2. Simulation of Semiconductor Devices

OPTIMIZATION of a semiconductor manufacturing process can be a cumbersome task. It is often based on trial and error steps where different processing parameters such as the exact doping profile, geometries, and temperatures are evaluated. Since the possible combinations are literally unlimited, it is very important to have highly skilled device engineers working on this task. But still, as every new experiment takes up to weeks until the results are obtained and the expenses for fabrication are very high, alternatives or at least assistance in device development is of crucial importance. This is where semiconductor device simulation comes into play. Not only can different geometries and doping profiles be analyzed within hours, simulation also gives detailed insight into the device behavior.

Measurement data mainly concentrate on electrical characterization of the extrinsic data, semiconductor devices can deliver. These can be the voltage-current relations, the capacitance-voltage curves, or similar. Using simulation tools, also distributed quantities inside the semiconductor can be explored. This can be for example the carrier concentration, the electrostatic potential, the carrier temperature, or the current density. By using these software tools, the device engineer can gain additional information about how processing changes can alter the intrinsic properties of the semiconductor device.