Simulation and Modeling of Novel Electronic Device Architectures with NESS (Nano-Electronic Simulation Software): A Modular Nano TCAD Simulation Framework

• Published in: Micromachines (Basel) Vol. 12; no. 6; p. 680
• Main Authors: Medina-Bailon, Cristina, Dutta, Tapas, Rezaei, Ali, Nagy, Daniel, Adamu-Lema, Fikru, Georgiev, Vihar P., Asenov, Asen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 10.06.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Charge transport; CMOS; Computer architecture; Design; drift-diffusion; Electronic devices; integrated simulation environment; Investigations; Kubo-Greenwood; Modular equipment; Modules; Nanoelectronics; Nanotechnology devices; nanowire transistors (NWT); Nanowires; non-equilibrium Green’s function; Poisson equation; Programming languages; quantum correction; Quantum mechanics; R&D; Research & development; Resonant tunneling; Robustness (mathematics); Semiconductor devices; Simulation; Software; Transistors; Tunnel diodes
• ISSN: 2072-666X; 2072-666X
• DOI: 10.3390/mi12060680

The modeling of nano-electronic devices is a cost-effective approach for optimizing the semiconductor device performance and for guiding the fabrication technology. In this paper, we present the capabilities of the new flexible multi-scale nano TCAD simulation software called Nano-Electronic Simulation Software (NESS). NESS is designed to study the charge transport in contemporary and novel ultra-scaled semiconductor devices. In order to simulate the charge transport in such ultra-scaled devices with complex architectures and design, we have developed numerous simulation modules based on various simulation approaches. Currently, NESS contains a drift-diffusion, Kubo–Greenwood, and non-equilibrium Green’s function (NEGF) modules. All modules are numerical solvers which are implemented in the C++ programming language, and all of them are linked and solved self-consistently with the Poisson equation. Here, we have deployed some of those modules to showcase the capabilities of NESS to simulate advanced nano-scale semiconductor devices. The devices simulated in this paper are chosen to represent the current state-of-the-art and future technologies where quantum mechanical effects play an important role. Our examples include ultra-scaled nanowire transistors, tunnel transistors, resonant tunneling diodes, and negative capacitance transistors. Our results show that NESS is a robust, fast, and reliable simulation platform which can accurately predict and describe the underlying physics in novel ultra-scaled electronic devices.