
STM selects 3-D EM simulation software from Agilent for ESD development in 40-nm ICs
Agilent Technologies has announced that STMicroelectronics has selected Agilent’s Electromagnetic Professional (EMPro) software for use in development of ESD structures based on advanced CMOS process technology.
As process geometries shrink to 40 nm and beyond, energy dissipation capacity from ESD (electrostatic discharge) protection devices is becoming more of a design challenge. ESD designs are process-technology-dependent, and lengthy simulations are typically required to systematically assess key ESD issues. Therefore, accelerating the design flow is becoming critical for IC development and availability.
With its ability to perform fast EM simulations in the time domain, EMPro’s Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) EM simulator is well suited to monitor the high electrical fields generated by the electric discharge within innovative ESD structures. Running the FDTD simulation on graphical processing unit (GPU) cards accelerates simulation speeds by an order of around 10x.
Agilent will demonstrate EMPro at European Microwave Week from October 29 to November 1, RAI, Amsterdam. The company will also show the newest microwave, millimeter-wave, wireless, radar, and antenna test and measurement solutions for the telecommunications, transportation and medical markets.
