SILVACO, Inc.
4701 Patrick Henry Drive, Bldg. 1 September 3, 2010
Santa Clara, CA 95054
Phone: (408) 567-1000
Web: www.silvaco.com
ATLAS User’s Manual
DEVICE SIMULATION SOFTWARE
ii SILVACO, Inc.
AT L A S
User’s Manual
Copyright 2010
SILVACO, Inc.
4701 Patrick Henry Drive, Building #6
Santa Clara, CA 95054
Phone: (408) 567-1000
Web: www.silvaco.com
SILVACO, Inc. iii
The information contained in this document is subject to change without notice.
SILVACO, Inc. MAKES NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND WITH REGARD TO THIS MATERIAL,
INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTY OF FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
SILVACO, Inc. shall not be held liable for errors contained herein or for incidental or consequential
damages in connection with the furnishing, performance, or use of this material.
This document contains proprietary information, which is protected by copyright laws of the United
States. All rights are reserved. No part of this document may be photocopied, reproduced, or translated
into another language without the prior written consent of SILVACO, Inc.
ACCUCELL, ACCUCORE, ACCUMODEL, ACCUTEST, ATHENA, ATHENA 1D, ATLAS, BLAZE,
C-I
NTERPRETER, CATALYSTDA, CATALYSTAD, CELEBRITY, CELEBRITY C++, CIRCUIT OPTIMIZER,
C
LARITYRLC, CLEVER, DECKBUILD, DEVEDIT, DEVEDIT3D, DEVICE3D, DISCOVERY, EDA OMNI,
EDIF W
RITER, ELITE, EXACT, EXPERT, EXPERTVIEWS, FERRO, GATEWAY, GIGA, GIGA3D, GUARDIAN,
G
UARDIAN DRC, GUARDIAN LVS, GUARDIAN NET, HARMONY, HIPEX, HIPEX-C, HIPEX-NET,
HIPEX-RC, H
YPERFAULT, LASER, LED, LISA, LUMINOUS, LUMINOUS3D, MAGNETIC, MAGNETIC3D,
M
ASKVIEWS, MC DEPO/ETCH, MC DEVICE, MC IMPLANT, MERCURY, MIXEDMODE, MIXEDMODE3D,
M
OCASIM, MODELLIB, NOISE, NOMAD, OLED, OPTOLITH, ORGANIC DISPLAY, ORGANIC SOLAR, OTFT,
PROMOST, Q
UANTUM, QUANTUM3D, QUEST, REALTIMEDRC, RESILIENCE, S-PISCES, S-SUPREM3,
S-S
UPREM4, SCOUT, SDDL, SFLM, SIC, SILOS, SMARTLIB, SMARTSPICE, SMARTSPICE SEE,
S
MARTSPICERF, SMARTVIEW, SIMULATION STANDARD, SOLVERLIB, SPAYN, SPDB, SPIDER, SPRINT,
STELLAR, TCAD D
RIVEN CAD, TCAD OMNI, TFT, TFT3D, THERMAL3D, TONYPLOT, TONYPLOT3D,
T
WISTER, TWISTERFP, VCSEL, UTMOST, UTMOST III, UTMOST IV, UTMOST IV- FIT, UTMOST IV-
M
EASURE, UTMOST IV- OPTIMIZATION, VICTORY, VICTORYCELL, VICTORYDEVICE, VICTORYPROCESS,
V
ICTORYSTRESS, VIRTUAL WAFER FAB, VWF, VWF AUTOMATION TOOLS, VWF INTERACTIVE TOOLS, VWF
M
ANUFACTURING TOOLS, and VYPER are trademarks of SILVACO, Inc.
All other trademarks mentioned in this manual are the property of their respective owners.
Copyright © 1984 - 2010, SILVACO, Inc.
Notice
SILVACO, Inc. iv
Style Conventions
Font Style/Convention Description Example
• This represents a list of items or
terms.
•Bullet A
•Bullet B
•Bullet C
1.
2.
3.
This represents a set of direc-
tions to perform an action.
To open a door:
1. Unlock the door by inserting
the key into keyhole.
2. Turn key counter-clockwise.
3. Pull out the key from the
keyhole.
4. Grab the doorknob and turn
clockwise and pull.
→ This represents a sequence of
menu options and GUI buttons
to perform an action.
File→Open
Courier This represents the commands,
parameters, and variables syn
-
tax.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
New Century Schoolbook
Bold
This represents the menu
options and buttons in the GUI.
File
New Century Schoolbook
Italics
This represents the equations. abc=xyz
Note:
This represents the additional
important information.
Note: Make sure you save often while run-
ning an experiment.
NEW CENTURY SCHOOLBOOK
IN SMALL CAPS
This represents the names of
the SILVACO Products.
ATHENA and ATLAS, .
How to Read this Manual
SILVACO, Inc. v
Chapter 1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
1.1: ATLAS Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
1.2: Features And Capabilities of ATLAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
1.2.1: Comprehensive Set of Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
1.2.2: Fully Integrated Capabilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
1.2.3: Sophisticated Numerical Implementation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
1.3: Using ATLAS With Other Silvaco Software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3
1.4: The Nature Of Physically-Based Simulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Chapter 2
Getting Started with ATLAS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
2.1: Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
2.2: ATLAS Inputs and Outputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
2.3: Modes of Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
2.3.1: Interactive Mode With DeckBuild . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
2.3.2: Batch Mode With DeckBuild. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
2.3.3: No Windows Batch Mode With DeckBuild . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
2.3.4: Running ATLAS inside Deckbuild . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
2.3.5: Batch Mode Without DeckBuild . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
2.3.6: TMA Compatibility Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
2.3.7: ISE Compatibility Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
2.4: Accessing The Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
2.5: The ATLAS Syntax. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
2.5.1: Statements and Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
2.5.2: The Order of ATLAS Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
2.5.3: The DeckBuild Command Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
2.5.4: PISCES-II Quick Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
2.6: Defining A Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
2.6.1: Interface From ATHENA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
2.6.2: Interface From DevEdit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
2.6.3: Using The Command Language To Define A Structure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
2.6.4: Automatic Meshing (Auto-meshing) Using The Command Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
2.6.5: Modifying Imported Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-23
2.6.6: Remeshing Using The Command Language. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-23
2.6.7: Specifying 2D Circular Structures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-25
2.6.8: Specifying 3D Structures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-29
2.6.9: Specifying 3D Cylindrical Structures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-29
2.6.10: Extracting 2D Circular Structures From 3D Cylindrical Structures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-33
2.6.11: General Comments Regarding Grids. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-34
2.6.12: Maximum Numbers Of Nodes, Regions, and Electrodes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-34
2.6.13: Quadrilateral REGION Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-35
2.7: Defining Material Parameters And Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-36
2.7.1: Specifying Contact Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-36
2.7.2: Specifying Material Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-39
2.7.3: Specifying Interface Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-40
2.7.4: Specifying Physical Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-40
2.7.5: Summary Of Physical Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-42
2.8: Choosing Numerical Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-46
Table of Contents
