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The Sentaurus Structure Editor User Guide provides comprehensive instructions on using the Synopsys software for semiconductor device design. It includes information on launching the software, utilizing the graphical user interface, and managing files and views. The document emphasizes proprietary rights, export control laws, and offers customer support details.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)

7 views

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You are on page 1/ 864

Sentaurus™ Structure

Editor User Guide

Step 1: Define a Scheme Function That the Dialog Box Will Execute . . . . . . . . 293
Step 2: Define and Configure the Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Step 3: Launch the Dialog Box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Starting Sentaurus Structure Editor With User-Defined Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
User-Defined GUI Interactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Dialog Boxes for Obtaining Values. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
GUI Actions for Obtaining Positions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Message Boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296

Appendix A Commands 297

Presentation of Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
afm-smooth-layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
bbox. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
bbox-exact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
body? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
build-csv-lens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
color:rgb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
complete-edge-list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
convert-to-degree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
convert-to-radian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
edge? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
edge:circular . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
edge:circular? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
edge:elliptical? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
edge:end . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
edge:length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
edge:linear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
edge:linear? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
edge:mid-point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
edge:start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
edge:type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
entity:box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
entity:copy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
entity:debug. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
entity:deep-copy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
entity:delete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
entity:dist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
entity:edges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
entity:erase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
entity:faces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322

Sentaurus™ Structure Editor User Guide xi

directly. When a 3D model is created, three-dimensional device editing operations and process
emulation operations can be applied interchangeably to the same model. The 2D and 3D
structure editing modes include geometric model generation, doping and refinement definition,
and submesh inclusion (to generate the mesh command file).

Related Publications
For additional information, see:
■ The TCAD Sentaurus release notes, available on the Synopsys SolvNet® support site (see
Accessing SolvNet on page xxvi).
■ Documentation available on SolvNet at https://solvnet.synopsys.com/DocsOnWeb.

Conventions
The following conventions are used in Synopsys documentation.

Convention Description

Blue text Identifies a cross-reference (only on the screen).

Bold text Identifies a selectable icon, button, menu, or tab. It also indicates the name of a field or an
option.

Courier font Identifies text that is displayed on the screen or that the user must type. It identifies the names
of files, directories, paths, parameters, keywords, and variables.

Italicized text Used for emphasis, the titles of books and journals, and non-English words. It also identifies
components of an equation or a formula, a placeholder, or an identifier.

Key+Key Indicates keyboard actions, for example, Ctrl+I (press the I key while pressing the Control
key).

Menu > Command Indicates a menu command, for example, File > New (from the File menu, select New).

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About This Guide
Customer Support

Customer Support
Customer support is available through the Synopsys SolvNet customer support website and by
contacting the Synopsys support center.

Accessing SolvNet
The SolvNet support site includes an electronic knowledge base of technical articles and
answers to frequently asked questions about Synopsys tools. The site also gives you access to
a wide range of Synopsys online services, which include downloading software, viewing
documentation, and entering a call to the Support Center.

To access the SolvNet site:

1. Go to the web page at https://solvnet.synopsys.com.
2. If prompted, enter your user name and password. (If you do not have a Synopsys user name
and password, follow the instructions to register.)

If you need help using the site, click Help on the menu bar.

Contacting Synopsys Support

If you have problems, questions, or suggestions, you can contact Synopsys support in the
following ways:
■ Go to the Synopsys Global Support Centers site on synopsys.com. There you can find e-
mail addresses and telephone numbers for Synopsys support centers throughout the world.
■ Go to either the Synopsys SolvNet site or the Synopsys Global Support Centers site and
open a case online (Synopsys user name and password required).

Contacting Your Local TCAD Support Team Directly

Send an e-mail message to:
■ [email protected] from within North America and South America
■ [email protected] from within Europe
■ [email protected] from within Asia Pacific (China, Taiwan, Singapore,
Malaysia, India, Australia)

xxvi Sentaurus™ Structure Editor User Guide

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About This Guide
Acknowledgments

■ [email protected] from Korea

■ [email protected] from Japan

Acknowledgments
Portions of this software are owned by Spatial Corp. © 1986–2018. All rights reserved.

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About This Guide
Acknowledgments

xxviii Sentaurus™ Structure Editor User Guide

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CHAPTER 1 Introduction to Sentaurus Structure
Editor

This chapter introduces Sentaurus Structure Editor.

Functionality of Sentaurus Structure Editor

Sentaurus Structure Editor can be used as a two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D)
structure editor, and a 3D process emulator to create TCAD devices.

In Sentaurus Structure Editor, structures are generated or edited interactively using the
graphical user interface (GUI). Doping profiles and meshing strategies can also be defined
interactively. Sentaurus Structure Editor features an interface to configure and call the
Synopsys meshing engines. In addition, it generates the necessary input files (the TDR
boundary file and mesh command file) for the meshing engines, which generate the TDR grid
and data file for the device structure.

Alternatively, devices can be generated in batch mode using scripts. Scripting is based on the
Scheme scripting language. This option is useful, for example, for creating parameterized
device structures. Sentaurus Structure Editor records interactive actions in the form of script
commands (journaling). Therefore, it is easy to generate a script from recorded interactive
operations. These scripts can be parameterized afterwards.

Command-Line Window on page 20 provides information regarding the Scheme scripting

language. When a GUI action is performed, Sentaurus Structure Editor prints the
corresponding Scheme command in the command-line window. This facilitates another
convenient way to generate and work with scripts. Open a text editor and use cut-and-paste
operations to transfer the Scheme commands, which Sentaurus Structure Editor prints in the
command-line window, to a script file. In the text editor, the commands can be edited as needed
and pasted back into the command window for execution.

In addition, Scheme resources are listed in Basic Scheme Programming for Users of Sentaurus
Structure Editor on page 266.

Device structures are defined by using geometric operations such as:

■ Generation of 2D and 3D primitives (rectangles, circles, cuboids, cylinders)
■ Filleting, chamfering, 3D vertex and edge blending, face-tapering operations

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1: Introduction to Sentaurus Structure Editor
Functionality of Sentaurus Structure Editor

■ Boolean operations between bodies

■ General extrusion, sweep, and skinning and lofting operations

In addition, device structures can be defined using emulated process steps such as:
■ Import or define mask layouts
■ Substrate generation
■ Patterning
■ Isotropic and anisotropic etching and deposition, with or without shadowing and
directional effects
■ Polishing and fill operations
■ Implantation

Sentaurus Structure Editor can be used in three different ways or modes:

■ Two-dimensional device editor
■ Three-dimensional device editor
■ Three-dimensional process emulator (Procem)

The common characteristics of these modes are:

■ The use of a state-of-the-art geometry modeling kernel (ACIS, from Dassault Systèmes
S.A.) that provides a robust and reliable base for model generation.
■ A high-quality rendering engine and GUI.
■ A scripting interface, which is based on the Scheme scripting language.
■ All modes share a common kernel that provides TDR file input and output, conformal
model tessellation for the 2D and 3D Synopsys meshing engines, a link to the meshing
engines (with an appropriate user interface to the selected engine), refinement control for
tessellated curved boundaries, and other support functionalities.

The 2D and 3D device editors provide a GUI and scripting support to:
■ Generate the model geometry.
■ Define contact regions.
■ Add constant, analytic, and externally generated doping profiles to the model.
■ Define local refinements.
■ Include external submeshes.
■ Interface to the Synopsys meshing engines.

The process emulator provides additional scripting functions to emulate TCAD process steps.

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1: Introduction to Sentaurus Structure Editor
ACIS Geometry Kernel

All three modes share the same software infrastructure and internal data representation, and
can be combined freely. A 2D model can be extruded or swept along a curve to generate a 3D
model. Afterwards, process steps (for example, a deposition step) can be performed on the
generated 3D model. Similarly, a 2D slice can be generated from a 3D model and can be saved
in a 2D boundary file.

ACIS Geometry Kernel

The geometry operations in Sentaurus Structure Editor are based on the ACIS geometry kernel.
The ACIS 3D geometric modeler (ACIS) is an object-oriented 3D geometric modeling engine
from Spatial Corp.

ACIS is based on boundary representation. An ACIS boundary representation (B-rep) of a

model is a hierarchical decomposition of the topology of the model into lower-level topological
objects. A typical body contains lumps, shells, faces, loops, wires, coedges, edges, and vertices.

The Topology Browser in Sentaurus Structure Editor can be used to explore the relationship
between these objects. When Sentaurus Structure Editor generates a new body or performs a
Boolean operation or any other action that affects the geometry, the ACIS data representation
always provides a valid model.

Since the geometry representation is always three dimensional, there is a seamless transition
from 2D models to 3D models (using extrusion, sweep operations, and so on). When only 2D
objects are present, the TDR output will be two dimensional. For 3D objects, the TDR file is
three dimensional.

NOTE For more information about the TDR format, refer to the Sentaurus™
Data Explorer User Guide.

An entity is the most basic ACIS object. The selection tool and (sde:selected-entities)
always return the ACIS entity IDs for the selected entities. These entity IDs are used to refer to
specific entities.

Apart from the Sentaurus Structure Editor documentation, a useful resource to learn the basics
of ACIS and Scheme is:
■ J. Corney and T. Lim, 3D Modeling with ACIS, Stirling, UK: Saxe-Coburg Publications,
2001.

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1: Introduction to Sentaurus Structure Editor
ACIS Geometry Kernel

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CHAPTER 2 Launching Sentaurus Structure
Editor

This chapter describes how to start Sentaurus Structure Editor and

its basic operations.

Starting Sentaurus Structure Editor

Sentaurus Structure Editor can be started by typing at the command prompt:
sde [options]

where [options] are the following command-line options.

Option Description

-2D Starts the graphical user interface (GUI) in a simplified 2D mode (see GUI Modes on
page 14). Choose View > GUI Mode > 3D Mode to switch to the default 3D mode. In 2D
mode, the menu bar is simplified and only 2D-related operations and commands are
available. In 3D mode, the menu bar is extended and all features are available.

-action option Sets the default GUI action to the specified action from the following options:
• draw-polygon
• draw-rectangle
• orbit (default)
• pan
• select
• zoom

-defaultGUI Resets GUI parameters to their defaults, including toolbar positions, as well as the
command-line window height, font size, font style, and font family. Does not restore the
GUI settings from previous session.

-e Runs in batch mode (see Batch Mode on page 6), that is, without the GUI. Use with -l to
run a script in batch mode.

-h heapsize Heap size in kilobytes. By default, Sentaurus Structure Editor uses 1600 MB of heap
space. See Heap Size on page 6.

-help Prints the help message.

-l scriptname Loads and executes the script file called scriptname.

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Starting Sentaurus Structure Editor

Option Description

-noloadCmd When loading a boundary file, this option suppresses the loading of the corresponding
mesh command file (see Loading a Boundary and Mesh Command File at Startup on
page 8).

-noLogfile Do not create a .log file during the execution of a Scheme script.

-noopenGL Explicitly suppresses the use of OpenGL. Note that Sentaurus Structure Editor
automatically switches to the noopenGL mode if OpenGL is not available.

-noSyntaxCheck Do not run the Scheme syntax checker.

-nowait Do not wait for license to become available.

-r Loads and executes script commands from standard input. Use Ctrl+D to revert to the
default GUI mode, or Ctrl+\ to quit Sentaurus Structure Editor.

-S scriptname Tests the Scheme syntax only; it implies -e, that is, no GUI.

-Sl scriptname Tests the Scheme syntax, and then executes as -l if it passes the syntax check.

-v Prints information about the tool version.

-var var=value Defines and loads additional Scheme variables. These variables can be used to
parameterize a Scheme script.

NOTE The geometry engine of Sentaurus Structure Editor is three

dimensional. Even if the operating mode is 2D, the underlying geometry
representation of the model is three dimensional. The 2D operating
mode can be switched to 3D at any time. The Scheme interface is not
affected by the 2D GUI mode or 3D GUI mode.

Batch Mode
To run a Scheme script file, for example MyScript.scm, in batch mode, start Sentaurus
Structure Editor with the -e option (this disables the graphical display), and use the -l option
to give the script to be run:
sde -e -l MyScript.scm

If the -e option is not used, the GUI is launched after the specified script -l MyScript.scm
is executed.

Heap Size
By default, Sentaurus Structure Editor uses 1600 MB of heap space. For most applications, the
allocated heap space should be sufficient. If Sentaurus Structure Editor does not have enough

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2: Launching Sentaurus Structure Editor
Starting Sentaurus Structure Editor

heap space during script execution, the Scheme error file will contain the following error
message: Out of heap space.

In this case, Sentaurus Structure Editor will exit, and the script must be executed again with
increased heap space.

To increase the heap space, use the -h argument. For example:

(sde -h 2400000 -e -l myscript.scm)

Scheme Script Syntax-Checking

The -S scriptname and -Sl scriptname options invoke the Scheme syntax-checking
feature.

The -S option runs the syntax-checker on the Scheme script scriptname and reports on the
results without executing the script.

In contrast, after first running the syntax-checker on the Scheme script scriptname, the -Sl
option will subsequently run the script if it passes the syntax check; otherwise, it will not run
the script.

NOTE Due to the complex nature of the Scheme scripting language, it is

possible, in some cases, for the syntax-checker to report a false positive.
This means a syntax error might be flagged in complex code even
though no syntax error exists. In the case of the -Sl option, the script is
not run if there is an inaccurate flagging of a nonexistent syntax error.
The option -l can be used instead to bypass the syntax check and to run
the script if it is indeed free of syntax errors. Users are encouraged to
report such cases, so that the number of false positives will be reduced
in future versions (contact the TCAD Support Team).

Literal Evaluation of Scheme Script

When a Scheme script is executed in batch mode, a log file is created that contains the executed
Scheme commands. The log file does not contain the literal evaluation and substitution of the
Scheme variables. Therefore, for example, the log file will contain (position xp yp zp),
not the actual numeric values of the xp, yp, and zp variables that were used during the script
evaluation.

In some cases, you might want to see the actual numeric values that were used during command
execution. To facilitate this, an .eval file also can be created during script evaluation. The

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Starting Sentaurus Structure Editor

global Scheme variable evaluate-log-file can be used to trigger the logging of the
evaluated Scheme commands. By default, the log file evaluation is disabled and the value of
the evaluate-log-file global Scheme variable is set to #f. If you want to create the
evaluated Scheme file, the (set! evaluate-log-file #t) command must be added to
the Scheme script.

If the input Scheme script is called test.scm, the log file is saved as test.log and the
evaluated log file will be saved as test.log.eval. If a script fails for some reason, the
evaluated log file can be used to check the failing command, where all user-defined variables
will contain the actual values that were used during command execution.

The evaluated log file shortens and simplifies debugging and bug reporting, since the variables
do not need to be evaluated separately.

Interactive Mode
Sentaurus Structure Editor can be used interactively by either using the GUI menu bar and
toolbars, or entering the Scheme commands in the command-line window.

To run Sentaurus Structure Editor in interactive mode, type in a command prompt:

sde

Loading a Boundary and Mesh Command File at Startup

To load a boundary (*.tdr) file and a mesh command (*.cmd) file when starting Sentaurus
Structure Editor, supply the common file name stem as a command-line option. For example:
sde MyDevice

This command starts Sentaurus Structure Editor and loads the MyDevice.cmd file.

Loading an ACIS File at Startup

To load a file in the native ACIS format (*.sat) when starting Sentaurus Structure Editor, type
the file name as a command-line option. For example:
sde MyDevice.sat

This command starts Sentaurus Structure Editor and loads the MyDevice.sat file.

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Exiting Sentaurus Structure Editor

Exiting Sentaurus Structure Editor

To exit Sentaurus Structure Editor:
■ Choose File > Exit or press Ctrl+Q.

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(exit)

NOTE If the model was changed since the last save operation, Sentaurus
Structure Editor displays a warning in the interactive mode.

Press Ctrl+\ to terminate Sentaurus Structure Editor from the UNIX

command prompt as Ctrl+C is not recognized.

Saving and Loading Files From Graphical User Interface

Opening Models
A model consists of a structure saved in the native ACIS format (filename.sat), as well as
an auxiliary Scheme script file (filename.scm), which contain parameter settings, contact
definitions, refinement/evaluation (Ref/Eval) windows, surface refinement settings, as well as
work plane and view settings (some of these definitions are also part of the .sat file).
Refinement-related and doping-related information is stored in a third file (filename.cmd).

To open a model:
■ Choose File > Open Model or press Ctrl+O.

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sde:open-model "filename")

Saving Models
To save a model, you can do one of the following:
■ Choose File > Save Model or press Ctrl+S.
■ Choose File > Save Model As.

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Saving and Loading Files From Graphical User Interface

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sde:save-model "filename")

This command saves:

■ The model geometry and the Ref/Eval windows in native ACIS format (filename.sat).
■ The Scheme file filename.scm with various parameter settings.
■ The filename_msh.cmd (mesh command file) with refinement-related and doping-
related information.
■ The boundary file in TDR format (filename_bnd.tdr).

Saving Boundaries
To save only the boundary (and not the entire model) in TDR format, you can do one of the
following:
■ Choose File > Save Boundary.
■ Choose File > Save Boundary As.

Importing Files
To import a file:
■ Choose File > Import.

Table 1 Supported file formats for loading into Sentaurus Structure Editor and
corresponding Scheme commands
File format Scheme command Description

ACIS SAB file (*.sab) (part:load "filename.sab" #f) Native ACIS format (binary) to
store the complete model

ACIS SAT file (*.sat) (part:load "filename.sat" #t) Native ACIS format (ASCII) to
store the complete model

Mesh doping and (sdedr:read-cmd-file "filename.cmd") Command file for the Synopsys
refinement file (*.cmd) mesh generator

Layout file (*.lyt) (sdeio:read-dfise-mask "filename.lyt") Layout file in deprecated DF–ISE

format

Scheme script file (load "filename.scm") Scheme command file that is

(*.scm, *.cmd) loaded and executed

TDR file (*.tdr) (sdeio:read-tdr-bnd "filename.tdr") Boundary file in TDR format

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Saving and Loading Files From Graphical User Interface

NOTE When importing a .sat file from the user interface, the Scheme
command part:load is used. This command works well when
importing a structure into an empty database (no geometric objects
defined). In this case, the saved structure is restored correctly.

When importing a structure to a non-empty database (with preexisting

geometric objects), overlapping regions might be generated since
part:load does not respect the active Boolean settings for overlap
handling.

The sde:load-sat function (not accessible from the user interface)

can be used to load a native .sat file with correct overlap handling. The
function is the same as part:load, except that it will observe the active
Boolean setting for overlap control (that is, overlapping regions will not
be present in the model and the overlaps will be removed based on the
active Boolean setting).

Recording Actions to a File

Operations performed using the GUI or command-line window can be recorded in a journal
file for replaying or editing later.

To activate, suspend, and deactivate the journal feature:

1. Choose File > Journal > On.
2. Enter the name of the journal file in which all further actions should be recorded.
3. Choose File > Journal > Pause to suspend the recording of actions.
4. Choose File > Journal > Resume to resume recording actions.
5. Choose File > Journal > Off to end recording actions.

To replay a journal file:

1. Choose File > Journal > Load.
2. Enter the name of the journal file.

To execute the journal file step-by-step, open the journal file in a text editor and enter the
Scheme command (journal:step #t) at the point in the script where the stepping mode
should start.

NOTE In stepping mode, the Enter key must be pressed twice for each single
line of the Scheme script, including blank lines and comments. To revert
to continuous execution, enter the command (journal:step #f).

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Saving and Loading Files From Graphical User Interface

To save the current journal to a file:

1. Choose File > Journal > Save.
2. In the dialog box, save the file as required.

Table 2 Corresponding Scheme commands for journal features

Scheme command Description

(journal:clean "filename.jrl") Cleans the specified journal file. (Removes all nonexecutable
content from the file to simplify debugging and parameterization.)

(journal:load "filename.jrl") Loads an existing journal file and runs each command contained in
that file. Each line is journaled if journaling is switched on.

(journal:off) Closes the current journal file and switches off journaling.

(journal:on "filename.jrl") Switches on journal recording. All future commands are journaled
to the file.

(journal:pause) Pauses recording.

(journal:resume) Resumes recording.

(journal:save "filename.jrl") Saves the current journal to a file, but leaves the journal session
open.

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CHAPTER 3 Graphical User Interface

This chapter describes the graphical user interface of Sentaurus

Structure Editor.

Introduction to Graphical User Interface

The graphical user interface (GUI) of Sentaurus Structure Editor has three main areas (see
Figure 1). The menu bar, toolbars, and list boxes are located in the upper part of the main
window, the view window is in the center, and the command-line window is in the lower part.

Menu Bar
Toolbars

Selection Level List

Work Plane List Contact List

Material List

Toolbars

View Window

Command-Line
Window

Figure 1 Main window of Sentaurus Structure Editor

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GUI Modes
Sentaurus Structure Editor offers different GUI modes: 3D (default mode) and 2D. To set the
GUI mode:
■ Choose View > GUI Mode > 2D Mode.
■ Choose View > GUI Mode > 3D Mode.

The only difference between the 3D GUI mode and the 2D GUI mode is that in the 2D GUI
mode, some toolbars and GUI operations are unavailable. In this way, a more streamlined and
simplified GUI is provided for 2D applications.

The dialog boxes related to doping, refinement, and external submeshes are the same in both
the 2D GUI mode and 3D GUI mode. However, when defining refinement/evaluation (Ref/
Eval) windows directly from these dialog boxes, in 2D GUI mode, rectangular Ref/Eval
windows are created and, in 3D GUI mode, cuboidal Ref/Eval windows are created.

Menu Bar
Table 3 lists the menus that are available from the GUI of Sentaurus Structure Editor.

Table 3 Menus
Menu Description

File Load, save, and print functions

Edit Change existing geometric objects

View Visualization preferences and auxiliary views

Draw Drawing and basic object creation, preferences

Mesh Define a meshing strategy, call the meshing engine, visualize the generated mesh and data fields

Device Define doping profiles

Contacts Define and edit contacts and contact sets

Help Version information

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Toolbars
Each toolbar contains a set of predefined shortcuts and icons, which are shown in the following
tables.

Table 4 File toolbar buttons

Button Shortcut keys Description Button Shortcut keys Description

Ctrl+N Create new file Ctrl+S Save model

Ctrl+O Open model Ctrl+P Print

Table 5 Edit toolbar buttons

Button Shortcut keys Description

Ctrl+Z Undo last operation

Ctrl+Y Redo last operation

Table 6 Rendering mode toolbar buttons (for 3D)

Button Description Button Description

Facets Gouraud Shaded

Wireframe Hidden Line

Flat Shaded

Table 7 Standard views toolbar buttons

Button Description Button Description

Isometric View YZ Plane

XY Plane X-Y Plane (y-axis pointing

downwards)

XZ Plane Zoom to Extents (reset zoom)

Isometric View (Sentaurus Process up

direction)

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Table 8 GUI actions toolbar buttons (zoom and move)

Button Description Button Description

Select (selects a single object or Zoom (zooming controlled by mouse)

objects in a window drawn with
mouse)

Zoom to Window (zooms to window Pan (move device with mouse)

drawn with mouse)

Orbit (3D rotation) Cut Plane (shows a cross section of the

structure)

Table 9 GUI actions toolbar buttons (2D edit tools)

Button Description Button Description

Polygonal Region Split Move Region

Add Vertex Vertex-Vertex Distance

Move Vertex or Move Vertices 2D Cut

Move Edge

Table 10 GUI actions toolbar buttons (2D create tools)

Button Description Button Description

Create Polyline Wire Create Spline Wire

Create Rectangle Create Regular Polygon (needs Exact

Coordinates mode to set parameters)

Create Polygon (end polygon with Create Ruled Region

middle mouse button)

Create Circular Region Create Elliptical Region

Table 11 Snapping actions toolbar buttons

Button Description Button Description

No Snapping Snap to Edge

Snap to Vertex Snap to Grid

Toggle gravity snapping

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Table 12 GUI actions toolbar buttons (3D create tools)

Button Description Button Description

Create Cuboid Create Cylinder

Create Sphere Create Ellipsoid

Create Cross Section

Table 13 Default Boolean toolbar buttons

Button Description Button Description

Merge (new and existing objects are New object replaces old in overlapping
merged; new material and region regions, but the overlap becomes a
names are assigned) separate region

New object replaces old in overlapping Old object replaces new in overlapping
regions regions, but the overlap becomes a
separate region

Old object replaces new in overlapping

regions

Table 14 Shortcut toolbar buttons

Button Description Button Description

Switch between geometry editor and Switch on or off exact coordinates

grid and data viewer

Grid visualization switch Ruler visualization switch

Auto stretch scene

Table 15 DRS (doping, refinement, submesh) toolbar buttons

Button Description Button Description

Reference line Reference rectangle

(Ref/Eval window) (Ref/Eval window)

Reference polygon Reference element extracted from a

(Ref/Eval window) geometric face (Ref/Eval window)

Refinement placement Multibox placement

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Table 15 DRS (doping, refinement, submesh) toolbar buttons (Continued)

Button Description Button Description

Constant profile placement Analytic profile placement

External profile placement Particle profile placement

Restoring GUI Settings From Previous Session

Some GUI information is saved automatically in the local home directory of the user. On the
UNIX operating system, this information is stored in ~/.config/Synopsys/
Sentaurus Structure Editor.conf.

The parameters that are stored are the toolbar positions as well as the height, the font size, the
font style, and the font family used in the command-line window.

To reset these GUI parameters to their defaults, begin an interactive session using the
command-line option -defaultGUI. This starts the session with the default GUI parameters
and replaces any personalized parameters with these defaults when exiting.

Manipulating the View

Additional shortcut key combinations are available to manipulate the view.

Table 16 Shortcut keys for manipulating the view

Shortcut keys Action

Up Arrow View window: Zoom out

Command-line window: Scroll up command history

Down Arrow View window: Zoom in

Command-line window: Scroll down command history

Left Arrow View window: Pan to the left

Command-line window: Position curser for editing echoed Scheme command

Right Arrow View window: Pan to the right

Command-line window: Position curser for editing echoed Scheme command

Ctrl+Left Arrow View window: Pan downwards

Ctrl+Right Arrow View window: Pan upwards

Ctrl+Z (roll)

Ctrl+Y (roll 1)

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Table 16 Shortcut keys for manipulating the view (Continued)

Shortcut keys Action

Shift+Orbit Rotate about x-axis (horizontal view) or

Pan (when (sde:use-camera-manipulator #t) is used)

Ctrl+Orbit Rotate about y-axis (vertical view) or

Zoom in and out (when (sde:use-camera-manipulator #t) is used)

Ctrl+Shift+Orbit Rotate about z-axis (perpendicular to view)

Ctrl+N Create new file

Ctrl+O Open model

Ctrl+S Save model

Ctrl+P Print

Ctrl+Q Exit

Lists
The main window of Sentaurus Structure Editor contains four lists:
■ Material list – Selects the material to be assigned to new objects.
■ Work Plane list – Sets the work plane for 3D editing.
■ Contact list – Selects the contact name to be used in the next set contact region, or face, or
edge operations.
■ Selection Level list – Selects which type of object can be selected.

View Window
The current device is displayed in the view window. The result of all interactive operations is
reflected immediately in the view window.

Right-click in this area to open the following shortcut menus:

Selection Level
Controls which type of object can be selected by clicking (Select mode). Options are Auto
Select, Body, Face, Edge, Vertex, and Ref/Eval Window.

Toggle Visibility
Activates or deactivates a light source for shading 3D objects.

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Placing the cross-hair cursor over an object and right-clicking has the effect of selecting the
object corresponding to the current selection level, and opening the above shortcut menus and
the following additional menus and options where it is appropriate in the context of the
selection made:

Contacts
If the selection level is set to Edge or Face, contacts are assigned to the selected objects. It
also allows for the creation of new contact sets.

Delete
In many contexts, the object can be deleted by selected this option.

Properties
Displays a window with information about the selected object. In some contexts, for
example, Ref/Eval windows, properties of the object are editable.
For Ref/Eval windows, the bounding vertex coordinates are displayed for rectangular and
cuboidal Ref/Eval windows. For these types, the vertex coordinates are editable and can be
changed. In this case, all doping/refinement/submesh (DRS) objects that use the given Ref/
Eval window are redefined using the new vertex coordinates.

Hide
If the selection level is set to Body or Ref/Eval Window, the selected entities are hidden.

Show All
All the previously hidden bodies and Ref/Eval windows are displayed again.

Command-Line Window
Most GUI operations have an associated Scheme command. After a GUI operation, the
corresponding Scheme command is echoed in the command-line window.

Use the Up Arrow and Down Arrow keys to scroll through echoed Scheme commands. Echoed
commands can be edited (use the Left Arrow and Right Arrow keys to position the cursor, and
the Delete key or Backspace key to delete parts of the command, type in new parts of the
command) and re-executed by pressing the Enter key.

Use cut-and-paste operations to save echoed Scheme commands into a text editor to
interactively build a Scheme script. Individual Scheme commands or groups of Scheme
commands can be pasted back into the command-line window as needed, for example, to test

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Undoing and Redoing Actions

a section of a Scheme script. Scheme commands can also be entered directly at the command-
line prompt.

Activate journaling (see Recording Actions to a File on page 11) to automatically save the
echoed Scheme command to a journal file, for later editing and replaying.

Some basic rules of the Scheme scripting language are (see Chapter 10 on page 265 for more
details):
■ Comment lines start with a semicolon. In each line, a comment proceeds from the first
inserted semicolon.
New variables are defined using the keyword define. Defined variables can be reassigned
a value using the keyword set!, for example:
(define width 5) ; defines the variable width and sets its value to 5
(define height 10)
(set! width 3) ; now width is 3
■ Scheme has all the conventional data types such as character, string, list, array, Boolean,
number, function, and symbol.
■ All data types are equal. Any variable can hold any type of data. Data initialization,
memory allocation, and memory cleanup (garbage collection) are performed automatically.

NOTE A few keywords (such as length) are reserved keywords used by

Scheme and they define a Scheme function or operator. These keywords
must not be redefined by a user-initiated define command.

Undoing and Redoing Actions

To undo an action:
■ Choose Edit > Undo or press Ctrl+Z.

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(roll)

To redo an action:
■ Choose Edit > Redo or press Ctrl+Y.

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(roll+1)

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Customizing Graphical User Interface

NOTE The undo and redo operations work in multiple steps as well.
(roll -n) rolls back the modeler by n steps, while (roll n) rolls
forward the history stream of the modeler by n steps. (roll) is a
shortcut to (roll -1).

The undo and redo operations work with actions supported directly by the ACIS modeling
engine, including operations that create and change Ref/Eval windows. Operations that involve
creating or changing placements cannot be undone by using the (roll) feature. However,
placements can be edited, deleted, and recreated.

Customizing Graphical User Interface

The certain parts of the GUI can be customized.

Configuring Command-Line Window

You can configure the command-line window from the menu bar (choose View > Script Win
Prefs to display the Script Window Preferences dialog box) or directly using sde:scmwin
Scheme commands (see Table 17 on page 23).

In the Script Window Preferences dialog box, you can select the height, font style, and size of
the command-line window.

Figure 2 Script Window Preferences dialog box

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Customizing Graphical User Interface

Table 17 Scheme functions for configuring the command-line window

Scheme function Description

(sde:scmwin-get-font-families) Returns all available font families.

(sde:scmwin-get-font-family) Returns the currently selected font family.

(sde:scmwin-get-font-size) Returns the active font size.

(sde:scmwin-get-font-style) Returns the font style.

(sde:scmwin-select-font) Displays the Select Font dialog box.

(sde:scmwin-set-font-family font-type) Sets the font family.

(sde:scmwin-set-font-size integer) Sets the font size.

(sde:scmwin-set-prefs) Can be used to configure the command-line window, using

one single function.

(sde:scmwin-get-window-height) Returns the height of the command-line window.

(sde:scmwin-set-window-height Sets the height of the command-line window.

number-of-lines)

NOTE The height, font family, font size, and font style of the command-line
window are stored in the local home directory of the user when exiting
Sentaurus Structure Editor, making these parameters and toolbar
positions persistent from session to session. For more details on this
persistence mechanism and how to restore default values, see Restoring
GUI Settings From Previous Session on page 18.

Changing Attributes of Graphical User Interface

Background Color
To change the background color of the view window:
■ Choose View > Background Color.

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sde:set-background-color r_top g_top b_top r_bot g_bot b_bot)

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Customizing Graphical User Interface

The RGB colors for the top and bottom of the view window must be specified as integers in the
range 0–255. For example, to create a graded background with red on top and blue at the
bottom:
(sde:set-background-color 255 0 0 0 0 255)

GUI Style

To change the GUI style:

■ Choose View > GUI Style.

The available GUI styles are Windows, Motif, Cleanlooks, Plastique, and CDE.

See sde:set-window-style on page 490.

Font Size of Menu Bar of Main Window

The font size of the menu bar of the main window can be changed using:
(sde:set-menubar-font-size font-size)

For example:
(sde:set-menubar-font-size 10)

Size of Main Window

The main window can be resized at any time using the mouse, or it can be resized using:
(sde:set-window-size x-size y-size)

For example:
(sde:set-window-size 640 480)

Position of Main Window

The main window can be positioned on the screen by moving it using the mouse, or using:
(sde:set-window-position x y)

For example, to place the main window in the upper-left corner of the screen:
(sde:set-window-position 0 0)

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Selecting Entities

NOTE These GUI attributes are saved by the command sde:save-model and
restored by the command sde:open-model.

Restoring Settings of Graphical User Interface

To capture figures for presentations or to compare models visually, the state of the GUI
graphical view (translation, zoom, rotation) can be recorded and restored using Scheme
functions. The sde:get-view-params function is used to return the actual view parameters.
The view parameters are restored using the sde:set-view-params function.

For example:
(define myview (sde:get-view-params))
; The myview object stores the GUI settings, which can be restored later.
(sde:set-view-params myview)

Selecting Entities
To select an entity:
1. Click the Select button (see Table 8 on page 16).
2. Select the required entity type from the Selection Level list.
3. Select an entity and hold the Shift or Ctrl key to select additional entities, or drag a box
around a set of entities.
4. Click the (blank) background to clear the selected entity list.

Entity types are Body, Face, Edge, Vertex, or Ref/Eval Window.

Figure 3 Set entity selection type: (left) shortcut menu and (right) Selection Level list

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Snapping Modes

Snapping Modes
The default drawing mode is freehand for creating 2D regions (rectangles, circles, ellipses, and
so on). Optional features such as snap-to-grid, exact coordinates, and snap-to-existing vertices
can also be used. These features can also be accessed interactively during model generation.

Table 18 Keyboard keys for 2D drawing operations

Key Action

Esc Resets operator

V Snap-to-vertex

E Snap-to-edge (closest point on edge)

G Snap-to-grid

N Disables snapping

For example, during a 2D polygonal region generation when the E key is pressed, the pointer
will snap to the closest existing edge. When the pointer is moved, it slides along the closest
edge. When the V key is pressed, the pointer snaps automatically to the closest vertex. To move
back to freehand drawing, press the N key.

Printing
To print the current view of the structure:
1. Choose File > Print or press Ctrl+P.
2. Select the printer and set print options such as page orientation, and color or black-and-
white mode if available.
3. Select the Print to file option, and enter a file name to export the view to a portable
document format (PDF) file.
4. Click Print.

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Defining Parameters From the Graphical User Interface

Defining Parameters From the Graphical User Interface

To define parameters:
1. Choose Edit > Parameters.
2. Enter the parameter names and values.
3. Click Set.

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sde:define-parameter parameter_name parameter_value [min_value max_value])

For example:
(sde:define-parameter "myvar1" "banana")
(sde:define-parameter "myvar2" 10)
(sde:define-parameter "myvar3" 10 0 20)

The parameters can be deleted using either the Delete button of the Parameters dialog box or
the function sde:delete-parameter:
(sde:delete-parameter parameter_name)

NOTE The parameter names must be enclosed in double quotation marks when
either (sde:define-parameter) or (sde:delete-parameter)
is used.

Figure 4 Parameters dialog box

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Parameterizing Dialog Boxes

Scheme variables function as parameters for various operations, such as extrusion and
chamfering, and can be used for device parameterization. These variables can be assigned not
only a value by choosing Edit > Parameters, but also minimum and maximum values. For
example, when myvar1 is defined with Value 10, Min. Value 0, and Max. Value 20, you can
enter myvar1 in the command-line window that will evaluate myvar1 as 10. The minimum
value is stored in a variable called myvar1_min, and the maximum value is stored in a variable
called myvar1_max.

NOTE The defined parameters can be used in all subsequent Scheme

commands as well as in the fields of the dialog box that expect numeric
values.

Parameters can also be defined by the basic Scheme command (define parameter-name
value).

Parameterizing Dialog Boxes

The GUI contains several dialog boxes that can be parameterized. The dialog boxes can accept
not only numeric inputs, but also Scheme variables and Scheme expressions. The Scheme
variables must be defined and initialized before they can be used in a Sentaurus Structure Editor
dialog box. For example, in Exact Coordinates mode, the Exact Coordinates dialog box is
displayed after a rectangle is drawn. As input data, in addition to numeric values, Scheme
variables and Scheme expressions can be used to define the vertex coordinates.

For example, after the two Scheme variables width and height are defined in the command-
line window, using:
(define width 10)
(define height 5)

and the Exact Coordinates mode is switched on and a rectangle is drawn, the Exact Coordinates
dialog box is displayed where you can use Scheme variables and expressions as input data.

Figure 5 Exact Coordinates dialog box using Scheme variables and expressions

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Parameterizing Dialog Boxes

This operation generates the following Scheme command:

(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0.0)
(position width (* 0.25 height) 0.0) "Silicon" "region_1")

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CHAPTER 4 Controlling Views

This chapter describes the various options to control views available

in Sentaurus Structure Editor.

Zooming, Panning, and Orbiting With Mouse Operations

To access the different modes of mouse operations:
■ Choose View > Interactive Mode, or click the corresponding toolbar button (see
Figure 6).

Figure 6 Toolbar buttons for zooming, panning, and orbiting with mouse operations

The options are:

Zoom to Extents
Resets the zoom factor so that the entire structure is displayed.

Zoom to Window
Drag to define a zoom window. The view is updated such that the defined zoom window is
displayed as large as possible. (If the aspect ratio of the selected zoom window differs from
the current view window aspect ratio, the zooming might appear to be less than expected.)

Orbit
In this mode, dragging adjusts the camera position in a way that simulates orbiting around
the drawn structure. Both the position and path of the pointer during the dragging operation
provide an intuitive mechanism for rotation about different axes. Dragging left or right
along the middle of the view window rotates the structure about the vertical axis. Similarly,
dragging up or down along the center of the view window rotates the structure about the

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Interactive Cutting Plane Viewer

horizontal axis. Dragging up, down, left, or right near any edge of the view window rotates
the structure about the axis perpendicular to the view window. Combinations of the
movements are designed to give you control over the viewing angle of the drawn structure.
While the Orbit mode is active, different shortcut keys can be used to rotate the model about
the imaginary coordinate axes of the screen (in the view window). Hold the key or keys
when in Orbit mode:
Rotate about x-axis (horizontal view) Shift+Orbit
Rotate about y-axis (vertical view) Ctrl+Orbit
Rotate about z-axis (perpendicular to view) Ctrl+Shift+Orbit
The (sde:use-camera-manipulator #t) function can be used to change these key
functionalities to another type of behavior. (The (sde:use-camera-manipulator #f)
command can be used to change it back.)
After the (sde:use-camera-manipulator #t) command is executed when in Orbit
mode, the Ctrl key can be used to zoom and the Shift key can be used to pan (while pressing
the left mouse button).

Zoom
In this mode, dragging upwards zooms in on the structure, and dragging downwards zooms
out.

Pan
In this mode, dragging moves the structure around the view window.

Interactive Cutting Plane Viewer

To access the interactive cutting plane viewer:
1. Choose View > Interactive Mode > Cutting Plane, or click the corresponding toolbar
button.
2. Select either Rotate X, Drag Y, or Rotate Z to control the location of the cut plane. Enter
the rotation or drag amount in the respective field or operate the dials with the mouse.
Alternatively, the cut plane can be manipulated directly in the view window by clicking the
respective handles for rotating and dragging.
3. To suppress the display of the cut plane, either select Remove Cut Plane on Close and
click Close, or toggle the Cutting Plane toolbar button.

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Perspective and Orthographic Views in Three Dimensions

Figure 7 Interactive cutting plane viewer: structure with cut plane (left) and Cut Plane
Controller dialog box (right)

Perspective and Orthographic Views in Three Dimensions

Three-dimensional objects are displayed using either orthographic projection (more distant
objects are drawn with their true height and width as closer objects) or perspective (the height
and width of more distant objects are reduced according to their distance from the viewer).

To switch between the perspective and orthographic views when displaying 3D objects:
■ Choose View > Perspective.

NOTE Some GUI-supported operations such as 3D object creation (cube,

cylinder, sphere) will change the view automatically to orthographic
view.

Figure 8 (Left) Perspective view and (right) orthographic view

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Selecting the DATEX Color Scheme

Selecting the DATEX Color Scheme

The datexcodes.txt file contains two color definitions for each DATEX material. By
default, Sentaurus Structure Editor uses the first color definition from the datexcodes.txt
file to assign the color for each DATEX material for rendering. The View > Primary Datex
Color command selects the first color definition (default).

Deselecting the View > Primary Datex Color command changes the color scheme to the
second color definition, which is typically a brighter version of the first color definition.

In addition, the sde:change-datex-color-scheme Scheme extension can be used to

select the DATEX color scheme.

Selecting the Rendering Mode

To access the different rendering modes:
1. Choose View > Render.
2. Select a rendering mode, or click the corresponding toolbar button (see Table 6 on
page 15).

The available rendering modes are illustrated here using the following example structure:
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0.0 0.0 0.0) (position 1.0 0.8 1.0)
"Silicon" "R.Substrate")
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "ABA")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0.0 0.0 1.0) (position 0.5 0.8 1.02)
"Oxide" "R.Gox")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0.0 0.0 1.02) (position 0.3 0.8 1.5)
"PolySilicon" "R.Poly")
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "BAB")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0.0 0.0 1.02) (position 0.5 0.8 1.4)
"Nitride" "R.Spacer")
(sdegeo:fillet (find-edge-id (position 0.5 0.4 1.4)) 0.18)
(sde:setrefprops 0 30 0 0)

Facets
The faceted model shows a triangulated view in two dimensions and a triangulated surface
tessellation in three dimensions. When exporting the boundary file, the 2D faceting
algorithm extracts the boundary edges from the tessellated view. In three dimensions, the
triangular elements become part of the polyhedral boundary representation. When

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Selecting the Rendering Mode

changing the surface refinement properties, the faceted view always reflects the
triangulation that will be used when exporting a boundary file.

Wireframe
This rendering mode shows the boundary wires only.

Flat Shaded
A simple shaded mode where the surface normals are taken from the tessellated
(triangulated) mode. Each surface element has a uniform color.

Gouraud Shaded
In this shading method, the surface normals are interpolated (using a simple linear
interpolation) between the neighboring surface triangles. In this way, a continuously
shaded view is generated.

Figure 9 Rendering modes: (left) flat shaded and (right) Gouraud shaded

Hidden Line
This mode generates a 3D view in which nonvisible edges are hidden. Additional silhouette
edges are added to the view for the correct visualization.

Wireframe or Hidden Line with Face Parameter Lines

To better visualize faces in Wireframe mode or Hidden Line mode, additional face
parameter lines can be displayed as well. In this mode, each face is ‘decorated’ with a given
number of parametric lines for each orthogonal direction. The default number is 3.

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View Orientation

The Scheme commands for displaying face parameter lines are:

(view:display-param-lines #t)
; Turns on/off parameter lines for visualization
(option:set "u_param" 5) ; Number of parameter lines in the u direction
(option:set "v_param" 5) ; Number of parameter lines in the v direction
(render:rebuild)
This option is not available from the GUI.
(a) (b) (c) (d)

Figure 10 Rendering modes: (a) facets, (b) wirefame, (c) hidden lines, and (d) hidden lines
with face parameter lines

NOTE Apart from these rendering modes, other Scheme commands for
changing the rendering are available:
(view:set-point-size 0) ; Switches on/off the vertex markers.
(render:rebuild) ; Rebuilds the graphics scene.

View Orientation
The camera position and orientation can be selected interactively. The resulting orientation of
the coordinate axes displayed are given as follows:

Iso 3D isometric view

XY X to the right, Y up
XZ X to the right, Z up
YZ Z to the left, Y up
X(-Y) X to the right, Y down

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Showing and Hiding Coordinate Axes

To select the camera view:

■ Choose View > Camera Views, or click the corresponding toolbar button.

Showing and Hiding Coordinate Axes

To switch between the display of the coordinates axes in the lower-right corner of the main
window:
■ Choose View > Show Axes.

Displaying Grid Lines

To display the grid lines:
1. Choose View > Grid, or click the corresponding toolbar button.
2. Enter the grid line spacing along the x axis (Grid Width) and along the y axis (Grid
Height). Optionally, the width of the grid line and the line pattern can be selected.
3. Click Apply to activate the changed settings.
4. Click Show to display the grid lines, or click Hide to suppress the display of the grid lines.

NOTE The grid lines are always shown in the current work plane. Grid lines
along the z-axis are not supported.

Displaying Rulers
To switch between the display of rulers in the xy coordinate directions:
■ Choose View > Show Ruler, or click the corresponding toolbar button.

NOTE The rulers displayed in the GUI follow the dimensionality of the model.
If only 2D bodies are defined, the rulers are drawn in the xy coordinate
directions. For 3D models, a ruler is also drawn in the z-axis coordinate
direction. In addition to these rulers, you can create rulers using the
sde:draw-ruler Scheme extension (see sde:draw-ruler on page 427).
These user-defined rulers are displayed in the GUI automatically. You
can hide user-defined rulers using the sde:hide-ruler Scheme
extension (see sde:hide-ruler on page 445).

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Scaling View

In two dimensions, the rulers in the xy coordinate directions are placed

such that they cross in the upper-left corner when using the XY view
orientation. Using other view orientations might make it difficult to read
the tick labels of the rulers (see View Orientation on page 36).

Scaling View
You can scale the view (uniform or nonuniform). Scaling the view does not change the model
coordinates; it is applied only to the graphical scene.

To scale the view:

1. Choose View > View Scaling.
2. Enter a view scaling factor for each of the coordinate axis.

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sde:scale-scene x-factor y-factor z-factor)

For example, to scale the view by 2 in the y-direction, use (sde:scale-scene 1 2 1). The
command (sde:scale-scene 1 1 1) restores the original uniform unscaled model view.

Visualizing Selected Geometric Objects

To view geometric entities associated with a selected material, or selected regions, masks,
contacts:
■ Choose View > Entity Viewer.

The Entity Viewer is used to switch on and off the display of all different entity types (body,
face, edge, vertex, and other), masks, contacts, regions, and materials. Each can be shown or
hidden, individually or in groups, using the Show and Hide buttons. To restrict the display to
only the selected entities, click the Exclusive button.

To see through the selected entities, click the Translucent button. To switch off translucency
for the selected entities, click Opaque.

Any additions, changes, and deletions to entities made through GUI actions in the view
window or through Scheme commands are reflected immediately in the Entity Viewer.

Two-dimensional or three-dimensional contacts can be visualized as separate objects. To see

only a given contact, highlight the contact name in the Entity Viewer and click Exclusive.

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4: Controlling Views
Quick Access to Placements, Refinements, and Doping Profiles

Related Scheme commands to display, hide, or show exclusively a given contact, respectively,
are:
(sde:show-contact contactname)
(sde:hide-contact contactname)
(sde:xshow-contact contactname)

Figure 11 Entity Viewer

Quick Access to Placements, Refinements, and Doping

Profiles
To list and access all currently defined Ref/Eval windows, refinements, and doping profiles:
1. Choose View > Placements Viewer.
2. Double-clicking any option opens the corresponding dialog box to view and edit its
properties. Additions, changes, and deletions to placements made through GUI actions in
the view window or through Scheme commands are reflected immediately in the
Placements Viewer.
3. To visualize Ref/Eval windows, select one or more Ref/Eval window and click Show.
Click Exclusive to display the item while suppressing the display of all other items.
Click Hide to suppress the display of the selected item. (These two buttons only apply to
Ref/Eval windows.)

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Visualizing the Internal Entity Representation

Figure 12 Placements Viewer

Visualizing the Internal Entity Representation

To view the internal representation of entities:
■ Choose View > Topology Browser.

Sentaurus Structure Editor represents the topology of a structure as a hierarchy of entities. On

the top of the hierarchy are the bodies, which consist of lumps, shells, faces, loops, coedges,
edges, and finally vertices. When working with Sentaurus Structure Editor, mainly bodies,
faces, edges, and vertices are important.

The Topology Browser displays a tree of entities and their relationships, as used internally by
Sentaurus Structure Editor. Use this tool to determine entity numbers and relationships. The
graphical selection of entities in the main window of Sentaurus Structure Editor results in the
highlighting of the corresponding entity in the Topology Browser. Similarly, the selection of an
entity in the Topology Browser results in the highlighting of the entity in the main window.

The Topology Browser also displays the doping/refinement/submesh (DRS)–related Ref/Eval

windows as geometric objects.

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Figure 13 Topology Browser

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CHAPTER 5 Generating Geometric Structures

This chapter provides details about creating a variety of structures

and presents examples that illustrate various commands.

Modeling Unit and Modeling Range

The geometry operations in Sentaurus Structure Editor are based on the ACIS geometry kernel.
Most geometric calculations are performed using finite-precision arithmetic and tolerances.
You must be aware of two tolerance values – resabs and resnor – because they determine
the suggested modeling unit:
■ resabs (default value 1e-6) is the tolerance used when comparing two positions in the 3D
model space. If two positions are within resabs of each other, they can be considered in
the same position.
■ resnor (default value 1e-10) is the tolerance used when comparing the directions of two
vectors. If the directions of two vectors are within resnor of each other, the vectors can
be considered to be parallel.

Basically, the modeling range is the ratio of these two values (resabs/resnor).

Geometry modeling in Sentaurus Structure Editor is unitless. This means that you can choose
any unit for model representation. However, the modeling range and the smallest representable
feature will depend on the selected modeling unit.

For example, if you want to use micrometer as the modeling unit and a modeling range that is
–8
100 μm , the smallest representable feature will be resnor x 100 = 10 μm , which is
–5
10 nm. If the modeling unit and the modeling range are selected to be 1 m, the smallest
– 10
representable feature will be 10 m, which is 10 nm. From this example, it is clear that it
would not be practical to select meter as the modeling unit, since the TCAD devices could not
be represented in Sentaurus Structure Editor based on the tolerance values that are used for the
geometric calculations. Selecting micrometer as the modeling unit would be a better choice for
TCAD devices. This means that, in this case, the smallest representable geometric feature is
–5
approximately 10 nm.

Based on experience in nanodevice modeling, it is suggested that you use nanometer as the
modeling unit when such devices are being modeled. This will result in a smaller modeling
range but a larger precision, which might be preferable. It is the best to select the modeling unit
in such a way that it will provide the largest precision within the necessary modeling range.

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Creating a New Structure

If there is a modeling unit mismatch between the different TCAD tools, an additional scaling
can be applied to the tessellated boundary file created by Sentaurus Structure Editor and to the
mesh command file. This operation will not introduce any modeling error, since scaling is
performed directly on the files, and no additional geometric operations are applied to the
model.

Creating a New Structure

Reinitializing Sentaurus Structure Editor

To reset Sentaurus Structure Editor:
■ Choose File > New or press Ctrl+N.

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sde:clear)

NOTE This command restores the default settings of the graphical user
interface (GUI), clears and reinitializes the geometry database, and
clears all doping-related and refinement-related data. It is recommended
as good practice to start each Scheme script with this command.

Setting Interactive Work Preferences

Exact Coordinates
In Sentaurus Structure Editor, geometric objects can be drawn free hand. However, for most
applications, it is convenient (and sometimes necessary) to specify explicitly the coordinates
of the object, for example, to allow for precise alignment of different regions.

To activate exact coordinates:

■ Choose Draw > Exact Coordinates, or click the corresponding toolbar button (see Table 8
on page 16).

In Exact Coordinates mode, after drawing any 2D shape, or after adding or moving vertices, a
dialog box is displayed that shows the vertex coordinates of the new shape. The dialog box
allows you to edit these values.

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Setting Interactive Work Preferences

Snapping
Snapping can be used as an alternative or a convenient augmentation of the Exact Coordinates
mode for creating 2D regions (rectangles circles, ellipses, and so on). The different snapping
modes are activated interactively when drawing shapes by pressing the following keys (or click
the corresponding toolbar buttons):
■ Grid Snapping: To activate grid snapping, press the G key or click the corresponding
toolbar button (see Table 11 on page 16). The pointer jumps from grid point to grid point.
(To visualize the grid, choose View > Grid.)
■ Vertex Snapping: To snap the pointer to the nearest vertex of an existing shape, press the
V key or click the corresponding toolbar button (see Table 11). When the pointer is moved,
it jumps from vertex to vertex. A click will insert the new vertex to be exactly on a vertex.
■ Edge Snapping: To snap the pointer to the nearest edge of an existing shape (it will slide
along this edge), press the E key or click the corresponding toolbar button (see Table 11).
A click will insert the new vertex to be exactly on the edge.
■ Free Drawing: To return to the default free-drawing mode, press the F key or click the
corresponding toolbar button (see Table 11).

NOTE You can use the Exact Coordinates mode concurrently with all snapping
options.

Active Material
To select the active material to be used for subsequent actions, use the Material list.

Figure 14 Material list: select active material for all subsequent actions

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Setting Interactive Work Preferences

NOTE The datexcodes.txt file controls the material list. The default
location is $STROOT/tcad/$STRELEASE/lib/datexcodes.txt.
New materials can be defined by creating a local version of this file in
the current working directory.

Naming Regions
When creating a new region, Sentaurus Structure Editor automatically assigns a default region
name. The default region names follow the sequence region_1, region_2, region_3, and
so on. To be prompted for a custom region name after creating a new region interactively,
deactivate the automatic region-naming feature.

To switch automatic region-naming on or off, choose Draw > Auto Region Naming.

Region names can be changed later (see Changing the Name of a Region on page 111). Within
Sentaurus Structure Editor, multiple geometric objects can share the same region name.
However, when saving the final boundary, disjoint regions must have different region names.
If the region-naming does not satisfy this criterion, Sentaurus Structure Editor automatically
modifies the region names by adding the suffix _lump%N to each disjoint region (where N is a
lump counter). Choose Edit > Separate Lumps to explicitly force this region-renaming step.

