A two- and three-dimensional interconnect simulator

The program package SAP is a finite element simulator, designed specifically for highly accurate analysis of multi-layer VLSI interconnect structures. It supports resistance, capacitance, and inductance extraction, coupled electro-thermal simulations, calculation of delay times and cross-talk. The package also includes preprocessors for two- and three-dimensional geometry construction (solid modeling) and automatic grid generation, as well as a visualization tool, which allows further investigation of the calculated results.

The SAP package contains the following simulators and auxiliary tools:

• STAP (Smart Thermal Analysis Program) is a two- and three-dimensional finite element based program for resistance, capacitance and inductance extraction and stationary and transient electro-thermal simulations. Supported two-dimensional elements are triangles. For three dimensions tetrahedrons can be used. A global grid refinement is supported. Linear or quadratic shape functions can be used to calculate the potential and temperature distributions.
• SCAP (Smart Capacitance Analysis Program) is a two- and three-dimensional finite element based program to extract linear capacitances of n-conductor problems.
• CUTGRID is a two dimensional solid modeler and grid generator. It is used to generate the input for STAP and SCAP for two-dimensional simulations.
• LAYGRID is 2 and 1/2 dimensional solid modeler and grid generator. It allows a layer-based input of interconnect wiring structures and generates a three dimensional simulation grid suitable for STAP and SCAP.
• LAYCONV converts layouts in GDS2 or CIF format to input files for laygrid.
• TRANSGRID (no longer supported) allows a geometry input based on hyper- patches.
• SV and FEMPOST are two- and three-dimensional visualization programs.
• COMPRESS_FLD, REMOVEMAT-SH, SHOWBDCOND-SH, and VSUB-SH are scripts for manipulation of SAP data files.

This software can be obtained via our Download Portal.