1.2 Existing TCAD Systems



next up previous contents index
Next: 1.3 VISTA Up: 1 Introduction and Overview Previous: 1.1 Technology CAD

1.2 Existing TCAD Systems

 

Integrated Technology CAD systems which provide process simulation, device simulation, common services and miscellaneous task control facilities are nowadays used worldwide. Some of them were developed by extending existing integrated Electronic CAD systems or computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) systems. Thus it is very hard to distinguish between advanced ECADgif, CIM, and TCAD systems. Furthermore, there are many TCAD approaches which emphasize certain aspects (like optimization) and even integrate some simulators, but entirely lack to fulfill any of the architectural criteria which will be presented in the next chapter. Hence, despite their practical utility, these systems have been left out of consideration. Other remarkable achievements which unfortunatly lack a persistent implementation have also not been taken into account. For these reasons and because of the sparse published data, the overview of existing systems given in Table 1.2 is incomplete and may not accurately represent the current status in all cases.

                                      

  
Table 1.1: List of TCAD systems and tool integration approaches, alphabetically sorted by institutions

Some of the namesgif of the TCAD systems (especially of large industrial systems) listed are not up to date. These systems grow and evolve steadily and the various institutions often refrain from inventing new names and from issuing version numbers as the systems are used internally only.

In Table 1.2 internal means that the system is not used outside the institution listed. production means that the system is known to be in use somewhere. commercial means that the system is commercially available.

The systems listed exhibit an amazing variety of architectures and interesting features. A thorough discussion and analysis would easily exceed the scope of this work. But a very brief synoptic review and technical criticism of the systems listed will be given in Section 2.2. Despite the various shortcomings of most of these systems from a software point of view, each of them (and of many more unlisted TCAD components) is a remarkable achievement and a witness to thriving Technology CAD.



next up previous contents index
Next: 1.3 VISTA Up: 1 Introduction and Overview Previous: 1.1 Technology CAD



Martin Stiftinger
Thu Oct 13 13:51:43 MET 1994