Semiconductor Device Physics And Simulation

The advent of the microelectronics technology has made ever-increasing numbers of small devices on a same chip. The rapid emergence of ultra-large-scaled-integrated (ULSI) technology has moved device dimension into the sub-quarter-micron regime and put more than 10 million transistors on a single chip. While traditional closed-form analytical models furnish useful intuition into how semiconductor devices behave, they no longer provide consistently accurate results for all modes of operation of these very small devices. The reason is that, in such devices, various physical mechanisms affect the device performance in a complex manner, and the conventional assumptions (i. e. , one-dimensional treatment, low-level injection, quasi-static approximation, etc. ) em ployed in developing analytical models become questionable. Thus, the use of numerical device simulation becomes important in device modeling. Researchers and engineers will rely even more on device simulation for device design and analysis in the future. This book provides comprehensive coverage of device simulation and analysis for various modem semiconductor devices. It will serve as a reference for researchers, engineers, and students who require in-depth, up-to-date information and understanding of semiconductor device physics and characteristics. The materials of the book are limited to conventional and mainstream semiconductor devices; photonic devices such as light emitting and laser diodes are not included, nor does the book cover device modeling, device fabrication, and circuit applications.

The advent of the microelectronics technology has made ever-increasing numbers of small devices on a same chip. The rapid emergence of ultra-large-scaled-integrated (ULSI) technology has moved device dimension into the sub-quarter-micron regime and put more than 10 million transistors on a single chip. While traditional closed-form analytical models furnish useful intuition into how semiconductor devices behave, they no longer provide consistently accurate results for all modes of operation of these very small devices. The reason is that, in such devices, various physical mechanisms affect the device performance in a complex manner, and the conventional assumptions (i. e. , one-dimensional treatment, low-level injection, quasi-static approximation, etc. ) em ployed in developing analytical models become questionable. Thus, the use of numerical device simulation becomes important in device modeling. Researchers and engineers will rely even more on device simulation for device design and analysis in the future. This book provides comprehensive coverage of device simulation and analysis for various modem semiconductor devices. It will serve as a reference for researchers, engineers, and students who require in-depth, up-to-date information and understanding of semiconductor device physics and characteristics. The materials of the book are limited to conventional and mainstream semiconductor devices; photonic devices such as light emitting and laser diodes are not included, nor does the book cover device modeling, device fabrication, and circuit applications.

CD-ROM contains: "Win32 version of SGFramework and the simulations contains in the book."

The invention of semiconductor devices is a fairly recent one, considering classical time scales in human life. The bipolar transistor was announced in 1947, and the MOS transistor, in a practically usable manner, was demonstrated in 1960. From these beginnings the semiconductor device field has grown rapidly. The first integrated circuits, which contained just a few devices, became commercially available in the early 1960s. Immediately thereafter an evolution has taken place so that today, less than 25 years later, the manufacture of integrated circuits with over 400.000 devices per single chip is possible. Coincident with the growth in semiconductor device development, the literature concerning semiconductor device and technology issues has literally exploded. In the last decade about 50.000 papers have been published on these subjects. The advent of so called Very-Large-Scale-Integration (VLSI) has certainly revealed the need for a better understanding of basic device behavior. The miniaturization of the single transistor, which is the major prerequisite for VLSI, nearly led to a breakdown of the classical models of semiconductor devices.

Particle simulation of semiconductor devices is a rather new field which has started to catch the interest of the world's scientific community. It represents a time-continuous solution of Boltzmann's transport equation, or its quantum mechanical equivalent, and the field equation, without encountering the usual numerical problems associated with the direct solution. The technique is based on first physical principles by following in detail the transport histories of indi vidual particles and gives a profound insight into the physics of semiconductor devices. The method can be applied to devices of any geometrical complexity and material composition. It yields an accurate description of the device, which is not limited by the assumptions made behind the alternative drift diffusion and hydrodynamic models, which represent approximate solutions to the transport equation. While the development of the particle modelling technique has been hampered in the past by the cost of computer time, today this should not be held against using a method which gives a profound physical insight into individual devices and can be used to predict the properties of devices not yet manufactured. Employed in this way it can save the developer much time and large sums of money, both important considerations for the laboratory which wants to keep abreast of the field of device research. Applying it to al ready existing electronic components may lead to novel ideas for their improvement. The Monte Carlo particle simulation technique is applicable to microelectronic components of any arbitrary shape and complexity.

