ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with the physical description of integrated circuit devices, considering both the physical configuration and related device properties, and considers the links between the broad range of physics and electrical behavior models that support circuit design. It deals with comments very similar to those with which it began; physics-based modeling of devices is an essential part of the development process for integrated circuit electronics. The requirements for and use of technology computer-aided design cut across a very broad landscape of design automation issues, including many fundamental physical limits. At the core are a host of process and device modeling challenges that support intrinsic device scaling and parasitic extraction. The simulation levels of process and device modeling are considered as integral capabilities that together provide the “mapping” from mask-level information to the functional capabilities needed at the electronic design automation level, such as compact models and even higher-level behavioral models.
