1. Sentaurus Introduction & Step-by-Step Manual
Chen Shi
09/16/2015

2. Tool Flow in Synopsys TCAD
Design the device
Simulate the device
Temperature, Bias
Stimulus
Analyse the simulation results
Bandgap
IV curve
Carrier distribution ……

3. Tools
SPROCESS
Variables
SDE
Projects
SDEVICE
SVISUAL

4. Different color indicates different status of the node

5. Part 1: Preparation

6. Step 1. Launch Sentaurus TCAD in Linux
In VSE Lab 1506, Power-on the Linux virtual machine and log-in with your Mason Account
(The virtual machine is on the desktop with icon name "VSLINUX“;
Double click the icon and then press “powe-on the machine”.)
Open the terminal and type two commands:
module add synopsys/SentaurusTCAD/H SP2
To load the necessary modules to run the tool;
swb
To launch Sentaurus TCAD;

7. Step 2. Choose your project directory
It is better to create a new folder (like Windows system) and put your projects in the specific folder.

8. Step 3. Create New Project and Add tools
1. Project > New Project
3. Choose tools
2. Right click and “add tools”

9. 6. right click SDE and add another tool
4. Choose SDE
and click OK
5. click OK
6. right click SDE and add another tool
7. Similarly, add another tool: SDEVICE
Note: you should make SDEVICE is after SDE here

10. Note: you can save your project at any time
Note: you can save your project at any time. When you create a new project and save it the first time, you will be required to name the project.

11. Part 2: SDE

12. Preparation Two methods: Draw your device(Graphic interface)
Using command to describe the device(Command interface)
Preparation
Step 1: Draw the device(Shape & Coordinates; Material)
Step 2: Doping
Step 3: Contacts
Step 4: Meshing
Step 5: Build Mesh
1. Right click SDE and choose Edit Input > Boundary file

13. Draw > make “exact coordinates” selected;
material
Selection level
Draw > make “exact coordinates” selected;
Prepare a txt file to record every command when you finish each step
Control the view angle
Command Window

14. Step 1. Draw the device 1. Draw a cuiboid
Make sure the material is chosen as “Silicon”
Draw> 3D create tools > create Cuboid
(click anywhere and hold the left button, drag it to another position, then release it;
Then hit the left button one more time, you will get it)
Fill the coordinates of the Cuiboid
to rotate the device with the mouse
To reset the view angle

15. 2. Draw another Cuiboid in the same way but different coordinates

16. Step 2. Doping 1. Define P-type Doping
Doping region
1. Define P-type Doping
Click the “constant profile Placement” icon
Finish the table
Click “Add Placement” and close it
Doping species
Doping concentration

17. 2. Define N-type Doping

18. Step 3. Contacts 1. Contact Sets: Contact Menu > Contact Sets
Create “Anode” contact as the figure shows. After finishing the table, click “Set”.
Similarly Create “Cathode” contact.

19. 2. Set Contacts: Choose “Anode”, click Activate;
“choose button”
2. Set Contacts:
Choose “Anode”, click Activate;
Choose “Select Face” in the select level;
Choose the face of the p-doped region
(make sure you select the “choose button” so that you can “choose”)
(if necessary, try to rotate the device)
Contacts Menu > Set contacts
Same way to Set the Cathode to the face of N-type region

20. Step 4. Meshing Mesh Menu> MultiBox Placement Finish the table
After you finish these coordinates, click “Define”
Mesh Menu> MultiBox Placement
Finish the table
Click “Add Placement”