Overlap Behavior
In most applications, a device consists of multiple regions. When creating a device with
multiple regions in Sentaurus Structure Editor, later-added regions might intersect existing
regions. If this occurs, a predefined scheme is used to resolve the overlapping of regions.

To select the overlap resolution behavior, choose Draw > Overlap Behavior, or click the
corresponding toolbar button (see Table 13 on page 17).

The types of overlap resolution behavior available in Sentaurus Structure Editor are:

Merge
The old and new structures merge, and all boundary lines between them are dissolved. The
resulting merged structure takes on the region name and material of the last-drawn
structure. The corresponding Scheme command is:
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "AB")

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Setting Interactive Work Preferences

New Replaces Old

The new structure is created as drawn, and the old structure is adapted. The part of the old
structure that overlaps with the new one is deleted, and its boundary is replaced by the
boundary of the new structure. Two separate regions remain. The corresponding Scheme
command is:
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "ABA")

Old Replaces New

The new structure is created, but it is adapted so that the old one remains unchanged. The
part of the new structure that overlaps with the old one is deleted, and its boundary is
replaced by the boundary of the old structure. Two separate regions remain. The
corresponding Scheme command is:
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "BAB")

New Overlaps Old

The new structure is created as drawn, and the old structure is adapted. The part of the old
structure that overlaps with the new structure is deleted. However, the boundary edges of
the old structure do not dissolve. Three regions result: original, new, and overlap, where the
overlap region is named region_1region_2, that is, the concatenation of the original and
new region names. The corresponding Scheme command is:
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "ABiA")

Old Overlaps New

The new structure is created, but it is adapted so that the old one remains unchanged. The
part of the new structure that overlaps the old one is deleted. However, the boundary edges
of the new structure do not dissolve. Three regions result: original, new, and overlap, where
the overlap region is named region1region2, that is, the concatenation of the original
and new region names. The corresponding Scheme command is:
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "ABiB")

Unresolved Overlaps
An additional option "XX" is available. The (sdegeo:set-default-boolean "XX")
command switches off the automatic overlap region handling, thereby allowing the
creation of overlapping regions. This option should be used only by experienced users. The
overlaps must be resolved manually later; otherwise, the exported final boundary will
contain an invalid topology. This option is not available from the GUI.

Current Overlap Behavior

The Scheme command (sdegeo:get-default-boolean) returns information about
the currently active overlap resolution behavior.

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Basic 2D Shapes

Removing Overlaps
If the model contains overlapping regions, the overlaps can be removed by using either
explicit Boolean operations (sdegeo:bool-intersect, sdegeo:bool-subtract,
sdegeo:bool-unite), or the remove-body-ABA or remove-body-BAB command.

NOTE Some geometric operations might create overlaps, which can be

difficult to detect, especially for larger 3D models. The overlaps must be
removed from the model before the tessellated boundary file is saved for
meshing. The sdegeo:check-overlap function can be used to find
the possible overlaps automatically.

Basic 2D Shapes

Rectangles
To draw a rectangle:
1. Choose Draw > 2D Create Tools > Rectangular Region, or click the corresponding
toolbar button (see Table 10 on page 16).
2. Drag to draw the diagonal of the rectangle in the view window.
3. In Exact Coordinates mode, a dialog box is displayed where you enter the coordinates of
the first vertex and second vertex of the diagonal.

The corresponding Scheme command is sdegeo:create-rectangle on page 624, for example:

(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 2 1 0) "Silicon"
"R.Substrate")

Regular Polygons
To draw a regular polygon:
1. Choose Draw > 2D Create Tools > Regular Polygonal Region, or click the
corresponding toolbar button (see Table 10 on page 16).
2. Drag to draw the radius of the regular polygon in the view window. By default, a ten-sided
polygon is created.
3. In Exact Coordinates mode, a dialog box is displayed where you enter the coordinates of
the center point, the radius, the number of sides, as well as the starting angle.

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Basic 2D Shapes

The corresponding Scheme command is sdegeo:create-reg-polygon on page 625, for example:

(sdegeo:create-reg-polygon (position 0 0 0) 1.0 3 30 "Nitride"
"R.TriangleSpacer")

Polygons
To draw a general polygon:
1. Choose Draw > 2D Create Tools > Polygonal Region, or click the corresponding toolbar
button (see Table 10 on page 16).
2. Click at each vertex of the polygon in the view window. To finish drawing the polygon,
click the middle mouse button. (Press both buttons when using a two-button mouse.) The
polygon closes automatically.
3. In Exact Coordinates mode, a dialog box is displayed where you enter the coordinates for
each vertex.

The corresponding Scheme command is sdegeo:create-polygon on page 620, for example:

(sdegeo:create-polygon (list (position 0 0 0) (position 0.5 -1 0)
(position 1 -1 0) (position 1.5 0 0) (position 0 0 0))
"PolySilicon" "R.TaperedPoly")

Circles
To draw a circle:
1. Choose Draw > 2D Create Tools > Circular Region, or click the corresponding toolbar
button (see Table 10 on page 16).
2. Drag to draw the radius of the circle in the view window.
3. In Exact Coordinates mode, a dialog box is displayed where you enter the coordinates of
the center point and the radius.

The corresponding Scheme command is sdegeo:create-circle on page 607, for example:

(sdegeo:create-circle (position 0 0 0) 0.01 "Silicon" "R.Nanowire")

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Ellipses
To draw an ellipse:
1. Choose Draw > 2D Create Tools > Elliptical Region, or click the corresponding toolbar
button (see Table 10 on page 16).
2. Drag to draw the major axis in the view window. Then, release the mouse button and move
the pointer to select the width of the ellipse.
3. In Exact Coordinates mode, a dialog box is displayed where you enter the coordinates of
the center point, the endpoint of the major axis, as well as the ratio between the major and
the minor axes.

The corresponding Scheme command is sdegeo:create-ellipse on page 613, for example:

(sdegeo:create-ellipse (position 0 0 0) (position 1 0 0) 0.5 "Silicon"
"R.Ellipse")

NOTE The ratio can be greater than 1, in which case, the minor axis will
actually be larger than the other axis (which was referred to above as the
major axis).

Ruled Regions
A ruled region is a shape that is defined by two edges. The region is created by connecting the
endpoints of the two edges.

To create a ruled region:

1. From the Selection Level list, select Select Edge.
2. Choose Draw > 2D Create Tools > Ruled Region.
3. Select the edge and hold the Shift key to select the second edge.

The corresponding Scheme command is sdegeo:create-ruled-region on page 626, for example:

(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position -1.0 0.0 0) (position 1.0 1.0 0) "Silicon"
"R.Substrate")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position -0.5 0.0 0) (position 0.5 -0.05 0) "Oxide"
"R.Gox")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position -0.1 -0.5 0) (position 0.1 -0.7 0)
"Aluminum" "R.GateCont")
(sdegeo:insert-vertex (position -0.2 -0.05 0))
(sdegeo:insert-vertex (position 0.2 -0.05 0))

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(sdegeo:create-ruled-region (list
(car (find-edge-id (position 0.0 -0.5 0)))
(car (find-edge-id (position 0.0 -0.05 0)))) "PolySilicon" "R.PolyGate")
(sdegeo:create-ruled-region (list
(car (find-edge-id (position -0.15 -0.275 0)))
(car (find-edge-id (position -0.35 -0.05 0)))) "Nitride" "R.SpacerL")
(sdegeo:create-ruled-region (list
(car (find-edge-id (position 0.15 -0.275 0)))
(car (find-edge-id (position 0.35 -0.05 0)))) "Nitride" "R.SpacerR")

Figure 15 Generating ruled regions using linear edges: (left) original structure, (middle)
after adding the first ruled region, and (right) after adding the remaining two ruled
regions

Ruled regions can be created only for 2D models. The edges that are used for creating the ruled
region do not have to be linear. Figure 16 shows such a case. The inserted ruled region (ruled
region I) was created between two circular edges, which were created by a filleting operation.

Generated Ruled Region II Selected Edges II

Generated Ruled Region I

Selected Edges I

Figure 16 Generating a ruled region using curved edges

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Editing Shapes in Two Dimensions

Other Basic 2D Shapes

Other basic 2D shapes are available using Scheme commands such as:
sdegeo:create-triangle

See Index of Scheme Extensions on page 831 for details.

Editing Shapes in Two Dimensions

Adding a Vertex
To add a vertex:
1. Choose Edit > 2D Edit Tools > Add Vertex, or click the corresponding toolbar button (see
Table 9 on page 16).
2. Click a position on an edge where the vertex is to be placed.

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:insert-vertex position)

For example:
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 0)
"Silicon" "region_1")
(sdegeo:insert-vertex (position 0.5 1.0 0.0))

Vertices are added to existing 2D regions in such a way that model conformity is maintained.
For regions sharing a common edge or an edge segment, the vertex is inserted onto both edges,
splitting the edges. Added vertices always are inserted onto the closest edge, by projecting the
inserted vertex to the nearest edge.

NOTE This operation is available only for 2D regions. Use the Wireframe
mode to visualize the new vertex (see Table 6 on page 15). The Exact
Coordinates mode can be used to precisely control the new location;
however, snapping is not supported.

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Moving a Vertex
To move a vertex:
1. Choose Edit > 2D Edit Tools > Move Vertex, or click the corresponding toolbar button
(see Table 9 on page 16).
2. Drag the vertex to the required position.

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:move-vertex vertex position)

For example:
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 0) "Silicon"
"region_1")
(sdegeo:move-vertex (car (find-vertex-id (position 0 0 0)))
(position 0.25 0.25 0))

To move several vertices:

1. Choose Edit > 2D Edit Tools > Move Vertices, or click the corresponding toolbar button
(see Table 9 on page 16).
2. Select the vertices.
3. When finished, drag any of the selected vertices to move all of them to the required
position.

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:move-vertex vertex-list gvector)

For example:
(define BODY (sdegeo:create-reg-polygon (position 0 0 0) 1 10 0 "Silicon"
"region_1"))
(sdegeo:move-vertex (sde:window-select-2d 0 -1.1 1.1 1.1 BODY "vertex")
(gvector 1 0 0))

NOTE This operation is available only for 2D regions. Only vertices that
connect linear line segments can be moved. Vertices on curved edges
cannot be moved. The Exact Coordinates mode can be used to precisely
control the new location; however, snapping is not supported.

The function can be used to move the vertices of some 2D DRS Ref/
Eval windows (line, rectangle, polygon).

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Moving a vertex is allowed only to such an extent that the expected operation results in a
topologically correct 2D region, that is, crossing edges are not allowed. If a vertex belongs to
multiple regions, all regions are modified accordingly.

Moving Region Edges

To move a region edge in two dimensions:
1. Choose Edit > 2D Edit Tools > Move Edge, or click the corresponding toolbar button (see
Table 9 on page 16).
2. Select a linear edge, and drag the edge to the required position.

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:move-edge edgeid gvector)

For example:
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 0) "Silicon"
"region_1")
(sdegeo:move-edge (car (find-edge-id (position 1 0.5 0))) (gvector 0.5 0.5 0))

NOTE This operation is available only for 2D regions. Only linear edges can
be moved and only when all connecting edges are linear as well. The
edges are moved like rigid bodies (that is, all connecting edges are
moved as well). The Exact Coordinates mode can be used to precisely
control the new location.

If the new location of the moved region is such that it overlaps other regions, the overlaps are
removed automatically following the active Boolean overlap control rule.

Moving Regions
To move one or more regions in two dimensions:
1. Choose Edit > 2D Edit Tools > Move Region, or click the corresponding toolbar button
(see Table 9 on page 16).
2. Select one region (or more regions by holding the Ctrl key). Release the Ctrl key, and drag
the regions to the required position.

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:move-2d-regions body | body-list gvector)

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Editing Shapes in Two Dimensions

For example:
(define mb1 (sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 0)
"Silicon" "region_1"))
(sdegeo:move-2d-regions mb1 (gvector 1 1 0)

NOTE This operation is available only for 2D regions. The Exact Coordinates
mode can be used to precisely control the new location.

If the new locations of the moved regions are such that they overlap other regions, the overlaps
are removed automatically following the active Boolean overlap control rule.

Deleting Vertices
To delete one or more vertices:
1. Click the Select button (see Table 8 on page 16).
2. From the Selection Level list, select Select Vertex.
3. Select the vertex and hold the Shift key to select additional vertices, or drag a box around
a set of vertices.
4. Choose Edit > 2D Edit Tools > Delete Vertex, or press the Delete key.

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:delete-vertices vertex-list)

Example 1 with an explicit vertex selection:

(sdegeo:create-reg-polygon (position 0 0 0) 1 6 0 "Silicon" "region_1")
(sdegeo:delete-vertices (list
(car (find-vertex-id (position -1.0 0 0)))
(car (find-vertex-id (position 1.0 0 0)))))

Example 2 with a window vertex selection:

(sdegeo:create-polygon (list
(position 0.0 0.0 0) (position 1.0 0.0 0) (position 1.0 1.0 0)
(position 0.8 1.1 0) (position 0.6 0.9 0) (position 0.4 1.1 0)
(position 0.2 0.9 0) (position 0.0 1.0 0) (position 0.0 0.0 0))
"Silicon" "region_1")
(define VERTICES (sde:window-select-2d 0.1 0.8 0.9 1.2 "all" "vertex"))
(sdegeo:delete-vertices VERTICES)

NOTE This operation is available only for 2D regions.

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Rounding
To round one or more corners of a 2D region:
1. Click the Select button (see Table 8 on page 16).
2. From the Selection Level list, select Select Vertex.
3. Select the vertex and hold the Shift key to select additional vertices, or drag a box around
a set of vertices.
4. Choose Edit > 2D Edit Tools > Fillet.
5. Enter a fillet radius in the dialog box.
If the parameter fillet-radius was set before performing this operation (choosing Edit
> Parameters), this dialog box is suppressed, and the given value of fillet-radius is
used instead.

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:fillet-2d vertex-list radius)

For example:
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0.0) (position 1 1 0.0) "Silicon"
"region_1")
(sdegeo:fillet-2d (list
(car (find-vertex-id (position 1 0 0)))
(car (find-vertex-id (position 0 0 0)))) 0.4)

NOTE If fillet-radius is too large such that two adjacent fillets overlap,
the operation will fail.
fillet-radius=0.2 fillet-radius=0.4

fillet-radius=0.2

Figure 17 Two-dimensional vertex rounding: (left) rectangle (1 x 1) and (right) rounded

rectangle

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Chamfering
To chamfer one or more corners of a 2D region:
1. Click the Select button (see Table 8 on page 16).
2. From the Selection Level list, select Select Vertex.
3. Select the vertex and hold the Shift key to select additional vertices, or drag a box around
a set of vertices.
4. Choose Edit > 2D Edit Tools > Chamfer.
5. Enter a chamfer distance in the dialog box.
If the parameter chamfer-dist was set before performing this operation (choosing Edit
> Parameters), this dialog box is suppressed, and the given value of chamfer-dist is
used instead.

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:chamfer-2d vertex-list chamfer-dist)

For example:
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0.0) (position 1 1 0.0) "Silicon"
"region_1")
(sdegeo:chamfer-2d (list
(car (find-vertex-id (position 1 0 0)))
(car (find-vertex-id (position 0 0 0)))) 0.4)

chamfer-distance = 0.2
chamfer-distance = 0.4

chamfer-distance = 0.2

Figure 18 Two-dimensional vertex chamfering: (left) rectangle (1 x 1) and (right) chamfered

rectangle

NOTE The chamfer-dist cannot be larger than the smallest edge length of
the adjacent edges of the selected vertices. For multiple vertices sharing
the same edge, the distance must be smaller than half the length of the
smallest such edge. Otherwise, the operation will fail.

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Cutting
To cut out a rectangular part from a 2D structure:
1. Choose Edit > 2D Edit Tools > 2D Cut.
2. Drag to draw the diagonal of the rectangle in the view window.
3. In Exact Coordinates mode, a dialog box is displayed where you enter the coordinates of
the first vertex and second vertex of the diagonal.

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:2d-cut position position)

The argument list contains the two corner positions of the rectangular area. All regions outside
of this rectangle are removed from the model.

For example:
(sdegeo:create-circle (position 0 0 0) 1 "Silicon" "region_1")
(sdegeo:2D-cut (position 0 -1.1 0.0) (position 0.8 1.1 0.0))

Creating a Convex Hull

The Scheme extension sdegeo:chull2d can be used to compute the 2D convex hull of the
specified position list. The position list of the computed convex hull is returned.

Figure 19 Creating a 2D convex hull: (left) original point set and (right) created convex hull

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Splitting Structures
To split one or more 2D regions by a polygonal line:
1. Choose Edit > 2D Edit Tools > Polygonal Region Split, or click the corresponding
toolbar button (see Table 9 on page 16).
2. Click at each vertex of the polygonal line. To finish drawing the polygonal line, click the
middle mouse button. (Press both buttons when using a two-button mouse.)
3. In Exact Coordinates mode, a dialog box is displayed where you enter the coordinates for
each vertex.

The first vertex and last vertex of the defined polygonal line snap to the closest edge or vertex
of the existing model. Unique region names are given to the split-off parts of the original
bodies.

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:polygonal-split position-list)

For example:
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position -1.0 0.0 0.0) (position 1.0 1.0 0.0)
"Silicon" "region_1")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position -1.0 -0.1 0.0) (position 1.0 0.0 0.0)
"SiO2" "region_2")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position -1.0 -0.1 0.0) (position 1.0 -0.7 0.0)
"PolySi" "region_3")
(sdegeo:polygonal-split (list
(position -0.25 -1 0) (position -0.25 0.1 0) (position 0 0.2 0)
(position 0.25 0.1 0) (position 0.25 -1 0)))

Figure 20 Splitting a device using a polygonal line segment: (left) original structure and
(right) after the split operation

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Simplifying 2D Structures
Sentaurus Structure Editor has a set of functions to simplify 2D structures. Such boundary
simplification is sometimes advantageous for structures generated by other tools such as
Sentaurus Process. Examples of such simplifications are aligning vertices, removing collinear
edges, and breaking nonaxis-aligned edges into axis-aligned ‘staircases.’ In general, the
subsequent meshing tool will generate grids with fewer nodes if the boundary has fewer points
and if most edges are axis aligned.

Aligning Vertices

To align vertices to an axis horizontally (or vertically):

1. Click the Select button (see Table 8 on page 16).
2. From the Selection Level list, select Select Vertex.
3. Select the vertex and hold the Shift key to select additional vertices, or drag a box around
a set of vertices.
4. Choose Edit > 2D Edit Tools > Align Vertices to Horizontal (or Align Vertices to
Vertical).
5. Click to select the horizontal (or vertical) alignment level.

The corresponding Scheme commands are:

(sdegeo:align-horizontal vertex-list yalign)
(sdegeo:align-vertical vertex-list xalign)

For example:
(sdegeo:create-polygon (list
(position 0.0 1.0 0) (position 1.0 1.0 0) (position 1.0 0.0 0)
(position 0.8 0.1 0) (position 0.6 -0.1 0) (position 0.4 0.1 0)
(position 0.2 -0.1 0) (position 0.0 0.0 0) (position 0.0 1.0 0))
"Silicon" "region_1")
(define VERTICES (sde:window-select-2d -0.1 -0.2 1.1 0.2 "all" "vertex"))
(sdegeo:align-horizontal VERTICES 0.0)

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Figure 21 Aligning vertices horizontally: (left) original structure and (right) after alignment.
For better viewing, the structure is shown as a wireframe.

To automatically align the selected vertices to the average y-position (or x-position):
■ Choose Edit > 2D Edit Tools > Aut. Align Vertices to Horizontal (or Aut. Align Vertices
to Vertical).

The corresponding Scheme commands are:

(sdegeo:align-horizontal-aut vertex-list)
(sdegeo:align-vertical-aut vertex-list)

To align the selected vertices to an arbitrary line:

■ Choose Edit > 2D Edit Tools > Align Vertices to a Line.

To define the line, click at the starting point and drag to the endpoint.

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:align-to-line vertex-list starting-position end-position)

For example:
(sdegeo:create-polygon (list
(position 0.0 0.0 0) (position 1.0 0.0 0) (position 1.0 1.0 0)
(position 0.8 1.1 0) (position 0.6 0.9 0) (position 0.4 1.1 0)
(position 0.2 0.9 0) (position 0.0 1.0 0) (position 0.0 0.0 0))
"Silicon" "region_1")
(define VERTICES (sde:window-select-2d -0.1 0.8 1.1 1.2 "all" "vertex"))
(sdegeo:align-to-line VERTICES (position 0.0 0.7 0) (position 1.0 1.3 0))

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NOTE The command moves the vertices along the normal to the specified line.
Therefore, both the x-coordinates and y-coordinates can be altered by
this operation.

When the vertices have been aligned, the now redundant vertices can be removed by using
either vertex deletion (see Deleting Vertices on page 55) or edge removal (see Merging
Collinear Edges on page 63).

Selected Vertices Vertically Aligned Vertices

Short Edges Removed

Figure 22 Two-dimensional boundary simplification, vertical alignment of vertices, and

removal of short edges

Selected Vertices Vertices Aligned to a Line After Vertices Deleted

Figure 23 Two-dimensional boundary simplification, align to line, and vertex removal

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Merging Collinear Edges

To merge collinear edges:

1. Click the Select button (see Table 8 on page 16).
2. From the Selection Level list, select Select Edge.
3. Select the edge and hold the Shift key to select additional edges, or drag a box around a set
of edges.
4. Choose Edit > 2D Edit Tools > Delete Collinear Edges.

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:delete-collinear-edges edge-list)

For example:
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0.0 0.0 0) (position 1.0 1.0 0) "Silicon"
"region_1")
(sdegeo:insert-vertex (position 0.3 0.0 0))
(sdegeo:insert-vertex (position 0.0 0.3 0))
(sdegeo:insert-vertex (position 0.0 0.6 0))
(define EDGES (sde:window-select-2d -0.1 -0.1 1.1 0.8 "all" "edge"))
(sdegeo:delete-collinear-edges EDGES)

This command removes edges only if they are exactly collinear. For ‘noisy’ boundaries:
1. Choose Edit > 2D Edit Tools > Delete Nearly Collinear Edges.
2. In the dialog box, enter a threshold distance.

Two edges (Edge 1 and Edge 2) are considered to be collinear if the distance D , defined as
shown in Figure 24, is less than the specified distance.

Edge 1 D
Edge 2

Figure 24 Distance definition for nearly collinear edges

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:delete-nearly-collinear-edges edge-list distance)

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For example:
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0.0 0.0 0) (position 1.0 1.0 0) "Silicon"
"region_1")
(sdegeo:insert-vertex (position 0.25 0.0 0))
(sdegeo:insert-vertex (position 0.50 0.0 0))
(sdegeo:insert-vertex (position 0.75 0.0 0))
(sdegeo:move-vertex (find-vertex-id (position 0.5 0.0 0))
(position 0.5 0.1 0))
(define EDGES (sde:window-select-2d -0.1 -0.1 1.1 0.2 "all" "edge"))
(sdegeo:delete-nearly-collinear-edges EDGES 0.2)

To remove all edges shorter than a given length by merging them with adjacent edges:
1. Click the Select button (see Table 8 on page 16).
2. From the Selection Level list, select Select Edge.
3. Select the edge and hold the Shift key to select additional edges, or drag a box around a set
of edges.
4. Choose Edit > 2D Edit Tools > Delete Short Linear Edges.
5. Enter the minimal-allowed edge length in the dialog box.

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:delete-short-edges edge-list minimal-edge-length)

For example:
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0.0 0.0 0) (position 1.0 1.0 0) "Silicon"
"region_1")
(sdegeo:insert-vertex (position 0.1 0.0 0))
(sdegeo:insert-vertex (position 0.0 0.1 0))
(sdegeo:insert-vertex (position 0.0 0.2 0))
(define EDGES (sde:window-select-2d -0.1 -0.1 1.1 0.3 "all" "edge"))
(sdegeo:delete-short-edges EDGES 0.2)

NOTE This command preserves vertices at which the angle between two edges
is 90° or more (ridges). At rounded corners. this command might result
in the unintended removal of the entire corner.

To remove edges based on an angular cut-off:

1. Choose Edit > 2D Edit Tools > Delete Linear Edges.
2. Enter the cut-off angle (angular tolerance) in the dialog box.

If the angle between two edges at a vertex is larger than the cut-off angle, the edges are
removed.

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NOTE The angle between collinear edges is 180° . To protect corners, use an
angle greater than 90° .

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:delete-short-edges edge-list [edge-angular-cut-off])

The default value for edge-angular-cut-off is 90° .

For example:
(sdegeo:create-polygon (list
(position 0.0 0.0 0) (position 1.0 0.0 0) (position 1.0 1.0 0)
(position 0.8 1.02 0) (position 0.6 0.98 0) (position 0.4 1.02 0)
(position 0.2 0.98 0) (position 0.0 1.0 0) (position 0.0 0.0 0))
"Silicon" "region_1")
(define EDGES (sde:window-select-2d -0.1 0.9 1.1 1.1 "all" "edge"))
(sdegeo:delete-short-edges EDGES 150)

The alternative command:

(merge-collinear-edges-2d body-list [normal-angular-cut-off])

works similarly to sdegeo:delete-short-edges, but it automatically selects all edges

from all bodies selected, and it uses a different definition for the cut-off angle. Here, the edge
is removed if the angle between the face normals is smaller than the given cut-off angle. For
example, an edge-angular-cut-off of 120° corresponds to a normal-angular-cut-
off of 30° .

An additional variance:
(sdegeo:prune-vertices body-list normal-angular-cut-off)

works with vertices instead of edges, but it uses the same algorithm for the selected edges to
be removed. The command:
(sdegeo:dnce normal-angular-cut-off)

automatically calls sdegeo:prune-vertices for all bodies.

A further variant of the edge removal command allows you to specify an edge length as well
as a cut-off angle. This command operates on a list of bodies, instead of an edge list, and is not
available from the GUI.

The Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:del-short-edges body-list edge-list minimal-edge-length
normal-angular-cut-off)

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For example:
(define BODY (sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0.0 0.0 0) (position 1.0 1.0 0)
"Silicon" "R.Substrate"))
(sdegeo:insert-vertex (position 0.1 0.0 0))
(sdegeo:insert-vertex (position 0.0 0.1 0))
(sdegeo:insert-vertex (position 0.0 0.2 0))
(sdegeo:move-vertex (find-vertex-id (position 0 0 0)) (position 0.03 0.03 0))
(sdegeo:del-short-edges BODY 0.2 10)

Original Model (merge-collinear-edges-2d "all")

(length (entity: vertices (get-body-list))) ; --> 244 vertices
; --> 355 vertices

(merge-collinear-edges-2d "all" 10) (merge-collinear-edges-2d "all" 20)

; --> 57 vertices ; --> 39 vertices

Figure 25 Merging collinear edges: (upper left) original model and examples of different
merges of collinear edges

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Number of edges

3723 230

Figure 26 Mask layout: (left) before deleting nearly collinear edges and (right) after by
deleting nearly collinear edges

Breaking Nearly Axis-Aligned Edges

To break up nearly axis-aligned edges into a staircase of axis-aligned edges:

All edges that form an angle smaller than the cut-off angle with either the x-axis or y-axis are
converted to a staircase-like set of edges.

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:break-nearly-axis-aligned-edges edge-list angular-cut-off)

For example:
(sdegeo:create-polygon (list
(position 0 0 0) (position 0.7 0.1 -0) (position 0.8 0.6 -0)
(position 0.1 0.7 -0) (position -0.2 0.4 -0) (position 0 0 0))
"Silicon" "region_1")

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(define EDGES (sde:window-select-2d -0.5 -0.5 1.5 1.5 "all" "edge"))

(sdegeo:break-nearly-axis-aligned-edges EDGES 15)

Figure 27 Breaking nearly axis-aligned edges into staircases: (left) original structure and
(right) after the edge-breaking operation

NOTE Previously, slightly off-axis edges resulted in very small and unwanted
mesh elements near interfaces. This is no longer the case for Sentaurus
Mesh, which now has much improved support for nonaxis-aligned
boundaries. This reduces the need for this kind of boundary
simplification.

Axis-aligned corner

45 degree threshold 20 degree threshold

Original boundary Axis-aligned boundary

Figure 28 Breaking nearly axis-aligned edges to axis-aligned edges

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Two-Dimensional Boundary Smoothing

The sdegeo:vsmooth Scheme extension can be used for 2D boundary smoothing. It uses a
least squares fit of a small set of consecutive data points (vertices) to a polynomial and takes
the calculated central point of the fitted polynomial curve as the new smoothed data point
(vertex). The fitted polynomial can be either quadratic or cubic. The polynomial order (2 or 3)
is the first argument of the function. The second argument is the vertex list that will be
smoothed.

The sdegeo:vsmooth Scheme extension can be called multiple times to perform the
boundary-smoothing operation successively.

You can specify all the vertices of the model as input by using the command
(entity:vertices (get-body-list)). The global Scheme variable bsmooth-ac
specifies an angular criterion (in degrees) for shape preservation (preserving ridges). The
default value is 100. The following figures show different boundaries before and after vertex
smoothing.

Figure 29 Vertex smoothing using sdegeo:vsmooth: (left) before and (right) after

Figure 30 Multiple vertex-smoothing steps using sdegeo:vsmooth, showing ridge

preservation

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Figure 31 Vertex smoothing, using sdegeo:vsmooth: (left) before and (right) after

Edge Length Queries

Edge length query functions help to determine which edges can be considered as too short and,
therefore, can be removed. The Scheme commands for edge length queries are:
(sdegeo:max-edge-length edge-list)
(sdegeo:min-edge-length edge-list)
(sdegeo:average-edge-length edge-list)

For example:
(sdegeo:create-polygon (list
(position 0.0 0.0 0) (position 1.0 0.0 0) (position 1.0 1.0 0)
(position 0.8 1.02 0) (position 0.6 0.98 0) (position 0.4 1.02 0)
(position 0.2 0.98 0) (position 0.0 1.0 0) (position 0.0 0.0 0))
"Silicon" "region_1")
(define EDGES (sde:window-select-2d -0.1 -0.1 1.1 1.1 "all" "edge"))
(sdegeo:max-edge-length EDGES)
--> 1
(sdegeo:min-edge-length EDGES)
--> 0.200997512422418
(sdegeo:average-edge-length EDGES)
--> 0.501734670809496

Table 19 lists the boundary-simplifying Scheme functions that are also available from the GUI.

Table 19 Scheme functions for 2D boundary simplification

Scheme function Description

merge-collinear-edges-2d Merges the collinear edges of the specified bodies.

sde:window-select-2d Selects different entity types in a 2D window.

sdegeo:align-horizontal Aligns points horizontally to a specified position.

sdegeo:align-horizontal-aut Aligns points horizontally to the average position.

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Table 19 Scheme functions for 2D boundary simplification (Continued)

Scheme function Description

sdegeo:align-to-line Snaps the specified points to a predefined straight line.

sdegeo:align-vertical Aligns points vertically to a specified position.

sdegeo:align-vertical-aut Aligns points vertically to the average position.

sdegeo:average-edge-length Computes the average edge length (for an edge list).

sdegeo:break-nearly-axis-aligned-edges Breaks nearly axis-aligned edges into horizontal or vertical

components.

sdegeo:delete-collinear-edges Deletes collinear edges.

sdegeo:delete-edges Deletes specified edges.

sdegeo:delete-nearly-collinear-edges Deletes nearly collinear edges.

sdegeo:delete-short-edges Deletes all edges from an edge list that are shorter than the
specified value.

sdegeo:delete-vertices Deletes specified list of vertices.

sdegeo:del-short-edges Deletes short edges.

sdegeo:max-edge-length Computes the longest edge length (for an edge list).

sdegeo:min-edge-length Computes the shortest edge length (for an edge list).

sdegeo:prune-vertices, sdegeo:dnce Deletes nearly collinear points.

sdegeo:vsmooth Vertex smoothing in two dimensions.

NOTE The sdegeo:del-short-edges and sdegeo:prune-vertices

functions are very fast and robust. They are recommended for cleaning
up 2D boundaries.

Basic 3D Shapes

Cuboids
To draw a cuboid:
1. Choose Draw > 3D Create Tools > Create Cuboid, or click the corresponding toolbar
button (see Table 12 on page 17).
2. Drag to draw the diagonal of the xy rectangle in the view window.

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3. Release the mouse button and move the pointer to the top z-coordinate of the cuboid and
click.
4. In Exact Coordinates mode, a dialog box is displayed where you enter the coordinates of
the first vertex and second vertex of the space diagonal.

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:create-cuboid position position material-name region-name)

For example:
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 1 2 3) "Silicon"
"R.Substrate")

NOTE In interactive mode, the base rectangle is always drawn in the z = 0 xy

plane. To start on a different plane, change the work plane as discussed
in Work Planes on page 119. Use the isometric view to visualize all GUI
operations (see Table 7 on page 15). Snapping is not supported in three
dimensions.

Cylinders
To draw a cylinder:
1. Choose Draw > 3D Create Tools > Create Cylinder, or click the corresponding toolbar
button (see Table 12 on page 17).
2. Drag to draw the radius of the base xy circle in the view window.
3. Release the mouse button and move the pointer to the top z-coordinate of the cylinder and
click.
4. In Exact Coordinates mode, a dialog box is displayed where you enter the coordinates of
the first vertex and second vertex of the center axis as well as the radius.

The corresponding Scheme command is sdegeo:create-cylinder on page 611, for example:

(sdegeo:create-cylinder (position 0 0 0) (position 0 0 1) 2 "Silicon"
"region_1")

NOTE In interactive mode, the base circle is always drawn in the z = 0 xy

plane. To start on a different plane, change the work plane as discussed
in Work Planes on page 119. Use the isometric view to visualize all GUI
operations (see Table 7 on page 15).

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Spheres
To draw a sphere:
1. Choose Draw > 3D Create Tools > Create Sphere, or click the corresponding toolbar
button (see Table 12 on page 17).
2. Drag to draw the radius of the base xy circle in the view window.
3. In Exact Coordinates mode, a dialog box is displayed where you enter the coordinates of
the center of the sphere as well as the radius.

The corresponding Scheme command is sdegeo:create-sphere on page 627, for example:

(sdegeo:create-sphere (position 0 0 2) 2 "Silicon" "region_1")

NOTE In interactive mode, the base circle is always drawn in the XY plane at
Z = 0. To start on a different plane, change the work plane as discussed
in Work Planes on page 119.

Ellipsoids
To draw an ellipsoid:
1. Choose Draw > 3D Create Tools > Create Ellipsoid, or click the corresponding toolbar
button (see Table 12 on page 17).
2. Drag to draw the main axis of the ellipsoid in the xy plane in the view window.
3. Release the mouse button and move the pointer to define the secondary axis of the ellipsoid
and click.
4. In Exact Coordinates mode, a dialog box is displayed where you enter the coordinates of
the center of the ellipsoid, the endpoint of the major axis, as well as the ratio between the
major and the minor axes. (The two minor axes are degenerate.)

The corresponding Scheme command is sdegeo:create-ellipsoid on page 614, for example:

(sdegeo:create-ellipsoid (position 1 2 3) (position 1 2 5) 2 "Silicon"
"region_1")

NOTE In interactive mode, the major axis is always drawn in the Z = 0 XY

plane. To start on a different plane, change the work plane as discussed
in Work Planes on page 119. Use the isometric view to visualize all GUI
operations (see Table 7 on page 15).

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Other Basic 3D Shapes

Other basic 3D shapes are available through the following Scheme commands:
■ sdegeo:create-cone
■ sdegeo:create-prism
■ sdegeo:create-pyramid
■ sdegeo:create-torus

See Appendix A on page 297 for details.

Import Capability of User-Defined Data

The build-csv-lens Scheme extension can be used to create a solid body from user-defined
data. The input data file is a comma-separated value (CSV) file, which defines the user data
over a tensor grid. The solid body is created from the parsed CSV data by stitching the faces
together into a water-tight solid body. Figure 32 shows a solid body created using the extension
build-csv-lens.

Figure 32 Solid body created using build-csv-lens, using the sin(x)*cos(y) analytic function
defining the CSV data points on a 20x20 tensor grid

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Creating a Layered Lens Structure

The afm-smooth-layers Scheme extension can create a layered lens structure with a texture
map. The texture map is defined in a comma-separated value (CSV) file. Figure 33 shows an
example, created using afm-smooth-layers and the Scheme code that follows.

Figure 33 Example of a layered structure created using the afm-smooth-layers command

Scheme example for the usage of afm-smooth-layers:

(define n 10)
(define a (* 2 PI))
(define oport (open-output-file "xx.csv"))
(display ", " oport)
(do ((i 0 (+ i 1))) ((> i n))
(display (/ (* i a) n) oport)
(display ", " oport)
)
(display "\n" oport)
(do ((i 0 (+ i 1))) ((> i n))
(display (/ (* i a) n) oport)
(display ", " oport)
(do ((j 0 (+ j 1))) ((> j n))
(define yp (* (sin (* j (/ a n))) (cos (* i (/ a n)))))
(display yp oport)
(if (not (equal? j n))
(display ", " oport))
)
(display "\n" oport)
)
(close-output-port oport)
(sde:clear)

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(define layermaterial (list "TCO" "Copper" "PolySi"))

(define layerregion (list "tco" "copper" "polysi"))
(define layerthickness (list 2 2 2))
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position (* 2 PI) (* 2 PI) 4)
"Silicon" "xx")
(afm-smooth-layers "xx.csv" 0 4 layerregion layermaterial layerthickness)

Creating a Solid Body From Faces

User-defined data (vertex points and a face list) also can be used to define 3D solid bodies. The
faces must enclose a watertight volume (no gaps or overlaps are allowed between the faces).
The entity:stitch Scheme extension can be used to build a solid body from the sheet
bodies, which must be created first for each face.

The following script creates a tetrahedron with vertices (0,0,0), (1,0,0). (0,1,0) and (0,0,1):
(sde:clear)
;; Define the vertex points
(define p0 (position 0 0 0))
(define p1 (position 1 0 0))
(define p2 (position 0 1 0))
(define p3 (position 0 0 1))
;; Create sheet (2d polygonal) bodies for each face
;; (face orientation does not matter)
(define f0 (sheet:2d (sheet:planar-wire (wire-body:points
(list p0 p1 p2 p0)))))
(define f1 (sheet:2d (sheet:planar-wire (wire-body:points
(list p0 p1 p3 p0)))))
(define f2 (sheet:2d (sheet:planar-wire (wire-body:points
(list p1 p2 p3 p1)))))
(define f3 (sheet:2d (sheet:planar-wire (wire-body:points
(list p0 p2 p3 p0)))))
;; Stitch the faces together to create a solid body
(define mb (car (entity:stitch (list f0 f1 f2 f3))))
(sde:add-material mb "Copper" "mytetrahedron")
;; If the sheet bodies define a watertight enclosure,
;; the solid body will pass the entity:checker and
;; can be used for additional operations (Booleans and so on)

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Editing Shapes in Three Dimensions

Chamfering Edges
To chamfer (flatten) the edges of a 3D structure:
1. Click the Select button (see Table 8 on page 16).
2. From the Selection Level list, select Select Edge (or Select Vertex).
3. Select the edge (or vertex) and hold the Shift key to select additional edges (or vertices), or
drag a box around a set of edges (or vertices).
4. Choose Edit > 3D Edit Tools > Chamfer.
5. Enter a chamfer distance in the dialog box.
If the parameter chamfer-dist was set before performing this operation (choosing Edit
> Parameters), this dialog box is suppressed, and the given value of chamfer-dist is
used instead.

The optional adaptive-chamfering Boolean argument can be used to perform adaptive

chamfering. If this option is used and the argument is set to #t, then if the chamfering operation
fails using the original chamfer-dist value, the operation is repeated with a sequence of
chamfering operations, using an adaptive approach, to set the chamfer distance to smaller
values until the operation succeeds.

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:chamfer edge | vertex-list chamfer-dist [adaptive-chamfering])

For example:
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 1) "Silicon" "region_1")
(sdegeo:chamfer (list
(car (find-vertex-id (position 0 0 1)))
(car (find-vertex-id (position 0 1 1)))
(car (find-vertex-id (position 1 0 1)))
(car (find-vertex-id (position 1 1 1)))) 0.2)

NOTE If chamfer-dist is too large such that two adjacent chamfers would
overlap, the operation will fail.

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Figure 34 Three-dimensional chamfering operation: (left) original cuboid (1 x 1 x 1) and

(right) chamfer-dist=0.2

Rounding Edges
To round the edges of a 3D structure:
1. Click the Select button (see Table 8 on page 16).
2. From the Selection Level list, select Select Edge (or Select Vertex).
3. Select the edge (or vertex) and hold the Shift key to select additional edges (or vertices), or
drag a box around a set of edges (or vertices).
4. Choose Edit > 3D Edit Tools > Fillet.
5. Enter a fillet radius in the dialog box.
If the parameter fillet-radius was set before performing this operation (choosing Edit
> Parameters), this dialog box is suppressed, and the given value of fillet-radius is
used instead.

The optional adaptive-filleting Boolean argument can be used to perform adaptive

filleting. If this option is used and the argument is set to #t, then if the filleting operation fails
using the original fillet-radius value, the operation is repeated with a sequence of filleting
operations, using an adaptive approach, to set the fillet radius to smaller values until the
operation succeeds.

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:fillet edge | vertex-list fillet-radius [adaptive-filleting])

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For example:
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 1) "Silicon" "region_1")
(sdegeo:fillet (list
(car (find-vertex-id (position 0 0 1)))
(car (find-vertex-id (position 0 1 1)))
(car (find-vertex-id (position 1 0 1)))
(car (find-vertex-id (position 1 1 1)))) 0.2)

and:
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 1) "Silicon" "region_1")
(sdegeo:fillet (list (car (find-edge-id (position 0 0 0.5)))) 0.2)

NOTE If fillet-radius is too large such that two adjacent fillets overlap,
the operation will fail.

Figure 35 Three-dimensional edge filleting: (left) original cuboid (1 x 1 x 1), (middle)

rounded corner, and (right) rounded edge with fillet-radius=0.2

Tapering
To taper one or more faces of a 3D structure:
1. Click the Select button (see Table 8 on page 16).
2. From the Selection Level list, select Select Face.
3. Select the face and hold the Shift key to select additional faces, or drag a box around a set
of faces.
4. Choose Edit > 3D Edit Tools > Taper.
5. Enter the draft plane center, the draft plane normal, and the draft angle in the Taper Faces
dialog box (see Figure 36 on page 80).

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The Taper Faces dialog box is initialized with the following default values: If only one face is
selected, the draft plane center is initialized, using the barycentric coordinates of the selected
face.

Figure 36 Taper Faces dialog box

If more than one face is selected:

■ The draft plane center point is initialized as 0,0,0.
■ The draft plane normal is initialized as 0,0,1.
■ The draft angle is initialized to 5° .

The corresponding Script command is:

(sdegeo:taper-faces face-list point normal angle)

The tapering algorithms are discussed using simple examples.

Figure 37 on page 81 (a) shows a cuboid where the side face to be tapered is blue. For
reference, the normal vector of this face is also shown.

The tapering is performed with respect to an auxiliary plane, the so-called draft plane. This
plane is defined by the draft plane center point and the draft plane normal vector. Figure 37 (b)
shows the draft plane in green together with the draft plane normal vector originating from the
draft plane center point. In addition, the rotation axis, which is defined as the intersection
between the face plane (blue) and the draft plane (green), is shown.

With respect to these planes and axes, now two distinct rotations are performed. Figure 37 (c)
shows the new face location after the first rotation (equivalent to tapering with an angle of 0° ).
The face is rotated around the axis such that the new face is orthogonal to the draft plane.

Figure 37 (d) shows the face after the second rotation, with an angle of 45° . The rotation
direction is given by the right-hand rule: To determine the direction of the axis, align the thumb

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of your right hand with the face plane normal and the index finger with the draft plane normal.
Then extend your middle finger orthogonally to both. This finger points now in the direction
of the axis vector. Now, point the thumb of your right hand into the axis direction and form a
fist with all other fingers. These fingers now curl like a rotation with a positive angle.

(a) (b)

Figure 37 Tapering example

The following Scheme commands produced the graphics in Figure 37:

(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0.0 0.0 -0.5) (position 1.0 2.0 0.5) "Silicon"
"region_1")
(define FACE (find-face-id (position 0.0 0.5 0.0)))
(entity:set-color FACE BLUE)
(define FACE_CENTER (cdr (list-ref (face:prop (car FACE)) 2)))
(define FACE_NORMAL (face:plane-normal (car FACE)))
(wire-body:points
(list FACE_CENTER (position:offset FACE_CENTER FACE_NORMAL)))
; Figure (a)
(define DRAFT_CENTER (position -1.0 0.0 0.0))
(define DRAFT_NORMAL (gvector -1.0 2.0 0.0))
(wire-body:points
(list DRAFT_CENTER (position:offset DRAFT_CENTER DRAFT_NORMAL)))
(face:planar-disk DRAFT_CENTER DRAFT_NORMAL 2)
(wire-body:points (list (position 0.0 0.5 -2.0) (position 0.0 0.5 2.0)))
; Figure (b)

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(sdegeo:taper-faces FACE DRAFT_CENTER DRAFT_NORMAL 0)

; Figure (c)
(sdegeo:taper-faces FACE DRAFT_CENTER DRAFT_NORMAL 45)
; Figure (d)

The tapering process, based on two independent rotations, allows you to perform two distinct
types of taper operation. The first type of tapering results in truncated pyramid–type shapes,
where, for example, all faces are bent inwards. For this kind of tapering, the draft normal vector
is orthogonal to the face normal vectors and the rotation angle is nonzero.

For example:
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0.0 0.0 0.0) (position 1.0 1.0 1.0) "Silicon"
"region_1")
(sdegeo:taper-faces (list
(car (find-face-id (position 0.5 0.0 0.5)))
(car (find-face-id (position 1.0 0.5 0.5)))
(car (find-face-id (position 0.5 1.0 0.5)))
(car (find-face-id (position 0.0 0.5 0.5))))
(position 0.5 0.5 0.5) (gvector 0 0 1) 30)

Figure 38 shows a unit cube after applying truncated pyramid–type tapering.

Figure 38 Truncated pyramid–type tapering: (left) original cuboid and (right) after truncation

Figure 39 illustrates the effect of the use of different draft plane centers. For the operations, the
same draft plane normal and draft angle were used.
Draft Plane Normal

Draft Angle

Draft Plane Center

Figure 39 Draft plane center

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The second type of tapering is similar to applying a sheer force to the body. For this kind of
tapering, the draft normal vector is not orthogonal to the face normal vectors, but the rotation
angle is zero.

Figure 40 shows a unit cube after applying sheer-type tapering.

Figure 40 Sheer-type tapering: (left) original cuboid and (right) after tapering

Even more general tapering can be obtained by mixing both fundamental types.

NOTE The taper operation can result in a geometric shape that is no longer
closed. In this case, so-called vent faces are added automatically such
that the resulting shape is closed.

Vent faces can only be added if there is a face on the original model that shares a vertex with
the ‘mergeable’ edge, that does not have the mergeable edge in its boundary, and that will be
adjacent to the vent faces after the taper. Vent faces can also be added at tangent edges when
one of the two faces that share the edge is being tapered. However, a vent face will only be
added if there is no intersection between the surface of the face that is being tapered and the
surface of the face that is not being tapered.

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Figure 41 Topology change during face tapering

Figure 42 shows a structure generated by the following script:

(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "ABA")
(define r1 (sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 10 10 10) "Silicon"
"region_1"))
(define r2 (sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 2 2 8) (position 8 8 12)
"PolySilicon" "region_2"))
(sdegeo:delete-region (find-body-id (position 5 5 11)))
(define facelist (list (car (find-face-id (position 2 5 9)))
(car (find-face-id (position 8 5 9)))
(car (find-face-id (position 5 2 9)))
(car (find-face-id (position 5 8 9)))))
(sdegeo:taper-faces facelist (position 5 5 9) (gvector 0 0 1) 30)

Before Face Tapering After Face Tapering

Figure 42 Face tapering

Figure 43 on page 85 shows the structure generated by the following script:

; Initial model
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "ABA")
(define r1 (sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 10 10 10) "Silicon"
"region_1"))
(define r2 (sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 10) (position 10 10 20)
"PolySilicon" "region_2"))
; Step 1

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(define facelist (list (car (find-face-id (position 0 5 5)))

(car (find-face-id (position 10 5 5)))))
(sdegeo:taper-faces facelist (position 5 5 5) (gvector 0 0 1) 30)
; Step 2
(define facelist (list (car (find-face-id (position 5 0 5)))
(car (find-face-id (position 5 10 5)))))
(sdegeo:taper-faces facelist (position 5 5 5) (gvector 0 0 1) 30)
; Step 3
(define facelist (list (car (find-face-id (position 0 5 15)))
(car (find-face-id (position 10 5 15)))))
(sdegeo:taper-faces facelist (position 5 5 15) (gvector 0 0 1) -30)
; Step 4
(define facelist (list (car (find-face-id (position 5 0 15)))
(car (find-face-id (position 5 10 15)))))
(sdegeo:taper-faces facelist (position 5 5 15) (gvector 0 0 1) -30)

Initial Model Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4

Figure 43 Face tapering

Creating 3D Objects From 1D and 2D Objects

Wires
A wire is a 1D object that is used to define a sweep path or a wire body for skinning.

To draw a piecewise linear wire (polyline):

1. Choose Draw > 2D Create Tools > Polyline, or click the corresponding toolbar button (see
Table 10 on page 16).
2. Click at each vertex of the polyline. To finish drawing the polyline, click the middle mouse
button. (Press both buttons when using a two-button mouse.)
3. In Exact Coordinates mode, a dialog box is displayed where you enter the coordinates for
each vertex.

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The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:create-polyline-wire vertex-list)

For example:
(sdegeo:create-polyline-wire (list
(position 0.0 0.0 0.0) (position 1.0 0.0 0.0) (position 1.0 1.0 0.0)
(position 1.0 1.0 1.0) (position 0.0 1.0 1.0) (position 0.0 1.0 0.0)))

To draw a spline interpolated wire, choose Draw > 2D Create Tools > Spline, or click the
corresponding toolbar button (see Table 10 on page 16).

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:create-spline-wire vertex-list)

For example:
(sdegeo:create-spline-wire (list
(position 0.0 0.0 0.0) (position 1.0 0.0 0.0) (position 1.0 1.0 0.0)
(position 1.0 1.0 1.0) (position 0.0 1.0 1.0) (position 0.0 1.0 0.0)))

Extruding
To extrude a 2D object or a face of a 3D object:
1. Click the Select button (see Table 8 on page 16).
2. From the Selection Level list, select Select Face.
3. Select the face and hold the Shift key to select additional faces, or drag a box around a set
of faces.
4. Choose Edit > 3D Edit Tools > Extrude.
5. Enter an extrusion distance in the dialog box.
If the parameter hext was set before performing this operation (choosing Edit >
Parameters), this dialog box is suppressed, and the given value of hext is used instead.

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Figure 44 (Left) Menu for extrusion and (right) Extrusion dialog box

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:extrude entity-list hext)

For example:
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0.0 0.0 0) (position 1.2 1.0 0)
"Silicon" "region_1")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0.4 1.0 0) (position 0.8 1.1 0)
"Oxide" "region_2")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0.4 1.1 0) (position 0.8 1.5 0)
"PolySilicon" "region_3")
(sdegeo:extrude (list (car (find-face-id (position 0.6 0.5 0)))) 0.8)
(sdegeo:extrude (list
(car (find-face-id (position 0.6 1.05 0)))
(car (find-face-id (position 0.6 1.2 0)))) 0.4)

Different extrusion distances can be used for different regions.

In general, the extrusion direction is given by the face normal. For 2D objects, which are
created in the xy plane by default, the face normal is defined to point along the z-axis.

NOTE Negative extrusion values, applied to 3D faces, generate an invalid

geometry.

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Figure 45 illustrates the extrusion operation for 2D devices.

Figure 45 Creating an extruded 3D model from a 2D device; the extrusion length can
different

Extruded Faces

Figure 46 Example of face extrusion in a 3D object

Sweeping a 2D Object
A 3D object can be created by sweeping a 2D object along a path. A 3D object can also be
modified by sweeping a set of faces of the 3D object. The sweep path can be defined in several
different ways. In the simplest case, only the sweep distance is given and the sweep direction
will be normal to the face. The sweep distance and sweep direction can also be defined using
a sweep vector. In addition, the sweep path can be defined by a rotation around an axis or
explicitly by a wire body.

Sweeping and extruding can also be applied to Ref/Eval windows. If a swept Ref/Eval window
is used to place a submesh doping profile, information about the sweep creation is stored in
the .cmd file, so that the mesh generator can evaluate the swept 2D doping profile in three
dimensions. In the case of other doping profile types, the resulting swept Ref/Eval window
(without sweep information) is stored in the .cmd file, requiring that these elements must be

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valid reference elements (doping baseline elements) or evaluation windows. The sweep
operation transforms the 2D edge contacts to 3D face contacts.

The sweep options allow additional control over the sweeping behavior and enable drafting,
twisting, and other advanced behaviors.

Sweeping is a complex operation involving several different types. In the following sections,
the supported sweep types are introduced.

Sweep Distance

The sweep distance operation is similar to extrusion. Faces of 2D bodies or 3D bodies can be
swept by a distance. The sweep distance option can be used with various sweep options.

To sweep a 2D object or a face of a 3D object using distance sweeping:

1. Click the Select button (see Table 8 on page 16).
2. From the Selection Level list, select Select Face.
3. Select the face and hold the Shift key to select additional faces, or drag a box around a set
of faces.
4. Choose Edit > 3D Edit Tools > Sweep.
The Sweep Operations dialog box is displayed.
5. Click Select Profiles. The entity IDs of the selected profiles are displayed in the Sweep
Profiles field.
6. Click the Sweep Distance tab.
7. Select the Selected Sweep Method option.
8. Enter a sweep distance.
9. Select sweep options as needed (see Sweep Options on page 98).
10. Click OK.

Figure 47 on page 90 shows the Sweep Operations dialog box with the Selected Sweep
Method option selected. Figure 48 on page 91 shows the effect of a sweep distance operation,
together with the use of the draft angle option. When a draft angle is used during a sweep
operation, additional faces must be added to the model if the gap_type sweep option is
‘extended’ or ‘rounded.’