Optoelectronics has become an important part of our lives. Wherever light is used to transmit information, tiny semiconductor devices are needed to transfer electrical current into optical signals and vice versa. Examples include light emitting diodes in radios and other appliances, photodetectors in elevator doors and digital cameras, and laser diodes that transmit phone calls through glass fibers. Such optoelectronic devices take advantage of sophisticated interactions between electrons and light. Nanometer scale semiconductor structures are often at the heart of modern optoelectronic devices. Their shrinking size and increasing complexity make computer simulation an important tool to design better devices that meet ever rising perfomance requirements. The current need to apply advanced design software in optoelectronics follows the trend observed in the 1980's with simulation software for silicon devices. Today, software for technology computer-aided design (TCAD) and electronic design automation (EDA) represents a fundamental part of the silicon industry. In optoelectronics, advanced commercial device software has emerged recently and it is expected to play an increasingly important role in the near future. This book will enable students, device engineers, and researchers to more effectively use advanced design software in optoelectronics. Provides fundamental knowledge in semiconductor physics and in electromagnetics, while helping to understand and use advanced device simulation software Demonstrates the combination of measurements and simulations in order to obtain realistic results and provides data on all required material parameters Gives deep insight into the physics of state-of-the-art devices and helps to design and analyze of modern optoelectronic devices

This volume presents the application of the Monte Carlo method to the simulation of semiconductor devices, reviewing the physics of transport in semiconductors, followed by an introduction to the physics of semiconductor devices.

Offers an innovative and accessible new approach to the teaching of the fundamentals of semiconductor components by exploiting simulation to explain the mechanisms behind current in semiconductor structures. Simulation is a popular tool used by engineers and scientists in device and process research and the accompanying two dimensional process and device simulation software 'MicroTec', enables students to make their own devices and allows the recreation of real performance under varying parameters. There is also an accompanying ftp site containing ICECREAM software (Integrated Circuits and Electronics group Computerized Remedial Education And Mastering) which improves understanding of the physics involved and covers semiconductor physics, junction diodes, silicon bipolar and MOS transistors and photonic devices like LEDs and lasers. Features include: * MicroTec diskette containing a two-dimensional process and device simulator on which the many simulation exercises mentioned in the text can be performed thereby facilitating learning through experimentation * Computer aided education software (accessible vita ftp) featuring question and answer games, which enables students to enhance their understanding of the physics involved and allows lecturers to set assignments * Broad coverage spanning the common devices: pn junctions, metal semiconductor junctions, photocells, lasers, bipolar transistors, and MOS transistors * Discussion of fundamental concepts and technological principles offering the student a valuable grounding in semiconductor physics * Examination of the implications of recent research on small dimensions, reliability problems and breakdown mechanisms. Semiconductor Devices Explained offers a comprehensive new approach to teaching the fundamentals of semiconductor components based on the use of the accompanying process and device simulation software. Simulation is a popular tool used by engineers and scientists in device and process research. It supports the understanding of basic phenomena by linking the theory to hands on applications and real world problems with semiconductor devices. Throughout the text students are encouraged to augment their understanding by undertaking simulations and creating their own devices. The ICECREAM programme (Integrated Circuits and Electronics group Computerized Remedial Education And Mastering) question and answer game leads students through the concepts of common devices and makes learning fun. There is also a self-test element in which a data bank generates questions on the fundamentals of semiconductor junctions enabling students to assess their progress. Larger projects suitable for use as examination assignments are also incorporated. The test package is freely available to lecturers from the author on request. The remedial component of ICECREAM is available from the Wiley ftp site. MicroTec comes on a disk in the back of the book.