SEMulator3D® is a powerful 3D semiconductor and MEMS process modeling platform that offers wide ranging technology development capabilities. Based on highly efficient physics-driven voxel modeling technology, SEMulator3D has a unique ability to model complete process flows.
Starting from input design data, SEMulator3D follows an integrated process flow description to create the virtual equivalent of the complex 3D structures created in the fab. Because the full integrated process sequence is modeled, SEMulator3D has the ability to predict downstream ramifications of process changes that would otherwise require build-and-test cycles in the fab.
Using unique physics-driven 3D modeling technology, the SEMulator3D modeling engine can model a wide variety of unit process steps. Each process step requires only a few geometric and physical input parameters that are easy to understand and calibrate. Just as in an actual fab, upstream unit process parameters (such as deposition conformality, etch anisotropy, selectivity, etc.) interact with each other and design data in a complex way to impact the final device structure. Some examples of the types of unit process steps that can be modeled with SEMulator3D:
|Dry Etching||Epitaxial Growth||Anneal|
SEMulator3D uses two fundamental types of proprietary modeling technology: voxel modeling and surface evolution. Voxel modeling is extremely efficient and ideal for modeling unit process steps that can be characterized geometrically; for example, lithography, spin-on deposition, and wet etches. Surface evolution is a more powerful modeling technique that’s ideal for steps like plasma etching and selective epitaxy, which have more complex physics-driven behavior (see Advanced Modeling). Both types of steps can be combined together in the same process flow for optimal accuracy and efficiency.
SEMulator3D Viewer shows a 3D rendering of the virtual device model at every step in the process. Step-by-step visualization can aid in understanding process failure modes and other complex process phenomena. Cross-sectioning and dimensional measurements can be performed anywhere on the 3D model. SEMulator3D Viewer has many advanced capabilities, including automatic animation of process steps and automatic export to Microsoft PowerPoint.
SEMulator3D Viewer can also publish 3D models to Coventor’s SEM3D format, for viewing with SEMulator3D Reader.
SEMulator3D Automation is a spreadsheet-driven automation engine that enables massively parallel process variation studies. By automatically building a series of SEMulator3D models with specific variations in process parameters, SEMulator3D Automation enables virtual studies of process tolerances, yield or cross-wafer uniformity. See the SEMulator3D Automation page for more details.
And Much, Much More
SEMulator3D has many additional capabilities:
- Mesh generation for export to standard mesh formats
- A full suite of layout viewing and editing tools
- Customization via a full Python scripting API
- A library of new process modeling capabilities, written in Python
- Example process technology files
Please contact Coventor for additional information about SEMulator3D.