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Figure 47 Sweep Operations dialog box showing Sweep Distance tab

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:sweep face|face-list distance [sweep-options])

The examples in Figure 48 on page 91 are generated using the following Scheme commands:
(define FACE (sdegeo:create-reg-polygon (position 0 0 0) 1 6 0 "Oxide"
"region_1"))
(sdegeo:translate-selected FACE (transform:translation (gvector 3 2 0)) #t 3)
(sdegeo:sweep (sde:find-reg-region "region_1_t1_r1") 0.6
(sweep:options "solid" #t "rigid" #f "miter_type" "default"
"draft_angle" 40.0 "gap_type" "extended"))
(sdegeo:sweep (sde:find-reg-region "region_1_t1_r2") 0.6
(sweep:options "solid" #t "rigid" #f "miter_type" "default"
"draft_angle" 40.0 "gap_type" "rounded"))
(sdegeo:sweep (sde:find-reg-region "region_1_t1_r3") 0.6
(sweep:options "solid" #t "rigid" #f "miter_type" "default"
"draft_angle" 40.0 "gap_type" "natural"))

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Draft Angle

Initial 2D Body Extended Faces Rounded Faces ‘Natural’ Condition

o
Figure 48 Sweep distance with a draft angle (40 ) using different gap-type options

Sweep Along a Vector

The sweep along a vector option is similar to the sweep distance option, except that a vector is
specified to define the sweep path.

To sweep a 2D object or a face of a 3D object using vector sweeping:

1. Click the Select button (see Table 8 on page 16).
2. From the Selection Level list, select Select Face.
3. Select the face and hold the Shift key to select additional faces, or drag a box around a set
of faces.
4. Choose Edit > 3D Edit Tools > Sweep.
The Sweep Operations dialog box is displayed.
5. Click Select Profiles. The entity IDs of the selected profiles are displayed in the Sweep
Profiles field.
6. Click the Sweep Along Vector tab.
7. Select Selected Sweep Method.
8. Enter the x-, y-, and z-coordinates of the sweep vector.
9. Select sweep options as needed (see Sweep Options on page 98).
10. Click OK.

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Figure 49 Sweep Operations dialog box showing Sweep Along Vector tab

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:sweep face|face-list gvector [sweep-options])

The examples in Figure 50 on page 93 are generated using the following Scheme commands:
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 1) "Oxide" "region_1")
(sdegeo:sweep (find-face-id (position 0.5 1 0.5)) (gvector 0.5 0.5 0)
(sweep:options "solid" #t "rigid" #f "miter_type" "default"))
(sdegeo:sweep (find-face-id (position 1.0 1.5 0.5)) (gvector -0.5 0.5 0)
(sweep:options "solid" #t "rigid" #f "miter_type" "default"))

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Sweep Vector

Selected Face
Selected Face

Figure 50 Sweep along a vector

Sweep Around an Axis (Regular and Corner Sweeps)

The sweep around an axis option can be used to sweep a face (2D or 3D) around an axis. The
sweep can be regular or such that only the inside edge is swept, while the outside edge forms
an axis-aligned corner.

Regular Sweep

To sweep a 2D object or a face of a 3D object using regular sweeping around an axis:

1. Click the Select button (see Table 8 on page 16).
2. From the Selection Level list, select Select Face.
3. Select the face and hold the Shift key to select additional faces, or drag a box around a set
of faces.
4. Choose Edit > 3D Edit Tools > Sweep.
The Sweep Operations dialog box is displayed.
5. Click Select Profiles.
The entity IDs of the selected profiles are displayed in the Sweep Profiles field.
6. Click the Sweep Around Axis tab.
7. Select Selected Sweep Method.
8. Define the axis of rotation by entering a point on the axis and a direction vector, or click
Pick Position and click a point in the view window. In this case, the rotation axis will point
into the current view plane.
9. Enter the sweep angle. (Do not select the Sweep Corner option.)

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10. Select sweep options as needed (see Sweep Options on page 98).
11. Click OK.

Figure 51 Sweep Operations dialog box showing Sweep Around Axis tab

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:sweep face|face-list position gvector
(sweep:options "sweep_angle" angle [other-sweep-options]))

The examples in Figure 52 on page 95 are generated using the following Scheme commands:
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0.0) (position 1 2 0.0) "Silver"
"region_1")
(define NEWVERT (sdegeo:insert-vertex (position 0.5 2 0)))
(sdegeo:move-vertex NEWVERT (position 0.5 2.3 0))
(sdegeo:fillet-2d (sde:window-select-2d -0.1 1.9 1.1 2.4 "all" "vertex") 0.2)
(sdegeo:translate-selected (find-body-id (position 0.5 0.5 0))
(transform:translation (gvector 2 0 0)) #t 2)
(sdegeo:sweep (find-face-id (position 2.5 0.5 0)) (position 2 0 0)
(gvector 0 1 0)
(sweep:options "solid" #t "sweep_angle" 60 "rigid" #f "miter_type"

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"default"))
(sdegeo:sweep (find-face-id (position 4.5 0.5 0)) (position 3 0 0)
(gvector 0 1 0)
(sweep:options "solid" #t "sweep_angle" 40 "rigid" #f "miter_type"
"default"))

Initial Face Sweep Around Existing Vertex Sweep Around a Position

Figure 52 Sweeping around an axis using different options

Corner Sweep

Use this option to design crown moldings, corbels, and so on.

To perform a corner sweep:

1. Follow the procedure in Regular Sweep on page 93.
2. In Step 9, select Sweep Corner.
3. Enter or pick a point on the sweep axis.

The axis direction is determined automatically, and the sweep angle for corner sweeps is
always 90° .

The sweep is performed in such a way that the resulting shape contains a solid angle.

NOTE If the selection of the sweep axis does not allow for the creation of a
solid angle, the sweep operation is suppressed.

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:sweep-corner face|face-list position gvector)

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The example in Figure 53 is generated using the following Scheme commands:

(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0.0) (position 1 2 0.0) "Silver"
"region_1")
(define NEWVERT (sdegeo:insert-vertex (position 0.5 2 0)))
(sdegeo:move-vertex NEWVERT (position 0.5 2.3 0))
(sdegeo:fillet-2d (sde:window-select-2d -0.1 1.9 1.1 2.4 "all" "vertex") 0.2)
(sdegeo:sweep-corner (find-face-id (position 0.5 0.5 0))
(position -0 4 0) (gvector 1 0 0))

Figure 53 Corner sweeping around an axis; the initial profile is the same as in Figure 52

Sweep Along a Wire

To sweep a profile along a wire, first, the wire body must be generated either manually by using
Scheme functions or by using the GUI. To create a wire, see Wires on page 85.

To sweep a 2D object button (see Table 8 on page 16).

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7. Select Selected Sweep Method.

8. From the Selection Level list, select Select Edge, and select the wire in the view window.
9. Click Select Path. The entity IDs of the selected wires are displayed in the Sweep Path
field.
10. Select sweep options as needed (see Sweep Options on page 98).
11. Click OK.

Figure 54 Sweep Operations dialog box showing Sweep Along Wire tab

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:sweep face|face-list position gvector
(sweep:options "sweep_angle" angle [other-sweep-options]))

The example in Figure 55 on page 98 is generated using the following Scheme commands:
(define FACE (sdegeo:create-circle (position 0.0 0.0 0.0) 1.0
"Silicon" "region_1"))
(define WIRE (sdegeo:create-spline-wire (list (position 0.0 0.0 0.0)
(position 0.0 0.0 5.0) (position 0.0 5.0 5.0) (position 5.0 5.0 5.0))))

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(sdegeo:sweep FACE WIRE (sweep:options "solid" #t "rigid" #f "miter_type"

"default"))
(entity:delete WIRE)

Figure 55 Wire sweep: (left) initial profile with sweep wire and (right) final swept body

Sweep Options

The sweep operation can be performed with different options that affect the outcome of the
operation. These options are controlled by the sweep:options command. For example, when
a profile is swept along a path, the profile can remain parallel to the original profile (rigid
sweep) or can follow the path in a more natural way, following the curvature of the path,
remaining perpendicular to the path during sweeping. The following sections give an overview
of the available sweep options.

Rigid Sweep

A rigid sweep is one in which the profile that is swept is translated, but not rotated, along the
sweep path. It accomplishes a rigid extrusion of a profile along a path. The rigid option
specifies whether to make the cross sections of a sweep parallel to each other. The default is
FALSE, which means the cross sections are perpendicular to the sweep path. No checks are
made when a rigid sweep is performed; consequently, the resulting surface is self-intersecting
if the given path is closed or if the direction of the path changes by more than 180° .

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Mitering

The miter option determines how a corner miter is created during a sweep operation. The
available mitering options are:

new Reflects the profile to the other side of the corner up to the discontinuous point.
The two sides are then extended and intersected, and new edges are formed as
necessary. The ‘ending’ profile is the same as the starting profile. The new option
is the default mitering.
old Intersects the plane that is perpendicular to the path at the half angle of the corner.
The resulting profile on the plane is then swept continuously along the path.
crimp Reflects the profile to the other side of the corner up to the discontinuous point.
The portions of the two sides that do not intersect are connected using a smooth
rotation about the discontinuous point.
bend Bend mitering requires the specification of a minimum radius to fillet the path. The
result is a smooth, curved junction. The minimum radius must be positive.

The new setting makes the sweep operation create miters by sweeping each G1 part of the path
with a copy of the profile and then filling in the gaps with linear-extended parts that are sliced
at the miter planes.

The crimp setting creates miters between profiles swept along G1-continuous path segments,
filling in gaps by revolving the profile.

G1 continuity refers to geometric continuity of the first degree (that is, the direction of the
tangent vector is continuous). Two curves are G1-continuous at a given point if the directions
of the tangent vectors at their joining point are the same, even though the vector magnitudes
might differ (in the case of C1 continuity, the magnitudes are also the same). G1 continuity
means that the tangent lines are smoothly connected.

Figure 56 Mitering a corner with different options: (left) ‘new’ and ‘old’ give the same results
for the given example, (middle) ‘crimp,’ and (right) ‘bend’

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The examples in Figure 56 on page 99 are created by the following Scheme commands:
(define REC (sdegeo:create-rectangle
(position -1.0 0.0 0.0) (position 1.0 1.0 0.0) "Silicon" "region_1"))
(define WIRE (sdegeo:create-polyline-wire (list (position 0.0 0.5 0.0)
(position 0.0 0.5 3.0) (position 2.0 2.5 5.0))))
; (a): "new"
(sdegeo:sweep REC WIRE
(sweep:options "solid" #t "rigid" #f "miter_type" "new"))
; (a): "old"
(roll)
(sdegeo:sweep REC WIRE
(sweep:options "solid" #t "rigid" #f "miter_type" "old"))
; (b): "crimp"
(roll)
(sdegeo:sweep REC WIRE
(sweep:options "solid" #t "rigid" #f "miter_type" "crimp"))
; (c) "bend"
(roll)
(sdegeo:sweep REC WIRE
(sweep:options "solid" #t "rigid" #f "miter_type" "bend" 3.5))

Sweeping Examples

The following example illustrates the creation of a simple MOSFET with a nonaxis-aligned
gate stack using different sweep methods.

Sweep Distance

The substrate with two shallow trench isolations is created by sweeping the 2D cross section a
given distance:
(define SUB (sdegeo:create-rectangle
(position -2.0 0.0 0.0) (position 2.0 0.0 -1.0) "Silicon" "R.Sub"))
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "ABA")
(define STI_L (sdegeo:create-rectangle
(position -2.0 0.0 0.0) (position -1.6 0.0 -0.5) "Oxide" "R.STI_L"))
(define STI_R (sdegeo:create-rectangle
(position 1.6 0.0 0.0) (position 2.0 0.0 -0.5) "Oxide" "R.STI_R"))
(sdegeo:sweep (list SUB STI_L STI_R) -4.0
(sweep:options "solid" #t "rigid" #f "miter_type" "default"))

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Figure 57 Distance sweeping creates 3D substrate with shallow trench isolations

Sweep Along a Vector

In a first version, the 2D gate-stack cross section is swept along a vector:

(define GOX (sdegeo:create-rectangle
(position -2.0 0.4 0.0) (position -2.0 1.2 0.1) "Oxide" "R.Gox"))
(define POL (sdegeo:create-rectangle
(position -2.0 0.6 0.1) (position -2.0 1.0 0.5) "PolySilicon" "R.Pol"))
(sdegeo:sweep (list GOX POL) (gvector 4.0 2.4 0.0)
(sweep:options "solid" #t "rigid" #f "miter_type" "default"))

Figure 58 Vector sweeping creates a nonaxis-aligned gate stack: gate stack profiles
(left) before vector sweeping and (right) after vector sweeping

Sweep Along a Wire

In a second version, the 2D gate-stack cross section is swept along a wire:

(roll)
(define WIRE (sdegeo:create-polyline-wire (list
(position -2.0 0.8 0.5) (position -0.8 0.8 0.5)
(position 0.8 3.2 0.5) (position 2.0 3.2 0.5))))

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(sdegeo:sweep (list GOX POL) WIRE

(sweep:options "solid" #t "rigid" #f "miter_type" "default"))

In a third version, the 2D gate-stack cross section is swept along a wire rigidly:
(roll)
(sdegeo:sweep (list GOX POL) WIRE
(sweep:options "solid" #t "rigid" #t "miter_type" "default"))

In a final version, crimping is used to round the edges that are created along the sweep path:
(roll)
(sdegeo:sweep (list GOX POL) WIRE
(sweep:options "solid" #t "rigid" #f "miter_type" "crimp"))
(entity:delete WIRE)

Figure 59 Wire sweeping creates a meandering gate stack: (left) default, (middle) rigid
sweep, and (right) crimping

Sweep Around an Axis

The next example discusses the creation of a simple racetrack LDMOS structure using
sweeping along a wire for the curved part and distance sweeping to add the straight parts:
(define LOCOS (sdegeo:create-polygon (list
(position -0.6 0 0.0) (position -0.4 0 -0.2) (position 0.1 0 -0.2)
(position 0.3 0 0.0) (position 0.6 0 0.0) (position 0.6 0 0.1)
(position 0.3 0 0.1) (position 0.1 0 0.3) (position -0.4 0 0.3)
(position -0.6 0 0.0)) "Oxide" "R.LOCOS"))
(define POLY (sdegeo:create-polygon (list
(position -0.2 0 0.3) (position 0.1 0 0.3) (position 0.3 0 0.1)
(position 0.6 0 0.1) (position 0.6 0 0.3) (position 0.4 0 0.3)
(position 0.2 0 0.5) (position -0.2 0 0.5) (position -0.2 0 0.3))
"PolySilicon" "R.Poly"))
(sdegeo:sweep (list LOCOS POLY) (position -1 0 0) (gvector 0 0 1)
(sweep:options "solid" #t "sweep_angle" 90 "rigid" #f "miter_type"
"default"))
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "BAB")
(define SUB (sdegeo:create-cuboid

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(position -1.0 0.0 0.0) (position 1.0 2.0 -1.0) "Silicon" "R.SUB"))
(sdegeo:sweep (list
(car (find-face-id (position 0.0 0 -0.9)))
(car (find-face-id (position 0.0 0 0.0)))
(car (find-face-id (position 0.0 0 0.4)))) 2.0
(sweep:options "solid" #t "rigid" #f "miter_type" "default"))

Figure 60 Creating a racetrack LDMOS using sweep around an axis

Skinning
A skinning operation can be used to create a 3D body that interpolates a series of wires or faces.
The given wires or faces define the cross sections to be interpolated by the resulting 3D body.
There must be at least two wire bodies or faces to be selected. The wires can be open or closed.
The wires are copies, that is, the originals remain. The wires can share endpoints and do not
have to be C1 continuous.

Default Skinning

To skin a set of wire bodies or 2D faces using the default options:

1. Click the Select button (see Table 8 on page 16).
2. From the Selection Level list, select Select Face.
3. Choose Edit > 3D Edit Tools > Skin.
The Skinning Operations dialog box is displayed.
4. Select the first face or wire in the view window, and click Get Wires/Faces.
The selected profile appears in the Wires list.
5. Repeat for all other wires and faces.
6. Enter additional skinning options as needed (go to https://doc.spatial.com/ for a list of
options).

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7. Select the Delete Inputs option if the initial profiles are to be deleted.
8. Click OK.

Figure 61 Skinning Operations dialog box

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:skin-wire face-list [skin-options])

The example in Figure 62 on page 105 (b) is generated using the following Scheme commands:
(define FACE_1 (sdegeo:create-ellipse (position 0 2 0) (position 1 2 0)
0.5 "Silicon" "region_1"))
(sdegeo:set-active-work-plane "wp_yz")
(define FACE_2 (sdegeo:create-circle (position 2 1 2) 0.5
"Silicon" "region_2"))
(sdegeo:set-active-work-plane "base")
(define FACES (list (car (entity:faces FACE_1)) (car (entity:faces FACE_2))))
(sdegeo:skin-wires FACES)

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(a) (b) (c)

(d) (e) (f)

Figure 62 Skinning option overview: (a) initial faces, with guide used in (e); (b) default
skinning; (c) skinning with first normal; (d) skinning with vectors, low magnitude;
(e) skinning with vectors, high magnitude; and (f) skinning with guide

Skinning With Normals

The default options automatically select the sweep tangent vectors at each of the profiles. To
select the face normal as the sweep tangent vectors:
1. Select Skin with Normals in the Skinning Operations dialog box.
2. Select the face normals to be used as constraints from the list. The options are
First_Normal, Last_Normal, Ends_Normal, or All_Normal.

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:skin-wires-normal face-list normal-selector [skin-options])

The example in Figure 62 (c) is generated using the following Scheme commands:
(define FACE_1 (sdegeo:create-ellipse (position 0 2 0) (position 1 2 0)
0.5 "Silicon" "region_1"))
(sdegeo:set-active-work-plane "wp_yz")
(define FACE_2 (sdegeo:create-circle (position 2 1 2) 0.5
"Silicon" "region_2"))
(sdegeo:set-active-work-plane "base")
(define FACES (list (car (entity:faces FACE_1)) (car (entity:faces FACE_2))))
(sdegeo:skin-wires-normal FACES "first_normal")

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Skinning With Vectors

Use the Skin with Vectors option to explicitly control sweep tangent vectors. For each vector,
a magnitude is given, which controls how quickly the sweep direction can deviate from the
given tangent vector away from the profile. For larger values, the sweep direction follows the
tangent vector longer than for small values (see Figure 62 on page 105 (d) and (e)).

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:skin-wires-vectors faces-list gvector-list magnitude-list
[skin-options])

The example in Figure 62 (d) is generated using the following Scheme commands:
(define FACE_1 (sdegeo:create-ellipse (position 0 2 0) (position 1 2 0)
0.5 "Silicon" "region_1"))
(sdegeo:set-active-work-plane "wp_yz")
(define FACE_2 (sdegeo:create-circle (position 2 1 2) 0.5
"Silicon" "region_2"))
(sdegeo:set-active-work-plane "base")
(define FACES (list (car (entity:faces FACE_1)) (car (entity:faces FACE_2))))
(sdegeo:skin-wires-vectors FACES
(list (gvector -0.5 0 1) (gvector 1 0 -0.5))
(list 2.0000 2.0000))

The example in Figure 62 (e) is generated with the same Scheme commands, but uses
magnitudes of 10.0 instead of 2.0.

Skinning With Guides

Similar to sweeping along a wire, a set of profiles can be skinned using a wire as a guide. To
use this option:
1. Select Skin with Guides in the Skinning Operations dialog box.
2. Select the wire in the view window.
3. Click Get Guide.

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:skin-wire-guide face-list wire [skin-options])

The example in Figure 62 (f) is generated using the following Scheme commands:
(define FACE_1 (sdegeo:create-ellipse (position 0 2 0) (position 1 2 0)
0.5 "Silicon" "region_1"))
(sdegeo:set-active-work-plane "wp_yz")

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(define FACE_2 (sdegeo:create-circle (position 2 1 2) 0.5 "Silicon"

"region_2"))
(sdegeo:set-active-work-plane "base")
(define FACES (list (car (entity:faces FACE_1)) (car (entity:faces FACE_2))))
(define WIRE (sdegeo:create-spline-wire (list
(position -1.0 2.0 0.0) (position -1.0 2.0 1.0) (position 0.0 1.0 2.0)
(position 1.0 1.0 2.0) (position 2.0 1.5 1.0))))
(position 0.8 3.2 0.5) (position 2.0 3.2 0.5))))
(sdegeo:skin-wires-guides FACES WIRE)

Skinning Example

The following example illustrates how to use skinning to emulate line-edge roughness effects
in a MOSFET gate stack. First, a set of perturbed wires for the polygate and the gate-oxide
cross sections are created (see Figure 63 on page 108). Second, these wires are skinned and the
substrate is added.

The example is generated using the following Scheme commands:

(define index 0) (define PolWires (list)) (define OxiWires (list))
(define MakeWires (lambda (Xl Xr Yo)
(define PWname (string-append "PolWire_" (number->string index)))
(define OWname (string-append "OxiWire_" (number->string index)))
(define PWname (sdegeo:create-polyline-wire (list
(position Xl Yo 0.1) (position Xr Yo 0.1)
(position (- Xr 0.1) Yo 0.5) (position (+ Xl 0.1) Yo 0.5)
(position Xl Yo 0.1))))
(define OWname (sdegeo:create-polyline-wire (list
(position Xl Yo 0.0) (position Xr Yo 0.0) (position Xr Yo 0.1)
(position Xl Yo 0.1) (position Xl Yo 0.0))))
(set! index (+ index 1))
(set! PolWires (append PolWires (list PWname)))
(set! OxiWires (append OxiWires (list OWname)))
))
(MakeWires -0.20 0.20 0.0)
(MakeWires -0.23 0.18 0.2)
(MakeWires -0.19 0.22 0.4)
(MakeWires -0.16 0.16 0.6)
(MakeWires -0.20 0.20 0.8)
(define POL (sdegeo:skin-wires PolWires))
(sde:add-material POL "PolySilicon" "R.Pol")
(define OXI (sdegeo:skin-wires OxiWires))
(sde:add-material OXI "Oxide" "R.oxi")
(entity:delete PolWires)
(entity:delete OxiWires)

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(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position -0.8 0.0 0.0) (position 0.8 0.8 -1.0)

"Silicon" "R.SUB")

Figure 63 Skinning example of MOSFET with line-edge roughness: (left) wire bodies and
(right) final structure

Editing 2D and 3D Structures

Explicit Boolean Operations

To perform Boolean operations on 3D (or 2D) regions:
1. Click the Select button (see Table 8 on page 16).
2. From the Selection Level list, select Select Body.
3. Select the body and hold the Shift key to select additional bodies, or drag a box around a
set of bodies.
4. Choose Edit > 3D Edit Tools (or 2D Edit Tools).
5. Select Unite, Intersect, or Subtract.

The following multiregion operations can be performed:

Unite
Dissolves any internal boundaries that exist in touching or overlapping regions and results
in one single region with the name of the first region selected before the unite operation
was applied.
The corresponding Scheme command is:
(sdegeo:bool-unite body-list)

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For example:
(define A (sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0.0 0.0 0.0) (position 2.0 1.0 1.0)
"Silicon" "region_1"))
(define B (sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 2.0 0.0 0.0) (position 3.0 3.0 1.0)
"Silicon" "region_2"))
(sdegeo:bool-unite (list A B))

Intersect
This operation is used if the direct ACIS Scheme functions are used to generate parts of the
structure or if the automatic overlap resolution is disabled.
The corresponding Scheme command is:
(sdegeo:bool-intersect body-list)
For example:
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "XX")
(define A (sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0.0 0.0 0) (position 3.0 2.0 0)
"Silicon" "region_1"))
(define B (sdegeo:create-circle (position 2.5 1.5 0) 1 "Silicon" "region_2"))
(sdegeo:bool-intersect (list A B))

Figure 64 Explicit Boolean intersection: (left) original structure and (right) after intersection

Subtract
The first region in the body list is selected as the main region, then subsequent regions are
subtracted from the main region.
The corresponding Scheme command is:
(sdegeo:bool-subtract body-list)
For example:
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "XX")
(define A (sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0.0 0.0 0) (position 2.0 1.0 0)
"Silicon" "region_1"))
(define B (sdegeo:create-circle (position 0.5 0.8 0) 0.4

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"Silicon" "region_2"))
(define C (sdegeo:create-circle (position 1.5 0.2 0) 0.4
"Silicon" "region_2"))
(sdegeo:bool-subtract (list A B C))

Figure 65 Explicit Boolean subtraction: (left) original structure and (right) after subtraction

Changing the Material of a Region

To change the material associated with a region or regions:
1. Click the Select button (see Table 8 on page 16).
2. From the Selection Level list, select Select Body.
3. Select the body and hold the Shift key to select additional bodies, or drag a box around a
set of bodies.
4. Select the required material from the Material list.
5. Choose Edit > Change Material.

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sde:add-material [body | body-list] new-material-name region-name)

NOTE If a list with more than one body is used, all bodies will be assigned the
same region name. Upon saving the boundary, the region will be made
unique.

For example, to change the material but preserve the region name:
(define A (sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0.0 0.0 0) (position 3.0 2.0 0)
"Silicon" "region_1"))
(sde:add-material A "PolySilicon" (generic:get A "region"))

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Changing the Name of a Region

To change the name of a region or regions:
1. Click the Select button (see Table 8 on page 16).
2. From the Selection Level list, select Select Body.
3. Select a single body.
4. Choose Edit > Change Region Name.
5. Type the new name in the dialog box.

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sde:add-material body material-name new-region_name)

For example, to change the region name but to preserve the material:
(define A (sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0.0 0.0 0) (position 3.0 2.0 0)
"Silicon" "region_1"))
(sde:add-material A (generic:get A "material") "region_new")

NOTE If multiple bodies are selected, only the region name of the first selected
body is changed.

No check is performed to ensure that a newly chosen region name is not

already in use. If a body is assigned a region name through this method
and the region name is also used for another body, the results of region-
oriented operations are undefined.

Deleting Regions
To delete one or more regions:
1. Click the Select button (see Table 8 on page 16).
2. From the Selection Level list, select Select Body.
3. Select the body and hold the Shift key to select additional bodies, or drag a box around a
set of bodies.
4. Choose Edit > 2D Edit Tools > Delete Region, or press the Delete key or Backspace key,
or right-click and choose Delete.

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The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:delete-region body-list)

For example:
(define BODY (sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0.0 0.0 0.0)
(position 1.0 1.0 1.0) "Silicon" "region_1"))
(sdegeo:delete-region BODY)

NOTE Ref/Eval windows can be deleted in a similar way. The selection filter
must be set to Ref/Eval windows to select the Ref/Eval window entities.

Separating Lumps
During model generation, Sentaurus Structure Editor never allows the generation of
overlapping regions (unless (sdegeo:set-default-boolean "XX") is used). When the
automatic region-naming feature is switched on, a region name is attached automatically to
each generated body. As a result of this, bodies with multiple lumps (disjoint 2D or 3D parts)
can be created. These disjoint lumps have the same region-name attribute.

Since this could cause a problem during meshing, these lumps must be separated and a unique
region name must be assigned to each lump. This is performed automatically when a boundary
file is exported.

To call the lump separation explicitly, for example, to refer to individual lumps of a multiple-
lump regions in a Scheme script, choose Edit > Separate Lumps. The same action can be
performed by using the Scheme function (sde:separate-lumps).

The following script illustrates how to generate multiple lumps:

(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "ABA")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 10 5 0) "Silicon"
"region_1")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 4 -2 0) (position 6 7 0) "PolySilicon"
"region_2")

As a result, two regions are created (region_1 and region_2). However, region_1 is
composed of two disjoint lumps. After (sde:separate-lumps), the region_1 region-
name attribute is removed from the silicon region, and region_1_lump_1 is assigned as the
region name to the left lump of the silicon body, and region_1_lump_2 is assigned to the
right lump. The exported boundary file will have three regions with unique region names.

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Two-Dimensional Cuts From a 3D Structure

To generate a 2D cross section from a 3D structure:
■ Choose Edit > 3D Edit Tools > Slice.

The Cut Plane Controller is displayed.

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:3d-cut base-position normal-vector [flag])

The function needs two arguments: a position argument, to place the cut plane, and a gvector
argument, to specify the cut plane normal. For example, the command:
(sdegeo:3d-cut (position 0.0 0.0 0.0) (gvector 1.0 1.0 0.0))

generates a 2D cut in such a way that the cut plane goes through 0.0 0.0 0.0, and the cut plane
is perpendicular to the 1.0 1.0 0.0 vector.

A third optional Boolean argument determines the placement of the newly created 2D
structure. When this argument is set to #f (default), the slice remains at its original location. If
the argument is set to #t, the slice will be moved to the xy plane at z = 0. In this way, a 2D slice
can be saved to a boundary file, without the need for additional explicit transformations.

For example:
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0.0 0.0 0.0) (position 1.2 0.8 1.0) "Silicon"
"R.Substrate")
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "ABA")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0.0 0.5 0.5) (position 1.2 0.8 1.0) "Oxide"
"R.STI")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0.4 0.0 1.0) (position 0.8 0.6 1.1) "Oxide"
"R.Gox")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0.4 0.0 1.1) (position 0.8 0.6 1.5)
"PolySilicon" "R.Poly")
(sdegeo:3d-cut (position 0.6 0.0 1.0) (gvector 1.0 0.0 0.0) #t)

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Figure 66 (Left) Three-dimensional structure and (right) 2D structure generated after slicing

Split–Insert Stretching of a Device

For certain applications, such as the computation of the threshold voltage roll-off behavior of
a CMOS technology node, it is necessary to create a family of device structures, which are
identical in certain regions (here, the source and drain areas) while other regions are stretched
(here, the gate area). The split–insert stretching feature conveniently supports this application.

It allows you to split a device at a specified spatial location and to insert a linear segment (with
a specified extension length) between the split parts of the original device. The split–insert
direction can be specified as well. An optional merge argument can be used to merge the split
bodies and inserted bodies.

To use the split–insert stretching feature:

1. Choose Edit > Device Operations > Split-Insert Device.
The Split-Insert Device dialog box is displayed.
2. Enter the split position, insert direction, and insert length.
3. Select Merge Planes if the inserted regions should be merged with the existing ones.
4. Click OK.

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Figure 67 Split-Insert Device dialog box

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:split-insert-device position gvector insert-length [merge-flag])

For example:
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position -1.0 0.0 0.0) (position 1.0 1.0 -1.0)
"Silicon" "region_1")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position -0.4 0.0 0.0) (position 0.4 1.0 0.1)
"SiO2" "region_2")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position -0.4 0.0 0.1) (position 0.4 1.0 0.5)
"PolySi" "region_3")
(sdegeo:split-insert-device (position 0 0 0) (gvector 1 0 0) 1 #t)

These split–insert operations can be used for both 2D and 3D models.

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(sdegeo:split-insert-device (position 2 0 0) (gvector 1 0 0) 4 #t)

Figure 68 Split–insert operations in (left) two dimensions and (right) three dimensions

Extending a 2D Device
For certain applications, it is necessary to extend the device at one or more boundaries. For
example, the default reflecting boundary conditions might be inappropriate for a given
application. In such cases, it can be advantageous to simply push out one or more boundaries.
This can be achieved conveniently with the extend device feature.

To use the extend device feature:

1. Choose Edit > Device Operations > Extend Device.
The Extend Device dialog box is displayed.

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2. Select the boundary to be extended, and enter the extension length.

3. Click OK.

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:extend-device side amount [side amount [side amount [side amount]]])

For example:
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0.0 0.0 0.0) (position 1.0 1.0 0.0)
"Silicon" "region_1")
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "ABA")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0.0 0.0 0.0) (position 0.5 0.5 0.0)
"SiO2" "region_2")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0.0 -0.2 0.0) (position 0.7 0.0 0.0)
"Aluminum" "region_3")
(sdegeo:extend-device "left" 0.5 "bottom" 0.5)

The left, right, top, and bottom parts of the device can be extended sequentially or in
combination. If the combination contains a corner, the corner area will be filled as well.
Individual region names will be assigned to the extended parts, and the material property is
inherited from the original regions.

Figure 69 (Left) Original 2D device and (right) extended device using the
(sdegeo:extend-device "right" 4 "bottom" 2) command

NOTE This operation is available for 2D only. Only the axis-aligned

(horizontal or vertical) parts of the model will be extended.

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Trimming a 3D Structure
A 3D structure can be trimmed such that all parts lying outside of a polygonal base plane are
removed. The base plane is restricted to the xy plane. The command is not available from the
GUI.

The Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:chop-domain coordinate-list)

The coordinate-list argument is a list of x, y point pairs.

For example:
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0.0 0.0 0.0) (position 1.2 0.8 1.0)
"Silicon" "R.Substrate")
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "ABA")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0.0 0.5 0.5) (position 1.2 0.8 1.0)
"Oxide" "R.STI")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0.4 0.0 1.0) (position 0.8 0.6 1.1)
"Oxide" "R.Gox")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0.4 0.0 1.1) (position 0.8 0.6 1.5)
"PolySilicon" "R.Poly")
(sdegeo:chop-domain (list 0.0 0.0 1.2 0.4 1.2 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.4 0.0 0.4))

Figure 70 Trimming a 3D structure: (left) initial structure and (right) trimmed structure

Coordinate Systems and Transformations

Sentaurus Structure Editor uses the concept of work planes to define a coordinate system. The
name of the work plane refers to the fact that any 2D geometric object is created in the xy plane
of the currently used coordinate system. In addition, certain 3D GUI-based geometric
operations use the work plane as the plane of reference.

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Changing the work plane only affects newly created objects (existing objects can be moved,
rotated, and reflected using transformations).

Sentaurus Structure Editor itself makes no assumptions about the unit of length used to define
a geometric object. Other TCAD Sentaurus tools, such as Sentaurus Device, however, will
assume that the unit of length is 1 μm . In this indirect sense, the effective default unit of length
in Sentaurus Structure Editor is 1 μm .

Sentaurus Structure Editor internally performs geometric operations with finite precision.
Therefore, it is recommended to use a length scale in which the typical device dimensions are
of the order of 1. For example, it is recommended to use nanometer rather than micrometer for
a hypothetical device that measures only a few nanometers in length. In this case, it becomes
necessary to scale the device structure upon saving the final boundary and the mesh input file.
Sentaurus Structure Editor provides functions for scaling a device structure as well as meshing
information before exporting the final boundary and mesh command file.

Work Planes
To define and activate a new work plane:
1. Choose Draw > Work Planes.
The Work Planes dialog box is displayed.
2. Enter a name for the new work plane, the coordinates of the new origin, as well as the
direction vectors for the x- and y-axis.
3. Click Set to define the new work plane.
4. Select the newly created entry from the Defined Work Planes list, and click Activate to
activate the new work plane.

Figure 71 Work Planes dialog box

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The corresponding Scheme commands are:

(sdegeo:define-work-plane wp-name origin-position x-position y-position)
(sdegeo:set-active-work-plane wp-name)

By default, Sentaurus Structure Editor uses the ‘base’ work plane, which is associated with a
global coordinate system. The base work plane is defined as the xy plane at z = 0.

There are also two other predefined work planes. The ‘wp_xz’ work plane is defined as the xz
plane at y = 0, and the ‘wp_yz’ work plane is defined as the yz plane at x = 0, both with respect
to the global coordinate system. When you define and activate a different ‘work plane,’ then
for all subsequent geometric operations, all coordinates are interpreted with respect to this new
coordinate system.

To activate any work plane that has already been defined, select the required work plane from
the Defined Work Planes list (see Figure 71 on page 119).

The Work Planes dialog box and the Scheme command use different ways to define the new
coordinate system. The dialog box asks for the direction vectors for the x- and y-axis. While
the Scheme command uses three positions to define the work plane.

The two definitions are related using the expression:

px = po + ex
(1)
py = po + ey

where p o , p x , and p y are the positions origin-position, x-position, and y-position used
by the Scheme command, respectively, and e x and e y are the direction vectors for the x-axis
and y-axis used by the dialog box.

If direction vectors do not have unit length, they are normalized. If the y-axis is not orthogonal
to the x-axis, only the orthogonal component is considered. The z-axis is defined by the right-
hand rule.

The following example shows how to create the six faces of a unit cube by drawing the same
unit rectangles in different work planes:
(sdegeo:set-active-work-plane "base")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 0) "Silicon" "WP.BASE")
(sdegeo:set-active-work-plane "wp_xz")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 0) "Oxide" "WP.XZ")
(sdegeo:set-active-work-plane "wp_yz")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 0) "PolySi" "WP.YZ")
(sdegeo:define-work-plane "base_1" (position 0 0 1) (position 1 0 1)
(position 0 1 1))

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(sdegeo:set-active-work-plane "base_1")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 0) "Silicon"
"WP.BASE_1")
(sdegeo:define-work-plane "wp_xz_1" (position 0 1 0) (position 1 1 0)
(position 0 1 1))
(sdegeo:set-active-work-plane "wp_xz_1")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 0) "Oxide" "WP.XZ_1")
(sdegeo:define-work-plane "wp_yz_1" (position 1 0 0) (position 1 1 0)
(position 1 0 1))
(sdegeo:set-active-work-plane "wp_yz_1")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 0) "PolySi" "WP.YZ_1")

Work planes do not have to be axis aligned. The following script creates a shifted and tilted
work plane:
(sdegeo:set-active-work-plane "base")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 0) "Silicon" "WP.BASE")
(sdegeo:define-work-plane "wp_shiftandtilt" (position 0.5 0.5 0)
(position 0.5 1.5 0) (position 1.5 0.5 1))
(sdegeo:set-active-work-plane "wp_shiftandtilt")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 0) "Nitride"
"WP.shiftandtilt")

Existing work planes can be deleted using the Work Planes dialog box or the Scheme
command:
(sdegeo:delete-work-plane wp-name)

When interactive drawing tools are used, the operations are always performed in the active
work plane. Even when the view is rotated, the pointer always moves in the xy plane of the
active work plane.

If a planar face of an existing 3D body is selected, before choosing Draw > Work Planes, the
data that is needed for the work plane definition will be extracted automatically from the
selected face, and most fields in the Work Plane dialog box will be already filled. The origin is
set to the center of the selected face. The x-axis and y-axis are selected as the principal axes of
the selected face. A work plane defined in this way will be the plane in which the selected face
lies.

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Local Coordinate Systems

In Sentaurus Structure Editor, the coordinate systems feature offers an alternative way to define
work planes. The differences are that:
■ The coordinate systems method defines the new work plane with respect to the currently
active work plane, instead of the global coordinate system.
■ This method uses the rotation angle around the current z-axis to define the coordinate
system, instead of defining the coordinate axis directly.

To define the local coordinate system:

1. Choose Draw > Coordinate Systems.
The Coordinate Systems dialog box is displayed.

2. Enter a name for the local coordinate system, the origin in the current xy plane, and a
rotation angle.
3. Click Set to define the new work plane.
4. Select the newly created entry from the Defined Coordinate Systems list, and click
Activate to activate the new work plane.
5. To delete a local coordinate system, select it from the Defined Coordinate Systems list,
and click Delete.

The corresponding Scheme commands are:

(sdegeo:define-coord-sys "name" origin_x origin_y angle)
(sdegeo:set-active-coord-sys "name")
(sdegeo:delete-coord-sys "name")

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Device Scaling
The Scheme command sdegeo:scale is used to scale all of the geometric bodies and Ref/
Eval windows. The Scheme command sdedr:write-scaled-cmd-file is used to scale all
refinement settings while writing the mesh command file.

The corresponding Scheme commands are:

(sdegeo:scale entity-list scale-factor-x scale-factor-y [scale-factor-z])
(sdedr:write-scaled-cmd-file file-name scale-factor)

For example, if the device structure and meshing strategy were defined using nanometer as the
unit of length, use Scheme commands such as the ones given here to export the device
boundary and the mesh command file in micrometers:
(define scale-factor 1000)
(sdegeo:scale (part:entities) scale-factor scale-factor)
(sdeio:save-tdr-bnd (get-body-list) "Scaled-to-um_bnd.tdr")
(sdedr:write-scaled-cmd-file "Scaled-to-um_msh.cmd" scale-factor)
(system:command "snmesh Scale-to-um_msh")

These commands are not available from the GUI.

NOTE In previous versions of Sentaurus Structure Editor, the command

sdedr:write-scaled-cmd-file scaled Ref/Eval windows. Now,
Ref/Eval windows can be scaled together with the geometric regions,
using the sdegeo:scale command. Therefore, sdegeo:scale must
be called first, before the command sdedr:write-scaled-cmd-
file is called.

After setting the Scheme variable global-scaling to a value other than 1.0 in the
command-line window with:
(set! global-scaling 2.0)

scaled device structures and mesh command files can be saved by choosing Mesh > Build
Mesh, with Scheme commands such as:
(set! global-scaling 1000.0)
(sde:build-mesh "Scaled-to-um_msh")

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Entity Transformations: Scaling, Translation, Rotation,

and Reflection
Several different Scheme functions and GUI operations can be used to perform basic geometry
transformation operations on some or all top-level entities of the device as well as on Ref/Eval
windows.

A top-level entity is at the highest level in the entity hierarchy list (that is, no other entity refers
to that entity). For example, a face of a solid body (s_b) is not a top-level entity, since the solid
body contains the face. (The (entity:faces s_b) command returns the particular face.)
Similarly, a linear edge of a sheet body is not a top-level entity. However, if the edge was
generated separately using the edge:linear command, for example, then it is a top-level
entity.

The Transform Operations dialog box is used to perform basic transformations. It is displayed
by choosing Edit > Transform. It has different tabs for scaling, translation, rotation, and
reflection operations.

Each transform mode has a Target Entities list, which lists all objects (2D and 3D bodies) to
which the transformation can be applied. The target entities can be selected from this list. The
selected entities are highlighted. Selection from the GUI is also possible. In that case, the target
entities must be selected from the GUI, and the corresponding entity IDs will be highlighted in
the Target Entities list.

The translation, rotation, and reflection operations create new bodies if the Transform Copy
option is selected. The newly created bodies will inherit the material property from the parent
body. Region names are also inherited, but an additional string will be attached to the region
names to provide unique region names.

A counter is associated with each type of transformation. In each transformation, the repeat
number is also counted. For example, if the name of the parent entity is region_1 and the fifth
transformation is being performed, the newly created entity will be called region_1_t5. If a
number is entered in the Repeat Operation field and, for example, it is set to 3, the new regions
will be called region_1_t5_r1, region_1_t5_r2, and region_1_t5_r3.

Local Scaling of Entities

To scale one or more entities:

1. Choose Edit > Transform.
2. Select one or more entities in the Target Entities list.
3. Click the Scale tab.

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4. Select Selected Method.

5. Enter a scaling factor for the x-, y-, and z-axis.
6. Click OK.

Figure 72 Transform Operations dialog box showing Scale tab

The scaling operation can be applied to top-level entities (bodies) only (these are either
geometric bodies, which are part of the model geometry, or Ref/Eval windows). Nonuniform
scaling is also supported. The scaling factors cannot be zero. To suppress scaling in a given
direction, enter a scaling factor of 1.

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:scale-selected entity|entity-list
(transform:scaling x-scale y-scale z-scale))

For example, the following Scheme commands scale a sphere to become a flat ellipsoid:
(define SPHERE (sdegeo:create-sphere (position 0 0 0) 1 "Silicon" "region_1"))
(sdegeo:scale-selected SPHERE (transform:scaling 0.5 2 4))

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NOTE Scaling is performed about the geometry center of each entity. This
means entities that were touching before the scaling will either overlap
or be disjoint after the scaling. Therefore, this operation is not intended
to scale entire device structures. Use the operations discussed in Device
Scaling on page 123 for this purpose.

Difference Between sdegeo:scale and sdegeo:scale-selected

Different scaling operations are available in Sentaurus Structure Editor as follows:

■ The sdegeo:scale function multiplies all vertex coordinates with the specified scaling
factors. The scaled model will be similar to the original model (therefore, no overlap
removal is necessary).
■ The sdegeo:scale-selected function scales each body about its own geometric center
(independently from other bodies). In this case, overlaps might be created, which are
removed automatically, based on the selected Boolean overlap refinement rule.

For example:
(sde:clear)
(define mb1 (sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 10 5 0)
"Silicon" "mb1"))
(define mb2 (sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 8 5 0) (position 12 9 0)
"PolySilicon" "mb2"))
(bbox mb1)
;; (#[ position 0 0 0 ] . #[ position 10 5 0 ])
(bbox mb2)
;; (#[ position 8 5 0 ] . #[ position 12 9 0 ])
(sdegeo:scale (list mb1 mb2) 2 2 1)
(bbox mb1)
;; (#[ position 0 0 0 ] . #[ position 20 10 0 ])
(bbox mb2)
;; (#[ position 16 10 0 ] . #[ position 24 18 0 ])
(roll)
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "ABA")
(sdegeo:scale-selected (list mb1 mb2) (transform:scaling 2 2 1))
(roll)
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "BAB")
(sdegeo:scale-selected (list mb1 mb2) (transform:scaling 2 2 1))
;; the sdegeo:scale-selected function scales each body (independently from
each other) about the geometric center of the given body.

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Original model Scaled model, using sdegeo:scale

Before automatic overlap removal With the “New Replaces Old” With the “Old Replaces New”
is applied to the scaled bodies overlap removal rule overlap removal rule

Figure 73 Difference between sdegeo:scale and sdegeo:scale-selected: (top) scaling using

sdegeo:scale and (bottom) scaled models using sdegeo:scaled-selected

Translation

To translate one or more entities:

1. Choose Edit > Transform.
2. Select one or more entities from the Target Entities list.
3. Click the Translate tab.
4. Select Selected Method.
5. Enter the coordinates of the translation vector, or click Pick Vector and click the starting
point and endpoint of the translation vector in the view window.
6. Select Transform Copy if a copy of the original entities should remain at the initial
location.

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7. If a nonzero Repeat Operation value is entered, the translation operation is performed

multiple times for the selected entities.
8. Click OK.

The translation operation is always performed with respect to the currently active coordinate
system.

Figure 74 Transform Operations dialog box showing Translate tab

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:scale-selected entity|entity-list (transform:translation gvector)
copy-flag repeat-counter)

For example, the following Scheme commands creates a string of four simple 3D MOSFET
structures:
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0.0 0.0 0.0) (position 1.2 0.8 1.0)
"Silicon" "R.Substrate")
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "ABA")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0.0 0.5 0.5) (position 1.2 0.8 1.0)
"Oxide" "R.STI")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0.4 0.0 1.0) (position 0.8 0.6 1.1)
"Oxide" "R.Gox")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0.4 0.0 1.1) (position 0.8 0.6 1.5)
"PolySilicon" "R.Poly")

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(sdegeo:translate-selected (get-body-list)
(transform:translation (gvector 1.2 0 0)) #t 3)

Figure 75 A string of 3D MOSFETs is created using the Transform Copy option and by
entering a repeat number value

Rotation

To rotate one or more entities:

1. Choose Edit > Transform.
2. Select one or more entities from the Target Entities list.
3. Click the Rotate tab.
4. Select Selected Method.
5. Define the axis of rotation by entering a point on the axis and a direction vector, or click
Pick Point/Axis and click a point in the view window.
In this case, the rotation axis will point into the current view plane. Enter also the rotation
angle.
6. Select Transform Copy if a copy of the original entities should remain at the initial
location.
7. If a nonzero Repeat Operation value is entered, the rotation operation is performed
multiple times for the selected entities.
8. Click OK.

The rotation operation is always performed with respect to the currently active coordinate
system.

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Figure 76 Transform Operations dialog box showing Rotate tab

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:rotate-selected entity|entity-list
(transform:rotation position gvector angle) copy-flag repeat-counter)

For example, the following Scheme commands create a moon sickle:

(define CIRCLE (sdegeo:create-circle (position 0 0 0) 1
"Silicon" "region_1"))
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "BAB")
(sdegeo:rotate-selected CIRCLE (transform:rotation (position 1 0 0)
(gvector 0 0 1) -30) #t 0)
(sdegeo:delete-region CIRCLE)

Reflection

To reflect one or more entities:

1. Choose Edit > Transform.
2. Select one or more entities from the Target Entities list.
3. Click the Reflect tab.

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4. Select Selected Method.

5. Define the reflection plane by entering a point on the plane and a normal vector, or click
Pick Point/Norm and click a point in the view window.
In this case, the normal vector will point to the right of the current view plane.
6. Select Transform Copy if a copy of the original entities should remain at the initial
location.
7. Click OK.

Figure 77 Transform Operations dialog box showing Reflect tab

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:mirror-selected entity|entity-list
(transform:reflection position gvector) copy-flag)

For example, the following Scheme commands reflect the half-MOSFET structure to form a
full device:
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0.0 0.0 0.0) (position 1.2 0.8 1.0)
"Silicon" "R.Substrate")
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "ABA")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0.0 0.5 0.5) (position 1.2 0.8 1.0)
"Oxide" "R.STI")

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(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0.4 0.0 1.0) (position 0.8 0.6 1.1)

"Oxide" "R.Gox")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0.4 0.0 1.1) (position 0.8 0.6 1.5)
"PolySilicon" "R.Poly")
(sdegeo:mirror-selected (get-body-list)
(transform:reflection (position 0 0 0) (gvector 0 -1 0)) #t)

Scheme Functions for Transformations

Scheme functions are available to perform transformation operations.

Table 20 Scheme functions for transformations

Scheme function Description

sdegeo:mirror-selected Reflects the specified entities.

sdegeo:rotate-selected Rotates the specified entities.

sdegeo:scale-selected Scales the specified entities.

sdegeo:translate-selected Translates the specified entities.

transform:reflection Creates a transform to mirror an object through an axis.

transform:rotation Creates a transform to rotate an object about an axis.

transform:scaling Creates a scaling transform.

transform:translation Creates a translation transform.

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CHAPTER 6 Structure Generation Using Etching
and Deposition

This chapter describes how to generate process-oriented structures

in Sentaurus Structure Editor using the process emulation mode.

Overview
The three-dimensional process emulation (Procem) module of Sentaurus Structure Editor
offers a set of Scheme functions to emulate TCAD process steps such as deposition, etching,
and implantation. The Procem Scheme extensions can be accessed either from the command-
line window or by running Sentaurus Structure Editor in batch mode.

NOTE The Procem functions are not available from the graphical user
interface.

A basic knowledge of the Scheme language is required to use Procem. A thorough knowledge
of the Scheme programming language is not required in order to work only with single process
steps, without using variables, flow controls, or conditionals. The examples in this chapter
provide sufficient background for users to write simple process emulation scripts in Scheme.

In Procem, the process steps are emulated with pure geometric operations. Each process step
is translated to a sequence of geometric operations including:
■ Boolean operations
■ Local operations on the boundary (for example, face offsettings)
■ Boundary repair and healing (to perform delooping and to resolve topology changes during
process emulation)

Different process emulation commands are available in Sentaurus Structure Editor. These
commands usually start with the sdepe string.

Procem provides functions to:

■ Generate mask layouts
■ Import mask layouts
■ Generate substrate layers
■ Perform different patterning operations

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■ Perform anisotropic and isotropic deposition

■ Perform etching operations with or without a protect region (patterned masks)
■ Perform a fill operation
■ Polish a device
■ Generate boundary output for meshing
■ Implant doping species
■ Create complex interconnect devices

Procem has a well-defined scripting language, which provides high-level functions for TDR
input and output, mask layout definition and input, and geometry generation.

Procem has several high-level procedures to perform process emulation steps. These functions
can be embedded in a Scheme script to generate models. The Procem functions can be freely
mixed with other sdegeo functions to generate 3D devices.

The generated models and the flow steps are visible in the GUI. Other GUI operations and
Scheme functions can be applied to the generated model between process steps. The model will
always remain conformal and ready for a tessellated boundary file generation.

Typically, a process emulation flow contains several commands to generate or load masks, to
create the substrate layer, and to perform patterning operations, deposition, etching, and
implantation steps.

Base Coordinate System

Two different coordinate systems can be used during process emulation.

Unified Coordinate System

In the unified coordinate system (UCS), the base of the 3D model is placed in the yz plane (at
x = 0 by default), and the open top surface of the model is in the –x-direction (so a ray from
-1,0,0 would hit the top exposed surface). When this coordinate system convention is followed,
process emulation operations (such as deposition and etching) are performed in the
–x-direction.

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DF–ISE Coordinate System

NOTE Using the DF–ISE coordinate system is not recommended. Use the UCS
instead.

The external boundary of the simulation domain is defined with respect to the global coordinate
system. The external domain boundary is placed in the xy plane. All process steps are
performed over the domain boundary in the positive z-direction (up direction). The default base
is at z = 0.

If process steps are to be performed on an existing model, the model might need to be
transformed in such a way that the top of the device faces the positive z-direction. This can be
accomplished by a simple entity transformation using sdegeo:rotate-selected.

Selecting the Coordinate System

In the DF–ISE coordinate system for process emulation, the xy plane is the base plane and +z
is the up direction. The Scheme command sde:set-process-up-direction is used to
specify which coordinate system is used during process emulation. This function needs one
input argument: If the argument is 0, the up direction is +z (default). If the argument is 1, the
up direction changes to -x.

If the Sentaurus Process–Sentaurus Structure Editor interface is used to perform process

emulation, the Scheme script generated by Sentaurus Process will contain instructions to select
the correct coordinate system (UCS) automatically.

NOTE The cross section of the model at the base location in the selected base
plane (the external boundary of the simulation domain) must be
rectangular.

Mask Layout Input and Mask Generation

Procem supports mask layout file input. There are several ways to define and initialize mask
layouts:
■ Use the sdeicwb:generate-mask-by-layer-name command to generate the mask
from an imported .mac (ICWB) mask.
■ Read in a GDSII file using the sdeicwb:gds2mac command.
■ Use DF–ISE layout (.lyt) files directly.
■ Define mask layouts directly in Procem using the sdepe:generate-mask command.

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Table 21 lists the Procem functions that support mask layout input and output, and generation
operations.

