17 March 2011

ITRI adopts Synopsys’ simulation software to speed SiC power device development

Synopsys Inc of Mountain View, CA, USA, which provides software and IP for semiconductor design, verification and manufacturing, says that the Industrial Technology Research Institute of Taiwan (ITRI) has adopted its TCAD Sentaurus simulation software to support its R&D of silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor devices.

The firm says that TCAD Sentaurus’ modeling enables ITRI to speed the development of SiC power devices (which have superior electrical and thermal properties due to the wide energy bandgap of SiC) via detailed simulations of their electrical and thermal behavior.

Over the past decade, SiC Schottky barrier diodes have become commercially available, resulting in the development of a new generation of SiC devices targeting applications in hybrid and electric vehicles, smart grid and other innovative power systems. ITRI is researching a wide range of power devices to serve emerging market needs for electric vehicles and solar arrays.

“The market for SiC devices is growing rapidly because of the need for more energy-efficient power switches in major application segments like automotive and energy distribution,” says Dr Ming-Jer Kao, EOL deputy general director of ITRI. “The Synopsys TCAD Sentaurus software allows us to simulate the electrical and thermal performance of our devices in a very realistic way,” he adds. “This capability is essential for understanding the behavior of our new devices and is used to optimize the device characteristics to meet market requirements.”

The TCAD Sentaurus product family comprises 2D and 3D process and device simulation tools for exploring and optimizing silicon and compound semiconductor technologies. The TCAD Sentaurus tools implement models specific to SiC simulation.

“Power devices are a fast-moving segment of the semiconductor market, with innovation through new device structures and materials addressing increasingly complex and challenging applications,” says Howard Ko, senior VP & general manager of the Silicon Engineering Group at Synopsys. “TCAD simulation can help accelerate the commercial deployment of SiC by supporting the design and optimization of new devices,” he adds. “ITRI’s adoption validates the value Synopsys TCAD simulation brings to SiC power device development.”

Tags: ITRI Synopsys Simulation software SiC power devices

Visit: www.synopsys.com

Visit: www.itri.org.tw/eng

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