SBIR-STTR Award

The proposed effort shall produce a detailed plan for implementation and demonstration of a semiconductor TCAD (technology computer-aided design) framework which best meets the present and future needs for integrated operation and data exchange among diverse semiconductor TCAD tools spanning R&D through manufacturing environments. In order to best develop this plan, dawn technologies, inc. Shall assess the needs of R&D and manufacturing environments for TCAD frameworks, evaluate existing framework technology and emerging industry standards for applicability to semiconductor TCAD frameworks, develop a detailed set of requirements for semiconductor TCAD frameworks, and develop a detailed set of requirements for semiconductor TCAD frameworks. The demonstration part of the plan shall include integrated operation of TCAD tools from diverse commercial sources. The implementation part of the plan shall be based on existing framework software technology combined with developmentor enhancement of CRMCAL TCAD specific software components and standards (such as semiconductor wafer representation - SWR, and semiconductor process representation - SPR) which are most needed for integrated operation and data exchange among diverse TCAD tools. The selection of existing framework software technology shall emphasize compatibility with commercial standards acceptable to present and future integrated circuit R&D and manufacturing organizations. Anticipated benefits/potential commercial applications - the resultant plan and subsequent Phase II development will create industry standards and commercial software components which eliminate present barriers to pull framework integration of diverse semiconductor TCAD tools. Benefits include 1) standards for TCAD framework tool interfaces, user interfaces and data exchange, 2) concurrent TCAD use from R&D through manufacturing, 3) optimization.

This proposal emphasizes commercialization and advancement of SWR (semiconductor wafer representation) standards for integration of semiconductor technology cad (TCAD) tools: basic SWR 1.0 system. This will produce an SWR 1.0 server (as defined by the CFI TCAD group) integrated with an object-oriented database and an interactive visualization tool. Functional SWR compliance tests plus client-server performance tests will be made. SWR system tests will demonstrate integration of commercial 2D process and device simulation tools. Option 1: integrated SWR/TCAD/ECAD system. This will integrate the basic SWR 1.0 system into a commercial ECAD (electronic CAD) framework, provide integration with mask layout and circuit parameter extraction, and demonstrate full simulation from mask layout through circuit simulation. An interactive SWR object editor/browser will also be provided. Option 2: 3D SWR system. This will define extensions of SWR to 3D for TDAC tool integration, implement a 3D SWR system including an object-oriented database and 3D visualization, and demonstrate integration of 3D TCAD tools via SWR. Option 3: extended functionality 2D SWR system. This will explore and develop functional extensions of SWR which provide capabilities beyond TCAD tool integration, i.e., which enable more rapid development of more sophisticated 2D TCAD tools. Anticipated benefits/potential commercial applications - The proposed effort will commercialize and advance SWR standards to provide (1) industry standard TCAD tool integration, (2) accelerated transfer of university TCAD tool research to the semiconductor industry and (3) more rapid and advanced TCAD tool development. Option 1 will integrate SWR and TCAD tools with commercial ecad to provide concurrent engineering and accelerated IC technology development. Options 2 & 3 will improve SWR to meet needs of advanced TCAD and IC technology.