Table 21 Procem mask layout–related operations

Scheme function name Description

exists-empty-mask-name Checks whether the empty mask exists.

exists-mask-name Checks whether the mask exists.

find-mask Returns the entity ID of a mask.

get-empty-mask-list Returns the defined empty masks in a list.

get-mask-list Returns the defined masks in a list.

mask-refevalwin-extract-2d Converts a mask to a 2D Ref/Eval window.

mask-refevalwin-extract-3d Converts a mask to a 3D Ref/Eval window.

sde:hide-mask Removes the mask from the view window.

sde:offset-mask Offsets (biases) the specified mask.

sde:show-mask Shows the mask in the view window.

sde:xshow-mask Exclusively shows the mask in the view window.

sdeicwb:contact Creates contacts in a mask-driven manner.

sdeicwb:gds2mac Converts an existing general mask layout file (GDSII) to an

ICWB .mac layout. The converted .mac layout file is loaded
automatically.

sdeicwb:generate-mask-by-layer-name Generates the mask from an imported .mac (ICWB) mask.

sdeio:read-dfise-mask Loads a layout (.lyt) file to the modeler.

sdepe:extend-masks Extends all masks about the given minimum and maximum
values.

sdepe:generate-empty-mask Creates an empty mask.

sdepe:generate-mask Creates a mask.

sdepe:trim-masks Trims all masks with the defined domain boundary.

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Mask Generation
Examples of mask layout generation are:
(sde:clear)
(sdepe:generate-mask "DEMO-MASK-1" (list (list 2 2 5 2 5 3 2 3)
(list 5 6 9 6 7 9)))
(sdepe:generate-mask "DEMO-MASK-2" (list (list 14 7 13.73 8 13 8.73 12 9 11
8.73 10.27 8 10 7 10.27 6 11 5.27 12 5 13 5.23 13.73 6)))
(sdepe:generate-mask "DEMO-MASK-3" (list (list 11 3 10.73 4 10 4.73 9 5 8 4.73
7.27 4 7 3 7.27 2 8 1.27 9 1 10 1.23 10.73 2)))
(sde:clear)
(sdepe:generate-mask "MASK1" (list (list 1 1 3 3) (list 7 7 9 9)))
(sdepe:generate-mask "MASK2" (list (list 7 1 9 3 3 9 1 7)))
(sdepe:generate-mask "MASK3" (list (list 2 1 3 2 2 3 1 2)
(list 8 1 9 2 8 3 7 2) (list 8 7 9 8 8 9 7 8) (list 2 7 3 8 2 9 1 8)))
(sdepe:generate-mask "MASK4" (list (list 3 3 7 7)))
(sdepe:generate-mask "MASK5" (list (list 3 0 8 2) (list 8 3 10 7)
(list 3 8 7 10) (list 0 3 2 7)))

Figure 78 Example of a mask layout

Offsetting (Biasing) Mask

The Scheme extension sde:offset-mask can be used to offset (bias) a mask.

Figure 79 Mask offsetting: (left) original mask, (middle) mask after one offset step, and
(right) mask after an additional offset step (using the same offset value)

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TCAD Layout Reader of Sentaurus Structure Editor

TCAD Layout Reader of Sentaurus Structure Editor

The TCAD layout reader of Sentaurus Structure Editor provides a file-based interface between
IC WorkBench Edit/View Plus (ICWBEV Plus) and Sentaurus Structure Editor.

The ICWBEV Plus–Sentaurus Structure Editor interface can be used to perform layout-driven
structure and mesh generation. This interface supports 3D structures exclusively and its key
features are:
■ Loading the TCAD layout (optional rescaling)
■ Layout query functions
■ Selecting a simulation domain
■ Applying stretches
■ Creating masks
■ Mask-driven meshing
■ Mask-driven contact assignment

See Sentaurus™ Process User Guide, Chapter 12 on page 855 for more information about the
ICWBEV Plus–TCAD Sentaurus interface.

Figure 80 shows an SRAM cell layout as well as the 3D structure generated using this layout.

Figure 80 (Left) Layout of SRAM cell and (right) corresponding 3D structure generated
using process emulation mode of Sentaurus Structure Editor

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Loading TCAD Layouts

Before the TCAD layout can be used in Sentaurus Structure Editor, it must be loaded.

To load a TCAD layout, use:

(sdeicwb:load-file layout-filename scaling-factor)

The scaling factor allows you to change the layout units to those used in Sentaurus Structure
Editor. Use a scaling factor of 1 if no scaling is needed.

For example, to load the TCAD layout file SRAM_lyt.mac (which is written in nanometer)
into Sentaurus Structure Editor, which here uses micrometer as the unit of length, use the
command:
(sdeicwb:load-file "SRAM_lyt.mac" 0.001)

Finding Layer Names and Layer IDs

Each layer in the TCAD layout file has a unique ID of the form <int>:<int>, for example,
3:0. A layer can also have an optional explicit layer name such as NWELL. If no explicit layer
name has been set in ICWBEV Plus, the TCAD layout reader uses the layer ID as the default
layer name. The TCAD layout reader refers to layers always by the layer name.

To list the layer names defined in the TCAD layout file:

(sdeicwb:get-layer-names)

For example:
(define LNames (sdeicwb:get-layer-names))
; -> icwb: LNames: (Active NWELL SRAM_mesh Acc_mesh 51:0)

To list the layer IDs defined in the TCAD layout file:

(sdeicwb:get-layer-ids)

For example:
(define LIDs (sdeicwb:get-layer-ids))
; -> icwb: LIDs: (1:0 2:0 43:0 44:0 51:0)

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Applying a Stretch
The stretch utility provides a convenient way to parameterize a layout by inserting a uniformly
stretched segment into the layout. This feature can be used, for example, to generate a set of
transistors that have different gate lengths but are otherwise identical.

Figure 81 (Left) Snapshot of a simple ICWBEV Plus layout with a stretch utility line and
(right) effective layout seen by Sentaurus Structure Editor when the layout is
loaded with a positive stretch amount

A stretch line must be first defined in ICWBEV Plus. The stretch amount is set after loading
the TCAD layout with the Scheme command:
(sdeicwb:stretch stretch-name stretch-amount)

For example:
(sdeicwb:stretch "Lgate" 0.2)

Selecting the Simulation Domain

The active simulation domain is selected with the Scheme command:
(sdeicwb:set-domain domain-name | list-of-domain-names)

Finding Coordinates of Bounding Box

To find the coordinates of the bounding box that is defined with regard to the global layout
coordinates, use the commands:
(sdeicwb:get-xmin)
(sdeicwb:get-xmax)

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(sdeicwb:get-ymin)
(sdeicwb:get-ymax)

To find the coordinates of the bounding box that automatically re-centers the simulation
domain to start at the origin, use the commands:
(sdeicwb:get-left)
(sdeicwb:get-right)
(sdeicwb:get-front)
(sdeicwb:get-back)

Use these commands, for example, to define the process emulation domain:
(define L (sdeicwb:get-left)) (define B (sdeicwb:get-back))
(define R (sdeicwb:get-right)) (define F (sdeicwb:get-front))
(sdepe:define-pe-domain (list L B R F))

Creating and Using Masks

To create a mask, use:
(sdeicwb:generate-mask-by-layer-name maskname layername)

For example:
(sdeicwb:generate-mask-by-layer-name "Active" "2:0")

The created mask can be used, for example, in the sdepe:pattern command:
(sdepe:pattern "mask" "Active" "polarity" "light" "material" "Resist"
"thickness" 1 "type" "iso")

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Coordinate System Support

Sentaurus Structure Editor supports both the UCS and the DF–ISE coordinate system (see Base
Coordinate System on page 134). Figure 82 shows the conventions for both coordinate
systems.

Figure 82 Orientation of axes for (left) UCS where the x-axis points downwards and (right)
DF–ISE coordinate system where the z-axis points upwards

To allow for the creation of Sentaurus Structure Editor input files that support the UCS as well
as the DF–ISE simulation domains, a set of utilities has been implemented.

The concepts of top and bottom are introduced, which apply to the UCS as well as DF–ISE
coordinate system:
■ Global or region top coordinate:
(sdeicwb:get-global-top)
(sdeicwb:get-region-top RegionID)
Returns xmin (UCS) or zmax (DF–ISE).

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■ Global or region bottom coordinate:

(sdeicwb:get-global-bot)
(sdeicwb:get-region-bot RegionID)
Returns xmax (UCS) or zmin (DF–ISE).
■ Translate a coordinate up:
(sdeicwb:up A B)
Returns A – B (UCS) or A + B (DF–ISE).
■ Translate a coordinate down:
(sdeicwb:down A B)
Returns A – B (UCS) or A + B (DF–ISE).

Layout-Driven Contact Assignment

The sdeicwb:contact command creates contacts, for subsequent device simulations, that
are tied to a mask or a text label in the TCAD layout file.

The sdeicwb:contact command supports both box-type and point-type contacts. See
sdeicwb:contact on page 718 for details and examples.

Layout-Driven Meshing
Layers can also be used for layout-driven meshing. The command sdeicwb:define-
refinement-from-layer serves as an interface between the ICWBEV Plus TCAD layout
and the Sentaurus Structure Editor commands sdedr:define-refeval-window,
sdedr:define-refinement-size, and sdedr:define-refinement-placement by
automatically obtaining the lateral dimension of the refinement box from the specified
ICWBEV Plus layers, taking the vertical refinement box dimensions from the argument list. It
also generates 2D and 3D refinement size settings with dimension-independent syntax.

The syntax for this command is:

(sdeicwb:define-refinement-from-layer "lname" lname ["rname" rname]
["oversize" oversize] "top" top "bot" bot "dlrmin" dlrmin "dlrmax" dlrmax
"dbtmin" dbtmin "dbtmax" dbtmax ["dbfmin" dbfmin] ["dbfmax" dbfmax]
["material" material] ["region" region] ["use-bbox" use-bbox])

If no explicit refinement name (rname) is given, the layer name (lname) is used to create a
unique refinement name.

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For a 3D IC WorkBench simulation domain, a refinement window is created for each polygon
found in the specified layers. The lateral extent of respective refinement windows is given by
the bounding box of the polygon. The extent of the refinement window along the height
direction (UCS: negative x-axis, DF–ISE: z-axis) is given by the values of the top and bot
parameters.

The arguments dlrmin and dlrmax define the minimum and maximum refinement in the
left–right dimension, respectively. The parameters dbtmin and dbtmax define the refinement
in the bottom–top dimension, and dbfmin and dbfmax define the refinement in the back–front
dimension.

The name of the refinement window has the form RPlace.<rname>_<counter>. The name
of the refinement size setting is RSize.<rname>.

You can use the "material" and "region" arguments to restrict the refinement to the
specified bodies within the refinement box. The "material" argument is followed by either
a DATEX material name or a list of materials, for example:
"material" "Silicon"
"material" (list "Silicon" "PolySilicon" ...)

The "region" argument is followed by either a region name or a list of region names, for
example:
"region" "region_1"
"region" (list "region_1" "region_2" ...)

The argument oversize allows you to increase the area of refinement beyond the extent of
the actual segments or polygon bounding boxes. A nonzero oversize value is subtracted from
or added to the minimum and maximum segment or the polygon bounding box coordinates,
respectively.

NOTE To use oversize for a non-rectangular mask while continuing to avoid

unnecessary refinement, use ICWBEV Plus to break, for example, an L-
shaped polygon into two rectangular polygons such that the union of the
polygon bounding boxes coincides with the shape itself.

The argument use-bbox (default value #t or true) specifies that when creating 3D
refinement volumes from 2D polygons, the bounding box of the polygon must be used as the
basis for a cuboid volume. If set to #f or false, the polygon shape itself is used to create a 3D
prism using the polygon as the top and bottom faces, with rectangular sides. This argument is
used only for 2D polygons in 3D structures. When use-bbox is set to #f or false, oversize
is ignored.

You can make explicit calls to sdedr:define-refinement-function to activate other

meshing-specific options such as refinement on doping gradients or interface refinements.

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NOTE Layout-driven refinement is available only for the area under the given
layer itself, not for the inverse of the layer. If refinement is needed in an
area not covered by the layer, it is necessary to create the inverse of the
layer as an auxiliary layer explicitly in ICWBEV Plus.

The following example shows how to use an auxiliary layer SRAM_mesh for refinement (this
layer is highlighted in red in Figure 83):
(sdeicwb:define-refinement-from-layer
"lname" "SRAM_mesh" "rname" "sram_ch"
"oversize" 0.0 "top" SiTop "bot" (sdeicwb:down SiTop 0.05)
"dlrmax" 0.03 "dlrmin" 0.0035
"dbtmax" 0.015 "dbtmin" 0.0035
"dbfmax" 0.03 "dbfmin" 0.0035)
(sdedr:define-refinement-function "RSize.sram_ch" "MaxLenInt "Silicon"
"Oxide" 0.005 2.0)
(define BBoxes (sdeicwb:get-polygon-bounding-boxes-by-layer-name LNAME))

Figure 83 SRAM cell layout with SRAM_mesh auxiliary layer in red

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Figure 84 shows a 3D mesh of an SRAM cell (only silicon regions are shown). The areas in
which the layout-driven mesh refinement is applied are indicated by red circles.

Figure 84 Three-dimensional structure of SRAM cell showing position of SRAM_mesh layer

Process Emulation Commands

Scheme functions (with the prefix sdepe) are available to perform process emulation
operations.

Table 22 Scheme functions for process emulation operations

Scheme function Description

sdepe:add-substrate Generates the first device layer (substrate).

sdepe:define-pe-domain Defines the simulation domain.

sdepe:depo Performs a deposition step.

sdepe:etch-material Performs an etching step.

sdepe:fill-device Performs a fill operation. (Fills the device with material up to the
specified height.)

sdepe:icon_layer Generates a deposited, patterned, filled planar layer. (The initial

structure must be planar.)

sdepe:pattern Performs a pattern step. The used mask must be defined beforehand.

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Table 22 Scheme functions for process emulation operations (Continued)

Scheme function Description

sdepe:photo Performs a pattern step with a flat patterned top. The used mask must
be defined beforehand.

sdepe:polish-device Performs a polish step. (Removes the top part of a device.)

sdepe:remove Removes the specified region or material.

Implantation

sdepe:doping-constant-placement Defines and implants a constant doping profile.

sdepe:implant Implants an already defined analytic doping profile.

See Appendix A on page 297 for detailed descriptions of these Scheme functions.

Syntax and Keywords

All process emulation commands (sdepe) use the same conventions for argument
specification. In the Procem commands, each variable is preceded by a keyword such as
"material", "region", "thickness", and "step". The keywords are followed by the
actual value, forming a keyword–value argument pair.

The argument pairs can be specified in an arbitrary order in the argument list. For example:
"material" "Silicon" "thickness" H

is equal to:
"thickness" H "material" "Silicon"

Several argument pairs have default values. When the default value is to be used, the argument
pair can be omitted. For example, the default step size is 1. The keyword "step" can be used
to specify a step size; however, if it is 1, it can be omitted. A "step" 10 will perform the
particular operation (deposition, etch, and so on) in 10 steps.

Some argument list items must be specified together. For example, when a rounding is
required, the rounding radius must always be specified using the keyword "radius" and a
numeric value.

NOTE When a keyword is used in the argument list, the corresponding value
pair must be given. Otherwise, the argument list parser fails. For
example, if the keyword "material" is used, a DATEX material string
must follow.

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Table 23 Process emulation keywords

Keyword Type Default value Description

"adaptive" BOOLEAN #f if "rounding" This keyword is used to perform the offset in

option is not set to #t. more than one step (if the geometry requires this
for robustness). The offset size in each step is
#t if "rounding" calculated automatically, based on some
option is set to #t. geometric considerations. The offsetting
continues in steps until the total deposit thickness
is reached. If "adaptive" is used, in some cases,
the number of steps might be large and the
operation can take considerably longer than
without this keyword.
NOTE Use "adaptive" only if the process step
fails otherwise.

Function:
sdepe:depo
sdepe:etch-material
sdepe:pattern

"advanced- BOOLEAN #f If the "rounding" option is used during

rounding" deposition before the rounding operation is
performed on the deposited layer, the minimal
edge length is checked and the rounding radius is
adjusted not to be greater than the minimal edge
length. This automatic adjustment of the
rounding radius provides more robustness for the
rounding algorithm. In some special cases, this
restriction is not needed and rounding with a
larger radius than the minimal edge length is
possible. This keyword allows you to bypass the
automatic radius control.

Function:
sdepe:depo

"algorithm" STRING If "type" "iso", Different face-offsetting algorithms are available,

then "lopx". which can be activated by the keyword
"algorithm". They are "lopx", "lop-move",
If "type" "aniso", "sweep", and "PT".
then "sweep".
Function:
sdepe:depo
sdepe:etch-material
sdepe:pattern

"base" REAL 0 Base (bottom) z-position of the substrate layer.

Function:
sdepe:add-substrate

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Table 23 Process emulation keywords (Continued)

Keyword Type Default value Description

"BC" STRING "Extend" for "type" During directional operations, "BC" can be used
("none", "aniso" to avoid some side effects around the domain
"Extend", ("algorithm" boundary.
"Periodic", "sweep") and
"Reflect") "none" for "type" Function:
"iso" sdepe:depo
("algorithm" sdepe:etch-material
"lopx")

"chamfer" REAL 0 Chamfer distance for chamfered deposition and

etching.

NOTE The "chamfer" keyword is completely

analogous to "radius", and the chamfer cutback
is interpreted similarly to the rounding radius.
The "vexity" keyword is used in the same way
as for rounding.

The keywords "chamfer" and "radius" cannot

be used in the same command. The edges are
either chamfered or rounded.

Function:
sdepe:depo
sdepe:etch-material

"depth" REAL 0 Etch depth.

Function:
sdepe:etch-material

"ebl" STRING "all" If the value is "top", only the top initially
{"all", "top"} exposed bodies, which are made of the etch
material, are etched even if the complete
"depth" value is not etched away. If the value is
"all", the thickness of the top layer is estimated
and the etch process continues until the complete
"depth" value is etched.

Function:
sdepe:etch-material

"ext-dist" REAL 0 if "BC" is "none". The applied extension distance when "BC"
For "BC" "Extend", "Extend" is used during a directional operation.
it is calculated
automatically from Function:
the ray direction and sdepe:depo
from the thickness. sdepe:etch-material

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Table 23 Process emulation keywords (Continued)

Keyword Type Default value Description

"height" REAL Maximum If it is not specified in sdepe:fill-device, the

z-coordinate device is filled up to the maximum z-coordinate.
In sdepe:polish-device, if "height" is given,
the device is polished up to the specified value.
Alternatively, "thickness" can be specified in
sdepe:polish-device, in which case, the
specified value is removed from the top z-
position.

Function:
sdepe:fill-device
sdepe:polish-device

"initial- REAL By default, this When selective deposition is performed, the

thickness" parameter is not used. deposition can be performed automatically in two
steps using this keyword. In the first step, initial
thickness * thickness is offset; in the second step,
(1-initial thickness) * thickness. The initial
thickness is a real value between 0 and 1.

Function:
sdepe:depo

"mask" STRING None Name of the mask that is used for pattern.

Function:
sdepe:pattern

"material" STRING "Silicon" for Specifies the material type that will be used for
(DATEX sdepe:depo and the operation.
material) sdepe:add-
substrate. Function:
sdepe:add-substrate
"" for sdepe:etch- sdepe:depo
material. sdepe:etch-material
sdepe:fill-device
"Resist" for sdepe:pattern
sdepe:pattern. sdepe:remove

"Gas" for
sdepe:fill-
device.

"overetch" REAL 0 An optional overetch distance for etching.

Function:
sdepe:etch-material

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Table 23 Process emulation keywords (Continued)

Keyword Type Default value Description

"polarity" STRING "light" Mask polarity for pattern.

{"light",
"dark"} Function:
sdepe:pattern

"radius" REAL 0 Rounding radius for rounded deposition and etch.

Function:
sdepe:depo
sdepe:etch-material

"ray-vector" GVECTOR (gvector 0 0 –1) The direction vector of the ray for directional
deposition and etch.

Function:
sdepe:depo
sdepe:etch-material

"region" STRING Automatically This keyword is used to specify a region name for
generated as the Procem-generated new region. If it is not
region_N used, the region name is generated automatically
in sequential order. The region name is generated
as region_N, where N is a region counter that
starts at 1 and increases sequentially.

Function:
sdepe:add-substrate
sdepe:depo
sdepe:fill-device
sdepe:pattern
sdepe:remove

"rounding" BOOLEAN #f If used, the single "rounding" keyword replaces

all other rounding-related keywords. The
rounding radius ("radius") is computed
automatically, and "vexity" is set to "convex".

Function:
sdepe:depo
sdepe:etch-material

"selective- STRING None During regular deposition (when this keyword is

material" (DATEX not used), all the exposed surface is covered with
material) the deposited layer. When this keyword is used,
deposition is performed only on that part of the
exposed top surface where the selective material
is the exposed material.

Function:
sdepe:depo
sdepe:etch-material

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Table 23 Process emulation keywords (Continued)

Keyword Type Default value Description

"selective- BOOLEAN #f This keyword can be used with "selective-

taper" material" when "taper-angle" is also used.
In this case, the vertical faces of the newly
deposited layer are tapered. (Otherwise, the
newly deposited layers are first united with the
complete model, and the vertical side faces of
that body are tapered, and then the original bodies
are subtracted from this body.)

Function:
sdepe:depo
sdepe:etch-material

"shadowing" BOOLEAN #f If it is set to #t, the shadowing effect is taken into

consideration.

Function:
sdepe:depo
sdepe:etch-material

"steps" INTEGER 1 Number of steps for the given operation.

Function:
sdepe:depo
sdepe:etch-material
sdepe:pattern

"taper-angle" REAL 0 Vertical deposited and etched faces are tapered

automatically if the keyword is used with an
angle value (in degrees).

Function:
sdepe:depo
sdepe:etch-material
sdepe:pattern

"taper- LIST (STRING) None Specifies the face normals for those axis-aligned
direction" ("x"|"-x"| planar faces that will be tapered. The "taper-
"y"|"-y" angle" keyword must be used with this keyword.
or any
combination of Function:
these) sdepe:depo
sdepe:etch-material

"taper- "top" | "bottom" Specifies the base point location for tapered
position" "bottom" faces.

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Table 23 Process emulation keywords (Continued)

Keyword Type Default value Description

"thickness" REAL None Thickness value (for deposition and pattern).

Function:
sdepe:add-substrate
sdepe:depo
sdepe:pattern
sdepe:polish-device

"time" REAL None During etching, "time" is used instead of a

"depth" value. In this case, the global list called
etchrates must be set as well before the etch
command is used.

Function:
sdepe:etch-material

"type" STRING "iso" Deposition and etching can be "iso" (isotropic)

(deposition) or "aniso" (anisotropic).
"aniso"
(etching) Function:
sdepe:depo
sdepe:etch-material
sdepe:pattern

"vexity" STRING "convex" Rounding type for rounded deposition. Possible

(deposition) values are "convex", "concave", or "all".
The default vexity is "convex" for deposition
"concave" and "concave" for etching.
(etching)
Function:
sdepe:depo
sdepe:etch-material

Process Emulation Algorithms

Different algorithms can be used during process emulation. In each sdepe function, the
algorithm can be specified using the keyword algorithm and the name of the actual algorithm
that will be used during the operation. Table 24 on page 154 provides some information about
how to select the algorithm, depending on the model and the type of the operation. General
models are the ‘native’ CAD-type models that are generated in Sentaurus Structure Editor. The
polyhedral models are typically generated in a process simulator and are loaded into Sentaurus
Structure Editor for further processing.

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Table 24 Process emulation algorithms and their application areas

Algorithm Model Process emulation type

"lop-move" General Isotropic

"lopx" General Isotropic

"PT" Polyhedral Isotropic

"sweep" General, polyhedral Anisotropic

The lop-move Algorithm

The "lop-move" algorithm is a simple algorithm where the exposed body is translated simply
by an offset vector, and Boolean operations are used to find the offset body. This algorithm is
very robust and, in some cases (for example, trench formation), it generates an acceptable
result.

The lopx Algorithm

The "lopx" algorithm is a string algorithm that moves the individual faces of the exposed top
surface, calculates the necessary face–face intersections, and reconstructs the topologically
correct offset surface.

The "lopx" algorithm is used for isotropic operations where the topology can change during
offsetting. It is a complex algorithm that works best when the face connectivity (the number of
faces at a given vertex) is relatively low. The "lopx" algorithm is the default algorithm for
isotropic operations.

The PT Algorithm
The "PT" algorithm is a special algorithm that has been designed to be a fast and robust
algorithm to handle large polyhedral models. Typically, polyhedral models have many planar
faces, with possibly high face connectivity.

The "PT" algorithm is called using "algorithm" "PT". It cannot be applied to models that
contain nonplanar faces. When the "PT" algorithm is used, normal rounding and edge blending
cannot be used. A similar effect to rounding can be achieved with the algorithm by using the
max-chamfer-angle argument.

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The "PT" algorithm cannot be combined with any other keywords that would result in a
nonpolyhedral (curved) model. There is some user control that can be applied to the "PT"
algorithm. Table 25 lists these control parameters.

The following parameters must be used with "PT":

material This parameter specifies the DATEX material that will be assigned to the
deposited layer.
thickness This parameter specifies the isotropic offset value that will determine the
thickness of the deposited layer.

Table 25 Procem keywords for PT algorithm

Keyword Type Default value Description

"max-chamfer- REAL 30 If the angle between two adjacent face-normals is

angle" greater than the specified angle, chamfer faces are
inserted. A nonpositive value indicates that no
chamfer faces are to be inserted between the offset
faces; a value in the range [30., 90.] is usually
reasonable for the chamfer face insertion criteria.

Function:
sdepe:depo
sdepe:etch-material
sdepe:pattern

"min-feature- REAL 45 The PT algorithm sorts the exposed faces into face
angle" groups. Each face group is offset separately, creating
offset bodies with a uniform offset. The offset bodies
are then connected with chamfer bodies. The "max-
chamfer-angle" parameter determines how many
chamfer faces are inserted. The default value of 45
for "min-feature-angle" generates good results in
most cases.

If the angle between two adjacent face-normals is

greater than the specified angle, the edge between the
two faces will be considered a feature edge.

Function:
sdepe:depo
sdepe:etch-material
sdepe:pattern

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The sweep Algorithm

The "sweep" algorithm is a very robust offsetting algorithm, which can be used for anisotropic
and directional operations where the topology does not change. When the "sweep" algorithm
is used, exposed faces are swept individually and the generated swept bodies are united using
Boolean operations.

When it is applied for directional operations with shadowing, first the silhouette edges are
computed and the faces are grouped by visibility. Only the visible faces are swept so no
topology change occurs. Since there is no topology change, the "sweep" algorithm works very
robustly. It is the default algorithm for anisotropic operations; therefore, anisotropic operations
can be performed robustly using Procem.

Restrictions on Handling Mixed Models

If a 3D model is already present, there are some restrictions regarding the model geometry,
when additional Procem steps are to be performed on the model:
■ The existing device must be placed in such a way that the base of the device lies in the xy
plane. All process emulation functions are to be performed on the top of the device (in the
+z-direction). If some rear-side processing is required, the model can be transformed
before any Procem functions are called. After the process emulation steps, the model can
be transformed back to the original coordinate system.
■ The domain boundary in the base xy plane must be a convex, simply connected boundary
(a rectangular domain boundary is preferred).
■ If the domain boundary is not yet defined, the domain boundary is calculated automatically
based on the existing 3D regions on the device. The global variable domainboundary
stores the domain boundary (wire body).
■ All subsequent Procem steps are performed over the domain boundary.
■ The Procem operations check the domain boundary against the bounding box of the model
in each process step and, if there is a mismatch, the domain boundary will be recomputed.
If the model undergoes a rigid body transformation (for example, reflection or translation)
between any Procem steps, the domain boundary will be updated automatically. The
domainboundary global Scheme variable (which holds the wire body that represents the
domain boundary) also is changed to define the new domain boundary.
■ The domain boundary also can be created manually using the Scheme function
(entity:delete domainboundary).

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Process Emulation Steps

Defining Domain
If a device is created from the beginning, the domain boundary must be specified first, using
the sdepe:define-pe-domain Scheme extension. All subsequent Procem steps are
performed over this domain boundary. If Procem steps are to be performed on an existing 3D
structure, the domain boundary need not be defined. The domain boundary is extracted
automatically from the device geometry. The global variable domainboundary stores the
domain boundary. If the simulation domain changes between process steps (for example, the
device is reflected or mirrored), the original domain boundary must be deleted using
(entity:delete domainboundary). A subsequent process step recalculates the correct
domain boundary.

NOTE The process emulation commands operate on the entire device and
cannot be restricted to operate only on a certain part (defined by a
rectangular domain). However, if you want to modify the process
emulation domain, use the sdegeo:chop-domain command to
remove the unwanted part of the model. After the unwanted part is
removed, the previously computed domain boundary must be deleted
using the (entity:delete domainboundary) command.

Generating Substrate
The sdepe:add-substrate Scheme extension is used to generate an initial substrate layer.

Patterning
The sdepe:pattern Scheme extension is used to perform a pattern process-emulation step.

Patterning Keywords and Keyword Combinations

Table 26 on page 158 lists all the keywords that the sdepe:pattern command accepts in
addition to the keywords that are defined in Table 27 on page 161 for deposition.

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All the keywords that can be used for deposition can also be used during a patterning step, so
those keywords are not explained here; they are explained in Deposition on page 160.

Table 26 Patterning keywords and keyword combinations

Type Keyword Functionality

All keywords listed in Table 27 on page 161 plus:

Basic parameter "mask" The keyword "mask" identifies the mask that is used for patterning. The
first step during a pattern operation is a deposition step (without using the
specified mask). In the second step, the mask (or the complementary
mask, depending on the specified polarity) is extruded and is combined
with the deposited layer (using some Boolean operations) to form the
patterned layer.

Basic control "polarity" This keyword can be "light" (default value) or "dark". It is used to
specify whether the used mask or the complementary mask (with respect
to the domain boundary) should be used during the pattern operation.

Anisotropic Patterning

Figure 85 was generated using Procem and the following script:

(sde:clear)
;# Mask definition #
(sdepe:generate-mask "MASK1" (list (list 0 0 5 4)))
(sdepe:generate-mask "MASK2" (list (list 4 1 7 3)))
;# Process Flow #
(sdepe:define-pe-domain 0 0 10 4)
(sdepe:add-substrate "material" "Silicon" "thickness" 2)
(sdepe:pattern "mask" "MASK1" "polarity" "light" "material" "Nitride"
"thickness" 1 "type" "aniso")
(sdepe:pattern "mask" "MASK2" "polarity" "light" "material" "PolySilicon"
"thickness" 1 "type" "aniso")
(sdepe:pattern "mask" "MASK2" "polarity" "light" "material" "Oxide"
"thickness" 0.2 "type" "aniso")

Z X

Figure 85 Examples of anisotropic patterning

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Isotropic Patterning

Figure 86 was generated with Procem using the script for the anisotropic patterning operation,
except that, in this case, instead of "type" "aniso", the argument "type" "iso" was used.

Figure 86 Examples of isotropic pattern operations

Photo Operation
The sdepe:photo Scheme extension is used to perform a flat pattern process-emulation step.
The operation uses an existing mask to perform a pattern operation. The difference between a
pattern step (sdepe:pattern) and a photo step (sdepe:photo) is that, in the case of a photo
step, the top of the device will be flat. This provides more robust behavior if the sdepe:photo
command is used.

Photo Keywords and Keyword Combinations

See the description of sdepe:photo on page 780 for all available keywords and arguments.

Example
Figure 87 on page 160 was generated with Procem using the following script:
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 10 10 4) "Silicon" "x1")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 3 4) (position 4 7 6) "PolySilicon" "x2")
(define f1 (car (find-face-id (position 1 1 4))))
(define f2 (car (find-face-id (position 2 5 6))))
(sdegeo:taper-faces (list f1) (position 5 5 4) (gvector 1 0 0) 10)
(sdegeo:taper-faces (list f2) (position 2 5 6) (gvector 1 0 0) -10)
(sdepe:generate-mask "M1" (list (list 0 0 10 5)))
(sdepe:photo "mask" "M1" "material" "Copper" "polarity" "light" "height" 7)

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Figure 87 (right) was created using:

(sdepe:pattern "mask" "M1" "material" "Copper" "polarity" "light"
"thickness" 1)

instead of:
(sdepe:photo "mask" "M1" "material" "Copper" "polarity" "light" "height" 7)

If "height" is used, the flat top of the created body is placed at the "height" position.
Instead of "height", you can use the "thickness" parameter. In this case, the top
z-coordinate of the created body is placed at zmax + thickness, where zmax is the top z-
coordinate of the initial device.

Figure 87 Example of a photo (flat pattern) operation: (left) initial structure with slanted top
faces, (middle) sdepe:photo-created layer with flat top surface, and (right)
sdepe:pattern-created layer, which follows the underlying geometry

Deposition
The sdepe:depo Scheme extension is used to perform a deposition process-emulation step.

Deposition Keywords and Keyword Combinations

Table 27 on page 161 lists all of the keywords that the sdepe:depo command accepts. It is
organized into functional groups:
■ The basic parameter group contains the minimal set of keywords that can be used to create
a deposited layer (only the deposit material and thickness belong here).
■ The basic control group contains all the keywords that can be used in addition to the basic
parameters to control the deposition type.
■ The advanced control groups list all the keywords that can be used to achieve a certain goal
(such as rounding and tapering). These groups can be used alone or in combination with
each other.

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■ The last group (technical parameters) can be used to improve the robustness of the
sdepe:depo operation. In some cases (especially when global topology changes occur)
with some step control, the operation can behave more robustly.

Table 27 Deposition keywords and keyword combinations

Type Keyword Functionality

Basic parameters "thickness" Default Manhattan-type deposition with isotropic offsetting.

"material" The "thickness" keyword controls the offset distance and
"material" controls the assigned material for the deposited
layer.

Basic control "region" Region name control. The specified region name is assigned
to the created deposited layer. If "region" is not used, the
region name is assigned automatically to the deposited layer.

"type" Controls the isotropic or anisotropic offset type. The

keyword–value pair "type" "iso" creates a uniformly offset
deposit layer and "type" "aniso" creates an anisotropic
offset layer. (The actual thickness at each point (in the
vertical direction) depends on the face normal. Vertical faces
are not offset.)

Advanced controls (these groups can be combined)

Rounding "rounding" Rounding and control parameters for rounding.

"radius" Either "rounding" or "radius" is used. If "rounding" is
"vexity" used, the rounding radius is determined automatically. If
"advanced-rounding" "radius" is used, the specified radius is used during the
rounding phase.
If "radius" is greater than the minimum edge length of the
exposed surface, the radius is readjusted. (This automatic
feature is switched off using the "advanced-rounding"
keyword. In this case, the rounding might not be as robust as
with the readjusted rounding radius but, for simpler
geometries (for example, extruded models), this option can
be used.)
The "vexity" keyword controls which edges are rounded.
The possibilities are "convex", "concave", or "all".

Tapering "taper-angle" Tapering and taper face selection control.

"taper-direction" The "taper-angle" keyword controls the angle that is used
to taper the vertical planar side faces of the deposited layer. In
addition, "taper-direction" can be specified for
additional filtering of the vertical planar side faces, by
selecting only the x- or y-axis-aligned faces or both.

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Table 27 Deposition keywords and keyword combinations (Continued)

Type Keyword Functionality

Selective deposition "initial-thickness" Selective deposition and control parameters for selective
"selective-material" deposition. If "selective-material" is used, the deposited
"selective-taper" layer is created only on those parts of the exposed top surface
that were originally assigned the defined selective material.
Further control can be applied using "selective-
material" and "selective-taper".
See Selective Deposition on page 165 for a detailed
explanation of these keywords.

Directional "ray-vector" Directional deposition with control parameters for boundary

deposition with or "BC" conditions and shadowing.
without shadowing "ext-dist" By default, the deposition is performed on the top (+z-
"shadowing" direction) exposed faces assuming a vertical direction. This
can be changed by using a ray vector different from
(gvector 0 0 -1).
The "ray-vector" keyword is used to specify the ray
direction. If directional deposition is used, the domain
boundary can be extended automatically using "BC", which
can be set to "none", "Extend", "Reflect", or
"Periodic".
If the "Reflect" option is used, the model is reflected
automatically to those sides of the domain boundary that are
in the ray direction. When the "Periodic" option is used, a
copy of the model is added along those sides of the domain
boundary that are in the ray direction.
The "Extend" option (default) can be used to extend the
model. If the extension distance is not specified, the size of
the extension (based on the ray direction and the offset
distance) is calculated automatically. The extension distance
can be specified using "ext-dist".
The "shadowing" keyword is used to activate shadowing. In
this case, deposition will not occur on those parts of the
device that are shadowed in the ray direction. After
deposition, the domain boundary is trimmed back to the
original domain boundary.

Technical parameters "adaptive" These parameters control some of the technical aspects of the
operation.

The "adaptive" option is used to perform the offset in more

than one step (if the geometry requires that for robustness).
The offset size in each step is calculated automatically, based
on some geometric considerations. The offsetting continues
in steps until the total deposit thickness is reached. If
"adaptive" is used, in some cases, the number of steps
might be too large and the operation takes considerably
longer than without this option.
NOTE Use this option only if the deposition step fails
without this option.

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Table 27 Deposition keywords and keyword combinations (Continued)

Type Keyword Functionality

Technical parameters "algorithm" Controls the selection of the offset algorithm.

If "type" "iso" is used, the default algorithm is set to
"lopx". In some cases, this algorithm might fail, but the
simpler "lop-move" algorithm can work and result in an
acceptable deposited layer.
If "type" "aniso" is used, the default algorithm is set to
"sweep". This is the only available algorithm for anisotropic
deposition and should be sufficiently robust to handle even
large (tessellated) models. For large tessellated (polyhedral)
models, in the case of isotropic deposition, the "PT"
algorithm is recommended.
NOTE None of the other advanced option arguments can be
used if the "PT" algorithm is used.

"steps" This optional parameter controls the number of steps used

during deposition. The default value is 1. If a different step
number is used, the total deposit thickness is divided by the
number of steps, and the operation is performed in steps.

Anisotropic Deposition
(sde:clear)
(sdepe:generate-mask "MASK1" (list (list 2 2 5 3)))
(sdepe:generate-mask "MASK2" (list (list 14 7 13.73 8 13 8.73 12 9 11 8.73
10.27 8 10 7 10.27 6 11 5.27 12 5 13 5.23 13.73 6)))
(sdepe:define-pe-domain (list 0 0 15 10))
(sdepe:add-substrate "material" "Silicon" "thickness" 2)
(sdepe:pattern "mask” "MASK1" "polarity" "light" "material" "Resist"
"thickness" 1)
(sdepe:pattern "mask" "MASK2" "polarity” "light" "material" "Resist"
"thickness" 2)
(sdepe:depo "material" "Oxide" "thickness" 0.25 "type" "aniso")

Figure 88 Anisotropic deposition, mask layout, and deposited layers

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Isotropic Deposition

Example: Isotropic Deposition With blend-vexity = "none"

In this example, this is the same code as used to illustrate anisotropic deposition. The only
difference is that the anisotropic step is replaced with:
(sdepe:depo "material" "Oxide" "thickness" 0.25 "type" "iso")

Figure 89 Manhattan-type isotropic deposition

The default "type" is "iso" for deposition. Therefore, if the "type" is not specified in the
argument list, an isotropic operation is performed. The isotropic deposition step can also be
performed by using the optional arguments and applying different types of rounding.

Example: Isotropic Deposition With blend-vexity = "convex"

(sdepe:depo "material" "Oxide" "thickness" 0.25 "vexity" "convex"
"radius" 0.25)

Figure 90 Isotropic deposition with “vexity” “convex”

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Example: Isotropic Deposition With blend-vexity = "concave"

(sdepe:depo "material" "Oxide" "thickness" 0.25 "vexity" "concave"
"radius" 0.25)

Figure 91 Isotropic deposition with “vexity” “concave”

Example: Isotropic Deposition With blend-vexity = "all"

(sdepe:depo "material" "Oxide" "thickness" 0.25 "vexity" "all" "radius" 0.25)

Figure 92 Isotropic deposition with “vexity” “all”

Selective Deposition
By default, deposition is performed on the entire exposed top surface, unless the argument
"selective-material" is used, in which case, the deposition is performed only on those
selected faces that originally belonged to the specified material.

Figure 93 on page 166 was generated with Procem using the following script:
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 10 10 4) "Silicon" "x1")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 3 4) (position 4 7 6) "PolySilicon" "x2")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 3) (position 10 3 4) "Silicide" "x3")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 7 3) (position 10 10 4) "Silicide" "x4")
(sdepe:depo "material" "Copper" "light" "thickness" 1 "selective-material"
"Silicide")

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Figure 93 Selective deposition using the "selective-material" argument: (left) before

deposition and (right) after deposition

An additional parameter "initial-thickness" can be used to control how much

anisotropy or isotropy is applied during selective deposition. The "initial-thickness"
parameter is a real number between 0 and 1.

If "initial-thickness" is used, during the first phase, initial-thickness *

thickness is deposited on the selective material by inserting vent faces between the selective
material and the other materials. In the second phase, the selective material is offset by (1 –
initial-thickness) * thickness.

When the deposition type is isotropic, the vent faces that were inserted during the first phase
of the selective deposition are also offset. (Therefore, the deposited body will overstretch the
selective material.) Figure 94 shows the effect of different values of "initial-thickness".

Figure 94 Selective deposition with "initial-thickness" values of (left) 0.2 and (right) 0.8

In addition, tapering can be combined with selective deposition. If the "selective-taper"

argument is used with the #t value, the selectively deposited body is separated, and the vertical
walls of the offset body are tapered. If this parameter is not used, tapering is performed globally
on the united body, where the selectively deposited body is combined first with all other bodies,
and the vertical walls of the united body are tapered.

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Figure 95 shows the deposited layer with tapered vertical walls in the case where the
"selective-taper" #t argument pair is used.

Figure 95 Selective deposition using the "selective-taper" #t argument pair

Directional Deposition

By default, the Procem operations are performed in the global z-direction, assuming a vertical
ray direction. The device is placed in the global xy plane and the exposed top surface of the
device points in the +z-direction.

If directional effects are taken into consideration, it is possible to define a ray vector other than
(0 0 –1). The ray vector can be specified using the "ray-vector" argument and the ray
direction (GVECTOR). For example, "ray-vector" (gvector 1 0 -1).

NOTE The "ray-vector" must be defined in such a way that the ray hits the
top surface. Therefore, for example, (gvector 1 0 0) or (gvector
1 0 1) is not permitted.

Directional effects are associated with anisotropy; therefore, use "type" "aniso" for
directional operations.

For anisotropic operations, the suggested algorithm is the "sweep" algorithm, which can be
called, by using the keywords "algorithm" "sweep".

As a result of the directional operation, an unwanted side-rim artifact is usually generated

around the domain boundary. This side effect can be eliminated by applying an additional
boundary condition during the Procem operation. The keyword "BC" is used to specify an
additional boundary condition. The keyword "BC" has the following options:
■ "none", in which case, no boundary condition is applied.
■ "Extend" extends the device around the domain boundary before the directional operation
and trims the device to the original domain afterwards. The extension length is calculated

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automatically based on the ray direction, or it can be specified explicitly by using the
"ext-dist" keyword and an extension length.
■ "Periodic" applies a periodic boundary condition about the device (the actual ray
direction is taken into consideration), so the periodicity is usually not applied to all sides.
After the operation, the device is trimmed to the original domain.
■ "Reflect" applies a reflective boundary condition about the device (the actual ray
direction is taken into consideration), so the periodicity is usually not applied to all sides.
After the operation, the device is trimmed to the original domain.

The following example illustrates directional deposition:

(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "AB")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 10 10 4) "Silicon" "x1")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 3 3 4) (position 7 7 8) "Silicon" "x1")

Figure 96 (left) was created using:

(sdepe:depo "thickness" 1 "material" "Copper" "ray-vector" (gvector 1 1 -1)
"algorithm" "sweep")

Figure 96 (right) was created using:

(sdepe:depo "thickness" 1 "material" "Copper" "shadowing" #t "ray-vector"
(gvector 1 1 -1) "algorithm" "sweep")

Figure 96 Directional deposition with different options: (left) using the "ray-vector"
parameter only without the "shadowing" option and (right) the same operation
with "shadowing" #t

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Shadowing

In addition, the shadowing effect can be taken into consideration by adding "shadowing" #t
to the Procem argument list. When the shadowing option is used, the following additional steps
are performed during process emulation:
■ Based on the ray direction, the silhouette edges of the device are imprinted to the top
exposed surface of the device.
■ Raytracing is applied to determine face visibility. (After the silhouette edges are imprinted,
exposed faces can be classified as visible or nonvisible.)
■ Based on the visibility result, the face displacement map, which was calculated based on
the "type" keyword, is modified. A zero displacement is assigned to all nonvisible faces.

The "shadowing" option can be used to compute face visibility and to omit the nonvisible
faces from being offset. If it is needed, faces will be split along the contour lines, which will be
imprinted to the faces during the visibility calculation. The following example illustrates the
effect of the "shadowing" option:
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "AB")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 10 10 4) "Silicon" "x1")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 4) (position 10 5 8) "Silicon" "x1"))
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "ABA")
(define mb (sdegeo:create-cylinder (position 0 5 4) (position 10 5 4) 2
"Silicon" "x1"))
(entity:delete mb)

Figure 97 (left) was created using:

(sdepe:depo "material" "Copper" "thickness" 0.5)

Figure 97 Effect of "shadowing" option during deposition: (left) without shadowing and
(right) with shadowing

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Figure 97 on page 169 (right) was created using:

(sdepe:depo "material" "Copper" "thickness" 0.5 "shadowing" #t)

Rounding and Advanced Rounding

If rounding is used, the rounding radius must be specified. To add more robustness to the
rounding operation, the rounding radius is corrected automatically when a small edge is
detected on the top exposed surface. If "vexity" is "convex" (default) or "concave", the
rounding radius is set to 0.9 * minimal edge length if this value is smaller than the actual
rounding radius. If "vexity" is "all", the multiplication factor is 0.45 not 0.9.

For some cases (for example, extruded models), the rounding can be performed with a larger
radius. In these cases, the automatic reassignment of the rounding radius can be overruled by
using the "advanced-rounding" parameter. The following example shows the effect of the
parameter:
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "AB")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 10 10 4) "Silicon" "xx")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 3 4) (position 10 7 6) "Silicon" "xx")

Figure 98 (left) was created using:

(sdepe:depo "thickness" 1 "material" "Copper" "radius" 2)

(In this case, the rounding radius is corrected automatically due to the small edge on the top
exposed surface. Sentaurus Structure Editor displays the warning message "APPLIED DEPO
BLEND RADIUS 1".)

Figure 98 (right) was created using:

(sdepe:depo "thickness" 1 "material" "Copper" "radius" 2
"advanced-rounding" #t)

Figure 98 Deposition (left) without "advanced-rounding" and (right) with "advanced-

rounding"

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Etching
The sdepe:etch-material Scheme extension can be used to perform an etching process
emulation step.

Etching Keywords and Keyword Combinations

Table 28 lists all the keywords that the sdepe:etch-material command accepts in addition
to the keywords that are defined in Table 27 on page 161 for deposition. It is organized around
functional groups.

The basic parameter group contains the minimal set of keywords that can be used to perform
an etching step in Procem (only the depth parameter belongs here).

Table 28 Etching keywords and keyword combinations

Type Keyword Functionality

Basic parameter "depth" Etch offset distance. (Instead of "thickness", "depth" must be
used in etching.)

Advanced controls (these groups can be combined)

The keywords and keyword combinations that can be used for deposition can also be used for etching. See the
rounding, tapering, directional deposition, and technical parameters, keywords, and keyword combinations in
Table 27. In addition to these functional groups, the following controls can be used:

Overetch "overetch" Controls the amount of overetch that is applied during etching.

Selective etching "time" If the global etchrates list is defined, when you use "time",
selective etching can be achieved.

Example: Etching Operation Using Different Etch Options

(sde:clear)
(sdepe:generate-mask "MASK1" (list (list 2 2 8 8) (list 12 2 18 8)))
(sdepe:define-pe-domain (list 0 0 20 10))
(sdepe:add-substrate "material" "Silicon" "thickness" 2)
(sdepe:pattern "mask" "MASK1" "polarity" "light" "material" "Resist"
"thickness" 0.5)
; Use one of the following operations to perform the etch step
(sdepe:etch-material "material" "Silicon" "depth" 1 "type" "iso" "algorithm"
"lopx")
(sdepe:etch-material "material" "Silicon" "depth" 1 "type" "iso" "algorithm"
"lopx" "overetch" 1)
(sdepe:etch-material "material" "Silicon" "depth" 1 "type" "iso" "algorithm"
"lopx" "overetch" 1 "vexity" "all" "radius" 0.6)

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Figure 99 Etch operation: (upper left) original model, (upper right) etching without overetch,
(lower left) etching with overetch, and (lower right) etching with overetch and
rounding

Example: Multimaterial Etching

If the "time" parameter is used instead of "depth" and the global variable etchrates is set,
multimaterial etching can be performed. The following example illustrates multimaterial
etching:
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0.0 0.0 0.0) (position 1.2 0.8 1.0) "Silicon"
"R.Substrate")
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "ABA")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0.0 0.5 0.5) (position 1.2 0.8 1.0) "Oxide"
"R.STI")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0.0 0.2 0.8) (position 0.4 0.5 1.0) "Silicide"
"R.Source")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0.8 0.2 0.8) (position 1.2 0.5 1.0) "Silicide"
"R.Drain")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0.4 0.0 1.0) (position 0.8 0.6 1.3)
"PolySilicon" "R.Poly")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0.5 0.0 1.3) (position 0.7 0.5 1.4) "Silicide"
"R.Gate")
; Multimaterial etch, using an etch rate table
(define etchrates (list (list "Oxide" 0.15) (list "PolySilicon" 0.05)
(list "Silicon" 0.20) (list "Silicide" 0.00)))
(sdepe:etch-material "time" 1.0)

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Figure 100 shows the initial model and multimaterial etching using the command
(sdepe:etch-material "time" 1.0).

Figure 100 Multimaterial etching: (left) initial model and (right) multimaterial etching

Some Notes About Multimaterial Etching

The multimaterial etching code removes material (according to the etch table rates) only from
the initially exposed bodies. If a given material layer is not exposed initially, it will not be
etched if the etching is performed in one step. When etching is performed in multiple steps, the
buried layers are exposed gradually, and the multimaterial etching can remove initially
nonexposed layers as well.

In the following example, the multimaterial etching works well in one step, since all materials,
with specified nonzero etch rates, are exposed initially (Figure 101 on page 174 shows the
initial structure and the etched model):
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 5 5 4) "Silicon" "x1")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 5 0 0) (position 10 5 4) "Copper" "x2")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 5 0) (position 5 10 4) "Nitride" "x3")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 5 5 0) (position 10 10 4) "Oxide" "x4")
(define etchrates (list (list "Silicon" 1) (list "Copper" 0.5)
(list "Nitride" 0.25) (list "Oxide" 0.125)))
(sdepe:etch-material "time" 1 "type" "aniso" "algorithm" "sweep")

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Figure 101 Multimaterial etch example (all bodies are exposed initially): (left) initial structure
and (right) etched model

In the following example, only the silicon layer is exposed initially. The thickness of the silicon
layer is 5, and the etch rate for the silicon is 1. This means that, if the time parameter is ≥ 5 ,
the complete silicon layer will be removed by the etch operation. If the etch operation would
be performed in two steps, the first step would remove the silicon layer completely and the
copper layer would be exposed and, in the second step, 5 x 0.5 = 2.5 thickness would be
removed from the copper layer as well:
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 5 5 5) "Oxide" "x1")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 5) (position 5 5 10) "Nitride" "x2")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 10) (position 5 5 15) "Copper" "x3")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 15) (position 5 5 20) "Silicon" "x4")
(define etchrates (list (list "Silicon" 1) (list "Copper" 0.5)
(list "Nitride" 0.25) (list "Oxide" 0.125)))
(sdepe:etch-material "time" 10 "type" "aniso" "algorithm" "sweep" "steps" 10)

Figure 102 shows the initial structure and the etched model.

Figure 102 Multimaterial etch example (only one layer is exposed initially): (left) initial
structure and (right) etched model

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If the thickness of each layer is known, an optimal step size can be selected. If the layer
thicknesses are not known, a reasonably large step size is needed to etch all initially
nonexposed material, with a nonzero etch rate.

Some Notes About Shadowing

In the case of anisotropic etching, the internal buried materials (other than the etch material)
will protect the underlying shadowed part. In the case of isotropic etching, the above described
shadow protection is disabled, so the etch operation will remove etch material under the
protected layers if these areas are connected to the exposed surface (that is, the initial exposed
etch material touches these etch material layers). If there are buried (initially nonexposed) etch
material layers, which are completely isolated by some other materials, these materials will be
protected as well.

Fill
The command sdepe:fill-device can be used to perform a fill process-emulation step.
The command (sdepe:fill-device "material" "Gas" "height" 6) was used to
demonstrate the fill operation in Figure 103. The optional "region" parameter can be used to
specify the region name of the filled region.

Figure 103 Fill operation

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Polishing
The sdepe:polish-device Scheme extension can be used to perform a polishing process-
emulation step. To perform selective polishing, the optional "material" parameter can be
used to specify the bodies to be polished.

Z Z
Y Y
X X

Z
Z Y
Y X
X

Figure 104 Polishing steps starting from the upper-left corner and performing polish steps
(left to right)

Interconnect Layer Generation

Complex interconnect structures can be created easily with the sdepe:icon_layer
command. The basic assumption is that the initial structure is flat.

The sdepe:icon_layer command always creates a flat layer on top of the existing structure.
The z-coordinates of the bottom and top of each layer are constant. Each layer consists of two
materials: the interconnect material and the surrounding material. The interconnect body is
created using the specified mask and mask polarity. The mask is swept from the top of the
previous layer, and the sidewalls of the swept body can be tapered by specifying a taper angle
in the arguments list.

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Table 29 lists the keywords for interconnect layer generation and keyword combinations.

Table 29 Keywords for interconnect layer generation and keyword combinations

Type Keyword Functionality

Basic parameters "mask" Name of the mask.

"thickness" Layer thickness

"polarity" Mask polarity (default is "light").

"ic-material" Interconnect material (default is "Metal").

"env-material" Fill material (default is "Gas").

Basic control "taper-angle" Taper angle (default is 0).

