Device level modeling of metal-insulator-semiconductor interconnects

A rigorous model for metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) interconnects is presented based on device level simulation results. At the device level, the motion equations of charged carriers and Maxwell's equations are simultaneously solved using a finite element scheme and Newton's method. Simulations provide detailed information regarding field-carrier interactions, semiconductor substrate loss and nonlinearity, as well as the slow-wave effect, external bias effect, and screening effect of the charged carriers. An equivalent circuit model of MIS interconnects is established using an energy-based approach. The model consists of an equivalent transmission line that mimics the energy transport characteristics of the actual MIS interconnect, and provides a generalized nonlinear and electronic tunable circuit model suitable for both small-signal and large-signal analysis. Examples are presented to illustrate capabilities and efficiency of the method as well as properties of the equivalent circuit model.