Classical Semiconductor Device and Circuit Simulator
GTS Minimos-NT is a general-purpose 2D and 3D semiconductor device simulator providing steady-state, transient, and small-signal analysis of arbitrary two and three dimensional device geometries. In mixed-mode, numerical device simulations can be embedded in circuit simulation with circuits consisting of 2D/3D TCAD devices, compact device models, and passive elements.
GTS Minimos-NT integrates a comprehensive set of physical models for simulation of various kinds of advanced device structures, such as contemporary planar and vertical CMOS devices, silicon-on-insulator (SOI) devices, and hetero-structure devices. Taking into account atomistic traps and dopants, GTS Minimos-NT provides reliability and variability modeling of highly scaled transistors, having a channel length down to nanometer scale. Different materials are treated in an abstract way since all material properties are handled via a database which under control of the model server.
GTS Minimos-NT employs the powerful input-deck language, enabling the user to customize the simulation in many details. The basic idea is that the input-deck is not evaluated once at the beginning of the simulation, but is treated like a database which can be accessed at run-time. Since each keyword in this input-deck can be an arbitrarily complex and time dependent expression, fine-tuning can be done without the need of any predefined heuristic algorithms, e.g., controlling the stepping delta or increasing the matrix pre-conditioner fill-in depending on bias or for time steps with large curvature of the input signals.
Features
Basic Features
- Drift-diffusion transport models
- Hydrodynamic (energy) transport model
- Two- and three-dimensional device structures
- Simulation modes: DC, AC, transient; mixed-mode
- Self-heating simulation with lattice heat flow equation
Environment
- Integration with GTS Framework
- Graphical user interface
- Sophisticated input-deck database
- Multi-core simulation support
- Material database extendable via C++ like script language
- Unstructured and structured meshes in two and three dimensions
Physical Models
- Multitude of mobility models
- Band gap narrowing
- Band-to-band tunneling
- Trap assisted band-to-band tunneling
- Impact ionization
- Quantum correction models
- Density-gradient model
- Mobility degradation models
- Hot-carrier degradation
- BTI models
- Optical generation model
- Irradiation models
- Heterostructure interfaces handled with thermionic emission model or a thermionic field emission model
- Tunneling models for gate leakage simulations
Specific Simulations and Materials
- Support for EEPROM simulation: floating gates and oxide traps
- Ferroelectric polarization field in transient simulations
- Parasitics extraction: resistances and capacitances
- Direct extraction of S and Y matrices
- Models for Silicon Carbide (SiC) devices
- Extensive and extendable material database
- Abstract materials handling via a material database. Models available for Si, Ge, SiGe, SiC, SiN, GaAs, AlAs, InAs, InP, GaP, GaN, AlGaAs, InGaAs, InAlAs, InAsP, GaAsP, InGaP, SiO2, Si3N4, AlN, Al2O3, and BeO.
- Circuit analysis with an additional thermal circuit
- BSIM4 compact model
Variability and Reliability
- Statistical reliability analysis
- Variability analysis
- Atomistic traps and dopants
- Latest BTI models (NBTI, PBTI)
Proven, Consistent, Comprehensive
A comprehensive set of physically-based models allows for simulating various kinds of advanced device structures, such as contemporary vertical and planar CMOS devices, silicon-on-insulator (SOI) devices, and hetero-structure devices made of all currently used semiconductor materials. Taking into account the atomistic nature of traps and dopants, GTS Minimos-NT provides reliability and variability modeling of highly scaled transistors, such as planar devices and silicon-on-insulator as well as FinFETs, having channel lengths in the nanometer scale. Support for mixed-mode simulations of circuits made of lumped components and numerical semiconductor devices including self-heating simulation and thermal circuit analysis make GTS Minimos-NT a powerful tool in any TCAD application or DTCO flow.