Example: Generating an Interconnect Structure

The following script demonstrates the use of sdepe:icon_layer and Figure 105 shows the
generated structure:
(sde:clear)
(sdepe:define-pe-domain (list 1 1 9 9))
(sdepe:add-substrate "Silicon" 1.0)
;# Mask definition #
(sdepe:generate-mask "Via1" (list (list 2 6 3 7) (list 7 6 8 7)))
(sdepe:generate-mask "Metal1" (list (list 2 0 3 10) (list 7 0 8 10)))
(sdepe:generate-mask "Via2" (list (list 2 3 3 4) (list 7 3 8 4)))
(sdepe:generate-mask "Metal2" (list (list 0 2.5 10 4.5)))
(sdepe:icon_layer "mask" "Via1" "polarity" "light" "thickness" 0.4
"ic-material" "Aluminum" "env-material" "Oxide" "taper-angle" 20)
(sdepe:icon_layer "mask" "Metal1" "polarity" "light" "thickness" 0.6
"ic-material" "Aluminum" "env-material" "Oxide" "taper-angle" 10)
(sdepe:icon_layer "mask" "Via2" "polarity" "light" "thickness" 0.8
"ic-material" "Aluminum" "env-material" "Oxide" "taper-angle" 20)
(sdepe:icon_layer "mask" "Metal2" "polarity" "light" "thickness" 1.2
"ic-material" "Aluminum" "env-material" "Oxide" "taper-angle" 10)

Figure 105 Interconnect structure: (left) mask layout, (middle) final interconnect structure
with oxide hidden, and (right) with oxide shown

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Figure 106 (Left) Example of an interconnect structure created using an external layout file
and (right) 2D cut of interconnect structure showing tapered sidewalls

Shape Library
Sentaurus Structure Editor defines a set of commands to create special shapes (2D and 3D solid
regions) that can be inserted into a 3D model. The following commands are available as part
of the shape library:
■ PolyHedronSTI creates a shallow trench isolation (STI) shape (3D).
■ PolyHedronSTIaccc creates an STI shape for a concave active corner (3D).
■ PolyHedronSTIaccv creates an STI shape for a convex active corner (3D).
■ PolyHedronCylinder creates a (tessellated) cylinder shape (3D).
■ PolyHedronEllipticCylinder creates a (tessellated) elliptic cylinder shape (3D).
■ PolyHedronEpiDiamond creates an epi diamond shape (3D).
■ PolygonSTI creates a shallow trench isolation (STI) shape (2D).
■ PolygonWaferMask creates a wafer shape (2D).

See Sentaurus™ Process User Guide, Shape Library on page 812 for detailed descriptions of
the commands.

Removing Material
The command sdepe:remove can be used to remove a top layer (with a given "material"
or "region" attribute). If there are multiple exposed bodies with the given material or region
name, all these bodies are removed.

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Doping and Implantation

For constant doping, see sdepe:doping-constant-placement on page 767.

For a Gaussian doping profile, see sdepe:etch-material on page 768.

An example of using the doping and implantation commands is:

(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0.0 0.0 0.0) (position 1.0 1.0 1.0)
"Silicon" "region_1")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0.0 0.0 1.0) (position 0.3 0.3 1.2)
"PolySilicon" "region_2")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 1.0 1.0 1.0) (position 0.7 0.4 1.2)
"Resist" "region_3")
(sdepe:doping-constant-placement "BackGround" "BoronActiveConcentration" 1e16
"region_1")
(sdepe:implant "Implant_As")
(sdedr:define-refeval-window "RefEvalWin.Channel" "Rectangle"
(position -0.025 0.00 0) (position 0.025 0.01 0))
(sdedr:define-refinement-size "RefDef.BG" 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.0125 0.0125 0.0125)
(sdedr:define-refinement-function "RefDef.BG" "DopingConcentration"
"MaxTransDiff" 1)
(sdedr:define-refinement-region "RefPlace.Si" "RefDef.BG" "region_1")
(sdedr:define-refinement-region "RefPlace.Po" "RefDef.BG" "region_2")
(sde:build-mesh "Implant_example")

Figure 107 Gaussian implantation on a silicon example with a rectangle of resist on the
surface; the lateral penetration of the higher doping is red underneath the resist

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NOTE By default, the sdepe:implant command places the doping profile at

all surfaces exposed to gas, including the vertical sidewalls. If the
implantation should be performed only on the inclined (nonvertical)
faces, the "flat" keyword must be added to the sdepe:implant
argument list.

Process Emulation Example

This example illustrates some process emulation commands introduced in this chapter. The
example is a complete Scheme script with variable definitions and process emulation
commands. It contains commands for mask generation, domain definition, and substrate
generation. Isotropic depositions, patterning steps, and etching operations are used to illustrate
process emulation steps with Procem.

The example shows a backend (interconnect) structure generation using a dual-damascene

process emulation. First, two oxide layers (separated by a nitride layer) are deposited on the
silicon substrate. Second, vias are etched in the bottom oxide layer followed by etching of lines
in the top oxide layer. A thin barrier layer is deposited in the etched vias and lines.
Subsequently, they are filled with copper, which is finally polished to form the metal lines.

The Scheme code for generating an interconnect structure is:

; Clear the database
(sde:clear)
(define W 2.2) ; Total width of the simulation domain.
(define H 2.8) ; Total length of the simulation domain.
(define HD 3.0) ; Total domain length.
; Metal line mask creation
(sdepe:generate-mask "MASK0" (list
(list 0.2 2.8 0.2 -0.6 2 -0.6 2 -0.3 0.5 -0.3 0.5 2.8)
(list 0.7 0 1 2.8)
(list 1.2 0 1.5 2.8)
(list 1.7 0 2 2.8)))
; Via mask creation
(sdepe:generate-mask "MASK1" (list
(list 0.25 1.2 0.45 1.4)
(list 0.75 0.8 0.95 1)
(list 1.25 0.4 1.45 0.6)))
; Process Emulation Steps:
; Define domain
(sdepe:define-pe-domain (list 0.0 -1.0 W HD))

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; Create substrate
(sdepe:add-substrate "material" "Silicon" "thickness" 0.5)
; First layer of dielectric deposition for vias/contacts
(sdepe:depo "material" "Oxide" "thickness" 0.3)
; Nitride deposition
(sdepe:depo "material" "Nitride" "thickness" 0.05)
; Second layer of dielectric deposition for metal lines
(sdepe:depo "material" "Oxide" "thickness" 0.3)
; Vias pattern and etching
(sdepe:pattern "mask" "MASK1" "polarity" "dark" "material" "Resist"
"thickness" 0.1 "type" "iso")
(sdepe:etch-material "material" "Oxide" "depth" 0.65 "type" "aniso")
(sdepe:etch-material "material" "Nitride" "depth" 0.05 "type" "aniso")
(sdepe:remove "material" "Resist")
; Metal lines pattern and etching
(sdepe:pattern "mask" "MASK0" "polarity" "dark" "material" "Resist"
"thickness" 0.1)
(sdepe:etch-material "material" "Oxide" "depth" 1.0 "type" "aniso")
(sdepe:remove "material" "Resist")
; Barrier layer deposition
(sdepe:depo "material" "Gold" "thickness" 0.02)
; Metal (copper) deposition
(sdepe:depo "Copper" 0.2)
; Metal CMP
(sdepe:polish-device "thickness" 0.2)
; Fill with copper
(sdepe:fill-device "material" "Copper")

The following figures illustrate the process steps that were performed by the script.

Figure 108 Generated masks and domain boundary; the external rectangle wire shows the
simulation domain

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Figure 109 State of process emulation after the first pattern step (MASK1 as a ‘dark’ mask
was used); the patterned resist layer is translucent

Figure 110 A 2D cross section of the device after the first two etching steps (the vias mask is
removed)

Figure 111 State of process emulation after metal lines are patterned (MASK1 with ‘dark’
polarity)

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Figure 112 Deposited barrier layer is shown separately from two different angles

Figure 113 Final structure after final metal layer (copper) deposition and after last polish step
is performed

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CHAPTER 7 Electrical and Thermal Contacts

This chapter describes how to define contacts in Sentaurus Structure

Editor.

Overview
Contacts are interfacial regions where subsequent TCAD tools, such as Sentaurus Device,
apply electrical, thermal, or other boundary conditions. They correspond to physical contacts
in the real device. Contacts are edges in two dimensions and faces in three dimensions. The
contact edges and faces are part of the geometry.

Before an edge or a face can be assigned to a contact, the contact itself must be declared and
activated first.

There are distinct methods to assign edges or faces to contacts. You can either use an explicit
edge or face list, or select a region. In the latter case, all boundary edges or boundary faces will
be assigned to the contact.

Contacts are respected by all geometry-modifying operations, for example:

■ Contacts are maintained or updated as needed in transformations (scaling, translation,
rotation, and reflection).
■ Two-dimensional contact edges are transformed to 3D contact faces in operations such as
extrusion and sweeping.
■ Three-dimensional contact faces are reduced to 2D contact edges in operations such as
slicing.

A contact can consist of several disjoint edges or faces.

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Defining and Activating a Contact

Defining and Activating a Contact

To define and activate a contact:
1. Choose Contacts > Contact Sets.
The Contact Sets dialog box is displayed.

2. Enter a contact name.

3. Edit the color and line thickness for drawing the 2D contact edges if required.
4. Select the pattern to mark 3D contact faces if required.
5. Click Set to complete the contact declaration.
The new contact name is displayed the Defined Contact Sets list.
6. Select the newly defined contact from the Defined Contact Sets list, and click Activate.
The active contact is now displayed in the Contact list in the main window of Sentaurus
Structure Editor.

An already defined contact can be activated directly by selecting it from the Contact list of the
main window.

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:define-contact-set contact-name edge-thickness
(color:rgb red green blue) pattern)

For example:
(sdegeo:define-contact-set "substrate" 4 (color:rgb 1 0 0) "##")
(sdegeo:set-current-contact-set "substrate")

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Deleting a Contact

The contact edge color is defined using three values, each ranging from 0 to 1. These values
give the relative intensity of the three basic colors: red, green, and blue. For example:
■ red=(color:rgb 1 0 0)
■ green=(color:rgb 0 1 0)
■ blue=(color:rgb 0 0 1)
■ yellow=(color:rgb 1 1 0)
■ cyan=(color:rgb 0 1 1)
■ purple=(color:rgb 1 0 1)
■ gray=(color:rgb 0.5 0.5 0.5)

Deleting a Contact
To delete a contact definition:
1. Choose Contacts > Contact Sets.
2. Click the respective contact in the Defined Contact Sets list.
3. Click Delete.

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:delete-contact-set contact-name)

Assigning Edges or Faces to a Contact

To assign edges (2D) or faces (3D) to the currently active contact:
1. Click the Select button (see Table 8 on page 16).
2. From the Selection Level list, select Select Edge (for 2D) or Select Face (for 3D).
3. Select an edge (or a face) and hold the Shift key to select additional edges (or faces), or
drag a box around a set of edges (or faces).
4. Choose Contacts > Set Contact.
This command checks the type of the selected entities. If only edges are selected, it assigns
a 2D contact to the selected entities (same as choosing Contacts > Set Edges). If only faces
are selected (and the faces belong to 3D bodies), it assigns a 3D contact to the selected
entities (same as choosing Contacts > Set Faces).

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Assigning a Region Boundary to a Contact

Alternatively, right-click anywhere and choose Contacts. From the submenu, select an
already defined contact to assign all selected edges or faces to this contact, or select
Contact Sets to assign the edges or faces to a new contact. Define and activate this contact
as described in Defining and Activating a Contact on page 186.
5. Choose Contacts > Set Edges (for 2D) or Contacts > Set Faces (for 3D).

After closing the Contact Sets dialog box, all selected edges or faces are assigned to the newly
defined contact.

For example, for 2D structures, the corresponding Scheme commands are:

(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0.0 0.0 0) (position 1.0 1.0 0)
"Silicon" "region_1")
(sdegeo:set-contact (find-edge-id (position 0.5 0.0 0)) "cont")

For example, for 3D structures, the corresponding Scheme commands are:

(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0.0 0.0 0.0) (position 1.0 1.0 1.0)
"Silicon" "region_1")
(sdegeo:set-contact (find-face-id (position 0.5 0.5 1.0)) "cont")

Assigning a Region Boundary to a Contact

To assign all region boundary edges (2D) or all region boundary faces (3D) to the currently
active contact:
1. Click the Select button (see Table 8 on page 16).
2. From the Selection Level list, select Select Body.
3. Select a body and hold the Shift key to select additional bodies, or drag a box around a set
of bodies.
4. Choose Contacts > Set Region Boundary Edges (for 2D).
Choose Contacts > Set Region Boundary Faces (for 3D).

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:set-contact entity | entity-list [contact-name ["remove"]])

Specifying the "remove" option deletes the region and converts its boundaries into a contact.

For example, for 2D structures, the corresponding Scheme commands are:

(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0.0 0.0 0) (position 1.0 1.0 0)
"Silicon" "region_1")

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(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "ABA")
(define VIA (sdegeo:create-rectangle
(position 0.25 0.75 0) (position 0.75 1.5 0) "Metal" "region_2"))
(sdegeo:set-contact VIA "cont" "remove")

For example, for 3D structures, the corresponding Scheme commands are:

(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0.0 0.0 0.0) (position 1.0 1.0 1.0)
"Silicon" "region_1")
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "ABA")
(define VIA (sdegeo:create-cuboid
(position 0.25 0.25 0.75) (position 0.75 0.75 1.5) "Metal" "region_2"))
(sdegeo:set-contact VIA "cont" "remove")

You can use the sdegeo:set-contact function to assign contacts to geometric edges or
faces depending on model dimensionality. In three dimensions, this function attaches the
"3d-contact" attributes and the no merge attributes to the specified faces.

The face contacts are attached only to the specified faces if the sdegeo:set-contact
function is used.

If there are neighbor faces and you also want to define them as contacts, you can either:
■ List also the neighbor faces in the face list when sdegeo:set-contact is called (if they
are known).
■ Use the sdegeo:imprint-contact function, which automatically finds the neighbor
faces.

Removing Edges or Faces From a Contact

The procedures to remove edges or faces from a contact are similar to the procedures to assign
edges or faces to a contact (see Assigning Edges or Faces to a Contact on page 187 and
Assigning a Region Boundary to a Contact on page 188). After selecting the edges, faces, or
bodies, select the respective option by choosing Contacts > Unset.

The corresponding Scheme commands are:

(sdegeo:delete-contact-boundary-edges [body | body-list])
(sdegeo:delete-contact-boundary-faces [body | body-list])
(sdegeo:delete-contact-edges [edge | edge-list])
(sdegeo:delete-contact-faces [face | face-list])

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Creating Edges or Faces for Use in Contacts

As an alternative to the above procedures:

1. Click the Select button (see Table 8 on page 16).
2. From the Selection Level list, select Select Edge (2D) or Select Face (3D).
3. Select an edge (or a face) and hold the Shift key to select additional edges (or faces), or
drag a box around a set of edges (or faces).
4. Right-click anywhere and choose Contacts. From the submenu, view the list of contact
sets. A check mark shows which contact sets have already been placed at the selected entity
or entities.
5. Deselect the required contact to unset the selected edges or faces as that contact set.

Creating Edges or Faces for Use in Contacts

Only an entire edge or face can be assigned to a contact. If the contact should cover only part
of an edge or a face, the edge or face must be split explicitly.

In two dimensions, a convenient way to accomplish this task is to add vertices (see Adding a
Vertex on page 52).

For example, the following Scheme commands create a rectangle, split one of its edges into
three segments by inserting two new vertices, and assign the contact "cont1" to the side edge
segments (see Figure 114 on page 191):
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 0) "Silicon"
"region_1")
(sdegeo:insert-vertex (position 0.3 0.0 0.0))
(sdegeo:insert-vertex (position 0.7 0.0 0.0))
(sdegeo:set-contact (find-edge-id (position 0.15 0 0)) "cont1")
(sdegeo:set-contact (find-edge-id (position 0.85 0 0)) "cont2")

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Original Edge
Added Vertices

Edge is split into three edge segments

Figure 114 Adding contacts to 2D edge segments

In three dimensions, Sentaurus Structure Editor provides dedicated functions to imprint a shape
on a surface to split existing faces.

To split faces in three dimensions by imprinting a rectangle:

1. Choose Contacts > Imprint Rectangle.
2. Drag to draw the diagonal of the rectangle in the view window.

To split faces in three dimensions by imprinting a polygon:

1. Choose Contacts > Imprint Polygon.
2. Click at each vertex of the polygon in the view window. To finish drawing the polygon,
click the middle mouse button. (Press both buttons when using a two-button mouse.)
The polygon is closed automatically.

To split faces in three dimensions by imprinting a circle:

1. Choose Contacts > Imprint Circle.
2. Drag to draw the radius of the circle in the view window.

The corresponding Scheme commands are:

(sdegeo:imprint-rectangular-wire position position)
(sdegeo:imprint-polygonal-wire position-list)
(sdegeo:imprint-circular-wire position radius)

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Protecting Contacts

For example:
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0.0 0.0 -1.0) (position 3.0 1.0 0.0)
"Silicon" "region_1"))
(define RECT (sdegeo:imprint-rectangular-wire
(position 0.2 0.2 0) (position 0.8 0.8 0)))
(define POLY (sdegeo:imprint-polygonal-wire (list (position 1.2 0.2 0)
(position 1.8 0.2 0) (position 1.8 0.8 0) (position 1.5 0.8 0)
(position 1.5 0.5 0) (position 1.2 0.5 0) (position 1.2 0.2 0))))
(define CIRC (sdegeo:imprint-circular-wire (position 2.5 0.5 0) 0.3))

The imprint commands return a list containing the newly generated faces. This list can be used
in sdegeo:set-contact. After the new faces are created, the contact generation procedure
is the same as that discussed in Assigning Edges or Faces to a Contact on page 187.

When used from the GUI, the imprint commands place the rectangle, polygon, or circle, in the
current work plane. Change the work plane as discussed in Work Planes on page 119 to place
imprint shapes on a general face.

Protecting Contacts
If contacts are assigned to edges and faces using any of the sdegeo contact assignment
commands, these contacts are protected.

The 2D boundary simplification commands do not remove or merge contact edges, and also
the 3D boundary regularization command sde:bool-regularise does not merge coplanar
contact faces with adjoining faces.

If an application defines the edge or face contacts directly, by attaching the "2d-contact" or
"3d-contact" attributes to the contact edges or faces, these contacts are not protected. In this
case, the (protect-all-contacts) command can be used to add the necessary no merge
attribute to the contact edges or faces.

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Examples of Contact Assignments

These examples illustrate how to create different 2D and 3D contacts.

Creating Different 2D Contacts

Create the device geometry:
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position -1.0 0.0 0) (position 1.0 1.0 0)
"Silicon" "R.Substrate")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position -0.4 0.0 0) (position 0.4 -0.05 0)
"Oxide" "R.Gox")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position -0.4 -0.05 0) (position 0.4 -0.5 0)
"Nitride" "R.Spacer")
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "ABA")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position -0.2 -0.05 0) (position 0.2 -0.5 0)
"PolySi" "R.Poly")
(define TMP (sdegeo:create-ellipse (position -1.0 0.0 0) (position -0.5 0.00 0)
0.2 "Silicide" "R.Silicide"))
(sdegeo:delete-region TMP)

Assign an existing edge to the "substrate" contact:

(sdegeo:set-contact (find-edge-id (position 0.0 1.0 0)) "substrate")

Split an edge and assign part of the original edge to the "drain" contact:
(sdegeo:insert-vertex (position 0.5 0.0 0))
(sdegeo:set-contact (find-edge-id (position 0.75 0.0 0)) "drain")

Assign all region boundary edges to the "gate" contact and remove the region:
(sdegeo:set-contact (find-body-id (position 0 -0.275 0)) "gate" "remove")

Assign edges along a complex topology to the "source" contact as follows.

In the Old Replaces New (BAB) overlap resolution mode (see Overlap Behavior on page 46), a
dummy body is created that includes all boundary edges, which should be assigned to the
"source" contact. Then, the region boundary edges of this dummy body are assigned to the
"source" contact, and the dummy body itself is removed:
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "BAB")
(define DUMMY (sdegeo:create-rectangle (position -1.0 -0.3 0)
(position -0.45 0.2 0) "Aluminum" "R.Dummy"))
(sdegeo:set-contact DUMMY "source" "remove")

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Figure 115 Two-dimensional contact creation example: (left) initial device geometry structure
with “substrate” (red), “drain” (green), “gate” (blue), and “source” (purple)
contacts; and (right) immediately before deleting the dummy body used to create
the “source” contact

Creating Different 3D Contacts

Create the device geometry:
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position -1.0 0.0 0.0) (position 1.0 1.0 -1.0)
"Silicon" "R.Substrate")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position -0.4 0.0 0.0) (position 0.4 1.0 0.05)
"Oxide" "R.Gox")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position -0.4 0.0 0.05) (position 0.4 1.0 0.5)
"Nitride" "R.Spacer")
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "ABA")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position -0.2 0.0 0.05) (position 0.2 1.0 0.5)
"PolySi" "R.Poly")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position -1.0 0.5 0.0) (position 1.0 1.0 -0.5)
"Oxide" "R.STI")
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "ABA")
(define TMP (sdegeo:create-sphere (position -0.75 0.25 0.0) 0.2
"Silicide" "R.Silicide"))
(sdegeo:delete-region TMP)

Assign an existing face to the "substrate" contact:

(sdegeo:set-contact (find-face-id (position 0.0 0.5 -1.0)) "substrate")

Imprint a rectangle on a face in the base work plane, and assign the new face to the "drain"
contact:
(define DRAINFACE (sdegeo:imprint-rectangular-wire
(position 0.5 0.45 0) (position 0.95 0.05 0)))
(sdegeo:set-contact DRAINFACE "drain")

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Imprint a rectangle on a face in a custom work plane ("Sidewall"), and assign the new face
to the "thermode" contact:
(sdegeo:define-work-plane "Sidewall" (position -1 1 -1) (position -1 0 -1)
(position -1 1 0))
(sdegeo:set-active-work-plane "Sidewall")
(define THERMFACE (sdegeo:imprint-rectangular-wire
(position 0.05 0.05 0) (position 0.95 0.45 0)))
(sdegeo:set-active-work-plane "base")
(sdegeo:set-contact THERMFACE "thermode")

Imprint a polygon on a general face using exploited 3D coordinates, and add the new face to
the "thermode" contact:
(define THERMFACE_2 (sdegeo:imprint-polygonal-wire (list
(position 1.0 0.05 -0.95) (position 1.0 0.95 -0.95)
(position 1.0 0.95 -0.55) (position 1.0 0.45 -0.55)
(position 1.0 0.45 -0.05) (position 1.0 0.05 -0.05)
(position 1.0 0.05 -0.95))))
(sdegeo:set-contact THERMFACE_2 "thermode")

Assign all region boundary faces to the "gate" contact and remove the region:
(sdegeo:set-contact (find-body-id (position 0.0 0.5 0.3)) "gate" "remove")

Assign faces along a complex topology to the "source" contact as follows.

In the Old Replaces New (BAB) overlap resolution mode (see Overlap Behavior on page 46), a
dummy body is created that includes all boundary faces, which should be assigned to the
"source" contact.

Then, the region boundary faces of this dummy body are assigned to the "source" contact,
and the dummy body itself is removed:
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "BAB")
(define DUMMY (sdegeo:create-cuboid (position -1.0 0.05 -0.3)
(position -0.45 0.45 0.1) "Aluminum" "R.Dummy"))
(sdegeo:set-contact DUMMY "source" "remove")

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Figure 116 Three-dimensional contact creation example: (left) initial device geometry,
(middle) structure top view with “drain”, “gate”, and “source” contacts, and (right)
structure bottom view with “thermode” and “substrate” contacts

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CHAPTER 8 Generating Mesh and Doping
Profiles

This chapter presents the mesh operations available in Sentaurus

Structure Editor.

Overview
In addition to defining the geometry of a structure, doping profiles and refinement parameters
can be defined for different parts of the structure. The placement of these profiles and
refinements as well as the areas to which the use of these profiles and refinements are restricted
can be specified by user-defined refinement/evaluation (Ref/Eval) windows.

Ref/Eval windows are implemented as geometric objects and can be manipulated in a similar
manner as other geometric objects. The difference between a regular geometric body and a Ref/
Eval window is that material and region properties are attached to a regular geometric body,
while a Ref/Eval window name is attached to a Ref/Eval window. Certain operations affect
only regular geometric bodies. For example, only regular geometric bodies can be written to a
tessellated boundary file. Some query functions, such as (get-body-list), handle only
regular geometric bodies. On the other hand, only Ref/Eval windows can be used, for example,
in refinement and doping specifications as evaluation windows. The Ref/Eval windows have
their own query functions, such as (get-drs-list), which returns the entity IDs of all
defined Ref/Eval windows.

In some cases, doping profiles and refinements can also be restricted to a specific region or
material (materialwise and regionwise refinements and dopings).

Unlike regular geometric objects, Ref/Eval windows can overlap. For example, the refinement
in a given area of the device can be determined by the tightest requirements among several
refinement placements active in that area. For overlapping doping placements, the resulting
profile is the sum of all profiles.

Sentaurus Structure Editor allows the full flexibility of definitions and placements available in
the input syntax of Sentaurus Mesh. Profiles and refinements are first defined by specifying all
the necessary parameters, but their use is not restricted to a specific location or an area. In a
second step, the profiles and refinements are placed. The placement step links a given profile
or refinement definition with an area of validity, which can be a Ref/Eval window, a region
name, or a material.

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Defining Areas for Mesh Refinement or Doping

Both profile and refinement definitions as well as Ref/Eval windows can be reused in various
placements for maximum flexibility.

Defining Areas for Mesh Refinement or Doping

Ref/Eval windows are areas in which a certain mesh refinement or doping profile is to be
applied. These reference areas can take the form of a line segment, a rectangle, a polygon, a
cuboid, or a polygon automatically extracted from a face.

Line-Segment Ref/Eval Windows

Line-segment Ref/Eval windows are used as reference edges for placing implant-like doping
profiles in two dimensions.

To define a line-segment Ref/Eval window:

1. Choose Mesh > Define Ref/Eval Window > Line, or click the corresponding toolbar
button (see Table 15 on page 17).
2. Click at the starting point and the endpoint of the line segment in the view window.

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdedr:define-refeval-window RefEval-name "Line" position position)

For example:
(sdedr:define-refeval-window "RefEvalWin_1" "Line"
(position 0.0 0.0 0) (position 1.0 0.0 0))

Rectangular and Polygonal Ref/Eval Windows

Rectangular and polygonal Ref/Eval windows are used for placing mesh refinement or constant
profiles in two dimensions, as well as reference faces for placing implant-like doping profiles
in three dimensions.

To define a rectangular (or polygonal) Ref/Eval window:

1. Choose Mesh > Define Ref/Eval Window > Rectangle (or Polygon), or click the
corresponding toolbar button (see Table 15 on page 17).
2. For a rectangle, drag to draw the diagonal of the rectangle in the view window.

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For a polygon, click at each vertex of the polygon in the view window. To finish drawing
the polygon, click the middle mouse button. (Press both buttons when using a two-button
mouse.) The polygon is closed automatically.

NOTE Ref/Eval windows are oriented. The face normals of rectangular Ref/
Eval windows point in the positive third-axis direction (right-hand rule).
For polygonal Ref/Eval windows, if the vertex position list is
counterclockwise, the normals point in the positive third-axis direction.
The orientation is important when Ref/Eval windows are used in
sdedr:define-analytical-profile-placement for reference.
The "Positive" and "Negative" arguments of this Scheme
extension must be adjusted to the Ref/Eval window normal direction.

The corresponding Scheme commands are:

(sdedr:define-refeval-window RefEval-name "Rectangle" position position)
(sdedr:define-refeval-window RefEval-name "Polygon" position-list)

For example:
(sdedr:define-refeval-window "RefEvalWin_2" "Rectangle"
(position 0.0 0.5 0) (position 1.0 1.5 0))
(sdedr:define-refeval-window "RefEvalWin_3" "Polygon"
(list (position 0 0 0) (position 0.5 -1 0)
(position 1 -1 0) (position 1.5 0 0) (position 0 0 0)))

Rectangles and polygons defined from the graphical user interface (GUI) are placed in the
current work plane.

To create Ref/Eval windows in areas outside the current work plane, change the work plane
first as discussed in Work Planes on page 119.

In the 2D GUI mode, a rectangular Ref/Eval window can also be defined from certain dialog
boxes by choosing, for example:
■ Mesh > Refinement Placement.
■ Mesh > Multibox Placement.
■ Device > Constant Profile Placement.
■ Device > Analytical Profile Placement.
■ Device > External Profile Placement.

NOTE When defining Ref/Eval windows from the GUI, the name of the Ref/
Eval window is assigned automatically and cannot be changed later.

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Cuboidal Ref/Eval Windows

Cuboidal Ref/Eval windows are used for placing mesh refinement or constant profiles in three
dimensions.

To define a cuboidal Ref/Eval window:

1. Choose Mesh > Define Ref/Eval Window > Cuboid.
2. Enter the coordinates of the start corner and end corner in the Cuboid Definition dialog box.

NOTE The face normals of cuboidal Ref/Eval windows point outwards.

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdedr:define-refeval-window RefEval-name "Cuboid" position position)

For example:
(sdedr:define-refeval-window "RefEvalWin_4" "Cuboid"
(position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 1))

In the 3D GUI mode, a cuboidal Ref/Eval window can also be defined from certain dialog
boxes by choosing, for example:
■ Mesh > Refinement Placement.
■ Mesh > Multibox Placement.
■ Device > Constant Profile Placement.
■ Device > Analytical Profile Placement.
■ Device > External Profile Placement.

NOTE When defining Ref/Eval windows from the GUI, the name of the Ref/
Eval window is assigned automatically and cannot be changed later.

Extracting Ref/Eval Window From Face

To create a Ref/Eval window that coincides with one or more faces of a 2D body for placing
mesh refinement or constant profiles, or faces of a 3D body for placing implant-like doping
profiles in three dimensions:
1. Click the Select button (see Table 8 on page 16).
2. From the Selection Level list, select Select Face.

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3. Select a face and hold the Shift key to select additional faces, or drag a box around a set of
faces.
4. Choose Mesh > Define Ref/Eval Window > From Face, or click the corresponding
toolbar button (see Table 15 on page 17).

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(extract-refwindow face | face-list RefEval-name)

For example:
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 1) "Silicon" "region_1")
(extract-refwindow (find-face-id (position 0.5 0.5 1.0)) "RefEval_TopFace")

Extracting Ref/Eval Window From Body Interface

The Scheme extension sdedr:define-body-interface-refwin can be used to define a
refinement window between the interfaces of the specified geometric bodies.

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdedr:define-body-interface-refwin body-list ref-eval-window)

For example:
(sde:clear)
(define mb1 (sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 10 10 4)
"Silicon" "x1"))
(define mb2 (sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 2 2 3) (position 8 8 5)
"PolySilicon" "x2"))
(sdedr:define-body-interface-refwin (list mb1 mb2) "RW")
(sdedr:define-refinement-size "RDef_1" 1 1 1 0.1 0.1 0.1)
(sdedr:define-refinement-placement "RPl_1" "RDef_1" "RW")
(sdedr:write-cmd-file "rwext.cmd")

Extracting Ref/Eval Window From 3D Solid Body

The Scheme extension extract-refpolyhedron can be used to convert a 3D geometric
body to a polyhedral refinement window. The mesh manager of Sentaurus Structure Editor,
which saves the tessellated polyhedral boundary for meshing, converts the 3D geometric body
(possibly with nonplanar faces) to a polyhedral refinement window.

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For example:
(sde:clear)
(define mb (sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 1)
"Silicon" "x1"))
(extract-refpolyhedron mb "ref1")

or:
(sde:clear)
(define mb (sdegeo:create-cylinder (position 0 0 0) (position 0 0 1)
0.1 "Silicon" "x1"))
(extract-refpolyhedron mb "ref1")
(sdedr:define-refinement-size "RD_1" .2 .2 .1 .1)
(sdedr:define-refinement-placement "RP_1" "RD_1" "ref1")
(sdedr:write-cmd-file "xx.cmd")

Extracting Ref/Eval Windows From 3D Solid Body

Interfaces
The Scheme extensions extract-interface-offset-refwindow and extract-
interface-normal-offset-refwindow are used to extract the non-regularized
intersection between two solid bodies, and to create a 3D offset body from the non-regularized
intersection and to assign it as a doping/refinement/submesh (DRS) body. The extract-
interface-normal-offset-refwindow extension offsets the faces of the interface body
in the normal direction.

The following example can be used to create the extracted DRS body shown in Figure 117 on
page 203:
(sde:clear)
(define mb1 (sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 10 10 4)
"Silicon" "x1"))
(define mb2 (sdegeo:create-cylinder (position 5 5 4) (position 5 5 8)
2 "PolySilicon" "x2"))
(extract-interface-offset-refwindow mb1 mb2 1 "rw1")

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Figure 117 Extraction of interface offset body using extract-interface-offset-refwindow:

(left) initial model and (right) extracted DRS body

The following example can be used to create the extracted DRS body shown in Figure 118:
(sde:clear)
(define mb1 (sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 10 10 4)
"Silicon" "x1"))
(define mb2 (sdegeo:create-cylinder (position 5 5 4) (position 5 5 8)
2 "PolySilicon" "x2"))
(extract-interface-normal-offset-refwindow mb1 mb2 1 "rw1")

Figure 118 Extraction of interface offset body using extract-interface-normal-offset-

refwindow: (left) initial model and (right) extracted DRS body

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Mesh Refinement Definitions

Deleting Ref/Eval Windows

To delete a Ref/Eval window:
1. Click the Select button (see Table 8 on page 16).
2. From the Selection Level list, select Ref/Eval Window.
Alternatively, right-click in the view window and choose Ref/Eval Window.
3. Click inside the Ref/Eval window to be deleted or drag a box around it.
4. Choose Mesh > Delete Ref/Eval Window.

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdedr:delete-refeval-window RefEval-name)

For example:
(sdedr:define-refeval-window "RefEvalWin_1" "Line"
(position 0.0 0.0 0) (position 1.0 0.0 0))
(sdedr:delete-refeval-window "RefEvalWin_1")

Mesh Refinement Definitions

Regular Refinement Boxes

A mesh refinement box allows you to request from the meshing tool that in the specified area
the mesh spacing should not exceed a given value and that mesh refinement should stop if the
mesh size becomes smaller than a given value. Further, the mesher can be instructed to refine
the mesh in areas of steep doping gradients or near interfaces. The mesher can create mesh
spacings that are smaller than the requested minimum if needed to satisfy other constraints
such as the resolution at an interface or to fulfill the Delaunay mesh quality criterion.

Regular mesh refinement boxes are used by Sentaurus Mesh.

To create a mesh refinement box:

1. Choose Mesh > Refinement Placement, or click the corresponding toolbar button (see
Table 15 on page 17).
2. Edit the Placement Name field as needed (the default name is
RefinementPlacement_<index>), or select the name of a previously defined
refinement specification for editing.

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3. Select the Placement Type:

a) To place the mesh refinement into a previously defined Ref/Eval window, select the
required Ref/Eval window from the Ref/Eval Window list.
b) To place the mesh refinement into a given region, select the required region name from
the Regions list.
c) To place the mesh refinement into all regions with a given material, select the required
material name from the Materials list.
d) Select Define Ref/Eval Window if a required Ref/Eval window has not yet been
defined. Enter the coordinates of the start and end corners of the Ref/Eval window and
click Create.
The name of the new Ref/Eval window is assigned automatically, and the new Ref/Eval
window is selected automatically in the Ref/Eval Window field. (A cuboidal Ref/Eval
window is created if the GUI mode is set to 3D (choose View > GUI Mode > 3D
Mode). In 2D GUI mode, a rectangular Ref/Eval window is created. For more details,
see GUI Modes on page 14.)
e) To edit a previously defined Ref/Eval window, select the Ref/Eval Window option,
and select the required Ref/Eval window from the corresponding list. Select Define
Ref/Eval Window and edit the window coordinates as needed. Click Modify. (Only
Ref/Eval windows consistent with the current GUI mode can be edited from this dialog
box.)
4. Under Refinement Definition, edit the Name field as needed (the default name is
RefinementDefinition_<index>). A previously defined refinement definition can be
linked to the current refinement placement by selecting it from the corresponding list.
5. Enter values for the required maximum and minimum element sizes in each of the axis
directions. (Omit this step when reusing a predefined refinement definition.)
6. Optionally, add one or more refinement function to the refinement definition:
a) To add automatic doping refinement based on the value difference or gradient of a
doping profile, select Value Difference or Gradient, and select the required doping
profile from the corresponding list.
Change the Value field to control the sensitivity of the automatic refinement if needed.
Click Add to append the new refinement function to the current list of refinement
functions associated with the current refinement definition.
b) To add automatic refinement at selected interfaces, select Interface Length and select
the material in which the refinement should be applied from the first material list. Enter
the material on the other side of the interface in the second material list.
Enter the first requested mesh spacing at the interface in the Value field and the ratio
between the second and the first requested mesh spacing in the Factor field. Select
DoubleSide to apply the interface refinement to both sides of the interface.

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Click Add to append the new refinement function to the current list of refinement
functions associated with the current refinement definition.
c) To add automatic refinement based on profile values with a certain interval, select
Interval, and then select the profile from the list. Select the values of Cmin, Cmax,
Scaling, TargetLength, and, optionally, Rolloff for the interval refinement of Sentaurus
Mesh.

NOTE You can add vector and tensor values for Cmin and Cmax in the dialog
box by entering a space-separated list of the component values.
d) To remove a refinement function, select it and click Delete.
7. Complete the definition of the refinement specification by clicking Create Refinement for
a new refinement specification.
After a refinement is created, the Create Refinement button changes to the Change
Refinement button. The Delete Refinement button removes the selected refinement.

Figure 119 Refinement Specification dialog box

See Sentaurus™ Mesh User Guide, Defining Refinement Regions on page 9 as well as
Sentaurus™ Mesh User Guide, Placing Refinement Regions on page 22 for more details on
refinement functions.

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The related Scheme commands for creating Ref/Eval windows are:

(sdedr:define-refeval-window RefEval-name "Line"|"Rectangle"|"Cuboid"
position position)
(sdedr:define-refeval-window RefEval-name "Polygon" position-list)

The corresponding Scheme command for creating a refinement definition is:

(sdedr:define-refinement-size RefDef-name dxmax dymax [dzmax]
dxmin dymin [dzmin])

where dxmax, dymax, and dzmax are the maximum required mesh spacings, and dxmin, dymin,
and dzmin are the minimum required mesh spacings.

The corresponding Scheme commands for adding adaptive refinement functions are:
(sdedr:define-refinement-function RefDef-name dopant-name
"MaxTransDiff"|"MaxGradient" value)
(sdedr:define-refinement-function "RefDef-name"
"MaxLenInt" material-1 material-2 first-step ratio)
(sdedr:define-refinement-function "RefDef-name"
"MaxInterval" "Variable" dopant-name "Cmin" cmin "Cmax" cmax
"Scaling" scaling "TargetLength" targetLength "Rolloff")

The corresponding Scheme commands for linking a refinement definition to a Ref/Eval

window, a region, or a material are:
(sdedr:define-refinement-placement RefPlace-name RefDef-name RefEval-name)
(sdedr:define-refinement-region RefPlace-name RefDef-name region-name)
(sdedr:define-refinement-material RefPlace-name RefDef-name material-name)

For example:
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position -0.5 0.0 0) (position 0.5 0.5 0)
"Silicon" "region_1")
(sdedr:define-refeval-window "RefEvalWin.Channel" "Rectangle"
(position -0.025 0.00 0) (position 0.025 0.01 0))
(sdedr:define-refinement-size "RefDef.Channel" 5e-3 2e-3 2e-3 1e-3)
(sdedr:define-refinement-function "RefDef.Channel" "MaxLenInt"
"Silicon" "Oxide" 1e-4 1.2)
(sdedr:define-refinement-function "RefDef.Channel" "MaxInterval"
"Variable" "DopingConcentration" "Cmin" 1e-4 "Cmax" 1.2 "Scaling" 2
"TargetLength" 1e-3 "Rolloff")
(sdedr:define-refinement-function "RefDef.Channel" "DopingConcentration"
"MaxTransDiff" 1)
(sdedr:define-refinement-placement "RefPlace.Channel" "RefDef.Channel"
"RefEvalWin.Channel")

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NOTE When using interface refinement from a Scheme command, you can set
the materials to "All", or to an empty string to refer to all materials, or
to the ambient. This option is not available from the GUI.

Interface refinement is specified in a similar way to the refinement on analytic functions. To

perform interface refinement, define a RefineFunction of type MaxLengthInterface and
specify the pair of materials defining the interface, the initial thickness, and a factor used to
define how this thickness should grow into the material.

The following examples illustrate the use of this function:

■ This function refines silicon at the oxide interface, starting with a layer of 0.02 μm and
gradually increasing the thickness by 1.4 times:
(sdedr:define-refinement-function "RefinementDefinition_1" "MaxLenInt"
"Silicon" "Oxide" 0.02 1.4)
■ This function refines all interfaces, creating a single layer of 0.01 μm :
(sdedr:define-refinement-function "RefinementDefinition_1" "MaxLenInt"
"All" "All" 0.01)
■ This function refines all contacts in the mesh:
(sdedr:define-refinement-function "RefinementDefinition_1" "MaxLenInt"
"All" "Contact" 0.01)
■ This function refines around a single contact:
(sdedr:define-refinement-function "RefinementDefinition_1" "MaxLenInt"
"All" "Gate" 0.01 "UseRegionNames")

By default, the interface refinement is performed only on the first material of the specified pair
of materials describing the interface. To refine on both sides of the interface, use the
DoubleSide keyword:
(sdedr:define-refinement-function "RefinementDefinition_1" "MaxLenInt"
"Silicon" "Oxide" 0.02 1.4 "DoubleSide")

Multibox Refinements
Multibox refinements are similar to regular refinement boxes, but here, the requested minimum
mesh spacing can be graded. It starts with the minimum value given at a specified side of the
refinement window and is expanded by a given factor from one mesh line to the next until the
given maximum is reached. Multibox refinement boxes are used by Sentaurus Mesh.

NOTE Consider using interface refinement in Sentaurus Mesh as a more

flexible alternative to multibox refinement.

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To create a multibox refinement:

1. Choose Mesh > Multibox Placement, or click the corresponding toolbar button (see
Table 15 on page 17).
The Multibox Specification dialog box is displayed.

2. Edit the Placement Name field as needed (the default name is

MultiboxPlacement_<index>) or select the name of a previously defined multibox
refinement specification for editing.
3. Under Placement Type, select a Ref/Eval window.
To define a new or edit a previously defined Ref/Eval window, proceed as discussed in
Regular Refinement Boxes on page 204 in Steps 3d and 3e.
4. Under Multibox Definition, edit the Name field as needed (the default name is
MultiboxDefinition_<index>). A previously defined refinement definition can be
linked to the current multibox placement by selecting it from the corresponding list.

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5. Enter values for the required maximum and minimum element sizes in each of the axis
directions as well as for the expansion ratio:
a) Use a positive expansion ratio for applying the minimum element size at the respective
boundary with the lower coordinate value, that is, the left, front, or bottom side.
b) Use a negative expansion ratio for applying the minimum element size at the respective
boundary with the higher coordinate value, that is, the right, back, or top side.
c) With a ratio of 1, the minimum element size is used throughout the multibox. A ratio
of 0 disables refinement along the corresponding axis.
(Omit this step when reusing a previously defined refinement definition.)
6. Complete the definition of the multibox specification by clicking Add Placement for a
new refinement specification, or click Change Placement to save the edits of an existing
one.

The related Scheme commands for creating a multibox refinement are:

(sdedr:define-refeval-window RefEval-name "Rectangle"|"Cuboid"
position position)
(sdedr:define-multibox-size MboxDef-name
dxmax dymax dzmax
dxmin dymin dzmin
x-ratio y-ratio z-ratio)

For example:
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 1 3 5) (position 2 4 6) "Silicon" "region_1")
(sdedr:define-refeval-window "RefEvalWin_1" "Cuboid"
(position 1 3 5) (position 2 4 6))
(sdedr:define-multibox-size "MultiboxDefinition_1"
0.25 0.25 0.25
0.05 0.05 0.05
-2 0 1)
(sdedr:define-multibox-placement "MultiboxPlacement_1" "MultiboxDefinition_1"
"RefEvalWin_1")

See Sentaurus™ Mesh User Guide, Defining Multibox Regions on page 11 as well as
Sentaurus™ Mesh User Guide, Placing Multibox Regions on page 23 for more details on
refinement functions.

NOTE Multibox refinement can only be applied to rectangular (2D) and

cuboidal (3D) Ref/Eval windows. Polygonal Ref/Eval windows, as well
as regionwise or materialwise placements, are not supported. In
addition, refinement functions cannot be added to multibox refinements.
Use additional, regular, refinement boxes to obtain, for example,
refinement at doping gradients in addition to multibox refinement.

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Sentaurus Mesh AxisAligned Section

By default, the bisectional refinement algorithm of Sentaurus Mesh starts from the bounding
box of the entire device structure. After all volume refinement criteria have been satisfied, the
interfaces are introduced. This can result in mesh spacing near the interface that is less than the
requested mesh spacing.

The axis-aligned algorithm used in Sentaurus Mesh can partition the global bounding box into
an array of subboxes. The bisectional refinement algorithm will then operate independently in
each partitioned boxes.

This feature can reduce mesh-induced numeric noise in parametric structures. For example, for
the simulation of the threshold voltage roll-off characteristics of a given technology, you need
to simulate the electrical characteristics of a set of transistors with different gate lengths, but
identical source and drain areas.

Changing the gate length obviously changes the mesh in the channel area. However, by placing
partitioning lines between the gate and the source as well as drain areas, you ensure the mesh
in the source and drain areas remains the same for all devices.

These partitioning lines (2D) or planes (3D) are defined using the xCuts, yCuts, and zCuts
options in the AxisAligned section.

To define an AxisAligned section:

■ Choose Mesh > Axis-Aligned Parameters.

The Axis-Aligned Parameters dialog box is displayed (see Figure 120 on page 212).

The corresponding Scheme command is sdesnmesh:axisaligned on page 784, for example:

(sdesnmesh:axisaligned "yCuts" (list 0.1 0.5 2.0))

See Sentaurus™ Mesh User Guide, AxisAligned Section on page 30 for detailed descriptions
of parameters.

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Figure 120 Axis-Aligned Parameters dialog box

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Delaunizer Section
The Delaunizer section contains parameters that control the behavior of the delaunization
algorithms found in Sentaurus Mesh.

To define a Delaunizer section:

1. Choose Mesh > Delaunizer Parameters.
The Delaunizer Parameters dialog box is displayed.

2. Type the values for the parameters as required.

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3. Click New.
The Delaunay Tolerance dialog box is displayed.

4. Click Save.

The corresponding Scheme commands are sdesnmesh:delaunizer on page 787 and

sdesnmesh:delaunizer-tolerance on page 789, for example:
(sdesnmesh:delaunizer-tolerance 1 "boundary" "global")
(sdesnmesh:delaunizer-tolerance 0.0001 "boundary" "material" "Oxide"
"Silicon")
(sdesnmesh:delaunizer-tolerance 1 "interior" "region" "R.Poly")
(sdesnmesh:delaunizer "type" "boxmethod" "maxPoints" 100000
"coplanarityDistance" 1e-05 "edgeProximity" 0.05 "faceProximity" 0.05
"sliverAngle" 175 "sliverDistance" 0.01 "maxSolidAngle" 360
"maxNeighborRatio" 1e+30 "coplanarityAngle" 175 "minEdgeLength" 1e-09
"delaunayTolerance" 0.0001 "storeDelaunayWeight" #t)

See Sentaurus™ Mesh User Guide, Delaunizer Section on page 40 for descriptions of
parameters.

Offsetting Refinements
The main algorithm in Sentaurus Mesh produces meshes that are mostly axis aligned. Even
when refining curved interfaces, an adapted axis-aligned mesh is used by default. Sentaurus

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Mesh also provides an offsetting algorithm that resolves interfaces by introducing mesh layers
truly parallel to the curved surfaces.

For devices where the main surfaces are nonaxis-aligned or curved (for example, a MOS-type
structure where the channel is nonplanar), the offsetting algorithm can be an attractive
alternative to purely axis-aligned meshing.

To define offsetting refinements globally or for a region, a material, or an interface:

1. Choose Mesh > Offsetting Parameters.
The Offsetting Parameters dialog box is displayed.

2. Click New to add a new offsetting refinement parameter, or select a previously defined
parameter and click Edit.
The Offsetting Parameter dialog box is displayed with different tabs (see Figure 121 on
page 216).
3. Specify the fields on the required tabs.
4. Click Save.

The corresponding Scheme commands are:

(sdedr:offset-block {"region" region | "material" material}
"maxlevel" maxlevel)
(sdedr:offset-interface
{"region" region1 region2 | "material" material1 material2}
"hlocal" hlocal "factor" factor "window" x1 y1 z1 x2 y2 z2)

For example:
(sdedr:offset-block "region" "R.SiEpi" "maxlevel" 10)
(sdedr:offset-interface "region" "R.SiEpi" "R.Oxide"
"hlocal" 2e-4 "factor" 1.5 "window" 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.5)

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Figure 121 Offsetting Parameter dialog box showing (upper left) Global tab, (upper right)
Interface tab, and (lower left) Block tab

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Tensor Mesh Refinements

To define tensor mesh refinements:
1. Choose Mesh > Tensor Parameters.
2. Directly edit the contents of the Tensor section of the mesh command file as defined in
Sentaurus™ Mesh User Guide, Tensor Section on page 45.
3. Click Save.

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdesnmesh:tensor "tensor-block-contents")

where "tensor-block-contents" is a string surrounded by double quotation marks that

represents the required contents of the Tensor section of the mesh command file.

Note that the double quotation marks within "tensor-block-contents" must be escaped
with the backslash as in this example:
(sdesnmesh:tensor "Box {
name = \"TensorBox1\"
material = \"Silicon\"
startPoint = (0 0 0)
endPoint = (1.0 1.5 1.5)
tolerance = 0.25
}")

NOTE The previous Tensor section Scheme commands are deprecated. They
cannot be used with the sdesnmesh:tensor command at the same
time.

Tools Section
To define parameters in the Tools section of the mesh command (.cmd) file:
1. Choose Mesh > Tools Parameters.
2. Directly edit the contents of the Tools section of the mesh command file as defined in
Sentaurus™ Mesh User Guide, Tools Section on page 54.
3. Click Save.

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The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdesnmesh:tools "tools-block-contents")

where "tools-block-contents" is a string surrounded by double quotation marks that

represents the required contents of the Tools section of the mesh command file.

Note that the double quotation marks used with tools-block-contents must be escaped
with the backslash as in this example:
(sdesnmesh:tools "RandomizeDoping { \
DopingAssignment = \"Sano\" \
NumberOfRandomizedProfiles = 1 \
FileIndex = 1 \
Material \"Silicon\" { \
Species \"BoronActiveConcentration\" { \
ScreeningFactor = 2.5e6 \
AutoScreeningFactor \
} \
Species \"ArsenicActiveConcentration\" { \
ScreeningFactor = 1.3e7 \
AutoScreeningFactor \
} \
} \
}")

Defining Doping Profiles

Constant Doping Profiles

To define a constant doping profile:
1. Choose Device > Constant Profile Placement, or click the corresponding toolbar button
(see Table 15 on page 17).
The Constant Profile Placement dialog box is displayed.
2. Edit the Placement Name field as needed (the default name is
ConstantProfilePlacement_<index>), or select the name of a previously defined
constant profile specification for editing.
3. Under Placement Type, select a Ref/Eval window as discussed in Step 3 of Regular
Refinement Boxes on page 204.
4. Under Constant Profile Definition, edit the Name field as needed (the default name is
ConstantProfileDefinition_<index>). A previously defined constant profile

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definition can be linked to the current constant profile placement by selecting it from the
corresponding list.
5. Select a species from the list, which contains the most common dopant species. Select
Other to access the complete list of DATEX variables. Enter a value for the concentration
of the dopant.

6. To activate smoothing of the otherwise abrupt doping profile at the Ref/Eval boundaries,
enter a nonzero decay length in the Decay Length field and select On.
In this case, the doping profiles are smoothed using an error function with an inflection
length given by the specified decay length. Note that, in this case, the doping value at the
Ref/Eval boundaries is half of the specified concentration.
For details, see Sentaurus™ Mesh User Guide, Placing Constant Profiles on page 24 and
Sentaurus™ Mesh User Guide, Lateral Error Function on page 126.

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7. Select Replace if this doping profile should replace all other, previously defined profiles.
Select LocalReplace to replace only the doping species being defined. If you select
NoReplace, the new profile will be added to all previously defined profiles.
(Omit this step when reusing a previously defined refinement definition.)
8. Complete the definition of the constant profile specification by clicking Add Placement
for a new refinement specification, or click Change Placement to save the edits of an
existing one.

The related Scheme commands for creating constant doping profile windows are:
(sdedr:define-refeval-window RefEval-name "Rectangle"|"Cuboid"
position position)
(sdedr:define-constant-profile ConstProfDef-name species concentration)
(sdedr:define-constant-profile-placement ConstProfPlace-name
ConstProfDef-name RefEval-name [decay-length] ["Replace" | "LocalReplace"])
(sdedr:define-constant-profile-region ConstProfPlace-name
ConstProfDef-name region-name [decay-length] ["Replace" | "LocalReplace"])
(sdedr:define-constant-profile-material ConstProfPlace-name
ConstProfDef-name material-name [decay-length]
["Replace" | "LocalReplace"])

For example:
(sdedr:define-constant-profile "Const.BG" "BoronActiveConcentration" 1e7)
(sdedr:define-constant-profile-material "PlaceCD.BG" "Const.BG" "GaAs")
(sdedr:define-constant-profile "Const.GaAsCap"
"ArsenicActiveConcentration" 3e18)
(sdedr:define-constant-profile-region "PlaceCD.GaAsCap" "Const.GaAsCap"
"R.GaAsCap" 2 "Replace")

Analytic Doping Profiles

To define an analytic doping profile:
1. Choose Device > Analytic Profile Placement, or click the corresponding toolbar button
(see Table 15 on page 17).
The Analytical Profiles dialog box is displayed.
2. Edit the Placement Name field as needed (the default name is
AnalyticProfilePlacement_<index>), or select the name of a previously defined
analytic profile specification for editing.

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3. Select a previously defined Ref/Eval windows from the Ref/Eval Window list.
4. Under Profile Definition, edit the Name field as needed (the default name is
AnalyticProfileDefinition_<index>).

A previously defined analytic profile definition can be linked to the current analytic profile
placement by selecting it from the corresponding list.

