Techniques for small-signal analysis of semiconductor devices

Techniques for ascertaining the small-signal behavior of semiconductor devices in the context of numerical device simulation are discussed. Three standard approaches to this problem will be compared: (i) transient excitation followed by Fourier decomposition, (ii) incremental charge partitioning, and (iii) sinusoidal steady-state analysis. Sinusoidal steady-state analysis is shown to be the superior approach by providing accurate, rigorously correct results with reasonable computational cost and programming commitment.