Silvaco, Inc. (Silvaco) and TSI Semiconductors, LLC (TSI) today announced that they have extended their collaboration to accelerate the development and production launch of TSI’s 0.25um BCDMOS process technology.
TSI Semiconductors’ 0.25um BCD with deep trench isolation is a feature rich platform that enables high growth applications in lighting, automotive, power, automation, and consumer goods. The technology is a new offering at the companies’ automotive qualified factory in Roseville, CA where there have been continuous manufacturing operations for over 30 years.
TSI’s TSBCD25 process imposes stringent requirements on modeling efficiency and model accuracy. This requires a SPICE parameter extraction flow that is easy to set up and utilize with convenient data measurement on different instruments. Flexibility in optimization and acquisition routines as well as plotting of results are key requirements for improved modeling productivity. TSI reviewed several industry leading SPICE modeling tools and ultimately selected Silvaco’s Utmost IV as it delivered the required accuracy with the latest CMC standard HiSIM_HV2 model support. It also met the desired productivity and flexibility requirements with clear user examples for the different modeling tasks. Utmost IV covers a wide range of models from active devices such as BJT, MOSFET, high-voltage DMOS to passives, such as resistors, all with a single license.
With the adoption of Utmost IV, TSI is able to build upon its existing use of Silvaco’s TCAD tools for process development. Linking SPICE modeling to TCAD enables rapid optimization so that process changes can be reflected in circuit behavior all in a simulation environment without having to run wafers. This helps to deliver a robust process with high yields in the shortest time possible. Sundar Chetlur, TSI’s VP, Foundry Process Technology Development said, “We feel that Silvaco’s tools enable us to provide accurate SPICE models to our customers in a very efficient flow, particularly, for our high-voltage TSBCD25 technology.”
Silvaco has focused on the challenges of high-voltage device modeling for a long time and was one of the first companies to incorporate the HiSIM_HV2 model into a commercial modeling tool. Amit Nanda, Silvaco’s VP of Marketing and Product Management said, “It is a great honor to have a leader in high-voltage process technology validate our efforts to deliver best in class SPICE modeling tools. Silvaco has a strong customer base in the power semiconductor segment and we will continue to meet the challenging requirements of these high-voltage technologies.”
The two companies intend to extend this collaboration by offering customers, designing to TSI’s TSBCD25 process, access to affordable custom design tools, from Silvaco, spanning schematic, layout, simulation, and verification.