1.2.3 TAURUS-DEVICE

Avant! (website: [71]) offers the device simulators Medici, DAVINCI, and TAURUS-DEVICE which are part of the in-house TCAD package. Medici is a two-dimensional device simulator whereas DAVINCI is capable to perform three-dimensional simulations. TAURUS-DEVICE is newest product and has similar simulation capabilities as DAVINCI with some extensions.

TAURUS-DEVICE is a multi-dimensional device simulator and supports one- two- and three-dimensional simulations. It solves Poisson's equation, the carrier continuity equations, the carrier energy balance equation, and the lattice heat equation. TAURUS-DEVICE is capable to perform steady state, transient, AC-small signal and noise analyzes and has optical device simulation capabilities. TAURUS-DEVICE uses the Box Integration Method and is able to use tetrahedral and hybrid grids.

The simulator can handle several materials like Si, Ge, GaAs, SiGe, AlGaAs, InP, and SiC. Models included are Shockley-Read-Hall and Auger recombination, band-gap-narrowing, Fermi-Dirac and Boltzmann statistics. Several mobility models are implemented like mobility depending on the electric field, impurity concentrations, lattice temperature, carrier concentrations, carrier energy, and mobility degradation at the surfaces. Additionally, tunneling models like Fowler-Nordheim, band-to-band, hot-carrier, and direct tunneling are available.

TAURUS-DEVICE provides a set of breakdown models and temperature depended impact ionization. Quantum mechanical simulations can be carried out using a Schrödinger solver.

Moreover, a physical model and equation interface (PMEI) is available to allow user-defined physical models and partial differential equations to be solved. Several direct and iterative linear solvers are included. Mixed-Mode simulations allow to combine physical devices and compact models like BSIM3 in a circuit.

Fig. 1.3 shows the total current density of a FinFET simulated with TAURUS-DEVICE [71].

Figure 1.3: FinFET with contours of the total current density [71].