SEMINET: Power Circuit Analysis Including Numerical Semiconductor Device Models

This paper describes a recently developed computer program called SEMINET (for SEMIconductor NET-work). SEMINET enables user-oriented modeling of electronic circuits including “exact” numerical analysis of power semiconductor circuit elements. Analytical semiconductor device models are also available in addition to the usual complement of passive components and voltage and current sources. Generalized components can also be specified via tabulated I/V relations. A powerful post-processing facility provides for interactive mathematical manipulation and graphical presentation of all simulation results. With SEMINET, large signal circuit behavior and internal device physics can be examined simultaneously. This is particularly important in optimizing power semiconductor devices for a reactive circuit environment. Examples are presented of Insulated Gate Transistor dynamic safe-operating-area studies.