT, BJT, Schottky devices etc.
With all its simplicity MicroTec meets basic requirements for semiconductor process/device design and is equipped with efficient and flexible graphics tools. It is easier to use than other tools of its kind. MicroTec is a tool helping to understand physics of semiconductor devices without extensive knowledge of computers or numerical methods and does not require much time for learning its capabilities and interface. MicroTec is an excellent tool for R&D engineers, managers, professors, students and researchers and can be referred to as a TCAD calculator.
Top MicroTec is based on the diffusion-drift model and employs finite difference technique on a rectangular, auto-generated mesh.
MicroTec-4.23 is a 32-bit semiconductor process and device application for Windows 2000, XP, Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8 and can be run on any PC. There is no memory threshold for MicroTec-4.23 due to dynamic memory allocation, so it can be used even on a computer with only a few Mbyte memory if a modest size mesh is used.
MicroTec-4.23 semiconductor device simulation tool SemSim requires about 8 Mbytes of memory for a 20,000 node mesh. Typical CPU time for one I-V point is less than 20 seconds on a typical PC when using mesh with 6,000 nodes.
For the process simulation tool, SiDif, 4 Mbyte memory is needed for a 20,000 node mesh. A typical fabrication process simulation requires about 1 minute CPU time.
Siborg also continues its work on Smart Tweezers like type of LCR-meters.
About Siborg Systems Inc.
Established in 1994, Siborg Systems Inc. is a source of engineering software and hardware tools for the semiconductor and electronics industry. Located in the city of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, it enjoys being a part of the local world renowned high-tech community.
For more information
Siborg Systems Inc.
24 Combermere Crescent
Waterloo, Ontario
Canada
N2L 5B1
Tel: 519-888-9906
Fax: 519-725-9522
Web: http://www.siborg.com
Michael Obrecht, Siborg Systems Inc., http://www.smarttweezers.us, +1 (519) 888-9906, [email protected]
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