Device CAD in the ´90s: at the crossroads

Various issues concerning technology computer-aided design (TCAD), including fundamental research, practical issues of user friendliness, experimental verification, and framework initiatives are discussed. The focus is on device CAD, in which there is a continuing shift of emphasis from basic issues of device physics and engineering to questions of manufacturability and technology scalability. The automation of input, computational mesh, and electrical biasing information generation in TCAD systems is described. The visualization and interpretation of simulated results, the advent of new computer hardware, and the use of statistical simulations in TCAD technology are discussed. It is argued that while technology experts are willing to tolerate awkwardness in a TCAD system, new users of TCAD, such as circuit designers and manufacturing engineers, demand automation, robustness, and reliability as standard features.<>