Rigorous integration of semiconductor process and device simulators

We deal with problems arising in the coupling of process and device simulators. It is analyzed what kind of data and algorithms such simulations are based on. An overview of existing technology computer-aided design data models is given. A generic object-oriented data model suitable for three-dimensional process and device simulations, the so-called WAFER-STATE-SERVER is presented. By taking advantage of object-oriented abstraction mechanisms, key tasks in the coupling of simulators are relocated from the simulator into the WAFER-STATE-SERVER. The new data model allows an efficient data exchange between existing process and device simulators. It is capable of managing geometries of different dimensions, and handling grids and distributed quantities stored therein. The data model also defines algorithms to perform geometrical operations as they occur in topography simulations. Three process simulators based on the new data model were developed, one of which is presented in this work.