VisualTCAD 1.7.2-5

2011.09.29

New feature and bug fixes.

VisualParticle (New Product)

  • GSeat: MonteCarlo Particle Simulator based on GEANT4, for simulation of single-event effects.
  • VisualParticle: Graphical Interface to GSeat.

Genius Device Simulator

  • New features:
  • Experimental support for half-implicit transient-mode solvers, offers 5x faster simulation speed.
  • Ray-tracing optics that supports lens and mirrors.
  • Improvements and bug fixes:
  • Solvers and Algorithms
    • Better cell truncation at boundary element, improved convergence.
    • Fine-tuned ASM linear pre-conditioners, improved convergence.
    • Improved curve-tracing algorithms for better detection of snap-back points.
    • Support Interconnect in circuit/device mixed-mode simulation.
    • Faster searching algorithm for tunneling partner node at semiconductor/insulator boundaries.
    • More accurate integration algorithm for transient simulation with optical- or particle-induced carrier generation.
  • Physical models
    • Free-carrier optical absorption is supported.
    • Fixed a parameter in Philips mobility model.
    • Fixed materials parameter of Ti and Tungsten.
  • General
    • Extended syntax: list values are supported in options.
    • Updated data format for importing energy deposition profile from GSeat particle simulation.
    • Calculates and outputs capacitances of all electrodes in AC simulation.
    • Import mesh file of the original Suprem4GS data format.

VisualTCAD

  • Defining interconnects in simulation control.
  • Scripting support in visualization module.
  • Warning and information messages displayed in log console window.
  • Fix a bug in constant current sources.

Gds2Mesh

  • Added parameters to control the density of doping profile rays.
  • Fixed several bugs related to regions with holes.
  • Fixed a bug in GDML mesh export.
  • Calculate doping concentration only in semiconductor regions.
  • Support Box object in GDSII mask file.
  • Stylized preview of mask graphs.

VisualTCAD 1.7.2-3

2011.06.29

New feature and bug fixes.

Genius Device Simulator

  • Adaptive pseudo-time steps, allows pseudo-time analysis to converge in fewer steps.
  • Improves BDF2 time-discretization, prevents inaccurate time-derivative estimation when carrier concentration is rapidly decreasing.
  • Improves efficiency of importing radiation particle trajectory.
  • More robust implementation of ray-element intersection calculation in ray-tracing optics.
  • Fixes importing of boundary condition in CGNS.

VisualTCAD

  • Editing user-defined circuit symbols and components.
  • Define mesh-size-control boxes, in addition to control lines.

VisualTCAD 1.7.2

2011.05.13

New features.

Genius Device Simulator

  • Proper truncation of triangle and tetrahedron with obtuse angles.
  • Small-signal AC analysis for devices with resistive metal regions.
  • Pseudo-time analysis mode for device simulation. Devices with floating regions, or other difficult-to-converge problems, have much improved convergence property with pseudo-time method. Iterative linear solvers can be used instead of direct solvers, drastically saving memory.
  • Re-order circuit variables in vector and Jacobian matrix, improves convergence.
  • Gmin-ramping and Source-ramping in device/circuit mixed simulation.
  • Updated build system on Linux, with updated and optimized numerical libraries. Requires RHEL5 and above, support for RHEL4.x stopped.
  • Fixed bugs related to distributed mesh.

VisualTCAD

  • More complete support for simulation control options, including Gmin-ramping/Source-ramping in device/circuit mixed simulation.
  • Create and edit custom circuit component libraries.
  • Edit mesh-size-constraint items in device drawings.
  • Improvements to the setting profile manager.

Gds2Mesh

  • More mask generation options for SRAM.
  • Fixed well contact doping in SRAM example.

VisualTCAD 1.7.1-4

2011.03.19

Bug fixes.

Genius Device Simulator

  • Fix crash under Windows due to read violation.
  • Update 3D mesh refine example (PN_Diode/pn_refine.inp).

Gds2Mesh

  • Fix excessive message box when job finishes.

VisualTCAD 1.7.1-3

2011.02.28

Bug fixes.

Genius Device Simulator

  • Option to adjust voltage reference used in potential damping.
  • Improve parsing of large numbers in input files.

Gds2Mesh

  • Allow multiple and intersecting fill-objects.

VisualTCAD

  • Improve formatting of large numbers.

VisualTCAD 1.7.1-2

2011.02.28

Bug fixes with some new features.

Genius Device Simulator

  • Distributed mesh storage, significant memory usage reduction in parallel simulation.
  • Added GaN and AlGaN material models.
  • Added HEMT example.
  • Fix current direction calculation at heterojunction.

Gds2Mesh

  • Fix typo in GUI that breaks polygon item in simple masks.

VisualTCAD 1.7.1-1

2011.02.14

Bug fixes with some new features.

Genius Device Simulator

  • Waveform modulated (in time) by an envelope for light and irradiation sources.
  • Adjust linear solver parameters for better stability
  • Effective surface E-field for mobility calculation is turned-on by default.
  • Exporting mesh and solution in DF-ISE format.
  • Fix Jacobian matrix for some displacement current components.
  • Fix error in importing 2D elements in DF-ISE file.

Gds2Mesh

  • A simple GUI.
  • Updated Python interface and documentation.

VisualTCAD GUI

  • minor fixes

VisualTCAD 1.7.1

2011.01.06

New Features and enhancements.

Genius Device Simulator

  • Added support for Windows 64bit platform.
  • Added support for incomplete-ionization of dopant impurities.
  • More efficient data structure to store solution data.
  • Overhaul of the storage of user-defined solution variables.
  • Load material optical parameters from data file.
  • Improve support for quadrilateral mesh element with high aspect ratio.
  • Fix bug in calculation of carrier quasi-Fermi-level when Bandgap narrowing is present.

