Electromagnetic Devices
On-chip electromagnetic devices are varied and complex. They typically include devices like 2 port and multi port inductors, baluns, tcoils, transformers, capacitors, transmission lines, etc, They often require shielding, guard rings, metal fills. PeakView is a tool that can help design higher performance for all of the types of devices listed above. It also can analyze existing or new hand drawn devices. PeakView’s automation and flexibility enable design teams to produce higher quality circuits in less time.
RF
RF design has special requirements. Phase noise is a critical concern. Also, RF designs typically have to work in multiple bands and have fine grain tuning as well. RF circuits represent difficult design challenges. PeakView’s accuracy and ease of use is the cornerstone of why it is used on more RF designs than any other EM tool. Designers can make quick design trade off decisions by using PeakView’s built in visualization tools. Device synthesis using PeakView’s PCircuits lets designers create and explore a range of devices easily to determine which one will work best for their specific design spec.
Clock Lines
The transmission characteristics of clocks are critically important to proper circuit operation. Higher harmonics play a role in the waveform integrity. PeakView can model traditional clock lines in high speed analog circuits; it can also be used to model complex transmission line structures used for carrying clock signals as well. Large distributed EM structures are handled easily in PeakView.
High Speed Analog
Today’s designs include applications that require PLL’s and VCO’s TO run at very high frequencies. The need for more bandwidth continues to push these frequencies even higher. In addition, device design and modeling necessitate looking at several harmonics above operating frequencies to ensure design success. PeakView is ideal for designing device and circuits at these frequencies. PeakView results have been validated well in excess of 100GHz.
Additionally leading edge network and processor design mean that the most advanced process nodes are used. This introduces higher resistance wires, with tall sidewalls. Other complexities emerge. Metal fill has become a vital element to ensure there are no unexpected results during the fabrication process. PeakView can accurately and easily model metal fills using advanced EM algorithms.
EM Isolation
High speed analog and RF circuits are closely packed and often there is coupling between circuit elements. Cross talk and coupling can deteriorate circuit performance if it is not reduced or eliminated in the design process. PeakView is adept at handling large compound structures. Designers can model and simulate their designs with models that include coupling between circuit elements. Designers can quickly and easily experiment to uncover the best floorplan and shielding options, without sacrificing other design parameters.
Critical Interconnect
Traditionally it was sufficient to model interconnect as an RC network. But more and more, there is a growing need to include the inductance of critical wires in the design process. Until now designers “made-do” with manually isolating metal interconnect and then simulating them by hand. PeakView HFD automates this process and integrates it with existing extraction flows. This means that designers can go straight to circuit simulation with an extracted view of the circuit that now includes inductance for critical interconnect.
PeakView takes this a step further than ever before and delivers RLC models for arbitrary interconnect so transient simulation is possible.