Athena overview
Athena is a process simulator that provides general capabilities for numerical,
physically-based, two-dimensional simulation of processes used in semiconductor
industry (ion implantation, diffusion, oxidation, physical etching and deposition,
lithography,…).
Athena input file
It is a text file that can be arranged by
using Deckbuild or any text editor.
It collects a sequence of commands
(statements) corresponding to the individual
steps of a process
flow and control
commands specified to select physical models
and parameters.
Athena simulation
Generating Athena input file
Running Athena simulation
Analyzing Athena output file
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Simulation problem specification
The simulation problem must be specified in the input file, defining the
following steps:
Initial geometry
Sequence of process steps
Physical models
Simulation grid
Initial substrate
Epitaxial growth
Layers deposition
Geometrical etching
Ion implantation
Diffusion
Implant models
Diffusion models
Oxidation models
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Running Athena simulation
Running Athena inside Deckbuild
To run Athena inside Deckbuild use the
following command line:
> go athena
Running a given Athena version
The syntax is:
> go athena simflags=“-V 5.8.0.R”
Running Athena without Deckbuild
To run Athena directly under unix use the
following command line:
> athena
> athena –V 5.8.0.R
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Athena output file
The main Athena output is the Standard Structure File, a universal file
format used by Silvaco simulation programs. The STRUCTURE statement of
Athena creates a Standard Structure File (.str), which contains mesh and
solution information, model information, and other related parameters.
The saved Structure File can be used by:
Athena to continue process simulation
Atlas or other device simulators to perform electrical analysis
Tonyplot to graphically display the structure created by Athena
Devedit to modify the mesh and the structure before running a device
simulation
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Question 1
A process simulation problem must be specified in the:
a) output file
b) input file
c) Standard Structure File
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Creating a device structure
The following section will describe how to use Deckbuild interface in order to
create a typical Athena input file. In particular, the process simulation of a
simple pn diode is described.
Basic operations to create the input file
Developing a good simulation grid
Defining initial substrate
Performing layer deposition
Performing geometrical etching
Performing ion implantation and diffusion
Specifying the electrodes
Saving the structure file
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Running Athena inside Deckbuild
The Commands menu includes the statements of the current simulator
To define simulation grid
To define initial substrate
To specify process steps
To specify electrodes
To access Athena
coefficients file
To generate Extract statement
To save a structure file
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