Isolating and Characterizing Critical Traces Using EM Analysis
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The Process Setup in Virtuoso RF Solution
For it to work properly, the AWR AXIEM software requires that the STACKUP properties, material properties, and various
simulation settings be configured. These settings reside in the Virtuoso modeling assistant. Figure 4 shows the process
design kit (PDK) setup in the modeling assistant with several representative menus, for example, dielectric and via properties
are shown in the middle picture, where the silicon material properties and layer thicknesses are listed. If desired, process
variations and corner cases can be included.
Figure 5: PDK setup in the Virtuoso modeling assistant
There are some preview and diagnostic capabilities built into the AWR AXIEM integration. Figure 5 illustrates how the mesh
can quickly be previewed in the AWR AXIEM model to understand the density that will be used and the accuracy level. Note
that, in this example, the mesh density is relatively sparse. There is a nice 3D view of the mesh on the surface of the inductor.
Thick metal with side walls is used to capture the coupling. The meshing density can be adjusted in the AWR AXIEM setup
menus if desired. For example, a Q calculation of a spiral inductor might require a higher mesh density than simple
S-parameter calculations.
Figure 6: Mesh preview in the AWR AXIEM simulator