21. Step 5. Build Mesh Mesh Menu > Build Mesh
Finish table(use the default one is okay)
Click the “Build Mesh”

22. Using the command interface
Right click SDE and choose Edit Input > Commands

23. Create two cuiboid silicon region
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position ) "Silicon" "region_1")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position ) (position ) "Silicon" "region_2")
(sdedr:define-constant-profile "ConstantProfileDefinition_1" "BoronActiveConcentration" 1e15) (sdedr:define-constant-profile-region "ConstantProfilePlacement_1" "ConstantProfileDefinition_1" "region_1")
(sdedr:define-constant-profile "ConstantProfileDefinition_2" "ArsenicActiveConcentration" 1e19)
(sdedr:define-constant-profile-region "ConstantProfilePlacement_2" "ConstantProfileDefinition_2" "region_2")
(sdegeo:define-contact-set "Cathode" 4 (color:rgb ) "##")
(sdegeo:define-contact-set "Anode" 4 (color:rgb ) "||")
(sdegeo:set-current-contact-set "Cathode")
(sdegeo:define-3d-contact (list (car (find-face-id (position )))) "Cathode")
(render:rebuild)
(sdegeo:set-current-contact-set "Anode")
(sdegeo:define-3d-contact (list (car (find-face-id (position )))) "Anode")
(sdedr:define-refeval-window "RefEvalWin_1" "Cuboid" (position 0 0 0) (position ) ) (sdedr:define-multibox-size "MultiboxDefinition_1" ) (sdedr:define-multibox-placement "MultiboxPlacement_1" "MultiboxDefinition_1" "RefEvalWin_1" )
(sde:set-meshing-command "snmesh -a -c boxmethod")
(sdedr:append-cmd-file "")
(sde:build-mesh "snmesh" "-a -c boxmethod" "sdemodel")
Create two cuiboid silicon region
Define the doping
Define the contacts
Define the mesh
Note: Replace the last line with the new command
(sde:build-mesh "snmesh" "-a -c boxmethod"

24. Part 3: SDEVICE

25. { name="Cathode" Voltage=0.0 } { name="Anode" Voltage=0.0 }
File {
Grid =
Plot =
Current =
Output = }
Electrode {
{ name="Cathode" Voltage=0.0 }
{ name="Anode" Voltage=0.0 }
Physics {
Mobility( DopingDep HighFieldSaturation Enormal ) EffectiveIntrinsicDensity( oldSlotboom )
Math {
Extrapolate
RelErrControl
Notdamped=50
Iterations=20
FILE SECTION
The input file(from SDE)
Sometimes you may need parameter files.
Output file
XXX.tdr Device figure
XXX.plt Plot file
XXX.log, XXX.out----log files
Right Click the SDEVICE tool, Edit Input > Command
Paste the command files.
Plot {
eDensity hDensity
eCurrent hCurrent
ElectricField eEnormal hEnormal
eQuasiFermi hQuasiFermi
Potential Doping SpaceCharge
SRH Auger AvalancheGeneration
eMobility hMobility
DonorConcentration AcceptorConcentration Doping
eVelocity hVelocity }
Solve {
Quasistationary(
InitialStep=1e-3 MaxStep=0.5
Goal{Name="Cathode" Voltage=2.0}
){Coupled{Poisson Electron Hole}
CurrentPlot(Time=(Range=(0 1) Intervals=20))
Plot Section
What parameter will be showed in the XXX.tdr output file
ELECTRODE SECTION
Solve Section
How to simulate the device
PHYSICS SECTION
What models will be used
MATH SECTION
About calculation issue

26. When you finish it, save the command file and close it.
Use “Ctrl+R” to run the project. Or Choose the target node(I figured it out in this figure), and click “run button”.
run button
Double click the target node, you can track the running status with more details.
File content
If something is wrong in the simulation, you can try to check the XXX.out and XXX.err to debug.
Log Files

27. Part 4: SVISUAL

28. XXX.tdr output file: Show the device figure.
Choose different region or contacts or material to show
Another important tool：Cut
Choose what parameter you’d like to see(you have to define them in Physic Section in SDEVICE code as we mentioned above)
The Plot Properties

30. XXX.plt output file: Show the plot curve. 1. Choose the data set
2. Choose X-Axis(usually chose time as X-Axis)
Notes:
You can only choose one X-Axis value.
But you can choose many Y-Axis manual. This way you just get many curves.
3. Choose Y-Axis(Here we choose Cathode TotalCurrent as the Y value)