Abstract: A method for extracting the capacitance value associated with a PN junction along the well-substrate interface for use in modeling the substrate. The method includes receiving the 2-D or 1-D mesh doping profile. The method includes finding a junction curve or transition region that represents the transition between the well and the substrate bulk. The method further includes finding a set of parameters &agr;,&bgr; and &ggr; to characterize the junction at a point or a vertical discretization along the transition. During modeling, the set of parameters &agr;, &bgr; and &ggr; is then employed, along with the input bias voltage value, to calculate the thickness of the depletion region, which is in turn employed to calculate the capacitance for the well-substrate junction. The capacitance calculated is then employed to more accurately model the junction, which leads to a more accurate model for the substrate.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for performing surface modeling of a substrate for the purpose of characterizing the substrate, which includes initially dividing said substrate surface into a plurality of local partitions and thereafter forming divisions from said plurality of local partitions. The technique includes positioning a first component at a first location on said substrate surface, thereby creating additional divisions within one of said plurality of local partitions. The method further includes promoting said one of said plurality of local partitions to a global partition and forming local partitions within said one of said plurality of local partitions if a number of divisions within said one of said plurality of local partitions exceeds a predefined value.

Abstract: A method for modeling a substrate, which includes obtaining vertically discretized doping profiles in the substrate to facilitate modeling. The method includes employing substrate region names and substrate cross-section names as access keys to permit accessing of the vertically discretized doping profiles. The use of the combination of region names and substrate cross-section names as unique access keys simplifies access to doping profile information for modeling purposes and yields valuable information pertaining to the presence of p-type to n-type material transitions. The information pertaining to transitions may be employed to improve substrate modeling accuracy through the inclusion of junction capacitances with the modeling process.

Abstract: A method for measuring the coupling capacitance between two interconnect lines of an integrated circuit structure having a ground plane. The steps include shorting the first and second lines together and measuring a first capacitance (Ct) between the ground plane and the shorted first and second lines; eliminating the short between the first and second lines; shorting the first line to the ground plane and measuring a second capacitance (C1) between the second line and the shorted ground plane and first line; eliminating the short between the first line and the ground plane; shorting the second line to the ground plane and measuring a third capacitance (Cc) between the first line and the shorted ground plane and second line; and determining the coupling capacitance between the first line and the second line according to the formula Cc=(C1+C2-Ct)/2.