A Framework to Simulate Semiconductor Devices Using Parallel Computer Architecture

Abstract

Device simulations have become an integral part of semiconductor technology to address many issues (short channel effects, narrow width effects, hot-electron effect) as it goes into nano regime, helping us to continue further with the Moore's Law. TCAD provides a simulation environment to design and develop novel devices, thus a leap forward to study their electrical behaviour in advance. In this paper, a parallel 2D simulator for semiconductor devices using Discontinuous Galerkin Finite Element Method (DG-FEM) is presented. Discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method is used to discretize essential device equations and later these equations are analyzed by using a suitable methodology to find the solution. DG method is characterized to provide more accurate solution as it efficiently conserve the flux and easily handles complex geometries. OpenMP is used to parallelize solution of device equations on manycore processors and a speed of 1.4x is achieved during assembly process of discretization. This study is important for more accurate analysis of novel devices (such as FinFET, GAAFET etc.) on a parallel computing platform and will help us to develop a parallel device simulator which will be able to address this issue efficiently. A case study of PN junction diode is presented to show the effectiveness of proposed approach.