Coupled Electromagnetic and Hydrodynamic Modeling for Semiconductors Using DGTD

Abstract

A hydrodynamic model (HDM) solver based on discontinuous Galerkin time domain finite element method (DGTD-FEM) has been developed in order to simulate the transient charge transport in semiconductors. The bipolar transport equations have been numerically solved together with the Poisson equation to realize ballistic charge transport in semiconductor devices. Furthermore, the developed solver is coupled with an FEM-based full-wave Maxwell solver in order to model the behavior of semiconductors under external electromagnetic illumination. This multiphysics coupled solver is capable of simulating transient behavior of photoactive semiconductor devices that are illuminated by externally modulated light at high frequencies. With the time domain HDM solver, the inertia effects and ballistic transport are also accounted in the accurate transient simulations of high-frequency photoactive devices.