3D full wave finite element method for advanced IC Pattern-Dependent Effects analysis

During the sub-nanometer IC manufacturing process, the physical width, thickness, and sheet resistance of a wire generally depend on the surrounding wiring, called Pattern-Dependent Effects. The Pattern-Dependent effects can change resistance and capacitance values by up to 50%, so it is important to account for them in simulation and modeling. Luckily, some RFIC EM simulation software offered solutions in the past, but they are not 3D full-wave algorithms. This paper will describe the challenges of FEM for such type of problem and introduce a hybrid electromagnetic algorithm to solve this effect and verify the effectiveness of this approach with a simple transmission line example.