Hybrid parallel adaptive finite element analysis and design for high-speed microelectronic system interconnections

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The objective of this research program is to develop new, highly innovative, accurate and reliable numerical methods for the efficient simulation of high-speed microelectronic system interconnections (MSI). Simulations based on circuit theory have been effective for verifying signal integrity in systems operating at maximal speeds determined by constituent devices such as logic gates and transistors. However, with today's shrinking feature sizes and increasing clock frequencies, a limiting factor for many high-speed microelectronic system designs is interconnection delays rather than device switching speeds. Further, interconnection effects such as reflection, cross-talk, dispersion and attenuation are now leading sources of signal corruption and a significant cause of system performance degradation at higher operating speeds. Standard circuit analysis and conventional simulation techniques are not sufficient for accurately predicting microelectronic system performance when these conditions prevail. Today, the state-of-the-art in MSI research lies in the development of innovative numerical methods capable of accurately, efficiently and reliably simulating the interconnection electromagnetic waveforms within the sophisticated 3-D micro-fabricated structures of modern high-speed microelectronic systems. Moreover, when this information is produced effectively it can have a major impact by significantly reducing the overall time and cost of the design process. The study of the electromagnetic behavior of MSI structures is a critical component for the synthesis and design of present and future generations of high-speed microelectronic circuits and systems. The overall goal of this research is to develop advanced high-performance computing methods capable of efficiently simulating the electromagnetic behavior of increasingly realistic models of microelectronic systems over future generations of hardware that will become available. Ultimately, this research is intended to benefit the microelectronics industry by providing practical and effective simulation tools that can be used with confidence to predict the performance of newly proposed designs to within specified engineering tolerances in a timely fashion.