Design and comparison of advanced semiconductor devices using computer experiments: application to APDs and HEMTs

A computer experimental procedure that is useful for studying the behavior of advanced semiconductor devices that contain nonlinear effects is discussed. The approach draws on previous work in modeling avalanche photodiodes (APDs) and high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) based on an ensemble Monte Carlo model. An overall approach to modeling these devices that emphasizes the built-in controls and the importance of bootstrapping the model is presented. The approach is not limited only to APDs and HEMTs, however, because virtually any semiconductor device can be successfully modeled following this procedure. As a means of illustrating the usefulness of this technique, previous device calculations are reviewed and new results are presented. Computer experiments that either compare the performances of different device designs or permit the optimization of an existing structure are presented. Specifically, the optimal operating point of a GaAs/AlGaAs-doped quantum-well APD is bracketed