A global modeling technique for monolithic microwave circuits

摘要

A global simulation tool has been developed, based on the fully-coupled solution of Maxwell's and charge transport equations. This allows for analysing wave propagation phenomena within semiconductor integrated circuits, including the behavior of "traveling wave" devices. A flexible strategy has been devised to preserve computational efficiency, based on a partition of the circuit into subdomains. Within each subdomain, the solution algorithm can be tailored, to avoid unnecessary or insignificant equations to be solved. To illustrate the code main features, a simple simulation example has been conceived, in which a. RF signal propagates along a slot line, the losses of which are controlled through the bias of a distributed semiconductor diode. Simulation results highlight the interaction occurring between wave propagation and charge-carrier transport, and demonstrate the potential advantages of the proposed approach.