TCAD tools help explore new concepts

The Sentaurus technology CAD tool suite embeds a comprehensive suite of core TCAD products for multidimensional process, device and system simulation into a powerful user interface.

Synopsys reckons its new Sentaurus technology CAD (TCAD) tool suite sets a new standard for TCAD technology by embedding a comprehensive suite of core TCAD products for multidimensional process, device and system simulation into a powerful user interface.

Created by integrating the industry-leading features of Synopsys and former ISE TCAD products, Sentaurus includes a wide range of new features and capabilities.

Together with TSuprem4, Medici and Raphael existing Synopsys products, Sentaurus will put Synopsys customers in a strong position to address future challenges in semiconductor development while maintaining continuity with their existing software installations.

The application space of Sentaurus spans the complete range of semiconductor technologies, from deep submicron logic, memory and mixed signal to smart power, sensors, compound semiconductor, optoelectronics and RF.

The combined capabilities in the Sentaurus tool suite enables customers to easily explore and optimise a broad range of process and device alternatives, as well as provide powerful new concepts to improve parametric yield in manufacturing, thereby reducing technology development cost and increasing productivity.

A number of worldwide leading semiconductor companies have been using Synopsys' Sentaurus TCAD technologies as a critical part of their technology development flow.

"Toshiba is using TCAD tools in a variety of ways to help explore new concepts, to develop next-generation advanced technologies and to address and optimise parametric yield issues", said Shigeru Komatsu, Chief Knowledge Officer at Toshiba.

"From substrate engineering to advanced process control, TCAD provides important insight that is not easily attainable from measurements".

"TCAD simulation results are a perfect complement to silicon experiments, allowing us to save cost and time throughout the product development cycle in order to attain target yield and meet time-to-market constraints".

"The enhanced capabilities in the Sentaurus tool suite will allow us to harvest the benefits of TCAD for the development and improvement of new processes and devices".

The knowledge gained through TCAD simulation has been used to optimise processes and identify potential yield problems that need to be addressed in the design prior to volume production.

Through proper calibration with prototype wafers, TCAD can accurately predict the behaviour of silicon in the manufacturing line for new technology nodes.

This information, coupled with design tools, will enable Synopsys' DFM solution to reach beyond the traditional boundaries of EDA by identifying and addressing manufacturing problems early in the design process.

Ultimately, higher yield can be achieved with Synopsys' bidirectional link between design and manufacturing, all the way from place and route to physical verification (RET - resolution enhancement technology), mask optimisation and TCAD.

"TCAD has played a significant role in our technology development flow", said Scott Irving, Director of TCAD at Fairchild Semiconductor in South Portland, Maine.

"Simulation results are invaluable when silicon data are scarce, and running additional wafer splits is too time-consuming".

"The full suite of Synopsys TCAD products gives us a reliable framework to explore future devices and technologies with advanced modelling capabilities, such as Monte Carlo, optimising new processes with predictable simulation results and improving production yield with statistical modelling and analysis capabilities".

The 2004 International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductor (ITRS) states that the use of TCAD will provide as much as a 40% reduction in technology development costs.

"In this highly competitive environment, more and more of our customers take full advantage of the predictive power of TCAD to reduce cost and time in product development and get their products out on time", said Wolfgang Fichtner, Vice President of Engineering and General Manager of TCAD at Synopsys.

"The newly released Sentaurus provides the superior modelling capabilities to our customers, allowing them to continue to push the technology envelope in a time- and cost-effective manner".

"With Sentaurus, Synopsys offers highly advanced technology that bridges the gap between manufacturing and EDA and further cements Synopsys' leadership in TCAD and design for manufacturing (DFM)".

The Sentaurus TCAD tool suite is available today.

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