CIRCUIT SIMULATION

摘要

A simulator and its operation, for simulating electromagnetic behaviour of an IC (integrated circuit) of thin-film passive circuit components, uses a simple equivalent circuit model to minimise computer processing time while retaining good model accuracy in spite of the energy losses and different film thicknesses, conductivities and dielectric properties, which occur in a passive integration IC. The procedure includes the steps of creating a geometric model of a surface of the conductor pattern (1, 2) of the IC, forming a matrix representation of Maxwell's equations with values associated with electric and magnetic field couplings between locations each of which is centered on a main geometrical element, the main geometrical elements being a subset of geometrical elements in the geometric model, and then correlating values of matrix coefficients of the equations with coefficients of an admittance matrix representative of an equivalent circuit model for the conductor pattern in terms of sub-circuits which are interconnected with each other via main nodes (I, II; O) having a one-to-one correspondence with the main geometrical elements. The sub-circuits between these main nodes (I, II; O) of the equivalent circuit model for the passive integration IC comprise sets of parallel branches of which: a first branch includes a capacitor (Chc) which models an electric field contribution; a second branch includes an inductor (Lhl) in series with a capacitor (Chl) which together model a magnetic field contribution; and at least one further branch includes at least one resistor (Rhgl; or Rhg and Rhl) modelling a contribution to energy loss of the electric and magnetic fields, the energy loss occurring in dielectric material (3, 10, 11) and in conductive material (1, 2) of the IC.