Toward integrated design tools: analysis of wave-semiconductor device interactions

Discusses the interactions between semiconductor devices and electromagnetic waves and the possible ways to interface modern devices and circuits in the mm-wave range. The electromagnetic wave propagation through semiconductor devices is modeled by coupling a physical electron-transport model with Maxwell's equations. The solution is developed in the time-domain using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) technique. The signal propagation through the passive part of the circuit is analyzed by solving Maxwell's equations using the FDTD technique. The models are implemented and used for studying circuits with operating frequencies from the microwaves up to the optical range. Several examples of device and circuit simulations will be presented.