5. Select a species from the list, which contains the most common dopant species. Select
Other to access the complete list of DATEX variables.

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6. Select the profile type along the primary direction (orthogonal to the baseline, that is, a Ref/
Eval window) to be Gaussian, Error Function, 1D Profile, or Analytic Function.
a) For Gaussian:
Select Peak Concentration or Dose, and enter the value of the peak concentration in
–3 –2
units of cm or the dose in units of cm .
Enter the distance of the peak position to the baseline (Ref/Eval window) in μm .
Define the broadening of the profile by selecting Standard Deviation or Diffusion
Length from the list, and entering the corresponding distance in units of μm .
Alternatively, the broadening can be defined by selecting Junction and entering the
–3
concentration at the junctions in units of cm and the requested distance from the peak
position to the junction in units of μm . In this case, the standard deviation of the
Gaussian profile is computed automatically.
b) For Error Function:
Select Max Concentration or Dose, and enter the value of the maximum concentration
–3 –2
in units of cm or the dose in units of cm .
Enter the distance of the inflection point to the baseline (Ref/Eval window) in μm .
Define the broadening of the profile by selecting Standard Deviation or Diffusion
Length from the list, and entering the corresponding distance in units of μm .
Alternatively, the broadening can be defined by selecting Junction and entering the
–3
concentration at the junctions in units of cm and the requested distance from the peak
position to the junction in units of μm . In this case, the broadening parameter of the
error function profile is computed automatically.
c) For 1D Profile:
Enter the relative path and file name of an external 1D profile in .plx format. Click the
Browser button to open a file browser.
The external 1D profile can be restricted to a certain range. Enter the starting 1D
coordinate of the external 1D profile in the From field and the ending 1D coordinate
in the To field. In the Units field, declare the unit of length in which the external 1D
profile coordinates are given. (For example, if the coordinate range in the external 1D
profile is –300 nm to 10000 nm, and the baseline should be aligned with a coordinate
of 500 nm and the noisy tails beyond 3000 nm should be ignored, enter 500 in the
From field and 3000 in the To field, and select Nanometer in the Units field.) In the
Data Scale field, enter the data scaling factor.
For a 1D profile, the species is read from the .plx data file and the selection in the
Species field is ignored.
d) For Analytic Function:
Enter a formula in the Function field, for example: a*sin(x)*cos(y).

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Enter the initialization definition of any constants used in the formula in the
Initialization field, for example: a=2*10^18.
Select the coordinate system to be used for evaluating the analytic formula. Select the
General option if the x-, y-, and z-coordinates of the formula are to be interpreted in
the coordinate system of the device. Select Eval if x refers to the primary direction, and
y and z refer to the lateral directions.
7. Under Lateral Diffusion, select the profile type along the lateral direction (parallel to the
baseline, that is, the Ref/Eval window) to be either Gaussian or Error Function.
Select from the list how the lateral-broadening parameter is defined. Select Factor to
compute the lateral-broadening parameter by multiplying the primary-broadening
parameter with a given factor. Select Standard Deviation or Diffusion Length to define
the broadening parameter explicitly. Enter the respective value in the corresponding field.
8. To restrict the evaluation of the analytic profile to only one side of the baseline, select
Positive or Negative under Eval Direction.
In 2D for a positive evaluation direction, the profile is evaluated only to the right side of the
baseline vector. In three dimensions, the profile is evaluated only along the positive
direction of the baseline face normal. Select Both to evaluate the profile on both sides.
9. If needed, select the EvalWindow option to restrict the evaluation of the analytic profile
further to a certain area. The profiles can be restricted to another Ref/Eval window by
selecting Ref/Win and then the name of the respective Ref/Eval window, or to a region or
a material, by selecting Region or Material, and selecting the respective region name or
material.
10. To activate smoothing at the Ref/Eval window boundaries, enter a nonzero decay length in
the Decay Length field. In this case, the doping profiles are smoothed using an error
function with an inflection length given by the specified decay length.
Note that, in this case, the doping value at the Ref/Eval window boundaries is half of the
specified concentration.
For details, see Sentaurus™ Mesh User Guide, Placing Constant Profiles on page 24 and
Sentaurus™ Mesh User Guide, Lateral Error Function on page 126.
11. Select Replace if this doping profile should replace all other, previously defined profiles.
Select LocalReplace to replace only the doping species being defined. If you select
NoReplace, the new profile will be added to all previously defined profiles.
12. Select Not Eval to suppress the evaluation of the analytic profile at the baseline itself. Use
this option, for example, to avoid double-counting at region interfaces, where two different
analytic profiles of the same species meet.
13. Complete the definition of the analytic profile specification by clicking Add Placement for
a new refinement specification, or click Change Placement to save the edits of an existing
one.

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The related Scheme commands for creating analytic doping profiles are as follows.

Gaussian profile definition:

(sdedr:define-gaussian-profile definition-name species "PeakPos" peak-position
{"PeakVal" peak-concentration | "Dose" dose}
{"ValueAtDepth" concentration-at-depth "Depth" depth |
"Length" diffusion-length | "StdDev" standard-deviation}
["Gauss"|"Erf" "Factor" factor] | ["Eval" "init-string" "function-string"])

Error function profile definition:

(sdedr:define-erf-profile definition-name species
"SymPos" inflection-point
{"MaxVal" max-concentration | "Dose" dose}
{"ValueAtDepth" concentration-at-depth "Depth" depth |
"Length" diffusion-length | "StdDev" standard-deviation}
["Gauss"|"Erf" "Factor" factor] | ["Eval" "init-string" "function-string"])

External 1D profile definition:

(sdedr:define-1d-external-profile definition-name plx-file-name
"Scale" coordinate-scaling-factor-to-um
"DataScale" data-file-scaling-factor "Range" range-start range-end
["Gauss"|"Erf" "Factor" factor] | ["Eval" "init-string" "function-string"])

Analytic formula definition:

(sdedr:define-analytical-profile definition-name species init formula
default-value ["general"])

Placement of the analytic profile:

(sdedr:define-analytical-profile-placement placement-name definition-name
RefEval-name
{"Both" | "Positive" | "Negative"}
{"Replace" | "NoReplace" | "LocalReplace"}
{"Eval" | "NoEval"}
[RefEval-name decay-length "evalwin" | region-name decay-length "region" |
material-name decay-length "material"])

For example, to place a Gaussian profile:

; - Halo implantation
; -- baseline definitions
(sdedr:define-refeval-window "BaseLine.Halo" "Line"
(position 0.02 0.0 0) (position 0.40 0.0 0))
; -- implant definition
(sdedr:define-gaussian-profile "Impl.Haloprof" "BoronActiveConcentration"
"PeakPos" 0 "PeakVal" 1.5e18

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"ValueAtDepth" 1.5e17 "Depth" 0.07

"Gauss" "Factor" 1.0)
; -- implant placement
(sdedr:define-analytical-profile-placement "Impl.Halo" "Impl.Haloprof"
"BaseLine.Halo" "Positive" "NoReplace" "Eval")

For example, to place a profile given by an analytic formula:

; Linear mole fraction profile 0.16 at base-col to 0 at base-emitter
(sdedr:define-refeval-window "BaseLine.Mole" "Line"
(position -0.45 0.5 0.0) (position 1.25 0.5 0.0))
(sdedr:define-analytical-profile "Prof.Mole" "xMoleFraction"
"a=0.16/0.075" "0.1*a*x" 0.1)
(sdedr:define-analytical-profile-placement "Place.Mole" "Prof.Mole"
"BaseLine.Mole" "Positive" "NoReplace" "Eval" "RWindow.BC" 0 "evalwin")

External 2D and 3D Doping Profiles

External 2D or 3D doping profiles can be included in a device structure. Such profiles are
generated typically by a process simulator, such as Sentaurus Process. Often the extent of the
external doping profile matches the device geometry. This is the case, for example, when
Sentaurus Structure Editor is used to simplify and mesh a structure generated by Sentaurus
Process before it is passed to Sentaurus Device.

However, external doping profiles do not have to match the device geometry. The mesh
generation tool extends automatically the doping profile to fill the evaluation window or cuts
out the part that lies outside of the evaluation window. The alignment of the external doping
profile with the evaluation window can also be specified. Furthermore, the profiles can be
reflected or rotated.

In addition, if a 2D profile is included in a 3D device structure, the profile is extended

automatically. If the global coordinates of the 2D profile itself lie already in the correct cross
section of the 3D device structure, no user intervention is needed for the profile extension.
Otherwise, an appropriate transformation must be applied.

To place an external 2D or 3D doping profile:

1. Choose Device > External Profile Placement, or click the corresponding toolbar button
(see Table 15 on page 17).
The External Profile Placement dialog box is displayed.
2. Edit the Placement Name field as needed (the default name is
ExternalProfilePlacement_<index>) or select the name of a previously defined
external profile specification for editing.

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3. Select a placement type by selecting Ref Win, Region, or Material as discussed in Step 3
of Regular Refinement Boxes on page 204.
To place the external profile in the entire device, select Ref Win and leave the field empty.

4. Under External Profile Definition, edit the Name field as needed (the default name is
ExternalProfileDefinition_<index>). A previously defined external profile
definition can be linked to the current external profile placement by selecting it from the
corresponding list.
5. Enter the file name of the TDR file that contains the required external profile in the
Geometry File field. Click the Browser button to open a file browser.
6. An evaluation window can be defined by selecting Define Evaluation Window. Provide
the coordinates for the opposite vertices of the evaluation window and click Define.

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7. To activate smoothing at the Ref/Eval window boundaries, define a nonzero decay length
in the field provided in the Lateral Decay area, and choose between Decay Length to use
an error function or Gauss Decay Length to use a Gaussian function.
8. Select Replace if the doping profile should replace all other, previously defined profiles.
Select LocalReplace to replace only the doping species being defined. If you select
NoReplace, the new profile will be added to all previously defined profiles.
9. The geometric transformations of translation, reflection, and rotation can be defined under
Shift/Reflect/Rotate:
a) Click New to create a new transformation operation.
b) Select Shift, Reflect, or Rotation and fill in the corresponding numerical values to
characterize the transformation, and then click Create. The new transformation
operation appears in the listing.
c) To add more operations once at least one has been defined, click Prepend or Append.
To place the new operation within the list instead of at the beginning or end of the list,
select one of the previously defined transformation operations in the listing and choose
Prepend or Append.
d) To change a transformation operation, select one of the transformation operations in the
list and choose Edit.
e) To delete a previously defined transformation operation, select the transformation
operation in the list and choose Delete.
f) To reorder the transformation operations in the list, select one operation and drag it to
a new location in the list.

NOTE Sentaurus Structure Editor respects the order of the transformation

operations. The operations are passed to Sentaurus Mesh in the order
they appear in the Shift/Reflect/Rotate list.

The related Scheme commands for defining and placing external profiles are:
(sdedr:define-submesh ExtProfDef-name TDR-file-name)
(sdedr:define-submesh-placement ExtProfPlace-name ExtProfDef-name RefEval-name
["PlacementType" {"region" | "material" | "evalwin"}]
{["DecayLength" decay-length] | ["GaussDecayLength" gauss-decay-length]}
["Replace" | "NoReplace" | "LocalReplace"] ["IgnoreMat"]
["MatchMaterialType"])

In addition, for the transformation operations, the following Scheme command appends
transformations to the named submesh placement. Any number of transformations can be
appended in one call of this Scheme command, which can be called as many times as necessary.

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Transforms are appended and are applied in the order defined:

(sdedr:transform-submesh-placement "SubmeshPlacementName"
[<transform1> <transform2> ... <transformN>])

where <transformX> is any one of these transforms:

■ "Reflect" "<axis>"
■ "ShiftVector" (gvector <coord> <coord> <coord>)
■ "Rotation" <angle> "<axis>"

where <axis> is [X | Y | Z] and <angle>, <coord> are floating-point numbers for the angle
and for the x-, y-, and z-coordinates.

The following Scheme command clears all the transformations defined for the named submesh
placement:
(sdedr:clear-submesh-placement-transform "SubmeshPlacementName")

The following 2D examples use a common set of Scheme commands to create a simplified
device structure and to define a meshing strategy:
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position -0.445 0.0 0) (position 0.0 0.5 0)
"Silicon" "region_L")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0.0 0.0 0) (position 0.445 0.5 0)
"Silicon" "region_R")
(sdedr:define-refinement-size "RefinementDefinition_1" 0.25 0.5 0.001 0.001)
(sdedr:define-refinement-material "RefinementPlacement_1"
"RefinementDefinition_1" "Silicon")
(sdedr:define-refinement-function "RefinementDefinition_1"
"DopingConcentration" "MaxTransDiff" 1)

See Sentaurus™ Mesh User Guide, Defining Submeshes on page 17 for details.

Starting with the above Scheme script, different variations of including an external doping
profile are discussed:
■ To include an external doping profile, called n34_fps.tdr, in the entire device structure:
(sdedr:define-submesh "ExternalProfileDefinition_1" "n34_fps.tdr")
(sdedr:define-submesh-placement "ExternalProfilePlacement_1"
"ExternalProfileDefinition_1" "" "NoReplace")

NOTE The empty string before the NoReplace option indicates that the profile
will be included in the entire device structure. The profile is extended to
regions of the device structure that are not covered by the external
profile.

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■ To restrict the inclusion of the external doping profile to an Evaluation window and to
reflect the external profile using a mirror plane that goes through the bounding box center
of the external profile and is orthogonal to the x-axis:
(sdedr:define-submesh "ExternalProfileDefinition_1" "n34_fps.tdr")
(sdedr:define-refeval-window "RefEvalWin_1" "Rectangle"
(position 0.0 0.0 0) (position 0.445 0.4 0))
(sdedr:define-submesh-placement "ExternalProfilePlacement_1"
"ExternalProfileDefinition_1" "RefEvalWin_1" "NoReplace")
(sdedr:transform-submesh-placement "ExternalProfilePlacement_1" "Reflect" "X")
■ To shift the external profile by 0.445 μm to the left and to include it in all silicon regions:
(sdedr:define-submesh "ExternalProfileDefinition_1" "n34_fps.tdr")
(sdedr:define-submesh-placement "ExternalProfilePlacement_1"
"ExternalProfileDefinition_1" "Silicon" "PlacementType" "Material"
"NoReplace")
(sdedr:transform-submesh-placement "ExternalProfileDefinition_1"
"ShiftVector" (gvector -0.445 0.0 0.0))
■ To reflect and shift the external profile by 0.445 μm to the left and to include it only in a
given region:
(sdedr:define-submesh "ExternalProfileDefinition_1" "n34_fps.tdr")
(sdedr:define-submesh-placement "ExternalProfilePlacement_1"
"ExternalProfileDefinition_1" "region_L" "PlacementType" "Region"
"NoReplace")
(sdedr:transform-submesh-placement "ExternalProfileDefinition_1"
"ShiftVector" (gvector 0.445 0 0) "Reflect" "X")
■ To include the same profile twice, once at its original location, and once reflected and
shifted:
(sdedr:define-submesh "ExternalProfileDefinition_1" "n34_fps.tdr")
(sdedr:define-submesh-placement "ExternalProfilePlacement_1"
"ExternalProfileDefinition_1" "region_R" "PlacementType" "Region")
(sdedr:define-submesh-placement "ExternalProfilePlacement_2"
"ExternalProfileDefinition_1" "region_L" "PlacementType" "Region"
"NoReplace")
(sdedr:transform-submesh-placement "ExternalProfilePlacement_2"
"ShiftVector" (gvector 0.445 0 0) "Reflect" "X")

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(a) 0 (b) 0

0.1 0.1

0.2 0.2
Y [µm]

Y [µm]
0.3 0.3

0.4 0.4

0.5 0.5
-0.4 -0.2 0 0.2 0.4 -0.4 -0.2 0 0.2 0.4
X [µm] X [µm]

0.1 0.1

0.2 0.2
Y [µm]

Y [µm]
0.3 0.3

0.4 0.4

0.5 0.5
-0.4 -0.2 0 0.2 0.4 -0.4 -0.2 0 0.2 0.4
X [µm] X [µm]
(e) 0

0.1

0.2
Y [µm]

0.3

0.4

0.5
-0.4 -0.2 0 0.2 0.4
X [µm]

Figure 122 Including external doping profiles using different options: (a) simple inclusion;
(b) reflections and Ref/Eval window; (c) shift; (d) reflect, shift, and region
restriction; and (e) using the same profile twice

The following example illustrates how to include a 2D external doping profile into a simple 3D
structure. Both examples use a common set of Scheme commands to create a simplified device
structure and to define a meshing strategy:
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0.0 0.0 0.0) (position 0.445 0.445 0.445)
"Silicon" "region_p1")
(sdedr:define-refinement-size "RefinementDefinition_1"
0.2 0.2 0.2
0.004 0.004 0.004)
(sdedr:define-refinement-material "RefinementPlacement_1"
"RefinementDefinition_1" "Silicon")
(sdedr:define-refinement-function "RefinementDefinition_1"
"DopingConcentration" "MaxTransDiff" 1)

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■ To include the profile without any alignment:

(sdedr:define-submesh "ExternalProfileDefinition_1" "n34_fps.tdr")
(sdedr:define-submesh-placement "ExternalProfilePlacement_1"
"ExternalProfileDefinition_1" "Silicon" "PlacementType" "Material"
"NoReplace")

NOTE The 2D profile lies in the xy plane. The simple inclusion results in an
extrusion of the profile along the z-axis.
■ To rotate the profile into the xz plane before inclusion:
(sdedr:define-submesh "ExternalProfileDefinition_1" "n34_fps.tdr")
(sdedr:define-submesh-placement "ExternalProfilePlacement_1"
"ExternalProfileDefinition_1" "Silicon" "PlacementType" "Material"
"NoReplace")
(sdedr:transform-submesh-placement "ExternalProfilePlacement_1"
"Rotation" -90 "X" "ShiftVector" (gvector 0 0 0.445))

Z
Y
X

Figure 123 Including an 2D external doping profile into a 3D structure: (left) by default the
profile lies in the xy plane and (right) using shifts and rotations to place the profile
in the xz plane

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Particle Doping Profiles

To define a particle doping profile:
1. Choose Device > Particle Profile Placement, or click the corresponding toolbar button
(see Table 15 on page 17).
The Particle Profiles dialog box is displayed.

2. Edit the Placement Name field as needed (the default name is

ParticleProfilePlacement_<index>), or select the name of a previously defined
particle profile specification for editing.
3. Under Evaluate Window, select a Ref/Eval window as discussed in Step 3 of Regular
Refinement Boxes on page 204.
4. Under Particle Profile Definition, edit the Name field as needed (the default name is
ParticleProfileDefinition_<index>).

A previously defined particle profile definition can be linked to the current particle profile
placement by selecting it from the corresponding list.

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5. Edit the ParticleFile field, or click the Browse button to select the file.
6. Optionally, select a species from the list, which contains the most common dopant species:
a) Select Other to access the complete list of DATEX variables.
b) Select blank at the end of the list so as not to use the Species option. The blank species
is the default.
7. Optionally, enter values for ScreeningFactor, ScreeningScalingFactor,
BoundaryExtension, and Divisions, and if required, select Normalization and
AutoScreeningFactor.
For details, see Sentaurus™ Mesh User Guide, Placing Constant Profiles on page 24 and
Sentaurus™ Mesh User Guide, Defining Particle Profiles on page 17.
8. Select Replace if this doping profile should replace all other, previously defined profiles.
Select LocalReplace to replace only the doping species being defined. If you select
NoReplace, the new profile will be added to all previously defined profiles.
(Omit this step when reusing a previously defined refinement definition.)
9. Complete the definition of the particle profile specification by clicking Add Placement for
a new refinement specification, or click Change Placement to save the edits of an existing
one.

The related Scheme commands for creating particle doping profiles are sdedr:define-particle-
profile on page 542, sdedr:define-particle-profile-placement on page 543, and sdedr:define-
refeval-window on page 544, for example:
(sdedr:define-refeval-window "RefEvalWin_1" "Rectangle" (position -1 -0.5 0)
(position -0.5 0 0))
(sdedr:define-particle-profile "ParticleProfileDefinition_1" "particlefile"
"Species" "BoronActiveConcentration" "ScreeningFactor" 1
"BoundaryExtension" 5 "Divisions" 10 "AutoScreeningFactor" #t
"Normalization" #t "NumberOfThreads" 4 "DopingAssignment" "CIC")
(sdedr:define-particle-profile-placement "ParticleProfilePlacement_1"
"ParticleProfileDefinition_1""EvalWindow" "RefEvalWin_1" "evalwin"
"Replace" #t)

Controlling the Boundary Tessellation

Global Tessellation Settings

Internally, Sentaurus Structure Editor uses a representation of the geometric bodies that can
include curved boundaries, for example, regions with circular or spline boundary edges in two

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dimensions, and regions with cylindrical or spherical boundary faces. In addition, certain
sweep and revolve operations lead to curved boundaries.

Other TCAD Sentaurus tools, however, work exclusively with polyhedral boundaries. Upon
exporting a device boundary, Sentaurus Structure Editor approximates all boundaries by a
sequence of straight line segments (2D) or by patches of flat triangles (3D). This process is
called tessellation. The tessellated boundary can be saved using the sdeio:save-tdr-bnd
Scheme extension or choosing File > Save Boundary As (or Save Boundary).

The conversion of the curved boundary to a polyhedral patch is not unique, and you can control
a number of parameters that govern the tessellation process.

Two faceters are available to tessellate the internal (2D or 3D, possibly curved) model
geometry. If a TDR boundary is saved using the sdeio:save-tdr-bnd Scheme extension,
you can use the "faceter" argument to select the faceter from either "v1" or "v2". The
default faceter is "v1".

The earlier "v1" faceter is used by default. However, in some cases, the "v2" faceter provides
better quality tessellation, especially in three dimensions, when curved spline faces are present
in the native model geometry.

The control parameters of both faceters can be set using keyword–value pairs in sdeio:save-
tdr-bnd (see sdeio:save-tdr-bnd on page 758). The faceters can be controlled using the
following parameters:
■ Surface tolerance refers to the allowable maximum deviation (distance, in global
coordinates) between the internal curved representation and the tessellated output.
■ Normal tolerance is the maximum difference (in degrees) that is allowed between the
surface normals of the internal curved representation and the face normals of the tessellated
output.
■ Aspect ratio is the preferred aspect ratio of the boundary tessellation triangles.
■ Maximum edge length is the maximal edge length allowed in the tessellated output.

If the exported boundary contains an excessive number of elements and meshing takes a long
time, the values of the surface and normal tolerances might need to be relaxed. However, if
important geometric features of the structure are not resolved in the exported boundary, the
surface and normal tolerance values might need to be decreased.

Apart from controlling the properties of the faceter using sdeio:save-tdr-bnd, using the
appropriate keyword–value pairs, you can also control "faceter" "v1" by a global
refinement setting.

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To set the parameters for the "v1" faceter:

1. Choose Mesh > Global Refinement.
The Refinement Control dialog box opens.

2. Set the surface tolerance length, normal tolerance, aspect ratio, and maximum edge length.
3. Click OK.

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sde:setrefprops surface-tolerance normal-tolerance
[aspect-ratio max-edge-length])

The "v2" faceter also uses these tessellation controls, but the values of these controls must be
set using the appropriate keyword–value pairs in sdeio:save-tdr-bnd. The surface
tolerance value can be set using the "surface tolerance" argument. Normal tolerance is
set using the "normal tolerance" argument, the aspect ratio is set using the "aspect
ratio" argument, and the maximal edge length is set using the "max edge length"
argument.

To follow the examples given below, activate the facets rendering mode by choosing View >
Render > Facets (see Table 6 on page 15).

The following example illustrates the effect of the surface tolerance length:
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-sphere (position 0.0 0.0 0.0) 1.0 "Silicon" "region_1")
; (a) Default settings:
(sde:setrefprops -1 15 0 0)
; (b) Relax all settings:
(sde:setrefprops 0 90 0 0)
; (c) Tight surface tolerance
(sde:setrefprops 0.001 90 0 0)

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Figure 124 Controlling surface tessellation: (left) default settings, (middle) relaxed settings,
and (right) tight surface tolerance only

This example illustrates the effect of the normal tolerance:

(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-cylinder (position 0.0 0.0 -1.0) (position 0.0 0.0 1.0) 1.0
"Silicon" "region_2")
; (a) Default settings:
(sde:setrefprops -1 15 0 0)
; (b) Relax all settings:
(sde:setrefprops 0 90 0 0)
; (c) Tight normal tolerance
(sde:setrefprops 0 5 0 0)

Figure 125 Controlling surface tessellation: (left) default settings, (middle) relaxed settings,
and (right) tight normal tolerance only

Tighter surface and normal tolerances result in the creation of more facets. Both parameters
work effectively in a similar way, but use a slightly different criterion.

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The following example illustrates the effect of the aspect ratio:

(sde:clear)
sdegeo:create-ellipse (position 0.0 0.0 0.0) (position 1.0 0.0 0.0)
0.05 "Silicon" "region_1")
; (a) Default settings:
(sde:setrefprops -1 15 0 0)
; (b) Relax all settings:
(sde:setrefprops 0 90 0 0)
; (c) Aspect ratio
(sde:setrefprops 0 90 1.0 0)

Figure 126 Controlling surface tessellation: (top) default settings, (middle) relaxed settings,
and (bottom) tight aspect ratio only

The aspect ratio setting does not result in the creation of new nodes (2D) or faces (3D). Instead,
an aspect ratio setting of 1 favors a tessellation for which the surface triangles are closer to
equilateral by flipping of internal edges.

This example illustrates the effect of the maximum edge length:

(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position -1.0 -1.0 -1.0) (position 1.0 1.0 1.0)
"Silicon" "region_3")
; (a) Default settings:
(sde:setrefprops -1 15 0 0)
; (b) Tight normal tolerance
(sde:setrefprops 0 90 0 0.5)

For the specification of the surface tolerance, certain values have a predefined meaning. For
example, a value of zero deactivates this refinement criterion. While positive values such as
0.01 refer to an absolute distance in the current units (for example, 0.01 μm ), certain negative
values define the tolerance distance as a fraction of the bounding box. A negative surface
tolerance means that the tolerance is dependent on the size of the diagonal of the bounding box;
the absolute value of the negative number is multiplied by a fraction (1/500) of the diagonal of
the bounding box.

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Figure 127 Controlling surface tessellation: (left) default settings and (right) maximum edge
length only

Table 30 Predefined values available to specify the required surface tolerance

Surface tolerance value Definition

0 Switches off or ignores the surface tolerance refinement criteria

–0.1 1/5000th of the box

–1 1/500th

–10 1/50th

… …

Tessellating Spherical Faces

The default faceter triangulates spherical faces in such a way that a pole is not visible in the
tessellated surface. This minimizes the vertex connectivity at each vertex. By default, the
"grid mode" faceter control is set to "AF_GRID_ONE_DIR".

For example:
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position -1.0 -1.0 -1.0) (position 1.0 1.0 1.0)
"Silicon" "region_1")
(sdegeo:fillet (list
(car (find-edge-id (position 0 1 1)))

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(car (find-edge-id (position 1 1 0)))

(car (find-edge-id (position 1 0 1)))) 0.4)
(sdeio:save-tdr-bnd (get-body-list) "spherical-face-tessellation.tdr")

Figure 128 illustrates the effect of the tessellation algorithm.

Pole Improved faceting

around the pole area

Figure 128 Tessellating spherical faces: (left) visible pole with "grid mode"
"AF_GRID_TO_EDGES" and (right) with "grid mode" "AF_GRID_ONE_DIR"

Boundary Tessellation in Three Dimensions

The TDR boundary output is created in Sentaurus Structure Editor using the so-called faceter
component. During model generation, Sentaurus Structure Editor creates a native model with
solid bodies that can have nonplanar faces (for example, procedural faces such as spherical,
cylindrical, toroidal, or spline faces). The default faceter component can tessellate these faces
(generating a polyhedral approximation of the native model) that is written to the TDR
boundary output.

The quality of the tessellation is very important, since the meshing engines use the tessellated
boundary to create a volume mesh. If the tessellation quality is not good (sliver faces for
example), the meshing engines might be unable to create a volume mesh.

The tessellated TDR boundary can be saved using the sdeio:save-tdr-bnd command.

NOTE If the (option:set "hoops_direct_render" #t) command is

used, the GUI shows the faceted model that will be written to the TDR
boundary output. The command (render:rebuild) (or right-click
and choose Show All) can be used to refresh the screen and to show the
current faceting.

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IOControls Section and Interpolate Section

IOControls Section and Interpolate Section

The inputFile and outputFile parameters in the IOControls section can be defined
using the IOControls Parameters dialog box or the sdesnmesh:iocontrols Scheme
extension (see sdesnmesh:iocontrols on page 791).

To define the IOControls parameters:

1. Choose Mesh > IOControls and Interpolate Parameters.
The IOControls Parameters dialog box is displayed.

2. Enter values for InputFile, or OutputFile, or both in the corresponding fields.

See Sentaurus™ Mesh User Guide, IOControls Section on page 6.

NOTE If the parameter inputFile in the IOControls section is defined, it

overrides the base name of the saved boundary file when you create the
mesh by either choosing Mesh > Build Mesh (see Building the Mesh
on page 242) or using the sde:build-mesh Scheme extension (see
sde:build-mesh on page 409).
3. Under Interpolate Parameters, select the options as required.
4. Click Save.

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QualityReport Section

NOTE The EnableSections option is selected by default. Therefore, the

parameter EnableSections is added to the IOControls section of
the mesh command file by default.

QualityReport Section
You can define the QualityReport section of the Sentaurus Mesh command file. This section
can have one global block and multiple material and region blocks.

To define the QualityReport section:

1. Choose Mesh > Quality Report.
The Mesh Quality Report dialog box is displayed.

2. Select the domain from either the Global, Material, or Region option.
3. Select the required items from the Materials/Regions list:
a) For a Material domain, this list contains the DATEX materials of the model.

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b) For a Region domain, the list contains all region names of the model.
4. When the parameters are specified, click Add.
The defined block is listed in the lower pane.
5. (Optional) Select a list item and click Edit to edit the parameters and redefine the block.
6. (Optional) Select a list item and click Delete to remove it.
7. (Optional) Click Clear to delete all defined blocks of the QualityReport section.
8. Click Close to exit the dialog box.

The corresponding Scheme extension is sdesnmesh:qualityreport on page 792.

Building the Mesh

After all refinement and doping specifications have been created, you can mesh the structure
using Sentaurus Mesh.

To build the mesh:

1. Choose Mesh > Build Mesh.
The Build Mesh dialog box is displayed.

2. In the Save Grid to File field, enter the name of the file where the mesh will be saved, or
click Browser to navigate to the required file.
Extensions such as .cmd, .Z, and .gz are removed from the file name to form the base name
for the mesh file.

NOTE If you specified inputFile in the IOControls section, it overrides

the base name of the saved boundary file.

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Under Mesh Viewer, the SVisual option is selected by default to use Sentaurus Visual to
view the created mesh.
3. In the Other options field, enter command-line options as required.
See Sentaurus™ Mesh User Guide, Command-Line Options on page 3.
4. Click Save Values to save the global parameters without executing Sentaurus Mesh.
5. Click Build Mesh to create the mesh.

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Building the Mesh

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CHAPTER 9 Creating Planar Layer Stacks

This chapter discusses how to create planar layer stacks efficiently

including doping profiles, mole fraction profiles, and refinements.

Using the sdeepi:create-layerstack Scheme Extension

The sdeepi:create-layerstack Scheme extension is useful for simulating compound
semiconductor devices based on epitaxial layer stacks. Such structures are typically grown
using epitaxial growth techniques such as metal-organic chemical vapor deposition or
molecular beam epitaxy. This Scheme extension facilitates structure generation for epitaxial
layer stacks.

A typical epitaxial structure consists of a stack of planar layers. The straightforward approach
to generate such a structure in Sentaurus Structure Editor requires approximately 10 to 15
commands to set up the geometry, doping, mole-fraction profiles, and refinements for each
layer. This makes structure generation unnecessarily complex. Using sdeepi:create-
layerstack, the layer stack description can be greatly simplified by using a single line to
define all layer properties for each layer.

To facilitate working with and organizing material parameters, the MatPar utility is available
from SolvNet® (for details, see [1]).

The sdeepi:create-layerstack Scheme extension has the following features:

■ All settings and layer properties of the layer stack are specified in a comma-separated value
(CSV) file that can be edited easily in a text editor or a spreadsheet application.
■ All layer properties are defined efficiently with a single line in the CSV file.
■ Based on the CSV file, sdeepi:create-layerstack generates the geometric
representation of the layer stack itself as well as doping, mole profile definitions, and
refinements.
■ Automatic creation of top and bottom contacts.
■ Both two-dimensional and three-dimensional layer stacks can be created.
■ Both the unified coordinate system (UCS) and the DF–ISE coordinate system are
supported.
■ The epitaxial layers can have constant or graded doping and mole-fraction profiles.
■ The layerwise mesh refinement strategy can be specified in the CSV file.

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Command File

The sdeepi:create-layerstack Scheme extension creates a planar layer stack from the
user-defined description specified in the command file sde_epi.csv, which consists of the
following major sections:
■ The global section where any global settings such as the lateral stack dimensions, global
refinement, and the top and bottom contact names can be defined.
■ The layers section that defines for each layer its properties such as region name, material,
thickness, mole fraction, and refinement in a single row.
■ An additional parameter file section where the generation of parameter files performed
with MatPar can be controlled in more detail [1].

The command file sde_epi.csv can be edited easily by right-clicking the Sentaurus
Structure Editor icon in the tool row and choosing Edit Input > CSV Data File.

Command File
The command file sde_epi.csv contains all the information needed to create the layer stack.
The file is preprocessed before execution as usual; therefore, it can include any common
preprocessing and Tcl preprocessing statements.

The entire file is structured as a comma-separated value (CSV) file. Therefore, it consists of
fields (columns) separated by commas. Each column is handled as a separate entity, for
example, the name of the layer or the thickness of the layer. Any trailing commas are ignored.

Any line starting with a hash (#) as the first nonspace character is interpreted as a comment and
is ignored.

The following example is a CSV file generating a simple 2D p-n GaAs diode:
$global coodinateSystem=UCS
$global Ymin=0.0, Ymax=2.0
$global dXmax=0.2
$global topContact=anode, bottomContact=cathode
#Region, Material, ParFile, Thickness, Doping, MoleFrac, Refinement
cap,GaAs,,0.2,-1E+019,,(xref 0.02)
fsf,AlGaAs,AlGaAs.par,0.04,-2E+018,0.8,(xref 0.01)
emitter,GaAs,,0.8,-9E+017,,(mbox 0.05 1.1 both)
base,GaAs,,3.2,1E+017,,(mbox 0.01 1.1 both)
bsf,AlGaAs,AlGaAs.par,0.2,5E+018,0.2,(mbox 0.01 1.2 both)
buffer,GaAs,,0.35,2E+018,,(mbox 0.01 1.2 up)

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Global Section
The global section of the command file defines variables called global variables, which define
the properties of the complete layer stack such as stack width, global refinement, and top and
bottom contact names. The value of a particular global variable is the same for all layers in the
stack.

A line starting with $global is used to modify a global variable in the following way:
$global variable1=<value>, variable2=<value>, ...

NOTE The variable names are case sensitive.

An example of a typical global section is:

# Simple solar cell structure
$global coordinateSystem=DFISE
$global Xmax=@wtot@
$global dXmin=5, dXmax=5, dYmin=0.5, dYmax=0.5
$global topContact=anode, bottomContact=cathode

where:
■ coordinateSystem sets the coordinate system used when saving the TDR file. More
precisely, it defines the up direction of the structure:

Coordinate system Dimension Up direction

UCS 2D -x

UCS 3D -x

DF–ISE 2D -y

DF–ISE 3D +z

■ Xmax sets the width of the layer stack to the Sentaurus Workbench parameter @wtot@.
■ dXmin, dXmax, dYmin, and dYmax define some global refinement.
■ topContact and bottomContact define the electrode names at the top and bottom of
the structure, respectively.

For a complete list of global variables, see Table 31 on page 248. Details about the variables
are described in the following sections.

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Command File

All global variables can be written to the layer information file nX_epi.tcl using the
command:
(sdeepi:tcl "nX_epi.csv" "nX_epi.tcl")

Therefore, all global variables are available as Tcl variables in Tcl preprocessing blocks of any
subsequent tools by sourcing this file. For example, to print the minimum y-coordinate of the
stack inside a subsequent command file, insert the following:
!(
source "nX_epi.tcl"
puts min
)!

NOTE In Sentaurus Workbench, the preprocessed CSV file nX_epi.csv can

be access by @epicsv@. Similarly, the layer information file
nX_epi.tcl can be accessed through @epitcl@.

Table 31 Structure information in global section of CSV file, listing predefined global
variables
Predefined global Description Settable? Default Unit
variables value

Geometric properties of complete layer stack in all three directions

Xmin Minimum extent of the layer stack in the x-direction. Yes 0 μm

Xmax Maximum extent of the layer stack in the x-direction. (Yes) 1 μm

Ignored if set for the UCS.

Ymin Minimum extent of the layer stack in the y-direction. Yes 0 μm

Ymax Maximum extent of the layer stack in the y-direction. (Yes) 1 μm

Ignored if set for the DF–ISE coordinate system (two
dimensions).

Zmin Minimum extent of the layer stack in the z-direction. It can (Yes) 0 μm
be set only for UCS (three dimensions); otherwise, it is
ignored.

Zmax Maximum extent of the layer stack in the z-direction. (Yes) 1 μm

Ignored if set in two dimensions.

coordinateSystem Either UCS (unified coordinate system) or DFISE (DF–ISE Yes UCS –
coordinate system).

dimension For 2D structures, dimension=2. Yes 2 –

For 3D structures, dimension=3.

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Table 31 Structure information in global section of CSV file, listing predefined global
variables (Continued)
Predefined global Description Settable? Default Unit
variables value

Global mesh refinement strategy for entire structure

dXmin, dYmin, Minimum element size in the xyz directions. Yes 9999.0 μm
dZmin

dXmax, dYmax, Maximum element size in the xyz directions. Yes 9999.0 μm
dZmax

Electrode information

topContact If defined, contains the name of the contact to be created on Yes – –

the top of the layer stack.

bottomContact If defined, contains the name of the contact to be created at Yes – –

the bottom of the layer stack.

Meshing tool information

columnNames Contains a list of column names. To add user-defined Yes – –

columns, use the following syntax:
$global append columnNames <column1>
<column2> ...

bottomRegionName Region name of the bottommost layer. No – –

topRegionName Region name of the topmost layer. No – –

Size and Position of Structure

The variables Xmin, Xmax, Ymin, Ymax, Zmin, and Zmax describe the extent of the layer stack
in all three directions.

Figure 129 on page 250 shows a 2D layer stack created by sdeepi:create-layerstack

and illustrates both the UCS and the DF–ISE coordinate system. The coordinate system is
chosen with the global variable coordinateSystem, for example, the default is
coordinateSystem=UCS. In this case, the top of the layer stack is in the x-direction. The
topmost layer in the command file will be created with its top edge at Xmin.

Set coordinateSystem=DFISE to activate the DF–ISE coordinate system. In this case, for a
2D structure, the top of the layer stack is in the –y-direction and the topmost layer is at Ymin.

Each subsequent layer line will be created in the order it appears in the command file, until the
last layer is created. The bottom edge of the last layer defines Xmax for the UCS (or Ymax for
the DF–ISE coordinate system for a 2D structure).

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(Xmin, Ymin) (Xmin, Ymin)

00 00

0.5 0.5

11 11

DopingConcentration [cm–3] DopingConcentration [cm−3]

1.5 5.000e+18 1.5 5.000e+18

2.068e+16 2.068e+16
22 8.550e+13
22
8.550e+13

-3.536e+11 -3.536e+11
X

Y
X 2.5 Y 2.5
-1.710e+14 -1.710e+14

-4.135e+16 -4.135e+16
33 33
-1.000e+19 -1.000e+19

3.5 3.5

44 44

4.5 4.5
(Xmax, Ymax) (Xmax, Ymax)
-1
-1 -0.5
-0.5 0 0.5
0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5
2.5 3 -1
-1 -0.5
-0.5 0 0.5
0.5 1 1.5
1.5 2 2.5
2.5 3
Y
Y X
X

Figure 129 Generated layer stack with: (left) UCS and (right) DF–ISE coordinate system

By default, Xmin = Ymin = 0. In addition, as shown in Figure 129, it is required that

Xmin < Xmax. All layers have the same width, which can be defined using Ymin and Ymax for
the UCS, or Xmin and Xmax for the DF–ISE coordinate system (see Table 31 on page 248).

If the global variable dimension=3 is specified, a corresponding 3D structure is created as

illustrated in Figure 130. The top of the layer stack is in the –x-direction for the UCS and in the
+z-direction for the DF–ISE coordinate system. The extent of the layer stack in the third
dimension is controlled with the Zmin and Zmax variables for the UCS, and the Ymin and Ymax
variables for the DF–ISE coordinate system.

The next sections describe the usage of sdeepi in the UCS.

(Xmin, Ymin, Zmin) (Xmin, Ymin, Zmax)

Z
Z Y
X X Y

(Xmax, Ymax, Zmax) (Xmax, Ymax, Zmin)

Figure 130 Three-dimensional layer stack with (left) UCS and updirection=-x, Ymax=15, and
Zmax=10, and (right) DF–ISE coordinate system and updirection=+z, Xmax=10,
and Ymax=15

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Global Refinement Strategy

In addition to layerwise refinements (see Refinement Column on page 259),

sdeepi:create-layerstack allows you to define a global refinement that is defined as a
refinement window covering the entire layer stack.

dXmin and dXmax are minimum and maximum element sizes, respectively, for global mesh
refinement in the x-direction for the entire structure. dYmin, dYmax, dZmin, and dZmax have
similar meaning.

If you define dXmin=0, or dYmin=0, or dZmin=0, sdeepi:create-layerstack resets this

minimum element size to be equal to the corresponding maximum element size. The global
refinement window is positioned to cover the entire layer stack.

NOTE The sdeepi:create-layerstack Scheme extension generates

global refinement commands only if the value of at least one of these
variables is modified by users.

User-Defined Extension Columns

In addition to the predefined layer properties, sdeepi:create-layerstack allows you to

add user-defined layer properties. This can be useful in cases where some tools need additional
layer-specific data. For example, to switch on radiative recombination in Sentaurus Device for
particular layers, an additional layer column Rrad could be defined with:
$global append columnNames Rrad

This user-defined column can be filled with values as described in Extension Columns on
page 261. The column values are saved with all other properties in the Tcl file nX_epi.tcl
and can be incorporated in any subsequent Tcl preprocessing block.

NOTE To create multiple extension columns, use the following syntax:

$global append columnNames <extensionColumnName1>
<extensionColumnName2> ...

Layers Section
All layers of the layer stack are defined in the layers section, which consists of one line for each
layer to be created. Basically, any line not starting with a hash (#) or a dollar sign ($) is a layer
line. Stack generation starts with the first layer line as the topmost layer of the stack and
continues from top to bottom until the last layer line is reached.

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Command File

Each layer line consists of several comma-separated columns, which sdeepi:create-

layerstack uses to create the layer stack:
<Region>, <Material>, <SourceParFile>, <Thickness>, <Doping>, <MoleFraction>,
<Refinement>, [<Extension1>, <Extension2>, ...]

Lines starting with an empty region name are used to create materialwise parameter file
definitions for MatPar [1].

Table 32 summarizes the columns used to describe each layer.

Table 32 Columns in layers section of CSV file

Column Description Unit

Region Region name. –

Material Material name. –

SourceParFile Name of the source parameter file. Only used if MatPar is used to generate –
parameter files.

Thickness Layer thickness. μm

–3
Doping Doping of each layer. A negative sign indicates p-type doping; a positive sign cm
indicates n-type doping.

MoleFraction Mole fraction for ternary or quaternary materials. [1]

Refinement Regionwise mesh refinement strategy for each layer. μm

Additional user-defined extension columns can be added for various purposes. –

The following is an example of the layers section of the command file of a GaAs single-
junction solar cell:
# Layers section
# Region, Material, SourceParFile, Thickness, Doping, MoleFraction,
# Refinement
cap,GaAs,,0.5,-5e19,,(xref 0.1)
fsf,AlGaAs,AlGaAs.par,0.03,-4e18,0.8,(xref 0.01)
emitter,GaAs,,0.5,-5e17,,(mbox 0.05 1.1 both)
base,GaAs,,2.5,1e17,,(mbox 0.05 1.1 both)
substrate,Germanium,Ge.par,5.0,1e18,,(mbox 0.05 1.1 both)

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Table 33 shows how the same listing in a spreadsheet format, underlining the well-arranged
representation, compares to the source file listing.

Table 33 Example of layers section and material and interface section of epi_epi.csv
Line Region Material SourceParFile Thickness Doping MoleFraction Refinement
number

# Layers section:

1 cap GaAs 0.5 -5.00e19 (xref 0.1)

2 fsf AlGaAs AlGaAs.par 0.03 -4.00e18 0.8 (xref 0.01)

3 emitter GaAs 0.5 -5.00e17 (mbox 0.05 1.1 both)

4 base GaAs 2.5 1.00e17 (mbox 0.05 1.1 both)

5 substrate Germanium Ge.par 5.0 1.00e18 (mbox 0.05 1.1 both)

NOTE If all columns following a particular column are empty in a layer

definition, any trailing commas are ignored. Therefore, the following
two layer definitions are identical:
cap,GaAs,GaAs.par,0.5,-5e19,,,
cap,GaAs,GaAs.par,0.5,-5e19

NOTE Leading and intermediate commas are important.

Region Column

The sdeepi:create-layerstack Scheme extension creates a region for each layer. The
name of the region is specified in the Region column.

Material Column

For each layer, the names of materials that Sentaurus Device recognizes are specified in the
Material column. For example, for a germanium layer, Germanium is specified in the Material
column.

To generate a list of all materials that Sentaurus Device recognizes, use:

sdevice -L:materials

If a particular material is not in the list, it can be made available to all TCAD Sentaurus tools
by creating a local datexcodes.txt file. For details on how to create new materials, refer to
the Sentaurus™ Device User Guide.

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Command File

SourceParFile Column

If MatPar is not used for parameter file generation, the SourceParFile column is ignored and
can remain empty.

Otherwise, this column contains the source parameter file to be used for this layer [1].

Thickness Column

The thickness of each layer in micrometers is specified in the Thickness column. If the
Thickness column is empty, or is less than or equal to zero, sdeepi:create-layerstack
does not create the layer.

Doping Column

The doping information for each layer is specified in the Doping column. Doping values
greater than zero create n-type doping using the dataset ArsenicActiveConcentration.
Doping values less than zero create p-type doping using the dataset
BoronActiveConcentration.

One or several constant or analytic doping profiles can be specified using the commands in
Table 34 on page 255. These commands create region-based doping profiles for the layer in the
y-direction. The following types of doping profile can be defined in the y-direction:
■ Constant
■ Linear
■ Error function
■ Gaussian function
■ General analytic function f ( x, y, z )

If multiple doping profiles must be created, the bracket form must be used for profile definition.
For example, to specify a constant doping of n=1e15 and p=2e15 in the same layer, use
(1e15)(-2e15).

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Table 34 Commands for Doping column

Command Description Unit

Constant doping profile

–3
<doping> Constant doping concentration. cm
or:
(<doping> [<options:rnp>])

Linear doping profile

(lin <Ntop> <Nbot> Linear doping profile using analytic profile.

[<options:rsnp>])
–3
<Ntop> Value of doping concentration at the top edge of the layer. cm
–3
<Nbot> Value of doping concentration at the bottom edge of the layer. cm

Error function or Gaussian function doping profile

(erf|gauss <Nmax> <ymax> Error function or Gaussian function doping profile.

<length> [<options:udrsnp>])
–3
<Nmax> Maximum concentration/peak concentration. cm

<ymax> For erf, this is the symmetry position. For gauss, this is the peak position. μm

<length> For gauss, <length> represents the distance between the peak position and a μm
place where the profile value decays by a factor of exp(–1).
For erf, <length> represents the distance between the symmetry position
and a place where the profile value decays by a factor of 1/2*(1+erf(1)).

General analytic function doping profile

(func <func> Contains the general function expression, where the coordinates x,y,z are
[<options:rsgnp>]) local to the layer assuming (xmin,ymin,zmin) of the layer as origin. The layer
coordinates xmin, ymin, zmin, xmax, ymax, zmax and the layer extents dx, dy,
dz also can be used in <func>.
–3
<func> Contains the general function expression, where the xyz coordinates are local cm
to the layer assuming (xmin,ymin,zmin) of the layer as origin.

Options

u|d Controls the edge or face of the layer at which the baseline of the profile is
placed:
u = Baseline is placed at the top edge or face (default).
d = Baseline is placed at the bottom edge or face.

r If specified, the option Replace is used in the AnalyticalProfile section

of the Placement section of the mesh command file. Otherwise, NoReplace
is used.

s If specified, EvaluateWindow is not defined in the AnalyticalProfile

section of the Placement section of the mesh command file.

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Table 34 Commands for Doping column (Continued)

Command Description Unit

g Uses the global instead of the local layer-specific coordinate system for x,y,z
of the general function.

n|p Ignores the sign of the doping concentration and uses the specified doping
type.

Default constant value for profiles

–3
(default <doping>) Only used if MatPar is used for parameter file generation. Used in cases cm
where material parameter calculation requires a constant doping value.
<doping> defines the constant doping value to be used if required in the
material parameter calculation.

For each layer, the doping profiles are created with the following parameters:
■ The AnalyticalProfile section of the Definition section:
• Species = ArsenicActiveConcentration | BoronActiveConcentration (for
n-type or p-type doping, respectively)
• Function = General | Error | Gauss (for linear or general functions, error, or
Gaussian function doping profile, respectively)
• LateralFunction = Erf(Factor=0) (for error and Gaussian profiles)
■ The AnalyticalProfile section of the Placements section:
• The baseline for each layer is the bottom or top edge (2D) or face (3D), depending on
the specification of the option u|d in the Doping column (see Table 34 on page 255).
• By default, the option NoReplace is used. However, if the option r is specified in the
Doping column (see Table 34), Replace is used instead.
• The variable Direction is not specified in the ReferenceElement section since the
function values are computed on both sides of the baseline.
• By default, all analytic doping profiles are placed using the EvaluateWindow section.
For each layer, the domain for the evaluation of the profile is the layer region and
DecayLength=0. The EvaluateWindow is not defined if the option s is specified in
the Doping column (see Table 34).

For more details, write out the mesh command file with sdedr:write-cmd-file, and refer
to the Sentaurus™ Mesh User Guide.

Examples of specifying constant doping profiles are given in Table 33 on page 253. Lines 1–3
are defined as p-type doped layers, and lines 4 and 5 are defined as n-type doped layers.

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An example of an n-type doped layer with a Gaussian doping profile, with a peak concentration
of 1e15 cm–3, a relative peak position from the top of the layer of 0.2 μm , and a decay length
of 0.3 μm is defined with the following line:
4dopgauss,GaAs,,1,(gauss 1e15 0.2 0.3)

A constant p-type background doping of 2e16 cm–3 plus an n-type sine-modulated doping
using a default value of 1e16 cm–3 for the material parameter calculation can be defined as
follows:
6dopfunc,GaAs,,1,(2e16 p)(func 1e15*sin(2*3.1415*x/dx) n)(default -1e16)

If MatPar is used, a default value for the reference doping concentration can be defined for
layers with doping profiles with the command default. A constant doping value could be
necessary in some cases, if during material parameter calculation, the specified model cannot
handle the doping profile and requires a constant value instead.

MoleFraction Column

The mole-fraction information of layers consisting of ternary or quaternary compound

semiconductor materials is described in the MoleFraction column. The column is empty for
elemental or binary semiconductors. A constant mole fraction or a mole-fraction profile very
similar to doping profiles can be specified using the commands in Table 35. These commands
create region-based mole-fraction profiles for the layer in the y-direction.

A default reference mole-fraction value can be defined for layers with mole-fraction profiles
with the command default.

A constant mole-fraction value might be necessary in some cases, if during material parameter
calculation, the specified model cannot handle the mole-fraction profile and requires a constant
mole-fraction value instead.

Table 35 Commands for MoleFraction column

Command Description Unit

Constant mole fraction

<xMole> Defines a constant x–mole fraction for ternary compound semiconductors. 1

or:
(<xMole> [<options:rxy>])

Linear mole-fraction profile

(lin <xMoleTop> <xMoleBot> Linear x–mole fraction profile using analytic profile.
[<options:rsxy>])

<xMoleTop> Mole-fraction value at the top edge of the layer. 1

<xMoleBot> Mole-fraction value at the bottom edge of the layer. 1

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Table 35 Commands for MoleFraction column (Continued)

Command Description Unit

Error function or Gaussian function mole-fraction profile

(erf|gauss <xMoleMax> <ymax> Error function or Gaussian function mole-fraction profile.

<length> [<options:udrsxy>])

<xMoleMax> Maximum value/peak value. 1

<ymax> Symmetry position/peak position. μm

General analytic function doping profile

(func <func> Generates an arbitrary analytic mole-fraction profile using the general
[<options:rsgxy>]) function evaluator of Sentaurus Mesh.

<func> Contains the general function expression, where the coordinates x,y,z are
local to the layer assuming (xmin,ymin,zmin) of the layer as origin. The layer
coordinates xmin, ymin, zmin, xmax, ymax, zmax and the layer extents dx, dy,
dz also can be used in <func>.

Options

u|d Controls the edge or face of the layer at which the baseline of the profile is
placed:
u = Baseline is placed at the top edge or face (default).
d = Baseline is placed at the bottom edge or face.

r If specified, the option Replace is used in the AnalyticalProfile section

of the Placement section of the mesh command file. Otherwise, NoReplace
is used.

s If specified, EvaluateWindow is not defined in the AnalyticalProfile

section of the Placement section of the mesh command file.

g Uses the global instead of the local layer-specific coordinate system for x,y,z
of the general function.

x|y Sets the mole-fraction type explicitly. Default is x.

Default constant value for profiles

(default <xMole> [<yMole>]) Only used if MatPar is used for parameter file generation. Used in cases
where material parameter calculation requires a constant x– or y–mole
fraction value.

<xMole>, <yMole> Defines the constant x– and y–mole fraction value to be used if required in 1
the material parameter calculation.

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Table 35 Commands for MoleFraction column (Continued)

Command Description Unit

Mole-fraction profiles for quaternary materials

(y <yMole>|lin|erf|func| Creates a y–mole fraction profile very similar to the above definitions for
gauss ...) x–mole fraction profiles.

