Simulation method, simulation program, and semiconductor device manufacturing method each employing boundary conditions

• US 7,162,400 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2001
• Issued: 01/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Ito, Sanae, Amakawa, Hirotaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah; Kamini
• Assistant Examiner(s): GEBRESILASSIE, KIBROM K
• Application Number:
  US10/028,319
• Publication Number:
  US 20020087298A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,838 Days
• Field of Search: 703/13, 703/14, 716/21, 438/10, 257/98
• US Class Current: 703/13
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/08 Probabilistic or stochastic CAD
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/23 using finite element methods [FEM] or finite difference methods [FDM]

Abstract

An aspect of the present invention provides a method of carrying out a simulation with simulation data, including, determining whether or not the simulation data includes boundary conditions set for a boundary of a calculation area set for the simulation, computing the influence of the boundary conditions on the inside of the calculation area if the simulation data includes the boundary conditions, displaying the influence of the boundary conditions on the inside of the calculation area, prompting to enter an instruction whether or not the boundary conditions are changed, and if an instruction to make no change in the boundary conditions is entered, carrying out the simulation with the simulation data.

Claims

1. A method of simulation for designing a semiconductor device with simulation data of the semiconductor device, comprising:

determining whether or not the simulation data includes boundary conditions set for a boundary of a calculation area set for the simulation;

computing an influence of the boundary conditions on an inside of the calculation area if the simulation data include the boundary conditions;

displaying the influence of the boundary conditions on the inside of the calculation area, said displaying operation comprising;

if the simulation data includes the boundary conditions, generating mirror images outside the calculation area according to the boundary conditions; and

displaying the mirror images, as well as real images included in the calculation area;

prompting to enter an instruction whether or not the boundary conditions are changed; and

if an instruction to make no change in the boundary conditions is entered, carrying out the simulation with the simulation data.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising, after prompting to enter an instruction:

if an instruction to make a change in the boundary conditions is entered, generating mirror images outside the calculation area according to boundary conditions other than the boundary conditions included in the simulation data;

displaying the mirror images, as well as real images included in the calculation area;

prompting to enter an instruction whether or not the boundary conditions used to generate the mirror images are adopted; and

if an instruction to adopt the boundary conditions used to generate the mirror images is entered, carrying out the simulation by employing the adopted boundary conditions.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, further including:

computing and displaying an influence of other boundary conditions on the calculation area.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising, after prompting to enter an instruction:

if an instruction to make a change in the boundary conditions is entered, expanding the calculation area and providing data concerning the expanded calculation area.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the boundary of the calculation area is changeable.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein computing and displaying the influence of the boundary conditions includes:

computing and displaying information about accuracy and speed of the simulation to be carried out with the simulation data including the boundary conditions.

7. A computer program product for simulation for designing a semiconductor device with simulation data of the semiconductor device, comprising:

a determining module configured to determine whether or not the simulation data includes boundary conditions set for a boundary of a calculation area set for the simulation if the simulation data includes the boundary conditions;

a computing module configured to compute an influence of the boundary conditions on an inside of the calculation area if the simulation data include the boundary conditions;

a displaying module configured to display the influence of the boundary conditions on the inside of the calculation area, said displaying module comprising;

a generating module configured to generate images outside the calculation area according to the boundary conditions if the simulation data includes the boundary conditions; and

an image displaying module configured to display the mirror images, as well as real images included in the calculation area;

a prompting module configured to prompt to enter an instruction whether or not the boundary conditions are changed; and

a simulation module configured to carry out the simulation with the simulation data if an instruction to make no change in the boundary conditions is entered.

8. The program product as claimed in claim 7, further comprising, after prompting module:

a generating module configured to generate mirror images outside the calculation area according to boundary conditions other than the boundary conditions included in the simulation data if an instruction to make a change in the boundary conditions is entered;

a displaying module configured to display the mirror images, as well as real images included in the calculation area;

a prompting module configured to prompt to enter an instruction whether or not the boundary conditions used to generate the mirror images are adopted; and

a simulation module configured to carry out the simulation by employing the adopted boundary conditions if an instruction to adopt the boundary conditions used to generate the mirror images is entered.

9. The program product as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

a computing and displaying module configured to compute and display an influence of other boundary conditions on the calculation area.

10. The computer product as claimed in claim 7, further comprising, after prompting module:

an expanding module configured to expand the calculation area and providing data concerning the expanded calculation area if an instruction to make a change in the boundary conditions is entered.

11. The program product as claimed in claim 7, wherein:

the boundary of the calculation area is changeable.

12. The program product as claimed in claim 7, wherein displaying module includes:

displaying information about accuracy and speed of the simulation to be carried out with the simulation data including the boundary conditions.

13. A semiconductor device manufacturing method, comprising:

designing a semiconductor device;

outputting design data of the semiconductor device;

simulating the design data of the semiconductor device employing a simulation data in connection with the semiconductor device, the simulating comprising;

determining whether or not the simulation data includes boundary conditions set for a boundary of a calculation area set for the simulation;

computing an influence of the boundary conditions on an inside of the calculation area if the simulation data includes the boundary conditions;

displaying the influence of the boundary conditions on the inside of the calculation area, said displaying operation comprising;

if the simulation data includes the boundary conditions, generating mirror images outside the calculation area according to the boundary conditions; and

displaying the mirror images, as well as real images included in the calculation area;

prompting to enter an instruction whether or not the boundary conditions are changed; and

if an instruction to make no change in the boundary conditions is entered, carrying out the simulation with the simulation data; and

fabricating the semiconductor device according to the design data.