Gds2Mesh

  • Fix bug in doping profiles calculation.

VisualTCAD GUI

  • Improves the editing of configuration profiles.
  • Improves the mesh quality near region boundary.

VisualTCAD 1.7.0-2

2010.11.25

Enhancements and Bug-fixes to the 1.7.0-1 release.

Genius Device Simulator

  • Added support for lattice heating and energy-balance solvers in resistive metal regions.
  • Turn off experimental triangle truncation algorithm, which proves to causes instability.
  • Fix ray-tracing crash when the intensity of one polarization vanishes at interface.
  • Speed optimization at boundaries.
  • Overhaul of the storage of solution variables.

Gds2Mesh

  • Fix bug in placing doping profiles using a mask with holes.

VisualTCAD GUI

  • Allow users to edit and switch configuration profiles.
  • Improves to import of doping profile in Device2D.
  • Synchronize selection between column view and the main spreadsheet.

VisualTCAD 1.6.3-1

2010.11.25

Maintenance release for the 1.6.x branch.

Genius Device Simulator

  • Fix ray-tracing crash when the intensity of one polarization vanishes at interface

VisualTCAD GUI

  • Incorporate new GUI features of 1.7.0-2.

VisualTCAD 1.6.3

2010.10.31

Maintenance release for the 1.6.x branch.

Genius Device Simulator

  • Fix boundary width when importing mesh file.
  • Improve stability of Sharfetter-Gummel discretization.

VisualTCAD GUI

VisualTCAD 1.7.0-1

2010.10.31

Bug-fixes to the 1.7.0 release.

Genius Device Simulator

  • Fix boundary width when importing mesh file.
  • Improve stability of Sharfetter-Gummel discretization.
  • Fix nearest boundary node searching.
  • Option to limit the maximum voltage ramp rate in transient simulation.
  • Save boundary label in CGNS even if it has no mesh node (yet).

VisualTCAD GUI

  • Fix python scripting in Win32.
  • Fix memory leaks in XY plot.

Gds2Mesh

  • Improve efficiency in calculating doping profiles.

VisualTCAD 1.7.0

2010.10.18

The 1.7.0 release contains many new features in the Genius simulator and the VisualTCAD GUI. A new product GDS2Mesh is released, and included in this version.

Genius Device Simulator

  • Support realistic metal regions that is resistive. Resistive metal regions is allowed to be in contact with each other, circuit cells are constructed this way.
  • Major speed-up in simulating large structures. Loading a 100K node structure is almost 10 times faster, the matrix assembly step is almost 2x faster. The overall speed up for SRAM simulation is ~1.5x.
  • Experimental support for gate current (tunneling and hot carrier).
  • Support TIF3D mesh data format.

VisualTCAD GUI

New features in VisualTCAD includes:

  • Python scripting for automating common tasks in the following modules:
  • 2D device drawing,
  • spreadsheet,
  • XY plot.
  • Saving/loading XY plots to disk.
  • Predefined palette for curve style/color in XY plots.
  • In 2D device drawing, import 1D/2D doping profile from file.
  • Support TIF3D mesh data format.
  • Visulization module:
  • Probe multiple variables in device.
  • Select/deselect multiple regions to filter

GDS2Mesh (New Product)

Construct 3D TCAD model directly from GDSII mask layout. (included in the Linux package, but licensed separately).

VisualTCAD 1.6.2-2

2010.08.30

Bug fixes:

  • Device 2D: correctly handle doping profile with zero height.

VisualTCAD 1.6.2-1

2010.08.11

Bug fixes:

  • Mixed simulation: support numerical device with 32 pin (up from 7).
  • Improve pseudo color plot in visualization module.

VisualTCAD 1.6.2

2010.08.02

VisualTCAD GUI

  • 2D Device Drawing :
  • Added "Ruler" tool, for measuring sizes of objects
  • Support setting background doping concentration and mole fraction of material ares.
  • Support placing mole fraction profile in device structure
  • Support "Opaque" rendering mode, which is faster over remote display.
  • Improves material selector
  • Improves mesh quality
  • Device Simulation:
  • Allow boundaries and contacts to have different width in the Z-direction.
  • Fix bugs related to impact ionization and band-to-band tunneling model parameters.
  • X-Y Plot:
  • Correctly handle negative values in log-scale plots
  • Visualization:
  • Support setting values of contour line

Genius Device Simulator

  • Performance optimizations
  • Bug fixes in heterojunction current, band-to-band tunneling models
  • Support AlN material

VisualTCAD 1.6.1

2010.05.24

Genius Device Simulator

  • Fixes an error in calculating current at heterojunction
  • Improves convergence of AC small signal simulation
  • Fixes random crashes after simulation is completed
  • Add support for electron bean injection
  • Fixes minor problems in exporting CGNS and VTK
  • Report syntax error to log file, in addition to console
  • Fixes optical parameters of some III-V and II-VI materials
  • Fixes stdout/stderr buffer problem when using pythonw on windows.

VisualTCAD GUI

  • Support dongle license keys
  • Provides GUI in simplified Chinese language
  • Fixes memory leak when requesting log
  • Fixes excessive CPU usage when running long simulations
  • Improves user-interaction in the object list in device drawing tools
  • Check for duplicate region/profile names in device drawing
  • Improves the ramp-up sequence of device simulation
  • Fixes error in calculating simulation progress
  • Fixes crash when using VTK window under X-over-TCP platform

VisualTCAD 1.6.0

2010.04.04

Public release with numerous bug fixes.

VisualTCAD 1.6.0-beta

2010.02.10

Test version released to distributors and selected customers.