(<xMole> <yMole>) Defines a constant x– and y–mole fraction for quaternary compound 1
semiconductors.

(... x)(... y) In general, x– and y–mole fraction profiles can be defined separately using
the x and y options, for example:
(lin 0.1 0.2 x)(lin 0.9 0.8 y)

For example, to create a layer with a constant x–mole fraction profile with a value of 0.1, the
following lines are identical:
1molconst,AlGaAs,,1,1e15,0.1
2molconst,AlGaAs,,1,1e15,(0.1)
3molconst,AlGaAs,,1,1e15,(0.1 x)

The following line creates a linear x–mole fraction profile with a value of 0.3 at the top and 0.4
at the bottom:
3mollin,AlGaAs,,1,1e15,(lin 0.3 0.4)

To create a constant mole-fraction profile of x=0.2 y=0.3, all of the following expressions are
identical:
(0.2 0.3), (0.2)(y 0.3), (0.2)(0.3 y), (0.3 y)(0.2 x)

Refinement Column

The Refinement column in the command file offers two different meshing strategies:
■ Constant refinement in the xyz directions with the commands xref, yref, and zref.
■ Graded refinement, dense at an interface, relaxing towards the bulk, using the command
mbox (which stands for multibox).

Mesh refinement for a particular layer is performed using the commands xref and mbox (see
Table 36 on page 260). The terminology related to mesh refinement is discussed in the
Sentaurus™ Mesh User Guide.

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Table 36 Commands for Refinement column

Command Description

Uniform regionwise refinement

(xref|yref|zref Uniform regionwise refinement in the xyz directions.

<minelsize>
[<maxelsize>])

<minelsize> Specifies the minimum element size (mesh spacing) in the corresponding
direction. Default is the layer extent in the corresponding direction.

<maxelsize> Specifies the maximum element size (mesh spacing) in the corresponding
direction. By default, it is set equal to the minimum element size.

Multibox regionwise refinement

(mbox <minelsize> Defines a multibox refinement for a layer for the specified sides.
<ratio> <side:udlrfb>)

<minelsize> Specifies the minimum element size at the interface.

<ratio> Controls how fast the mesh spacing increases from the minimum value to the
maximum value, which is the layer thickness. ratio=1 is equal to a constant
meshing with <minelsize>. With ratio=2, the element size is doubled at each
step.

<side:udlrfb> Controls the edge (2D) or the face (3D) of the multibox from which the graded
mesh will start. Default is ud. Options (described for the UCS case; see
Figure 130 on page 250) are:
• u (up): Grading starts from the top (xmin) of the layer.
• d (down): Grading starts from the bottom (xmax) of the layer.
• l (left): Grading starts from the left (ymin) of the layer.
• r (right): Grading starts from the right (ymax) of the layer.
• f (front): For 3D structures, grading starts from the front (zmax) of the
layer.
• b (back): For 3D structures, grading starts from the back (zmin) of the layer.
The keywords written in parentheses after each option can be used as synonyms.
In addition, the keyword both can be used as a synonym for ud.

In addition to the layerwise refinements described here, refinements can be specified either
using the global variables dXmin, dXmax, and so on, or using the standard Sentaurus Structure
Editor refinement commands.

Looking at Table 33 on page 253, the refinement statement for the region cap in line 1 (xref
0.1) generates an equidistant refinement in the x-direction with a spacing of 0.1 μm . Very
similar refinement is generated with the expression (xref 0.01) for the region fsf in line 2
but using a spacing of 0.01 μm . For lines 3–5, each layer is refined in the x-direction with a
multibox refinement statement (mbox 0.05 1.1 both), starting with a spacing of 0.05 at
both interfaces and gradually increasing the element size by a factor of 1.1 towards the bulk.

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Extension Columns

In addition to the predefined layer properties, sdeepi:create-layerstack allows you to

add multiple user-defined layer properties that are appended to the layer line as additional
columns.

The Extension column can have arbitrary content and can be used by any subsequent Tcl
preprocessing blocks. For example, you could introduce an additional layer property or column
Rrad to switch on the radiative recombination model in the Sentaurus Device command file
for certain layers.

The following lines in the CSV file would define such an additional column, with the value no
for the fsf region, and the value yes for the emitter region:
$global append columnNames Rrad
fsf,AlGaAs,AlGaAs.par,0.03,-4.00e18,0.8,(xref 0.01),no
emitter,GaAs,,0.5,-5.00e17,,(mbox 0.05 1.1 both),yes

With the Scheme command sdeepi:tcl, all the layer information including the Extension
columns can be written to a Tcl file @epitcl@ (for example, n1_epi.tcl):
(sdeepi:tcl "@epicsv@" "@epitcl@")

The following is an excerpt from the Tcl file:

set epi(region,fsf,region) "fsf"
set epi(region,fsf,Rrad) "no"
set epi(region,emitter,region) "emitter"
set epi(region,emitter,Rrad) "yes"

The values of the Rrad column then can be accessed and used in the Sentaurus Device
command file to decide whether radiative recombination should be switched on or off for a
certain layer:
!(
source @epitcl@
foreach {key region} [array get epi "region,*,region"] {
if {"$epi(region,$region,Rrad)"=="yes"} {
puts "Physics (region=\"$region\") {Recombination(Radiative)}"
}
}
)!

The first line sources all Tcl variables of the layer information file into the Tcl interpreter of
the preprocessor. The foreach statement loops through all Tcl variables that have the form
epi(region,*,region), that is, all layers of the layer stack. The variable $region
contains the region name of the current layer. Any other column value can be accessed by

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$epi(region,$region,<column>) where <column> is replaced by the column name of

interest. In this case, you want to access the Extension column Rrad, therefore, you use
$epi(region,$region,Rrad) and, if its content is "yes", a regionwise Physics entry is
printed to the command file.

The result of the preprocessed block for this example is:

Physics (region="emitter") {Recombination(Radiative)}

NOTE By default, there is no Extension column.

Processing the Layer Stack

The sdeepi:create-layerstack Scheme extension creates a layer stack as it is produced
during any nonstructuring deposition process, for example, molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) or
metal organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE). Subsequent commands can be used to reflect any
further processing steps of the wafer such as lateral patterning steps.

Figure 131 illustrates this by a layered GaAs solar cell structure. On the left, the structure
created using sdeepi:create-layerstack is shown; on the right, the processed solar cell
structure is illustrated with a partially removed cap layer on the top, a partially deposited ARC,
and contacts.
-0.5
-0.5 -0.5
Anode ARC
00 00

0.5 0.5

11 11
DopingConcentration [cm−3] DopingConcentration [cm−3]
1.5 5.000e+18 1.5 5.000e+18

2.068e+16 2.068e+16
22 8.550e+13
22 8.550e+13
X

X X
-3.536e+11 -3.536e+11
2.5 2.5
-1.710e+14 -1.710e+14

33 -4.135e+16 33 -4.135e+16

-1.000e+19 -1.000e+19
3.5 3.5

44 44

4.5 4.5

3.5 44 4.5 55 5.5 66 6.5 77 7.5 3.5 44 4.5 55 5.5 66 6.5 77 7.5
Y
Y Y
Figure 131 (Left) Layer stack as created by sdeepi:create-layerstack and (right) device
structure with additional processing steps

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References

For convenience, all global variables as well as geometric variables can be made available to
Sentaurus Structure Editor as Scheme variables using:
(sdeepi:publish-global-vars #t)

By default, to avoid overwriting existing Scheme variables, none of the layer stack variables is
retained after the stack creation.

Various device-processing steps such as etching and additional layer deposition require the top
and bottom coordinates of a layer. These are available as the Scheme variables X0_<region>
and X1_<region>:
■ X0_<region> is the x-coordinate of the top edge of the region.
■ X1_<region> is the x-coordinate of the bottom edge of the region.

To investigate the layer stack creation in more detail and to evaluate the Scheme file step by
step in Sentaurus Structure Editor, you can save the used Scheme commands to a file, for
example:
(sdeepi:scm "@epicsv@" "@episcm@")

References
[1] Simulation of 2D Single-Junction GaAs Solar Cell, available from TCAD Sentaurus
Version O-2018.06 installation, go to Applications_Library/Solar/
SolarCell_SingleJunct_GaAs.

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CHAPTER 10 Working With Scheme and Scheme
Extensions

This chapter discusses working with Scheme and Scheme extensions

in Sentaurus Structure Editor.

Scheme Data Types

The Scheme scripting language is used in Sentaurus Structure Editor and the process emulation
module of Sentaurus Structure Editor (Procem).

Table 37 lists the data types that can be used as arguments when calling the Scheme functions
in Sentaurus Structure Editor.

Table 37 Data types for Scheme functions related to Sentaurus Structure Editor
Data type Description

BOOLEAN A native Scheme data type having either the value #t (true) or #f (false). It represents a logical or
Boolean value.

DATEXMAT A STRING type variable, containing a valid material name, as defined in the datexcodes.txt
file. "Silicon" and "Oxide" are valid DATEXMAT variables.

ELIST An ACIS entity list.

ENTITY An ACIS entity.

GVECTOR A GVECTOR entity is an ACIS entity. It contains the keyword gvector and it is a composition of
three real numbers representing the x-, y-, and z-components of a 3D vector. For example,
(define g1 (gvector 1 0 0)) defines a GVECTOR called g1. gvector is an ACIS-defined
Scheme data type, used to represent a vector with magnitude and direction. It is called gvector
only to differentiate it from the inherent Scheme data type vector, which represents an array.

INTEGER A Scheme data type containing a single integer value.

PLIST A polygon list: (list POLYGON POLYGON ... POLYGON).

POLARITY Either "light" or "dark".

POLYGON A position list: (list POSITION POSITION ... POSITION).

POSITION A POSITION entity is an ACIS entity. It contains the keyword position and three real numbers.
For example, (position 0 0 0) or (position -3 -3.1 -3.14) are valid POSITION entities.
(define p1 (position a b c)) defines a Scheme object p1 that holds a POSITION entity. The
x-coordinate of p1 is equal to a, the y-coordinate is equal to b, and the z-coordinate is equal to c.

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Table 37 Data types for Scheme functions related to Sentaurus Structure Editor
Data type Description

REAL A Scheme data type containing a single real or double value.

STRING A Scheme object containing a text string. A string is enclosed in braces or starts with the
character '. Two examples of a string are "this_is_a_valid_string" and
'this_is_also_fine.

VARIABLE A Scheme variable.

Basic Scheme Programming for Users of Sentaurus

Structure Editor
Sentaurus Structure Editor uses Scheme, or more precisely, the Elk extension of Scheme.
Scheme is a LISP-like programming language that differs significantly from most of the
commonly used programming languages. The effective use of Sentaurus Structure Editor
(except the GUI layer) requires a working knowledge of Scheme. In addition to the information
given in this manuals, there are many resources for learning Scheme, including:
■ R5RS, The Revised Report on the Algorithmic Language Scheme
This report can be found at http://www.schemers.org/Documents/Standards/R5RS/HTML/
■ R. K. Dybvig, The Scheme Programming Language, Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT
Press, 3rd ed., 2003.
■ D. P. Friedman and M. Felleisen, The Little Schemer, Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT
Press, 4th ed., 1996.
■ D. P. Friedman and M. Felleisen, The Seasoned Schemer, Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT
Press, 1996.
■ https://www.scheme.com
Website of a Scheme dialect, Chez Scheme.
■ http://www.schemers.org
Website of Scheme-related topics.

In the following sections, the Scheme commands that are most commonly used in a Sentaurus
Structure Editor script are introduced.

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Basic Scheme Syntax

A Scheme command is enclosed in parentheses (white spaces are allowed):
(Scheme command)

All text in a line after a semicolon is treated as a comment:

; This is a comment
(Scheme command) ; This is also a comment

A Scheme command can extend over several lines, or several Scheme commands can be placed
on a single line. A given Scheme command is identified by the outermost matching parentheses
pair:
(beginning of Scheme command
continuation of the same Scheme command
end of the Scheme command)
(first Scheme command) (second Scheme command) (...)

Defining Simple Variables and Data Types

Integers and floating-point numbers are treated as numbers. To declare and define a numeric
variable:
(define i 3)
(define pi 3.141593)

Strings are enclosed in double quotation marks. To declare and define a string:
(define W "Hello World")

Characters are preceded by a single quotation mark. To declare and define a character:
(define CHAR 'a)

Use the variable name to reference a variable:

i ;-> 3
pi ;-> 3.141593
W ;-> "Hello World"
CHAR ;-> a

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Update an existing variable with set!:

(define j 1)
(set! j (+ j 1))

NOTE Use define when a variable is introduced for the first time. Use set!
to assign a new value to an existing variable.
The define command creates a local variable (lexical scoping). For
example, a variable defined in a specific function is not visible in
another function or in the main program. Different procedures can have
their own private variables defined using the same variable name. The
set! command does not alter the scope of already defined variables,
while redefining a preexisting variable might alter its scope. Scheme
variables need not be deleted explicitly. An automatic garbage collector
will remove all Scheme variables when they go out of scope. Memory
allocation or deallocation is performed automatically by Scheme.

Do not use the Scheme keyword length as a user-defined variable.

Scheme is case sensitive.

Printing Text to Standard Output

Use the display command to write to standard output. Use newline to create a line break:
(display "The value of i is ") (display i) (newline)
(display "The value of pi is ") (display pi) (newline))
(display "The string W contains >") (display W) (display "<") (newline))
;-> The value of i is 3
;-> The value of pi is 3.141593
;-> The string W contains >Hello World<

String Operations
To automatically generate identifiers, for example, region names, certain string operations are
useful.

To define a string:
(define TEXTSTRING "This is a string")

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To determine the length of a string:

(define STRINGLENGTH (string-length TEXTSTRING))
STRINGLENGTH ;-> 16

To retrieve the k-th character of a string:

(define k 5)
(define kthCHRACTER (string-ref TEXTSTRING k))
kthCHRACTER ;-> i

NOTE The index counter starts from 0.

To retrieve substrings:
(define iStart 10)
(define iEnd 16)
(define SUBSTRING (substring TEXTSTRING iStart iEnd))
SUBSTRING ;-> "string"

To concatenate two strings:

(define RNAME "Region.")
(define QUALIFIER "Substrate")
(define REGIONNAME (string-append RNAME QUALIFIER))
REGIONNAME ;-> "Region.Substrate"

To convert a number (index) to a string:

(define RNAME "Region.")
(define INDEX 3)
(define REGIONNAME (string-append RNAME (number->string INDEX)))
REGIONNAME ;-> "Region.3"

Lists
Some Sentaurus Structure Editor commands accept lists as arguments. Lists can also be useful
in device parameterization. To define a list:
(define ABCList (list 'a 'b 'c 'd 'e)) ; List of characters
(define NUMList (list 1 2 3 4 5 6)) ; List of numbers
(define MIXList (list 'a 2 3.1415 "TCL")) ; Mixed list
(define EMPTYList (list)) ; Empty list

NOTE Declare an empty list first if you want to append to it, for example, in a
do loop.

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To reference a list as a whole, use the list name:

ABCList ;-> (a b c d e)
NUMList ;-> (1 2 3 4 5)
MIXList ;-> (a 2 3.1415 "TCL")
EMPTYList ;-> ()

To determine the number of elements in a list:

(define NumberOfElements (length ABCList))
NumberOfElements ;-> 5

To append an element to a list:

(define NewElement 'f)
(define ABCPlusList (append ABCList (list NewElement)))
ABCPlusList ;-> (a b c d e f)

To concatenate two lists:

(define CombinedList (append ABCList NUMList))
CombinedList ;-> (a b c d e 1 2 3 4 5 6)

To reverse a list:
(define ReverseList (reverse NUMList))
ReverseList ;-> (6 5 4 3 2 1)

To reference the first element of a list:

(define FirstElement (car ABCList))
FirstElement ;-> a

or:
(define FirstElement (list-ref ABCList 0))

To reference all but the first element of a list:

(define RestOfList (cdr ABCList))
RestOfList ;-> (b c d e)

To reference the k-th element in a list:

(define k 3)
(define kthElement (list-ref ABCList k))
kthElement ;-> d

NOTE The numbering of list elements starts at 0.

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To reference a sublist containing all but the first k elements, use:

(define k 3)
(define kRestOfList (list-tail ABCList k))
kRestOfList ;-> (d e)

Arithmetic Expressions
Some of the most useful arithmetic operators are:
■ Addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division: +, -, *, /
■ Trigonometric and related functions: sin, cos, tan, asin, acos, atan
■ Exponential and related functions: exp, log, sqrt
■ Raising a to the power of b: expt a b
■ Rounding functions: floor, ceiling, truncate, round
■ Maximum and minimum: max, min:(max x1 x2 ...), (min x1 x2 ...)
■ Other math functions defined in Sentaurus Structure Editor: erf, erfc
(These functions are not part of the standard Scheme language; they are defined locally in
Sentaurus Structure Editor.)

Scheme uses the so-called polish-reverse notation for arithmetic expressions:

To define the variable j and assign it to i+5:

(define j (+ i 5))

To set the variable myangle to sin(PI/2):

(define myangle (sin (/ PI 2)))

To set the variable x to xo + Rcos(2PI*fi/360):

(define xo 1)
(define R 0.2)
(define fi 30)
(define x (+ xo (* R (cos (/ (* 2 PI fi) 360)))))

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Boolean Operations
True and false constants are denoted by #t and #f, respectively. Use not to invert a Boolean:
(not #t)

Numeric comparators are =, >, >=, <, <=, for example:

(= 1 2) ;-> #f
(> 1 2) ;-> #f
(>= 1 2) ;-> #f
(< 1 2) ;-> #t
(<= 1 2) ;-> #t

Use the equal? operator to test if two variables are equal:

(define a 1)
(define b "hello")
(equal? a b) ;-> #f
(set! b 1)
(equal? a b) ;->#t

To test two strings, you can also use string=?:

(define a "HELLO")
(define b "hello")
(string=? a b) ;-> #f

The equal? operator can also be used to test ACIS entities:

(define a (position 0 0 0))
(define b (position 0 0 0))
(equal? a b) ;-> #t
(set! b (position 1 0 0))
(equal? a b) ;-> #f

If Blocks
To create a simple If block:
(define val 0)
(if (= val 0)
(begin
(display "val is zero")(newline)
)
) ;-> "val is zero"

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To create an If-Else block:

(define val -1)
(if (< val 0) ; Test
(begin ; Execute if condition is true
(display "val is negative") (newline)
)
(begin ; Execute if condition is false
(display "val is positive") (newline)
)
) ;-> "val is negative"

To create an If-Elseif block:

(define val -1)
(cond
((= val 0) ; First test
(begin ; Execute if first condition is true
(display "val is zero") (newline)
)
)
((> val 0) ; Elseif test
(begin ; Execute second condition is true
(display "val is positive") (newline)
)
)(else
(begin ; Execute if none of the conditions are true
(display "val is negative") (newline)
)
)) ;-> "val is negative"

NOTE To comment out a large block of comments in a script, enclose the block
in a trivial If block:
(if #f (begin
<commands to be "commented out">
))

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Simple Do Loops
In this example, a simple Do loop is used to create a stack of five silicon squares:
(sde:clear)
(define L 1) ; Side length of first square
(define Y 0) ; Bottom Y coordinate of current square
(do ( (i 0 (+ i 1)) ) ; i: Counter name; 0: initial value; (+ i 1): incrementer
( (= i 5) ) ; End Tester
(begin ; Body of loop
(define REGION (string-append "region." (number->string i)))
(sdegeo:create-rectangle
(position (* -0.5 L) Y 0.0)
(position (* 0.5 L) (+ Y L) 0.0) "Silicon" REGION)
(set! Y (+ Y L))
(set! L (* 0.75 L))
)
)

NOTE Scheme Do loops are more flexible than Do loops in most other
languages. This example illustrates a basic setup.

For Each Loops

In a For Each loop, an action is taken for each element in a list. In the following example, the
For Each loop steps through the lists MATERIALS, WIDTHS, and HEIGHTS, and creates a
rectangle for each list element:
(sde:clear)
(define MATERIALS (list "GaAs" "AlGaAs" "AlAs" "InAlAs" "InAs" "InAsP" "InP"))
(define WIDTHS (list 2.0 1.7 1.5 1.3 1.1 1.0 0.5))
(define HEIGHTS (list 1.0 0.25 0.1 0.25 0.3 0.45 1.0))
(define Y 0)

(for-each
(lambda (MATERIAL WIDTH HEIGHT) ; Names of local variables
(begin ; Body of the loop
(define REGION (string-append "region." MATERIAL))
(sdegeo:create-rectangle
(position 0 Y 0.0)
(position WIDTH (+ Y HEIGHT) 0.0) MATERIAL REGION)
(set! Y (+ Y HEIGHT))
)
) MATERIALS WIDTHS HEIGHTS ; Lists
)

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Procedures
Procedures can be implemented to reuse common code sections or to structure your scripts.
The following example creates a ‘Unit Cell’ structure consisting of a slab of silicon with a
shallow trench isolation (STI)– like oxide trench at the side. The procedure takes the coordinate
of the lower-left corner as an argument:
(sde:clear)
(define CreateUnitCell ; Name of procedure
(lambda (Xo Yo) ; Argument list
(begin ; Body of procedure
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "ABA")
(define SiREGION (string-append "R.Silicon."
(number->string Xo) "." (number->string Yo)))
(define OxREGION (string-append "R.Oxide."
(number->string Xo) "." (number->string Yo)))
(sdegeo:create-rectangle
(position Xo Yo 0.0)
(position (+ Xo 1.0) (+ Yo 1.0) 0.0) "Silicon" SiREGION)
(sdegeo:create-rectangle
(position Xo Yo 0.0)
(position (+ Xo 0.25) (+ Yo 0.75) 0.0) "Oxide" OxREGION)
)
)
)

Now, a row of these unit cells can be created by calling the procedure for different arguments:
(CreateUnitCell 1 1) ; Procedure calls
(CreateUnitCell 2 1)
(CreateUnitCell 3 1)

The next example shows a procedure, which returns a value. The variable containing the value
of interest is simply referenced in the last statement of the procedure:
(define convert-degree-to-radians
(lambda (DEG)
(define pi (acos -1.0))
(define RAD (* DEG (/ pi 180.0)))
RAD
)
)

(define DEG 90)

(define RAD (convert-degree-to-radians 90))
RAD ;-> 1.5707963267949

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Scheme procedures, or any other code segments, can be saved in a library file, for example,
util.scm and loaded into a Scheme script with:
(load "util.scm")

System Calls
To call an external UNIX or TCAD Sentaurus utility:
(system:command "<Unix command string>")

For example, to remove the temporary file test_bnd.tdr, use:

(system:command "rm -f test_bnd.tdr")

Error Signaling to Sentaurus Workbench

If the command system:command is used in a Sentaurus Structure Editor script and you want
to signal the status of the executed command back to Sentaurus Workbench, use the following
solution:
(define res (system:command "Mycommand ..."))
(if (not (equal? res 0))
(begin
(sde:error "Mycommand failed ...")
)
)

If system:command returns an error (anything else than 0), Sentaurus Workbench will pick
up the error signal, and the executed node will be shown as red.

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CHAPTER 11 Geometric Query Functions

This chapter describes the boundary representation method on

which Sentaurus Structure Editor is based and introduces several
support functions to query and debug the model.

Entity IDs and Attributes

Geometry-related operations in Sentaurus Structure Editor are based on ACIS, which is a
boundary representation geometry kernel. Boundary representation uses a complex data
structure describing the geometry. The data structure of a geometric model can be accessed
through a topology graph, which contains the building entities (such as edges, faces, and shells)
of the device, and shows the relationships and connections between these entities. A typical 3D
body is described with respect to a lump list (disjoint parts of the body). Each lump contains a
shell list and each shell is described with respect to a face list. Each 3D body is composed of
faces. A shell is a connected face list. For example, a cube is defined with respect to six planar
faces, and the six faces define one shell. Similarly, a cube with an internal void is composed of
two shells and each shell is defined by a face list.

Faces are described with respect to a loop and an edge list. A face is described with respect to
its boundary edges. For example, a rectangle is defined by four linear edges. A circular sheet
body is defined by a circular edge. A connected edge list is called a loop. Simply connected
faces have one loop. Faces with internal holes have multiple loops. For example, a circular
sheet with an internal rectangular hole is composed of two loops. The outer loop contains one
circular edge, while the internal loop contains four linear edges. A linear edge is defined by two
vertices.

It is usually not necessary to consider the topological representation of defined bodies when
using typical GUI operations or the Scheme interface. For certain geometric operations,
however, for example, rounding a set of edges of a 3D body, it is necessary to refer to entities
from the underlying topology representation. These edges must be identified by using either
the GUI or Scheme interface.

Each generated device is a collection of several different bodies. In two dimensions, these
bodies are solid bodies with zero volume (non-manifold solid bodies). In three dimensions,
these bodies have a finite, positive volume (manifold solid bodies). When the geometric model
is generated using either the GUI actions or sdegeo Scheme functions, Sentaurus Structure
Editor assigns several different attributes to these bodies. Two important attributes are the
‘material’ attribute and the ‘region’ attribute.

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Topological Entity Types

An attribute is a general-purpose data entity that attaches to other entities to record user-defined
or some other (internal) information. Attribute objects are saved and restored as part of the
model when the model is saved in the native ACIS .sat or .sab format. If the geometric model
is exported to the TDR boundary format, only the TCAD-specific attributes (contacts, and
material and region names) are saved to the boundary file.

The material attribute is a DATEX material (one of the materials defined in the
datexcodes.txt file). The region attribute is a string that identifies a region to which a
particular body belongs. Each body within a region must have the same ‘material’ attribute.

The boundary file description contains some other restrictions to the use of the region attribute
(that is, disjoint bodies cannot have the same region name). Since Sentaurus Structure Editor
can generate bodies with multiple lumps, these lumps are separated automatically when
exporting the structure to the boundary file in TDR format. In addition, Edit > Separate
Lumps or the Scheme extension sde:separate-lumps can be used to separate lumps
explicitly.

Under typical circumstances, when the automatic region-naming feature is switched on, the
geometry generation and editing actions accessible from the GUI ensure that region-naming is
consistent with the requirements of the boundary format. When using direct Scheme extensions
to generate the geometry, you can generate structures in which the region and material
properties of bodies are inconsistent with these additional restrictions imposed by the TDR
boundary format. In this case, you must set region names and material properties explicitly to
resolve any inconsistencies.

During model generation, the geometry engine assigns a unique entity number to each
generated body. When a Scheme function needs an entity ID or a list of entity IDs, refer to these
automatically assigned entity IDs.

Topological Entity Types

The valid entity types are:

body A body is a topological entity of the highest level. It can be a wire body, solid
body, or mixed body. Wire bodies contain wires, coedges, edges, and vertices.
Solid bodies contain lumps, shells, subshells, faces, loops, coedges, edges, and
vertices. Mixed (solid and wire) bodies contain lumps, shells, subshells, faces,
loops, coedges, edges, vertices, and wires. All body objects are saved and
restored as a part of the model.

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edge An edge is a topological entity associated with a curve. It is bound by one or

more vertices, and has one vertex at each end. If the reference at one or both
ends is NULL, the edge is unbound in that direction. Each edge contains a record
of its sense (FORWARD or REVERSED) relative to its underlying curve. All edge
objects are saved and restored as part of the model.
face A face is a topological entity that represents a portion of a geometric surface.
One or more loops of edges bound a face, which can be open or closed. A face
with no loops occupies the entire surface, finite or infinite, on which the face
lies. Therefore, a face can represent an infinite plane or a complete sphere. Each
face records its sense relative to its underlying surface (same sense or opposite
sense). All face objects are saved and restored as part of the model.
loop A loop is a topological entity that represents a connected portion of the
boundary of a face. Loops can be open or closed. A loop can comprise a group
of coedges connected in a branched arrangement or in a simple, open chain. A
loop can be a coedge shrunk to a single vertex. All loop objects are saved and
restored as a part of the model.
lump A lump is a topological entity that represents a connected 3D (solid) or 2D
(sheet) region. A body can contain zero or more lumps. Each lump represents a
disjoint set of points. One lump is completely enclosed inside the void of
another solid lump. Each lump must have at least one shell. All lump objects
are saved and restored as a part of the model.
shell A shell is a topological entity consisting of a set of connected faces. All faces
are connected along edges or vertices. A shell represents a sheet region or
bounds a solid region or both. A shell that bounds a solid region is entirely
peripheral or void or neither. All shell objects are saved and restored as a part of
the model.
vertex A vertex is a topological entity representing the end of one or more edges.
Vertex refers to a point object in space and to the edges that it bounds. Other
edges are found by following pointers through coedges. All vertex objects are
saved and restored as a part of the model.
wire A wire is a topological entity that is a collection of edges and vertices. Wires
typically represent profiles, construction lines, and center lines of swept shapes.
Wires can also represent wireframes that form shells when surfaced. All wire
objects are saved and restored as a part of the model.
wire body A wire body is a topological entity that is a body consisting of wires (as
opposed to lumps). Wire bodies contain wires, loops, coedges, edges, and
vertices. All wire-body objects are saved and restored as a part of the model.

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Selecting Geometric Objects

Selecting Geometric Objects

Graphic-Supported Object Selection

Several different operations require the identification of geometric objects (entities). Either the
GUI or direct Scheme functions can be used to identify entities. The GUI toolbar buttons (the
Select button) can be used for interactive entity selection (see Selecting Entities on page 25).
The default entity that can be selected is body. The selection criteria can be set to a different
entity type by right-clicking in the view window and setting the selection to the required type,
or by selecting the corresponding level in the Selection Level list.

The corresponding Scheme command is

(sde:set-selection-level "body"|"face"|"edge"|"vertex"|"other")

The function (sde:selected-entities) returns a list of the selected (highlighted) entity

IDs. Note that this Scheme function always returns a list, even if only a single entity is selected.
For example, this Scheme function can return:
(sde:selected-entities) ; -> (#[vertex 8 1])

NOTE This list contains only a single entry.

Use (car (sde:selected-entities)) to return only the first (and, here, the only) item on
this list:
(car (sde:selected-entities)) ; -> #[vertex 8 1]

The Topology Browser can also be used to find entity IDs (see Visualizing the Internal Entity
Representation on page 40).

Script-Based Object Selection

To select all geometric bodies in the structures, use the Scheme command:
(part:entities (filter:type "solid?"))

This function returns refinement/evaluation (Ref/Eval) windows as well. To distinguish

between the true geometric bodies and the Ref/Eval windows, use the following Scheme
functions.

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For all true geometric bodies, use:

(get-body-list)

For all Ref/Eval windows, use:

(get-drs-list)

For example:
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0.0 0.0 0.0) (position 1.0 1.0 1)
"Silicon" "region_1")
; -> #[body 5 1]
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0.3 -0.2 0.0) (position 0.7 0.0 1)
"SiO2" "region_2")
; -> #[body 6 1]
(sdedr:define-refeval-window "RefEvalWin_1" "Cuboid"
(position 0.3 0.0 0) (position 0.7 0.2 1))
; -> #[body 7 1]
(sdedr:define-refeval-window "RefEvalWin_2" "Rectangle"
(position -0.2 0.0 0) (position 0.3 0.0 1))
; -> #[body 8 1]
(part:entities (filter:type "solid?"))
; -> (#[body 5 1] #[body 6 1] #[body 7 1] #[body 8 1]))
(get-body-list)
; -> (#[body 5 1] #[body 6 1])
(get-drs-list)
; -> (#[body 7 1] #[body 8 1])

NOTE To export the boundary in TDR format use the Scheme command:
(sdeio:save-tdr-bnd (get-body-list) "filename.tdr")

To find the ID of an entity of a given type at a given location, use the Scheme commands:
(find-body-id position)
(find-face-id position)
(find-edge-id position)
(find-vertex-id position)
(find-material-id material)
(find-region-id region-name)

Each of these commands returns an entity list containing the entity IDs of all entities that
satisfy the search criteria. If no entity is found, an empty list is returned. The find functions
require a specification of the exact position for the required entity.

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For example:
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 1)
"Silicon" "region_1")
(find-body-id (position 0.5 0.5 0.5)) ; -> (#[body 5 1])
(find-face-id (position 0 0 0.5))) ; -> (#[face 29 1] #[face 28 1])
(find-edge-id (position 0 0 0))) ; -> (#[edge 14 1] #[edge 12 1] #[edge 11 1])
(find-vertex-id (position 1 1 1))) ; -> (#[vertex 19 1])
(find-material-id "Silicon") ; -> (#[body 5 1])
(find-region-id "region_1") ; -> (#[body 5 1])

These Scheme commands always return a list, even if the list contains only a single entry. Some
Scheme commands, however, expect a single entity as an argument, not a list. Use the Scheme
function car to return only the first element of the list. For example:
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 0)
"Silicon" "region_1")
(sdegeo:move-vertex (car (find-vertex-id (position 0 0 0)))
(position -1 -1 0))

The function find-material-id can be used to find the entity numbers of all bodies having
the specified DATEX material as the material attribute.

The function find-region-id can be used to find the entity numbers of all bodies having the
specified region as the region attribute.

If the exact location is not known use the sdegeo:find-closest Scheme commands:
(sdegeo:find-closest-face position)
(sdegeo:find-closest-edge position)
(sdegeo:find-closest-vertex position)

For example:
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0.1 -0.1 0.1) (position 1.1 0.9 0.9)
"Silicon" "region_1")
(sdegeo:find-closest-face (position 0 0 0))) ; -> (#[face 6 1] . 0.1414)
(sdegeo:find-closest-edge (position 0 0 0.5))) ; -> (#[edge 7 1] . 0.1414)
(sdegeo:find-closest-vertex (position 1 1 1))) ; -> (#[vertex 8 1] . 0.1732)

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Finding Region Names and Material Properties

When the ID of a certain topological entity is identified, the entity can be further investigated.
As previously mentioned, each body has several different attributes attached. The function
generic:get can be used to query the attributes. For example, the function
(generic:get entity_id "material") returns the DATEX material of the selected
body. The function (generic:get entity_id "region") returns the attached region
name:
(define BODY (sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 1)
"Silicon" "region_1"))
(generic:get BODY "material") ; -> "Silicon"
(generic:get BODY "region") ; -> "region_1"

Several functions of Sentaurus Structure Editor support entity debugging. The function
sde:info lists the entity IDs, and material and region names. The argument list of sde:info
is an entity, a list of entities, or ‘all.’ For example:
(sde:info "all")

Entity Id; Material name; Region name;

#[body 5 1] Silicon region_1

Automatic Region-Naming
Each body that is to be written to a TDR boundary file must have two attached attributes: the
material attribute and region attribute. If the automatic region-naming option (choose Draw >
Auto Region Naming) is switched on, each newly created region is automatically assigned a
unique region name. If the sdegeo Scheme extensions are used, the region names must be
specified in the argument list.

The automatic region-naming option can also be set from Scheme. The function
(sdegeo:get-auto-region-naming) can be used to obtain the status of the option. This
function returns either #t or #f.

The function (sdegeo:set-auto-region-naming #t|#f) can be used to switch on or off

the feature. When an explicit sdegeo call is made to generate a new body, the region counter
must be set automatically to the next available region number for a further GUI body
generation.

The automatic region-naming option assigns the following region name to created bodies:
"region_" + the region counter

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Finding Region Names and Material Properties

The region counter starts from 1 and increases automatically. The Scheme extension
sde:set-region-counter can be used to set the region counter explicitly. For example, to
set the counter to 12:
(sdegeo:get-region-counter) ; -> 1
(sdegeo:set-region-counter 12)

When a TDR boundary file is loaded and regions follow the abovementioned naming
convention, the counter is set automatically to the next available integer.

Regions with multiple lumps are separated and renamed automatically by default before the
TDR boundary output is created. For example, if the original body has a region attribute
"region_1" and the region has three lumps, the original region will be separated into three
bodies with the region names "region_1_lump_1", "region_1_lump_2", and
"region_1_lump_3".

To switch off automatic region-renaming, set the use-unique-region-names global

Scheme variable to #f.

Choose Edit > Separate Lumps to invoke the lump separation explicitly.

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sde:separate-lumps)

List of Supported Materials

Sentaurus Structure Editor uses the default datexcodes.txt file to load a list containing the
allowable materials. This DATEX material list shows all of the defined DATEX materials and
always shows the active DATEX material. If a GUI action needs a DATEX material as input
and the action does not contain a method to select it, it will always use the active DATEX
material shown in the DATEX material list.

The Scheme extension (sde:get-default-material) returns the active DATEX material

and the Scheme extension sde:set-default-material can be used to change the active
DATEX material.

For example, to change the active material to PolySilicon:

(sde:set-default-material "PolySilicon")

NOTE To introduce custom materials to Sentaurus Structure Editor, create a

modified copy of the datexcodes.txt file in the current working
directory (see Utilities User Guide, Chapter 1 on page 1).

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Finding Vertex Positions

Finding Vertex Positions

When the entity ID of a vertex (vertex_id) is found (vertex:position vertex_id), it
can be used to return the position of a vertex.

For example:
(define BODY (sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0.0 0.0 0) (position 1.0 1.0 0)
"Silicon" "region_1"))
(define i 1)
(for-each
(lambda (VERTEX)
(begin
(display " [") (display i) (display "]: ")
(display " X=") (display (position:x (vertex:position VERTEX)))
(display ",Y=") (display (position:y (vertex:position VERTEX)))
(set! i (+ i 1))
)
) (entity:vertices BODY)
)
(newline)
; -> [1]: X=0,Y=0 [2]: X=1,Y=0 [3]: X=1,Y=1 [4]: X=0,Y=1

Vertex–Vertex Distance
To determine the distance between two vertices:
1. Choose Edit > 2D Edit Tools > Vertex-to-Vertex Distance, or click the corresponding
toolbar button.
2. Select the first vertex and then the second vertex in the view window.
The corresponding distance is displayed in the command-line window.

The corresponding Scheme command is:

(sdegeo:distance (list vertex vertex))

For example:
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0.0 0.0 0.0) (position 1.0 1.0 1.0)
"Silicon" "region_1")))
(sdegeo:distance (list
(car (find-vertex-id (position 0.0 0.0 0.0)))
(car (find-vertex-id (position 1.0 1.0 1.0)))))
; -> 1.73205

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Debugging Topological Entities

Debugging Topological Entities

When a geometric entity (for example, a body) is generated, a unique entity ID (an integer) is
assigned to the body. This unique entity ID can be used to refer to that particular entity in
further operations. The command (part:entities) lists all defined entities.

Several Scheme functions can be used to debug an entity. The Scheme function
(entity:debug entity [0|1|2|3|4]) can be used for basic debugging. The argument
entity specifies the entity to be queried where level is an optional argument that controls the
amount of the debugging information:

level 0 Writes no output and only returns the entity type.

level 1 Writes only data specific to the given entity.
level 2 Writes additional information for some entity types. For example, if the
entity is an EDGE, the coordinates of the endpoints and the curve data are
also written. This extension writes only data specific to the given entity.
level 3 Writes the size of the entity and all associated entities.
level 4 Writes full information for the entity and all associated entities.

For example:
(define BODY (sdegeo:create-rectangle
(position 0.0 0.0 0.0) (position 1.0 1.0 0.0)
"Silicon" "region_1"))
(entity:debug BODY 0)
; -> "solid body"

Finding Edges, Faces, and Other Elements of a Body

Several Scheme functions can be used to find edges, faces, and other elements of a body:

entity:edges Returns the edge list of the specified entity or entities.

entity:faces Returns the face list of the specified entity or entities.
entity:loops Returns the loop list of the specified entity or entities.

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entity:lumps Returns the lump list of the specified entity or entities.

entity:shells Returns the shell list of the specified entity or entities.
entity:vertices Returns the vertex list of the specified entity or entities.

For example:
(define BODY (sdegeo:create-cuboid
(position 0.0 0.0 0.0) (position 1.0 1.0 1.0) "Silicon" "region_1"))))

; All faces of the body:

(define FACES (entity:faces BODY))
; FACES: (#[face 6 1] #[face 7 1] #[face 8 1] #[face 9 1] ...)

; All edges of the first face:

(define EDGES (entity:edges (car FACES)))
; EDGES: (#[edge 12 1] #[edge 13 1] #[edge 14 1] #[edge 15 1])

; All vertices of the first edge of the first face:

(define VERTICES (entity:vertices (car EDGES)))
; VERTICES: (#[vertex 16 1] #[vertex 17 1])

; All vertices of the body:

(define ALL_VERTICES (entity:vertices BODY))
; ALL_VERTICES: (#[vertex 16 1] #[vertex 17 1] #[vertex 18 1] ...)

These functions can be used, for example, to round all edges associated with a certain face of
an object. Here, a simple cube is created, then the top face is identified using the function
find-face-id (see Script-Based Object Selection on page 280).

For this face, all edges are identified using the entity:edges function, and finally these
edges are rounded using the sdegeo:fillet function:
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 10 10 10)
"Silicon" "region_1")
(define top_face (find-face-id (position 5 5 10)))
(define top_edges (entity:edges top_face))
(sdegeo:fillet top_edges 2)

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Bounding Box Query

Figure 132 Example of finding geometric entities

Bounding Box Query

To find the bounding box of an entity or a group of entities, use the Scheme command:
(entity:box entity|entity-list)

For example:
(define BODY1 (sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0.0 0.0 0.0) (position 1.0 1.0 1)
"Silicon" "region_1"))
(define BODY2 (sdegeo:create-cuboid
(position 0.3 -0.2 0.0) (position 0.7 0.0 1) "SiO2" "region_2"))
(define BODY1BBOX (entity:box BODY1))
; BODY1BOX: (#[ position 0 0 0 ] . #[ position 1 1 1 ])
(define GlobalBBBOX (entity:box (get-body-list)))
; GlobalBBBOX: (#[ position 0 -0.2 0 ] . #[ position 1 1 1 ])
(display " Ymin=") (display (position:y (car GlobalBBBOX)))
(display " Ymax=") (display (position:y (cdr GlobalBBBOX)))
(newline)
; -> Ymin=-0.2 Ymax=1

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Scheme Functions for Entity Queries

Scheme Functions for Entity Queries

Table 38 lists the Scheme functions that can be used to query entities and to find the type of the
selected entities.

Table 38 Scheme functions for entity queries

Scheme function Description

body? Determines if a Scheme object is a body.

curve:circular? Determines if a Scheme object is a curve–circular.

curve:elliptical? Determines if a Scheme object is a curve–elliptical.

curve:linear? Determines if a Scheme object is a linear curve.

curve? Determines if a Scheme object is a curve.

edge:circular? Determines if a Scheme object is a circular edge.

edge:curve? Determines if a Scheme object is a curve–edge.

edge:elliptical? Determines if a Scheme object is an elliptical edge.

edge:linear? Determines if a Scheme object is a linear edge.

edge:spline? Determines if a Scheme object is a spline–edge.

edge? Determines if a Scheme object is an edge.

entity? Determines if a Scheme object is an entity.

face:conical? Determines if a Scheme object is a conical face.

face:cylindrical? Determines if a Scheme object is a cylindrical face.

face:planar? Determines if a Scheme object is a planar face.

face:spherical? Determines if a Scheme object is a spherical face.

face:spline? Determines if a Scheme object is a face–spline.

face:toroidal? Determines if a Scheme object is a toroidal face.

face? Determines if a Scheme object is a face.

loop:external? Determines if a loop is internal or external.

loop? Determines if a Scheme object is a loop.

lump? Determines if a Scheme object is a lump.

position? Determines if a Scheme object is a position.

shell? Determines if a Scheme object is a shell.

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Table 38 Scheme functions for entity queries (Continued)

Scheme function Description

solid:closed? Determines if a Scheme object is a closed solid.

solid:manifold? Determines if a Scheme object has a positive volume.

solid? Determines if a Scheme object is a solid.

vertex? Determines if a Scheme object is a vertex.

wire:closed? Determines if a Scheme object is a closed wire.

wire:planar? Determines if a Scheme object is a planar wire.

wire? Determines if a Scheme object is a wire.

wire-body? Determines if a Scheme object is a wire body.

For example:
(define BODY (sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 0)
"Silicon" "region_1"))
(body? BODY)
; -> #t
(face? BODY)
; -> #f

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CHAPTER 12 Miscellaneous Utilities

This chapter outlines additional features that are available in

Sentaurus Structure Editor.

Background Image Loader

Sentaurus Structure Editor supports the creation of device geometries by digitizing images, for
example, transmission electron micrographs (TEMs). These images can be loaded as a
background image into the view window.

Table 39 on page 292 lists the Scheme extensions that can be used to manipulate the
background image.

NOTE This feature is accessible only using Scheme commands in the

command-line window.

The image loader supports only images in the older GIF format,
GIF87a. Most current graphic programs use the GIF format GIF89a. To
check the format version of a GIF file, look at the first line of the file
using, for example, the UNIX command:
> head --lines=1 filename.gif

The first six characters are either GIF87a or GIF89a. If the GIF file is in
GIF89 format, use an older graphics utility program such as xv 3.10a (a
shareware program written by John Bradley) to convert the GIF file to
GIF87a.

To convert an image from the GIF89a format to GIF87a format:

1. Open the GIF89a file in a graphics program.
2. Start xv, and grab the opened GIF89a image with xv.
3. Save the image in GIF format.
xv will save the captured image using the older GIF87a format.

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User-Defined Dialog Boxes

Table 39 Scheme commands for loading background image

Scheme command Definition Arguments

(sde:create-bg-image filename Loads an image file (in GIF filename: STRING

h-size v-size) format). h-size: horizontal size, REAL
v-size: vertical size, REAL

(sde:show-bg-image) Shows the image. None

(sde:hide-bg-image) Hides the image. None

(sde:delete-bg-image) Removes the image from memory. None

(sde:bg-image-transparency value) Sets the transparency of the image transparency value, REAL (0-1)
(0-1).

To load an image into Sentaurus Structure Editor and scale it to 0.2 μm × 0.2 μm :
(sde:create-bg-image "TEM.gif" 0.2 0.2)
(sde:show-bg-image)

To digitize a region of the device structure, follow the procedure for creating arbitrary polygons
(see Polygons on page 49).

User-Defined Dialog Boxes

User-defined dialog boxes can be created to assist with the generation of parametric devices.
This feature is accessible only from Scheme.

This feature can be used to create a convenient central template library for company-wide use.
Users of this central template library would only need to enter the necessary parameters in the
custom dialog box and the structure is created automatically.

To create a user-defined dialog box, first declare the dialog box, using sde:create-dialog.
Then, input fields, which will serve as the argument list of the associated Scheme function,
must be defined using sde:dialog-add-input. An optional bitmap icon can also added to
the dialog box, using sde:dialog-add-pixmap.

NOTE Only bitmaps in BMP format are supported.

The OK button of the dialog box can be attached to execute an already defined Scheme script
using the sde:dialog-ok-command command. The dialog box can be displayed using
sde:dialog-show and can be removed from memory using sde:dialog-delete.

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User-Defined Dialog Boxes

The following Scheme commands can be used to create user-defined dialog boxes:
(define dialog-id (sde:create-dialog dialog-label))
(sde:dialog-add-input dialog-id varname labeltext inputtype [defaultvalue])
(sde:dialog-add-pixmap dialog-id bmpfilename)
(sde:dialog-ok-command dialog-id schemefnname argument-list)
(sde:dialog-show dialog-id)
(sde:dialog-delete dialog-id)

Detailed syntax descriptions of these commands can be found in Appendix A on page 297.

To create and launch a user-defined dialog box:

1. Define a Scheme function that the dialog box will execute when the OK button is clicked.
2. Define the dialog box, create a bitmap image that shows all the necessary parameters, and
add the bitmap image and the necessary parameters to the dialog box.
3. Launch the dialog box.

Example: Defining a Dialog Box

The following example illustrates how to define and use a dialog box.

Step 1: Define a Scheme Function That the Dialog Box Will Execute
(define create-3d-mosfet
(lambda (Lsub Wsub Hsti Wsti Toxi Lgat)
(define Hsil 1.0) (define Hpol 0.3)
(define Xgat1 (* 0.5 (- Lsub Lgat)))
(define Xgat2 (* 0.5 (+ Lsub Lgat)))
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0.0 0.0 0.0) (position Lsub Wsub Hsil)
"Silicon" "R.Substrate")
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "ABA")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0.0 (- Wsub Wsti) (- Hsil Hsti))
(position Lsub Wsub Hsil) "Oxide" "R.STI")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position Xgat1 0.0 Hsil)
(position Xgat2 Wsub (+ Hsil Toxi)) "Oxide" "R.Gox")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position Xgat1 0.0 (+ Hsil Toxi))
(position Xgat2 Wsub (+ Hsil Hpol)) "PolySilicon" "R.Poly")
)
)

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Step 2: Define and Configure the Dialog Box

(define mos-3d-dialog (sde:create-dialog "Simple 3D MOSFET"))
(sde:dialog-add-pixmap mos-3d-dialog "MOS3D.bmp")
(sde:dialog-add-input mos-3d-dialog "Lsub" "Substrate Length: Lsub="
"real" 1.2)
(sde:dialog-add-input mos-3d-dialog "Wsub" "Substrate Width: Wsub="
"real" 0.8)
(sde:dialog-add-input mos-3d-dialog "Hsti"
"Trench Height (<1.0): Hsti= " "real" 0.5)
(sde:dialog-add-input mos-3d-dialog "Wsti"
"Trench Width (<Wsub): Wsti= " "real" 0.3)
(sde:dialog-add-input mos-3d-dialog "Toxi" "Oxide Thickness: Toxi="
"real" 0.02)
(sde:dialog-add-input mos-3d-dialog "Lgat" "Gate Length (<Lsub): Lgat="
"real" 0.4)
(sde:dialog-ok-command mos-3d-dialog "create-3d-mosfet" "Lsub Wsub Hsti Wsti
Toxi Lgat")

Step 3: Launch the Dialog Box

(sde:dialog-show mos-3d-dialog)

Figure 133 shows the dialog box that was defined and created in Step 2, and launched in Step 3.

Lgat

Toxi

Hsti

Wsti
Lsub
Wsub

Figure 133 User-defined dialog box

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Starting Sentaurus Structure Editor With User-Defined Variables

Starting Sentaurus Structure Editor With User-Defined

Variables
Scheme variables can be specified at the command line. When Sentaurus Structure Editor is
launched, these variables are accessible from the Scheme command-line window (or in batch
mode, the variables are defined for script execution). In this way, a Scheme script can be started
in such a way that the argument variables are passed to the script from the command line.

The syntax is:

-var varName=varValue

Neither varName nor varValue can contain any space characters (that is, the
varName=varValue construct should be seen as one argument). varValue can be either a
string or number. For example:
> sde -l cmdinputdemo.scm -e -var mw=10 -var mh=5

where cmdinputdemo.scm is defined as:

(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position mw mh 0)
"Silicon" "region_1")
(sdeio:save-tdr-bnd (get-body-list) "testarginput.tdr")

User-Defined GUI Interactions

Dialog Boxes for Obtaining Values

The following functions can be used to interact with the GUI and to receive user input:
(sde:gui-get-integer entry-field-label default-integer title)
(sde:gui-get-real entry-field-label default-real title)
(sde:gui-get-string entry-field-label default-string title)

For example, to display a custom dialog box with the title CMOS and a field Total Width,
which expects a real number that defaults to 10:
(define Wtot (sde:gui-get-real "Total Width" 10 "CMOS"))

The entered value is stored here in the Scheme variable Wtot.

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User-Defined GUI Interactions

GUI Actions for Obtaining Positions

Simple support functions are also provided to perform interactive model manipulation.

To select a position from the view window:

(define MyPosition (sde:pick-point-on-wp))

After this Scheme command is given, move the mouse in the view window and click the
position of interest. The resulting position is stored here in the Scheme variable MyPosition.

To select a pair of positions from the view window:

(define MyPositionPair (sde:pick-two-points-on-wp))

After this Scheme command is given, move the mouse in the view window to the first point of
interest, drag to the second point of interest and release the left mouse button. The resulting list
of two position is stored here in the Scheme variable MyPositionPair.

Message Boxes
To post a message box:
(sde:post-message message)

For example:
(sde:post-message "This is a message\n from SDE")

The dialog box has an OK button that must be clicked to continue. No new-line character is
needed. Multiple lines must be separated by "\n".

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APPENDIX A Commands

This appendix describes the Scheme commands, functions, and

extensions supported in Sentaurus Structure Editor.

Presentation of Commands
Each Scheme command, function, or extension accepts zero or more arguments, and can return
a value. The type of arguments and the return type are written in uppercase.

If a Scheme list of a certain data type is used, it is indicated as <DATATYPE> LIST, for
example, STRING LIST or ENTITY LIST.

See Chapter 10 on page 265 for an explanation of the data types used in Sentaurus Structure
Editor.

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afm-smooth-layers

afm-smooth-layers
Creates a layered structure from imported CSV data.

Syntax
(afm-smooth-layers fname z0 zplanar layerregion layermaterial layerthickness)

Argument Argument type

fname STRING

z0 REAL

zplanar REAL

layerregion STRING LIST

layermaterial DATEXMAT LIST

layerthickness REAL LIST

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme extension creates a layered lens structure with a texture map. The texture map is
defined in a comma-separated value (CSV) file. fname is the name of the input file, z0 is the
bottom z-coordinate, and zplanar is the top planar z-coordinate. layerregion is a list of
region names, and layermaterial is a DATEX material list. layerthickness specifies the
thickness of each layer.

Examples
(define n 10)
(define a (* 2 PI))
(define oport (open-output-file "xx.csv"))
(display ", " oport)
(do ((i 0 (+ i 1))) ((> i n))
(display (/ (* i a) n) oport)
(display ", " oport)
)
(display "\n" oport)
(do ((i 0 (+ i 1))) ((> i n))
(display (/ (* i a) n) oport)
(display ", " oport)
(do ((j 0 (+ j 1))) ((> j n))

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This Scheme function returns #t if the object is a body; otherwise, it returns #f. The object
specifies the Scheme object to be queried.

Examples
(define myrect (sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 0)
"Silicon" "Region_1"))
(body? myrect)
;; #t

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build-csv-lens

build-csv-lens
Imports capability for AFM data.

Syntax
(build-csv-lens fname bottom-z material-name [region-name])

Argument Argument type

fname STRING

bottom-z REAL

material-name DATEXMAT

region-name STRING (optional)

Returns
ENTITY ID (body)

Description

This Scheme extension can be used to create a solid body from user-defined data.

