Development of an Application Interface for Wide Bandgap Semiconductor Simulation Tool

af1c29f1-3eea-453d-8632-6a53f1ec580c

Active

Innovate UK
Innovate UK
Innovate UK
Innovate UK
Innovate UK

£249,215

May 31, 2023

Nov. 30, 2023

In this project KuasaSemi Ltd will develop an application interface for our semiconductor Technology Computer Aided Design (TCAD) tool. TCAD is a specialised type of software that is used specifically in the semiconductor industry to model and optimise the physical and electrical properties of semiconductor devices such as transistors and diodes. The potential of this tool will be realised with the development of a high-quality application interface, which modern engineers expect.

The project is innovative as this tool focuses specifically on wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductors used in power electronics. Compared with silicon-based devices, WBG materials such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) have superior physical properties that enable faster switching speeds, lower losses, and higher efficiency. This leads to significant energy savings in various applications such as electric vehicles and renewable energy systems. Developing new WBG power semiconductor devices is essential to achieve net-zero emissions and transition to a more sustainable future.

Our TCAD tool uses a mathematical engine, called the solver, which solves the device equations. This is our main asset as a company and provides our core technical expertise. It contains the underlying numerical analysis and device physics that need to be solved for all semiconductor devices and is based on considerable know-how and years of expertise. The application interface is a software component that will provide a graphical user interface (GUI) and additional functionality around our solver.

The application interface will enable engineers to use our TCAD tool to model and simulate WBG device structures, material properties, and electrical characteristics accurately, thereby improving device performance and reducing development cycle costs. Additionally, by increasing technical knowledge and capability, the development of this TCAD tool will help boost the UK semiconductor industry, creating more opportunities for growth and innovation. We will leverage our expertise and collaborate with industrial partners to tailor the TCAD tool to the specific needs of power semiconductor designers and manufacturers.