The input data file is a comma-separated value (CSV) file, which defines the user data over a
tensor grid, in the following format ( n × m grid):
,x1, x2, ..., xn
y1, f11, f12, ..., f1n
y2, f21, f22, ..., f2n
...
ym, fm1, fm2, ..., fmn

The x1, x2, ..., xn values define the x-coordinates of the tensor grid.

The y1, y2, ..., ym values define the y-coordinates of the tensor grid.

The fij values define the function values at the given (xj, yi) tensor-grid points. The base
of the created solid body is placed in the xy plane at z = bottom-z, and the tensor-grid points
define the top surface in the +z-direction.

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color:rgb

color:rgb
Creates a red-green-blue (RGB) color object.

Syntax
(color:rgb red green blue)

Argument Argument type

red REAL

green REAL

blue REAL

Returns
COLOR

Description

This Scheme extension specifies the red, green, and blue color components with normalized
real numbers, ranging from 0 to 1.

Some colors are predefined as follows:

(define rgb:red (color:rgb 1 0 0))
(define rgb:green (color:rgb 0 1 0))
(define rgb:blue (color:rgb 0 0 1))
(define rgb:yellow (color:rgb 1 1 0))
(define rgb:magenta (color:rgb 1 0 1))
(define rgb:cyan (color:rgb 0 1 1))
(define rgb:black (color:rgb 0 0 0))
(define rgb:white (color:rgb 1 1 1))

Therefore, rgb:red, rgb:green, and so on can also be used as color:rgb values.

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complete-edge-list

complete-edge-list
Appends an edge list with all neighboring linear edges.

Syntax
(complete-edge-list edge-list)

Argument Argument type

edge-list EDGE LIST

Returns
LIST

Description

This Scheme extension appends the specified edge list, edge-list, with all neighboring
linear edges. If some 2D boundary simplification algorithms are used, which require an edge
list as input, it is recommended to extend the edge list with all neighboring linear edges. This
will ensure that the boundary simplification algorithm does not leave gaps or does not create
overlaps between neighboring bodies.

Examples
(sde:clear)
(define mb1 (sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 10 10 0)
"Silicon" "x1"))
(define mb2 (sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 5 5 0) (position 15 15 0)
"PolySilicon" "x2"))
(define elist (entity:edges mb1))
(length elist)
;; 6
(define elistc (complete-edge-list elist))
(length elistc)
;; 8

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convert-to-degree

convert-to-degree
Converts an angle from radian to degree.

Syntax
(convert-to-degree angle)

Argument Argument type

angle REAL

Returns
REAL

Description

This Scheme extension converts an angle from radian to degree.

convert-to-radian
Converts an angle from degree to radian.

Syntax
(convert-to-radian angle)

Argument Argument type

angle REAL

Returns
REAL

Description

This Scheme extension converts an angle from degree to radian.

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edge?

edge?
Determines if a Scheme object is an edge.

Syntax
(edge? object)

Argument Argument type

object SCHEME OBJECT

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme function returns #t if a Scheme object is an edge. The argument object
specifies the Scheme object to be queried.

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edge:circular

edge:circular
Creates an arc with the specified center position and radius.

Syntax
(edge:circular center-position radius [start-angle=0 [end-angle=360]])

Argument Argument type

center-position POSITION

radius REAL

start-angle REAL (optional)

end-angle REAL (optional)

Returns
ENTITY (EDGE)

Description

For this Scheme function:

■ The argument center-position specifies the center position of the arc.
■ radius is an implicit line between the center position and the edge of the arc.
■ start-angle specifies the starting point of the arc in degrees.
■ end-angle specifies the end angle of the arc in degrees.

The start and end of the angle are measured counterclockwise from the x-axis of the active
coordinate system. The start and end locations must be in the current xy construction plane.

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edge:circular?

edge:circular?
Determines if a Scheme object is a circular edge.

Syntax
(edge:circular? object)

Argument Argument type

object SCHEME OBJECT

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme function returns #t if a Scheme object is a circular edge. The argument object
specifies the Scheme object to be queried.

edge:elliptical?
Determines if a Scheme object is an elliptical edge.

Syntax
(edge:elliptical? object)

Argument Argument type

object SCHEME OBJECT

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme function returns #t if a Scheme object is an elliptical edge. The argument
object specifies the Scheme object to be queried.

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edge:end

edge:end
Returns the end position of an edge.

Syntax
(edge:end edge)

Argument Argument type

edge EDGE

Returns
POSITION

Description

This Scheme function returns the end position of an edge. The argument edge is an input edge.

edge:length
Returns the length of an edge.

Syntax
(edge:length edge)

Argument Argument type

edge EDGE

Returns
REAL

Description

For this Scheme function, the argument edge is an input entity.

edge:start
Returns the starting position of the edge.

Syntax
(edge:start edge)

Argument Argument type

edge EDGE

Returns
POSITION

Description

This Scheme function returns the starting position of the edge.

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edge:type

edge:type
Determines the type of an edge.

Syntax
(edge:type edge)

Argument Argument type

edge EDGE

Returns
STRING

Description

This Scheme function determines the type of an edge, where the argument edge specifies an
edge.

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entity:box

entity:box
Returns the extrema box of an entity.

Syntax
(entity:box entity-list [create-box])

Argument Argument type

entity-list ENTITY | ENTITY LIST

create-box BOOLEAN (optional)

Returns
POSITION LIST

Description

This Scheme function returns the minimum and maximum values corresponding to a diagonal
across the bounding box of a body, relative to the active coordinate system.

The argument entity-list comprises an entity or a list of entities. Each entity or list of
entities can be a body, a wire, a face, or an edge.

This Scheme function returns a pair comprising (min-pt . max-pt). If the Boolean argument
create-box is given, a solid box is returned.

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entity:copy

entity:copy
Copies any entity (such as solid, face, edge) and all entities attached to it.

Syntax
(entity:copy entity-list)

Argument Argument type

entity-list ENTITY | ENTITY LIST

Returns
ENTITY | ENTITY LIST

Description

For this Scheme function, the argument entity-list specifies an entity or entity list to be
copied.

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entity:debug

entity:debug
Prints information about the data structure of an entity.

Syntax
(entity:debug entity [level])

Argument Argument type

Syntax
(entity:dist part1 part2 [acis-opts])

Argument Argument type

part1 ENTITY | POSITION

part2 ENTITY | POSITION

acis-opts ACIS OPTIONS (optional)

Returns
(REAL POSITION (ENTITY | ENTITY LIST . STRING))

Description

Using the two input entities, this Scheme function finds a position on each entity such that the
distance between the two is the minimum distance. Supported entities include VERTEX, EDGE,
LOOP, FACE, WIRE, SHELL, LUMP, and BODY.

This Scheme function also can find the minimum distance using an entity and a position. The
optional argument acis-opts helps to switch on journaling and versioning options.

Limitations

If part1 is defined as a position, part2 must be an entity.

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entity:edges

entity:edges
Returns a list of all edge entities of an entity or a list of entities.

Syntax
(entity:edges entity-list)

Argument Argument type

entity-list ENTITY | ENTITY LIST

Returns
EDGE | EDGE LIST

Description

This Scheme function returns a list of the edges for the input entity-list. It returns an
empty list when no edges are found.

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entity:erase

entity:erase
Erases, but does not remove, the specified entity or list of entities.

Syntax
(entity:erase entity-list)

Argument Argument type

entity-list ENTITY | ENTITY LIST

Returns

Input entity-list.

Description

For this Scheme function, the argument entity-list is an entity or a list of entities to be
erased from the display. The entities remain available for later redisplay. To redisplay an erased
entity or a list of entities, use the Scheme function render:rebuild.

entity:faces
Returns a list of all face entities of an entity or a list of entities.

Syntax
(entity:faces entity-list)

Argument Argument type

entity-list ENTITY | ENTITY LIST

Returns
FACE | FACE LIST

Description

This Scheme function returns an empty list when no faces are found. The input argument is an
entity-list from which a list of all faces is to be obtained.

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entity:loops

entity:loops
Returns a list of all loops of an entity or a list of entities.

Syntax
(entity:loops entity-list [include-pat])

Argument Argument type

entity-list ENTITY | ENTITY LIST

include-pat INTEGER (optional)

Returns
LOOP | LOOP LIST

Description

This Scheme function returns a list of all the loops of an entity. If no loops are found, this
Scheme function returns an empty list. The argument entity-list specifies an entity or
entity list to be queried.

The optional argument include-pat determines how this function deals with patterned
objects. By default, patterned objects are included in the list of entities. You can specify any
one of the following through this argument:
■ 0 – Patterned objects are created if they do not already exist and are included in the list.
■ 1 – Only those patterned objects that already exist are included in the list.
■ 2 – No patterned objects, except seed pattern objects, are included in the list.

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entity:lumps

entity:lumps
Obtains a list of all lumps of an entity or a list of entities.

Syntax
(entity:lumps entity-list)

Argument Argument type

entity-list ENTITY | ENTITY LIST

Returns
LUMP | LUMP LIST

Description

This Scheme function returns a list of all the lumps of an entity. If no lumps are found, this
Scheme function returns an empty list. The argument entity-list specifies an entity or
entity list to be queried.

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entity:set-color

entity:set-color
Sets the display color for an entity or a list of entities.

Syntax
(entity:set-color entity-list color)

Argument Argument type

entity-list ENTITY | ENTITY LIST

color COLOR

Returns

Previous color of entity.

Description

This Scheme function sets the display color for an entity or a list of entities.

The argument entity-list specifies an entity or a list of entities to be assigned a color.

The argument color can accept an integer or a color:rgb value, and specifies a new color
to be assigned to specified entities. The predefined color values include:
■ BLACK = 0 = #[color 0 0 0]
■ BLUE = 3 = #[color 0 0 1]
■ CYAN = 4 = #[color 0 1 1]
■ GREEN = 2 = #[color 0 1 0]
■ MAGENTA = 6 = #[color 1 0 1]
■ RED = 1 = #[color 1 0 0]
■ WHITE = 7 = #[color 1 1 1]
■ YELLOW = 5 = #[color 1 1 0]

These color variable names are already defined in the Sentaurus Structure Editor Scheme
interpreter and can be used instead of the numeric values.

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entity:set-color

Examples
Example 1
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "ABA")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 1) "Silver" "region_1")
(sdegeo:create-sphere (position 1 1 1) 0.5 "SiliconCarbide" "region_2")
(entity:set-color (find-face-id (position 0.1 0.1 1)) RED)
Example 2
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 1) "Silicon" "xx")
(entity:set-color (find-face-id (position 0.5 0.5 1)) 3)
(entity:set-color (find-face-id (position 1 0.5 0.5)) rgb:yellow)
(entity:set-color (find-face-id (position 0.5 1 0.5)) CYAN)

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entity:shells

entity:shells
Returns a list of shell entities from a topological entity or a list of entities.

Syntax
(entity:shells entity-list [include-pat])

Argument Argument type

entity-list ENTITY | ENTITY LIST

include-pat INTEGER (optional)

Returns
SHELL | SHELL LIST

Description

This Scheme function returns a list of the shells of an entity. If no shell entities are found, this
Scheme function returns an empty list.

The argument entity-list specifies a topological entity or an entity list.

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entity:vertices

entity:vertices
Returns a list of all vertices in an entity or a list of entities.

Syntax
(entity:vertices entity-list)

Argument Argument type

entity-list ENTITY | ENTITY LIST

Returns
VERTEX | VERTEX LIST

Description

This Scheme function returns a list of the vertices for the input entity-list. It returns an
empty list if no vertices are found.

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env:set-tolerance

env:set-tolerance
Sets the following system tolerances: resabs, resnor, resfit, and resmch.

Syntax
(env:set-tolerance resabs resnor resfit resmch)

Argument Argument type

resabs REAL (default=1e-6)

resfit REAL (default=1e-3)

resmch REAL (default=1e-11)

resnor REAL (default=1e-10)

Returns

The set tolerance values: (REAL REAL REAL REAL).

Description

This Scheme function sets the modeling tolerances. The system tolerances are set in the
following order: resabs, resnor, resfit, and resmch. The ratio of resabs to resnor is
the largest number that can be represented, that is, the modeling range must be within this ratio.

The arguments are:

■ resabs determines whether two positions in space are equal. This tolerance defines the
smallest distance between two distinct points.
■ resnor checks a number for equality with 0. This tolerance checks components of
numbers that are 0 to determine whether vectors are parallel or perpendicular, or to check
for zero lengths.
■ resfit fits interpolation curves when intersecting surfaces.
■ resmch is used by the spline functions for purposes similar to resnor.

For each element argument, REAL sets the value, BOOLEAN #f leaves the value unchanged, and
BOOLEAN #t sets the value to the default.

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env:tolerance

env:tolerance
Returns the system tolerances in a list (resabs, resnor, resfit, and resmch).

Syntax
(env:tolerance)

Returns

The set tolerance values: (REAL REAL REAL REAL).

Description

This Scheme function returns the system tolerances in the following order: resabs, resnor,
resfit, resmch. The Scheme function env:set-tolerance explains each tolerance value.

See Also

env:set-tolerance on page 329

erf
Error function.

Syntax
(erf value)

Argument Argument type

value REAL

Returns
REAL

Description

This Scheme extension returns the error function (erf) value of the input.

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erfc

erfc
Complementary error function.

Syntax
(erfc value)

Argument Argument type

value REAL

Returns
REAL

Description

ENTITY ID of the created Ref/Eval window.

Description

This command generates the non-regularized intersection between two bodies, and creates a
3D offset body from the non-regularized intersection, by offsetting the faces of the interface
body in the normal direction, and assigns it as a DRS body.

Examples
(sde:clear)
(define mb1 (sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 10 10 4)
"Silicon" "x1"))
(define mb2 (sdegeo:create-cylinder (position 5 5 4) (position 5 5 8)
2 "PolySilicon" "x2"))
(extract-interface-normal-offset-refwindow mb1 mb2 1 "rw1")

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extract-interface-offset-refwindow

extract-interface-offset-refwindow
Creates a DRS body by offsetting the non-regularized intersection of the two input bodies.

Syntax
(extract-interface-offset-refwindow body1 body2 offset-distance refwindowname)

Argument Argument type

body1 ENTITY

body2 ENTITY

offset-distance REAL

refwindowname STRING

Returns

ENTITY ID of the created Ref/Eval window.

Description

This command generates the non-regularized intersection between two bodies, and creates a
3D offset body from the non-regularized intersection and assigns it as a DRS body.

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extract-refpolyhedron

extract-refpolyhedron
Defines a refinement window, matching the specified 3D solid body.

Syntax
(extract-refpolyhedron bodyid refwindowname)

Argument Argument type

bodyid ENTITY

refwindowname STRING

Returns
ENTITY

Description

This Scheme extension converts a 3D geometric body to a polyhedral refinement window. The
mesh manager of Sentaurus Structure Editor, which saves the tessellated polyhedral boundary
for meshing, converts the 3D geometric body (possibly with nonplanar faces) to a polyhedral
refinement window.

Examples
Example 1
(sde:clear)
(define mb (sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 1)
"Silicon" "x1"))
(extract-refpolyhedron mb "ref1")

Example 2
(sde:clear)
(define mb (sdegeo:create-cylinder (position 0 0 0) (position 0 0 1)
0.1 "Silicon" "x1"))
(extract-refpolyhedron mb "ref1")
(sdedr:define-refinement-size "RD_1" .2 .2 .1 .1)
(sdedr:define-refinement-placement "RP_1" "RD_1" "ref1")
(sdedr:write-cmd-file "xx.cmd")

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extract-refwindow

extract-refwindow
Defines refinement windows, matching the specified geometry face or faces.

Syntax
(extract-refwindow faceid refwindowname)

Argument Argument type

faceid FACE | FACE LIST | EDGE

refwindowname STRING

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension goes through the specified face list (or the specified single face list),
extracts the vertex list for each face, and defines a separate polygonal refinement window for
each face. Planar faces will have the corresponding refinement polygon defined as one single
refinement polygon. However, for curved faces, the geometric face will be triangulated first
and a separate refinement polygon (triangle) will be defined for each triangle. The coplanar
triangular faces of the extracted refinement body are merged by default. Merging the coplanar
triangular faces can be disabled by setting the merge-extracted-drs-faces global
variable to #f. (It is set to #t by default).

The extract-refwindow Scheme extension also supports converting linear geometric edges
to Ref/Eval windows (line elements). The argument list is unchanged; however, in this case,
the first argument must be a linear edge.

Examples
Example 1
(sde:clear)
(define mypyramid (sdegeo:create-pyramid (position 0 0 0) 20 40 40 6 12
"PolySilicon" "r1"))
(define myface (list-ref (entity:faces mypyramid) 2))
(extract-refwindow myface "refinement1")

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face:area

Example 2
(sde:clear)
(define mycube (sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 10 10 10)
"Silicon" "r1"))
(define myedge (car (find-edge-id (position 10 5 10))))
(sdegeo:fillet myedge 4)
(define mflist (entity:faces mycube))
(extract-refwindow (list-ref mflist 2) "refwin1")
(extract-refwindow (list-ref mflist 5) "refwin2")
(extract-refwindow (list-ref mflist 0) "refwin3")

Example 3
(sde:clear)
(define mb (sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 0)
"Silicon" "xx"))
(extract-refwindow (car (entity:edges mb)) "rw1")

face:area
Obtains the area of a face.

Syntax
(face:area face)

Argument Argument type

face FACE

Returns
REAL

Description

This Scheme function calculates the area of a specified face. The accuracy of the calculation is
fixed at 0.001 for an area of geometry that cannot be determined analytically. The argument
face is an input face.

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face:conical?

face:conical?
Determines if a Scheme object is a conical face.

Syntax
(face:conical? object)

Argument Argument type

object SCHEME OBJECT

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme function returns #t if the object is a conical face; otherwise, it returns #f. The
argument object specifies the Scheme object to be queried.

face:cylindrical?
Determines if a Scheme object is a cylindrical face.

Syntax
(face:cylindrical? object)

Argument Argument type

object SCHEME OBJECT

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

In this Scheme function, the returned Boolean specifies whether the supplied entity input is a
cylindrical face. The input argument is a cylindrical face and not a solid cylinder. The argument
object specifies the Scheme object to be queried.

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face:planar?

face:planar?
Determines if a Scheme object is a planar face.

Syntax
(face:planar? object)

Argument Argument type

object SCHEME OBJECT

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme function returns #t if the specified object is a planar face. The argument object
specifies the Scheme object to be queried.

face:plane-normal
Returns the face normal of a planar face.

Syntax
(face:plane-normal face)

Argument Argument type

face ENTITY FACE

Returns
GVECTOR

Description

This Scheme function returns the face normal of the specified planar face.

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face:spherical?

face:spherical?
Determines if a Scheme object is a spherical face.

Syntax
(face:spherical? object)

Argument Argument type

object SCHEME OBJECT

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme function returns #t if the specified object is a spherical face. The argument
object specifies the Scheme object to be queried.

face:spline?
Determines if a Scheme object is a face–spline.

Syntax
(face:spline? object)

Argument Argument type

object SCHEME OBJECT

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme function determines if a Scheme object is a face–spline. The argument object
specifies the Scheme object to be queried.

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face:toroidal?

face:toroidal?
Determines if a Scheme object is a toroidal face.

Syntax
(face:toroidal? object)

Argument Argument type

object SCHEME OBJECT

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme function determines if a Scheme object is a toroidal face. The argument object
specifies the Scheme object to be queried.

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filter:type

filter:type
Creates a filter entity that selects a type of entity.

Syntax
(filter:type type-name)

Argument Argument type

type-name STRING

Returns
FILTER

Description

This Scheme function creates the specified type-name as a filter, which specifies the type of
entity to be used in another filter operation. If a new type filter is created, it replaces the
previously defined type.

Use this Scheme function to display the list of available filter types. The argument type-name
specifies the entity-filter to be created. The possible string values for type-name are
edge:curve?, edge:linear?, edge:circular?, edge:elliptical?,
edge:spline?, edge?, body?, solid?, wire-body?, mixed-body?, wire?, face?,
face:planar?, face:spherical?, face:cylindrical?, face:conical?,
face:toroidal?, face:spline?, wcs?, text?, vertex?, and point?.

Examples
(filter:type "edge:linear?")

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find-body-id

find-body-id
Finds the entity numbers of a body.

Syntax
(find-body-id position)

Argument Argument type

position POSITION

Returns
BODY LIST

Description

This Scheme extension goes through all bodies, (get-body-list), and returns the ACIS
entity IDs of all bodies that contain the specified position. The position can be lying on a
boundary face or vertex, or can be an internal point.

find-body-id-drs
Finds the entity numbers of a body for a refinement/evaluation (Ref/Eval) window body.

Syntax
(find-body-id-drs position)

Argument Argument type

position POSITION

Returns
BODY LIST

Description

This Scheme extension goes through the body list of all defined Ref/Eval window bodies and
returns the ACIS entity IDs of all bodies that contain the specified position. The position can
be lying on a boundary face or can be an internal point.

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find-drs-id

find-drs-id
Returns the entity numbers of a Ref/Eval window body.

Syntax
(find-drs-id DRSname)

Argument Argument type

DRSname STRING

Returns
BODY

Description

This Scheme extension goes through all defined Ref/Eval window bodies and returns the ACIS
entity IDs of the Ref/Eval window body that matches the specified DRS name. (The DRS name
is a unique identifier of each Ref/Eval window body.)

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find-edge-id

find-edge-id
Finds the entity numbers of an edge.

Syntax
(find-edge-id position body)

Argument Argument type

position POSITION

body BODY | BODY LIST

Returns
EDGE LIST

Description

This Scheme extension goes through the edge list of all defined bodies, (entity:edges
(get-body-list)), and returns the ACIS entity IDs of all edges that contain the specified
position. The position can be either an end vertex position of the edge or an internal position.
This Scheme extension provides an additional filter for selecting bodies.

Examples
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 1) "Silicon" "x1")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 1 0 0) (position 2 1 1) "PolySilicon" "x2")
(define chamferedges (find-edge-id (position 1 0.5 1)
(find-material-id "Silicon")))
(sdegeo:chamfer chamferedges 0.2)

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find-edge-id-drs

find-edge-id-drs
Finds the entity numbers of an edge for a Ref/Eval window body.

Syntax
(find-edge-id-drs position)

Argument Argument type

position POSITION

Returns
EDGE LIST

Description

This Scheme extension goes through the edge list of all defined Ref/Eval window bodies and
returns the ACIS entity IDs of all edges that contain the specified position. The position can be
either an end vertex position of the edge or an internal position.

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find-face-id

find-face-id
Finds the entity numbers of a face.

Syntax
(find-face-id position | gvector)

Argument Argument type

position POSITION

region-name STRING

partial-match BOOLEAN (optional)

Returns
BODY | BODY LIST

Description

This Scheme extension examines every region in the model and selects all regions that have the
specified region-name as the region attribute.

If only one body is found with the specified region-name as the region attribute, the entity
ID of the region is returned. If more than one region has the region-name as the region
attribute, a list of all entities is returned. If no entity is found, an empty list is returned.

If the optional Boolean argument partial-match is used, the Scheme extension returns the
partially matched region names as well, as long as the partial match criterion is incremental
(that is, it is satisfied from the beginning of the string).

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find-region-id

find-region-id
Returns the entity IDs for a specific region name.

Syntax
(find-region-id region-name)

Argument Argument type

region-name STRING

Returns
BODY | BODY LIST

Description

This Scheme extension goes through every region in the model and selects all regions that have
the specified region-name as the region attribute. If only one body is found with the specified
region-name as the region attribute, the entity ID of the region is returned. If more than one
region has the region-name as the region attribute, a list of all entities is returned. If no entity
is found, an empty list is returned.

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find-vertex-id

find-vertex-id
Finds the entity numbers of a vertex.

Syntax
(find-vertex-id position)

Argument Argument type

position POSITION

Returns
VERTEX LIST

Description

This Scheme extension goes through the vertex list of all defined bodies,
(entity:vertices (get-body-list)), and returns the ACIS entity IDs of all vertices
that are placed at the specified position.

find-vertex-id-drs
Finds the entity numbers of a vertex for a Ref/Eval window body.

Syntax
(find-vertex-id-drs position)

Argument Argument type

position POSITION

Returns
VERTEX LIST

Description

This Scheme extension goes through the vertex list of all defined Ref/Eval window bodies and
returns the ACIS entity IDs of all vertices that contain the specified position.

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get-body-list

get-body-list
Returns a list of all 2D and 3D bodies that are defined in the model.

Syntax
(get-body-list)

Returns
BODY LIST

Description

This Scheme extension returns a list of all 2D and 3D bodies that are defined in the model,
except the mask bodies and the doping-related or refinement-related Ref/Eval windows. Since
mask bodies and Ref/Eval windows are also sheet bodies, (part:entities (filter:type
"solid?")) also returns these entities.

Since most of the geometric operations are performed only on 2D and 3D bodies, and not on
masks and Ref/Eval windows, this Scheme extension is used to distinguish easily between
masks, Ref/Eval windows, and regular bodies.

get-drs-list
Returns a list of all the Ref/Eval windows (2D and 3D) that are defined in the model.

Syntax
(get-drs-list)

Returns
BODY LIST

Description

This Scheme extension returns a list of all 2D and 3D Ref/Eval windows that are defined in the
model.

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get-empty-mask-list

get-empty-mask-list
Lists all defined empty masks.

Syntax
(get-empty-mask-list)

Returns
LIST

Description

This Scheme extension returns a list of all defined empty masks. If no empty mask is defined,
an empty list is returned.

get-mask-list
Lists all defined masks.

Syntax
(get-mask-list)

Returns
LIST

Description

This Scheme extension returns a list of all defined (geometric) masks. If no mask is defined,
an empty list is returned.

gvector1 GVECTOR

gvector2 GVECTOR

Returns
GVECTOR

Description

This Scheme function returns the result of (gvector1 + gvector2) as a gvector. The
argument gvector1 defines the first gvector, and the argument gvector2 defines the second
gvector.

Examples
(gvector:+ (gvector 1 3 2) (gvector 2 2 2))

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gvector:-

gvector:-
Subtracts two gvectors.

Syntax
(gvector:- gvector1 gvector2)

Argument Argument type

gvector1 GVECTOR

gvector2 GVECTOR

Returns
GVECTOR

Description

This Scheme function returns the result of (gvector1 – gvector2) as a gvector. The
argument gvector1 defines the start location, and the argument gvector2 defines the end
location for both gvectors.

Examples
(gvector:- (gvector 1 3 2) (gvector 2 2 2))

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gvector:copy

gvector:copy
Creates a gvector by copying an existing gvector.

Syntax
(gvector:copy gvector)

Argument Argument type

gvector GVECTOR

Returns
GVECTOR

Description

This Scheme function creates a gvector by copying an existing gvector.

Examples
(define gvcopy (gvector:copy (gvector 6 5 2)))

gvector:cross
Returns the cross product of two gvectors.

Syntax
(gvector:cross gvector1 gvector2)

Argument Argument type

gvector1 GVECTOR

gvector2 GVECTOR

Returns
GVECTOR

Description

This Scheme function returns the cross product of two gvectors.

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gvector:dot

gvector:dot
Returns the dot product of two gvectors.

Syntax
(gvector:dot gvector1 gvector2)

Argument Argument type

gvector1 GVECTOR

gvector2 GVECTOR

Returns
REAL

Description

This Scheme function returns the dot product of two gvectors.

gvector:from-to
Returns a gvector between two positions.

Syntax
(gvector:from-to position1 position2)

Argument Argument type

position1 POSITION

position2 POSITION

Returns
GVECTOR

Description

This Scheme function returns the gvector from position1 to position2.

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gvector:length

gvector:length
Returns the length of a gvector.

Syntax
(gvector:length gvector)

Argument Argument type

gvector GVECTOR

Returns
REAL

Description

This Scheme function returns the length of a gvector as a real value.

gvector:parallel?
Determines if two gvectors are parallel.

Syntax
(gvector:parallel? gvector1 gvector2)

Argument Argument type

gvector1 GVECTOR

gvector2 GVECTOR

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme function returns #t if gvector1 and gvector2 are parallel; otherwise, it returns
#f. A zero gvector is not parallel to anything including itself, so it causes the Scheme function
to return #t.

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gvector:perpendicular?

gvector:perpendicular?
Determines if two gvectors are perpendicular.

Syntax
(gvector:perpendicular? gvector1 gvector2)

Argument Argument type

gvector1 GVECTOR

gvector2 GVECTOR

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme function returns #t if the gvectors are perpendicular; otherwise, it returns #f. A
zero gvector is perpendicular to all gvectors including itself, and it causes the Scheme function
to return #f.

gvector:reverse
Reverses the direction of a gvector.

Syntax
(gvector:reverse gvector)

Argument Argument type

gvector GVECTOR

Returns
GVECTOR

Description

This Scheme function reverses the direction of a gvector.

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gvector:scale

gvector:scale
Multiplies a gvector by a scalar number to produce a new gvector.

Syntax
(gvector:scale gvector scale)

Argument Argument type

gvector GVECTOR

scale REAL

Using this Scheme function, the coordinates are computed relative to the active coordinate
system. This Scheme function returns the x-value as a real:
■ gvector specifies the original x-, y-, and z-values.
■ x specifies the value to replace the original x-value specified in gvector.

Examples
(gvector:set-x! vector1 3)

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gvector:set-y!

gvector:set-y!
Sets the y-direction component of a gvector.

Syntax
(gvector:set-y! gvector y)

Argument Argument type

gvector GVECTOR

y REAL

Returns
REAL

This Scheme function applies a transform to a gvector.

gvector:unitize
Creates a new gvector as a unit vector in the same direction as the specified gvector.

Syntax
(gvector:unitize gvector)

Argument Argument type

gvector GVECTOR

Returns
GVECTOR

Description

This Scheme function creates a new gvector as a unit vector in the same direction as the
specified gvector.

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gvector:x

gvector:x
Returns the x-component of a gvector relative to the active coordinate system.

Syntax
(gvector:x gvector)

Argument Argument type

gvector GVECTOR

Returns
REAL

Description

This Scheme function returns the x-coordinate of the gvector, transformed to the active work
plane.

gvector:y
Returns the y-component of a gvector relative to the active coordinate system.

Syntax
(gvector:y gvector)

Argument Argument type

gvector GVECTOR

Returns
REAL

Description

This Scheme function returns the y-coordinate of the gvector, transformed to the active work
plane.

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gvector:z

gvector:z
Returns the z-component of a gvector relative to the active coordinate system.

Syntax
(gvector:z gvector)

Argument Argument type

gvector GVECTOR

Returns
REAL

Description

This Scheme function returns the z-coordinate of the gvector, transformed to the active work
plane.

journal:abort
Terminates the journal single-stepping process.

Syntax
(journal:abort)

Returns

None.

Description

When stepping, this Scheme function terminates the current load without executing the rest of
the commands in the file.

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journal:append

journal:append
Opens a journal file and appends additional journal data to the end of the file.

Syntax
(journal:append [filename])

Argument Argument type

filename STRING (optional)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme function opens the optional file filename if it exists, where all future commands
are journaled to the file. The time and date of the append to the file are indicated in the journal.

If the argument filename is not specified, a unique name is created after reading the current
directory. The unique name is sequenced numerically from the last journal file created or
named j(last number+1).jrl.

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journal:clean

journal:clean
Cleans the journal file.

Syntax
(journal:clean jname)

Argument Argument type

jname STRING

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme function removes all nonexecutable content (comments, return values, and so on)
from the specified script file. Only the executable Scheme commands remain; therefore,
parameterizing and debugging the journal file are easier if the saved journal file is cleaned up
first.

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journal:load

journal:load
Loads a journal file, one line at a time, journaling each command as it is executed.

Syntax
(journal:load filename)

Argument Argument type

filename STRING

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme function loads a journal file and runs each command contained in that file. Each
line is journaled if journaling is switched on. This Scheme function works like the load
primitive, except that the file is evaluated one line at a time instead of all lines simultaneously
with the Scheme load primitive.

Encountered errors do not abort the load operation and are reported in the command-line
window. This Scheme function is useful for debugging Scheme files and for rerunning the
commands given in another Scheme session.

An error in the loaded file does not abort the evaluation. This Scheme function permits single-
stepping through a loaded file, one line at a time. The Scheme function (journal:step #t)
switches it on and should be run before loading the journal file.

In addition, (option:set "timing" #t) can be used to show the execution time for each
command in the command-line window. Before loading, the directory where the load file is
found is added to the global variable part-load-path.

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journal:off

journal:off
Closes the current journal file and switches off journaling.

Syntax
(journal:off)

Returns

None.

Description

Using this Scheme function, all Scheme extensions executed after journaling has been
switched off are not retained in the journal file.

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journal:on

journal:on
Closes the current journal file and opens a new journal file.

Syntax
(journal:on [filename])

Argument Argument type

filename STRING (optional)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme function opens the optional file filename if it exists, and all future commands
are journaled to this file. If filename is not specified, the Scheme function creates a unique
name after reading the current directory. The unique name is sequenced numerically from the
last journal file created or named j(last number+1).jrl. If the file exists, it is truncated
to zero length.

Examples
; Scheme function journal:on
; Close the current journal file and open a new journal file called new_jrl.
(journal:on "new_jrl")
;; "new_jrl"
; Create solid cuboid.
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 10 10 10) "Silicon"
"region_1")
; Turn journaling off
(journal:off)
;; ()
; Save the resulting journal.
(journal:save "new_jrl")
;; "new_jrl" ; Clear the part.
(sde:clear)
;; #t
; Load the journal file to recreate and redisplay the solid cube.
(journal:load "new_jrl")
;; "new_jrl"

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journal:pause

journal:pause
Disables journaling temporarily but leaves the journal file open.

Syntax
(journal:pause)

Returns

None.

Description

object SCHEME OBJECT

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme function returns #t if the object is a loop; otherwise, it returns #f. The argument
object specifies the Scheme object to be queried.

loop:external?
Determines if a loop is internal or external.

Syntax
(loop:external? loop)

Argument Argument type

LOOP LOOP

Returns
BOOLEAN

Errors

Returns an error if the argument loop is not a loop.

Description

This Scheme function determines if a loop is internal or external.

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lump?

lump?
Determines if a Scheme object is a lump.

Syntax
(lump? object)

Argument Argument type

object SCHEME OBJECT

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme function returns #t if the object is a lump; otherwise it returns #f. The argument
object specifies the Scheme object to be queried.

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mask-refevalwin-extract-2d

mask-refevalwin-extract-2d
Converts a mask to a 2D Ref/Eval window.

Syntax
(mask-refevalwin-extract-2d rwname maskname polarity)

Argument Argument type

rwname STRING

maskname STRING

polarity STRING {"light" | "dark"}

Returns

ENTITY IDs of the created Ref/Eval windows.

Description

This Scheme extension extracts a 2D Ref/Eval window from the specified mask. The argument
rwname is the name of the extracted mask, maskname is the name (and not the entity ID) of
the used mask, and polarity is the polarity that is used for the extraction. The default mask
polarity is "light".

The Scheme extension assumes that the domain boundary was set previously. (This
information is needed for "dark" mask extraction.) If the mask consists of several disjoint
lumps, a separate Ref/Eval window is extracted from each disjoint lump. In this case, the
specified rwname is appended with a counter _N where N is the lump counter (from 1 onwards).

NOTE The domain boundary must be set before this Scheme extension is
called.

Examples
(sde:clear)
(sdepe:define-pe-domain 0 0 40 30)
(sdepe:generate-mask "M1" (list (list 0 0 10 10) (list 20 0 30 0 30 10 25
15 20 10))))
(mask-refevalwin-extract-2d "RW1" "M1" "light")
(mask-refevalwin-extract-2d "RW2" "M1" "dark")

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mask-refevalwin-extract-3d

mask-refevalwin-extract-3d
Converts a mask to a 3D Ref/Eval window.

Syntax
(mask-refevalwin-extract-3d rwname maskname polarity minz maxz)

Argument Argument type

rwname STRING

maskname STRING

polarity STRING {"light" | "dark"}

minz REAL

maxz REAL

Returns

ENTITY IDs of the created Ref/Eval windows.

Description

This Scheme extension extracts a 3D Ref/Eval window from the specified mask. The argument
rwname is the name of the extracted mask, maskname is the name (and not the entity ID) of
the used mask, and polarity is the polarity that is used for the extraction. The default mask
polarity is "light".

The Scheme extension assumes that the domain boundary was set previously. (This
information is needed for "dark" mask extraction.) The 3D Ref/Eval window is placed
between minz and maxz in the 3D space. If the mask consists of several disjoint lumps, a
separate Ref/Eval window is extracted from each disjoint lump. In this case, the specified
rwname is appended with a counter _N where N is the lump counter (from 1 onwards).

NOTE The domain boundary must be set before this Scheme extension is
called.

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member?

Examples
(sde:clear)
(sdepe:define-pe-domain 0 0 40 30)
(sdepe:generate-mask "M1" (list (list 0 0 10 10) (list 20 0 30 0 30 10 25
15 20 10))))
(mask-refevalwin-extract-3d "RW1" "M1" "light" -0.1 0.5)
(mask-refevalwin-extract-3d "RW2" "M1" "dark" -0.1 0.5)

member?
Checks whether the specified element is part of the specified list.

Syntax
(member? element list)

Argument Argument type

element VARIABLE (INTEGER | REAL | STRING | ...)

list LIST (Scheme list)

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme extension returns #t if the specified element is part of the specified list and, if
not, #f is returned.

Examples
(member? 2 (list 1 2 3 4))
#t
(member? 0 (list 1 2 3 4))
#f
(member? "apple" (list 1 2 "apple" 3 4))
#t

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merge-collinear-edges-2d

merge-collinear-edges-2d
Merges all collinear edges of the specified bodies.

Syntax
(merge-collinear-edges-2d body-list [angular-tolerance])

Argument Argument type

body-list BODY LIST

angular-tolerance REAL (optional)

Returns

None.

Description

An optional angular-tolerance value can be specified. In that case, besides the perfectly
collinear edges, the edges that close an angle, which is larger than the specified threshold, will
also merge (that is, the two edges will be replaced by one edge, connecting the other endpoints).

Limitations

This Scheme extension applies to 2D models only.

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part:entities

part:entities
Obtains a list of all top-level entities in a part.

Syntax
(part:entities [filter=NULL])

Argument Argument type

filter FILTER (optional)

Returns
ENTITY LIST

Description

The optional argument filter controls the kinds of entity that are returned by this Scheme
function. The argument filter is an entity-filter, which is a procedural object that
selects entities from an entity-list.

Examples
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 0) "Silver" "region_3")
(part:entities)
(part:entities (filter:type "solid?"))

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part:load

part:load
Loads a part from a file into the active part.

Syntax
(part:load filename [textmode=#t] [part=active] [with-history=#f])

Argument Argument type

filename STRING

textmode BOOLEAN (optional)

part PART (optional)

with-history BOOLEAN (optional)

Returns
ENTITY LIST

Description

This Scheme function is a merge function, which means that the restore does not replace
entities; it adds them to the current working session. A list of entities is returned.

The argument filename specifies a file name in the current working directory or the path that
includes the file name. If the optional argument part is not specified, the entities in the part
file merge into the active part; otherwise, they merge into the specified part.

The argument textmode describes the type of file to be loaded. If textmode is specified as
#t, the data in filename is saved in text mode as a .sat file. If textmode is #f, filename
is loaded as a binary file. If textmode is not specified, the mode is determined by the extension
of the filename. If the filename string ends in .sab or .SAB, the file is saved in binary
mode; otherwise, the file is saved in text mode.

After specifying the text mode, a second Boolean argument indicates whether to restore the
rollback history data. History data can only be restored into an empty part. The default, #f,
does not restore the history.

If the global variable part-load-path is set to a list of strings, the strings are interpreted as
directories to be searched for the part file: part-load-path is to part-load as load-path
is to load. Set part-load-path in an initialization file. When a part is saved using
part:save and a filename, the filename becomes the new name for the part.

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part:save

part:save
Saves all entities in a part to a file.

Syntax
(part:save [filename=partname.sat] [textmode=#t] [part=active]
[with-history=#f] [mainline-only=#f])

Argument Argument type

filename STRING (optional)

textmode BOOLEAN (optional)

part PART (optional)

with-history BOOLEAN (optional)

mainline-only BOOLEAN (optional)

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

The optional argument filename specifies a file name to be saved in the current working
directory or specifies the path that includes the file name to be saved to a directory. If no
filename is specified, this Scheme function uses the name given to the part with the
part:set-name function.

The optional argument part specifies the part to save; the default is the active part. If
textmode is #t, the data is saved in text mode. If textmode is not specified, the mode is
determined by the extension of the filename. If the filename string ends in .sab or .SAB,
the file is saved in binary mode; otherwise, the file is saved in text mode.

After setting textmode, a second Boolean (with-history) specifies whether to save entity-
specific rolled back history data (that is, history attached to the entity through an attribute). The
default, #f, does not save the history. A third Boolean (mainline-only) specifies whether to
save rolled back branches. The default, #f, for this argument indicates the entire history should
be saved. The saved file can be restored at any time.

When a part is saved using part:save and a filename, the filename becomes the new
name for the part. Part files can be saved in the format of an earlier version by setting the global
option save_version.

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part:save-selection

part:save-selection
Saves a list of entities to a file.

Syntax
(part:save-selection ent-list filename [textmode=#f] [with-history=#f])

Argument Argument type

ent-list ENTITY | ENTITY LIST

filename STRING

textmode BOOLEAN (optional)

with-history BOOLEAN (optional)

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

The argument filename specifies a file name to be saved in the current working directory or
specifies the path that includes the file name to be saved to a directory. The ent-list is the
list of entities to be saved in the output file. If textmode is #t, the data is saved in text mode.
If textmode is not specified, the mode is determined by the extension of filename. If the
filename string ends in .sab or .SAB, the file is saved in binary mode; otherwise, the file is
saved in text mode. The saved file can be restored at any time.

Part files can be saved in the format of an earlier version by setting the global option
save_version. The with-history argument allows you to save entity-specific history
(that is, history attached to the entity through an attribute).

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part:set-name

part:set-name
Sets the name of a part.

Syntax
(part:set-name [name] [part=active])

Argument Argument type

name STRING (optional)

part PART (optional)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme function assigns a name to the specified part, or to the active part if part is
omitted. If the part is saved without specifying a file name, the part:save extension uses the
identification name assigned to the part as the saved part file name. If name is omitted, the
name of the part is cleared.

The optional argument name specifies the required string identification of the part.

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position

position
Creates a new position with x-, y-, and z-coordinates.

Syntax
(position x y z [space="models"])

Argument Argument type

x REAL

y REAL

z REAL

space STRING (optional)

Returns
POSITION

Description

Relative to the active coordinate system, the argument x defines the x-coordinate, y defines the
y-coordinate, and z defines the z-coordinate. If the model has an origin other than the active
work plane, this returns the position relative to the active coordinate system in rectangular
Cartesian coordinates.

The value polar or cylindrical means that the x-, y-, and z-values are interpreted as the
radial distance from the z-axis, the polar angle in degrees measured from the xz plane (using
the right-hand rule), and the z-coordinate, respectively. This returns the x-, y-, and z-terms with
respect to the active coordinate system.

The value spherical means that the provided x-, y-, and z-values are the radial distance from
the origin, the angle of declination from the z-axis in degrees, and the polar angle measured
from the xz plane in degrees, respectively. This returns the x, y, and z terms relative to the active
coordinate system.

A position is not saved with the part, but it is used to help define geometry. Positions are not
displayed in Scheme.

A point is an entity and is different from a vertex in that it has no edge associations. Use
env:set-point-size and env:set-point-style to change its appearance.

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position?

position?
Determines if a Scheme object is a position.

Syntax
(position? object)

Argument Argument type

object SCHEME OBJECT

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme function determines if a Scheme object is a position. The argument object
specifies the Scheme object to be queried.

position:+
Adds a position or gvector to a position or gvector, and returns the sum as a position.

Syntax
(position:+ arg1 arg2)

Argument Argument type

arg1 POSITION | GVECTOR

arg2 POSITION | GVECTOR

Returns
POSITION

Description

Adds a position or gvector to a position or gvector, and returns the sum as a position.

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position:-

position:-
Subtracts a position or gvector from a position or gvector, and returns the result as a position.

Syntax
(position:- arg1 arg2)

Argument Argument type

arg1 POSITION | GVECTOR

arg2 POSITION | GVECTOR

Returns
POSITION

Description

Subtracts a position or gvector from a position or gvector, and returns the result as a position.

position:distance
Returns the distance between two positions.

Syntax
(position:distance position1 {position2 | ray})

Argument Argument type

position1 POSITION

position2 POSITION

ray RAY

Returns
REAL

Description

The argument position1 defines the start location, position2 defines the end location, and
ray defines the ray to calculate the distance.

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position:set!

position:set!
Sets the x-, y-, and z-components of a position.

Syntax
(position:set! position1 {x y z} | {position2})

Argument Argument type

position1 POSITION

x REAL

y REAL

position POSITION

Returns
REAL

Description

This Scheme function returns the x-component of a position relative to the active coordinate
system. The argument position specifies a position.

position:y
Returns the y-component of a position relative to the active coordinate system.

Syntax
(position:y position)

Argument Argument type

position POSITION

Returns
REAL

Description

This Scheme function returns the y-component of a position relative to the active coordinate
system. The argument position specifies a position.

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position:z

position:z
Returns the z-component of a position relative to the active coordinate system.

Syntax
(position:z position)

Argument Argument type

position POSITION

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remove-body-BAB

remove-body-BAB
Subtracts all other bodies from the input body.

Syntax
(remove-body-BAB rbody)

Argument Argument type

rbody ENTITY

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension subtracts all the other existing bodies from the specified input body if
there is an overlap between the input body and the other bodies.

The result is similar to the case where the input body is created when the “old replaces new”
("BAB") automatic overlap removal rule is used. Overlapping bodies are not allowed in the
final tessellated model. If overlaps are created, the overlaps must be removed manually.

Overlapping bodies can be created only if the automatic overlap handling is disabled or if some
direct geometry manipulation is used, which is not detected by the automatic overlap removal
procedure.

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render:rebuild

render:rebuild
Refreshes the display list for a view.

Syntax
(render:rebuild [clear])

Argument Argument type

clear BOOLEAN (optional)

Returns

None.

Description

Use this Scheme function after changing viewing parameters.

If the optional argument clear is #t or not present, the view window is cleared and the wire
frame is redisplayed from the display list contents.

If the argument clear is #f, the view window is not cleared before redisplaying the display
list (that is, no ‘new page’ is written to the file).

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roll

roll
Rolls to a previous or later state.

Syntax
(roll [num])

Argument Argument type

num INTEGER (optional)

Returns
INTEGER (number of steps rolled)

Description

This Scheme function can be used to undo or redo geometry-related and doping-related, or
refinement-related operations. The optional argument num specifies the number of states the
model can roll. A negative number means to roll to a previous state, and a positive number
means to roll to a later state.

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sde:add-material

sde:add-material
Assigns the specified material and region attributes to a body.

Syntax
(sde:add-material body material-name region-name)

Argument Argument type

body ACIS ENTITY

material-name DATEXMAT

region-name STRING

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension assigns the material and region attributes to a body. The body is defined
by the first argument.

The argument material-name must be a valid DATEX name, which is defined in the
datexcodes.txt file. The argument material-name is assigned as a material attribute to
the body. When the tessellated boundary output is generated, the material attribute will be the
material of the region. The region-name attribute defines the region name in the tessellated
boundary output.

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sde:back-coord

sde:back-coord
Returns the back coordinate of the device.

Syntax
(sde:back-coord body | body-list)

Argument Argument type

body BODY

body-list BODY LIST

Returns
REAL

Description

This Scheme extension returns the back coordinate of the specified body or body-list. The
back coordinate depends on the coordinate system used:
■ For the unified coordinate system (UCS), the back coordinate is the minimum z-coordinate.
■ For the DF–ISE coordinate system, the back coordinate is the minimum x-coordinate.

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sde:bg-image-transparency

sde:bg-image-transparency
Sets the transparency of the image.

Syntax
(sde:bg-image-transparency transparency-value)

Argument Argument type

transparency-value REAL

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension sets the transparency of the loaded image. The transparency-value
argument must be between 0 and 1.

sde:bool-regularise
Merges the coplanar faces of 3D bodies.

Syntax
(sde:bool-regularise body-list)

Argument Argument type

body-list BODY LIST

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme function merges the coplanar faces of the specified bodies in body-list. After
sde:bool-regularise is applied, it is recommended to call (sde:fix-imprint) to
ensure a conformal model.

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sde:bottom-coord

sde:bottom-coord
Returns the bottom coordinate of the device.

Syntax
(sde:bottom-coord body | body-list)

Argument Argument type

body BODY

body-list BODY LIST

Returns
REAL

Description

This Scheme extension returns the bottom coordinate of the specified body or body-list.
The bottom coordinate depends on the coordinate system used:
■ For the UCS, the bottom coordinate is the maximum x-coordinate.
■ For the DF–ISE coordinate system, the bottom coordinate is the minimum z-coordinate.

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sde:build-mesh

sde:build-mesh
Generates a tessellated TDR boundary output and a mesh command file, and calls Sentaurus
Mesh.

Syntax
(sde:build-mesh [options] file-basename)

Argument Argument type

file-basename STRING

options STRING (optional)

Returns

Prints a message showing a successful or failed meshing. Returns #t or #f to indicate success

or failure, respectively.

Description

This Scheme extension generates a 2D or 3D TDR tessellated boundary output and a mesh
command file, and calls Sentaurus Mesh using a system command call. Sentaurus Structure
Editor then waits for the meshing to be completed. No further interaction is possible during this
time, until the meshing is completed.

The input argument string file-basename is first stripped from the file extension (if it is part
of the input argument string). Then, if the stripped file-basename ends with _msh, that is
removed as well. The TDR boundary file will be saved as file-basename_bnd.tdr and the
mesh command file will be saved as file-basename_msh.cmd.

NOTE The default name of the TDR boundary file is file-

basename_bnd.tdr. The default name of the mesh command file is
file-basename_msh.cmd.

If only one argument is specified, it is the file-basename (no options are defined).

If two string arguments are given, the first string are meshing options, and the second string is
the file-basename.

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sde:change-datex-color-scheme

sde:change-datex-color-scheme
Selects the DATEX color visualization scheme (first color definition or second color
definition).

Syntax
(sde:change-datex-color-scheme color-scheme)

Argument Argument type

color-scheme 0 (first DATEXMAT color) |

1 (second DATEXMAT color)

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme extension selects the DATEX color visualization scheme (first color definition or
second color definition). The datexcodes.txt file contains two color definitions for each
material. By default, Sentaurus Structure Editor uses the first color definition from the
datexcodes.txt file to assign the color for each DATEX material for rendering. The second
color definition is typically a brighter version of the first color definition.

sde:check-3d-license-status
Checks the status of the 3D license.

Syntax
(sde:check-3d-license-status)

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme extension is used to check the 3D license status. It returns #t or #f depending on
whether a 3D license is checked out.

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sde:check-model

sde:check-model
Performs a detailed model check.

Syntax
(sde:check-model [filename])

Argument Argument type

filename STRING (optional)

Returns
BODY LIST

Description

This Scheme extension is used to check a model for possible problems that are reported in a
report file including:
■ Mixed dimensional models
■ Overlaps
■ Multiple region names
■ Entity check problems

The default file name is sde-model-debug.log.

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sde:checkout-3d-license

sde:checkout-3d-license
Checks out a 3D license.

Syntax
(sde:checkout-3d-license)

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme extension is used to check out a 3D license explicitly. By default, Sentaurus
Structure Editor starts with a 2D license and only checks out (automatically) a 3D license when
it is needed (for 3D solid creation, 2D to 3D operations, process emulation operations, and so
on).

sde:clear
Clears the modeler.

Syntax
(sde:clear)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension clears the database of Sentaurus Structure Editor and restores all
settings to their initial values, and it should always be used as the first call when a new script
is executed that requires a clean database. This Scheme extension also restores the view
window to its initial settings.

Limitations

This Scheme extension does not clear the Scheme interpreter. If global Scheme variables are
used, they are still initialized and valid after an (sde:clear) call.

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sde:create-bg-image

sde:create-bg-image
Loads an image file (in GIF) into Sentaurus Structure Editor.

Syntax
(sde:create-bg-image filename horizontal-size vertical-size)

Argument Argument type

filename STRING

horizontal-size REAL

vertical-size REAL

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension loads an image file (in GIF) into Sentaurus Structure Editor. The image
is not shown automatically; this Scheme extension must be called to show the image.

The horizontal-size and vertical-size arguments define the GUI size of the image.

NOTE The image loader supports only images in the older GIF format,
GIF87a. Most current graphic programs use the GIF format GIF89a.
See Background Image Loader on page 291 for more information.

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sde:create-dialog

sde:create-dialog
Creates a dialog box.

Syntax
(sde:create-dialog dlg-name)

Argument Argument type

dlg-name STRING

Returns

Dialog ID.

Description

This Scheme extension creates and registers a dialog object, and returns the dialog entity ID.
(The dialog box is handled as a Scheme object.)

All subsequent sde:dialog functions use this dialog ID to add input fields, a bitmap image,
and an OK button to the dialog box.

Examples
(define dlg (sde:create-dialog "2D MOSFET DEVICE"))

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sde:define-parameter

sde:define-parameter
Defines a Scheme parameter.

Syntax
(sde:define-parameter parameter-name value | min-value max-value)

Argument Argument type

parameter-name STRING

value REAL | STRING

min-value REAL

max-value REAL

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

The defined parameter can be used later in any Scheme command. The parameter value can be
accessed by typing parameter-name. The parameter can hold any Scheme type variable.
Typically, it is a REAL or STRING type. For REAL values, two optional values also can be added:
min-value and max-value. This might be useful when you write a parametric script, where
a given parameter can be used and modified only within a certain range.

If parameter-name is width, for example, width_min will contain min-value and

width_max will contain max-value. A Scheme variable also can be defined using the
Scheme command define.

The difference is that the Scheme extension sde:save-parameters saves only those
Scheme variables that were defined using the Scheme extension sde:define-parameter.

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sde:delay-graphics-update

sde:delay-graphics-update
Switches on and off the view window update.

Syntax
(sde:delay-graphics-update flag)

Argument Argument type

flag BOOLEAN

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension switches on or off the refreshing or updating of the view window. By
default, automatic refreshing of the view window is switched on. When a new body is created
or the model is changed in any way that affects the graphical representation of the model, the
view window is refreshed automatically.

In this way, the display always reflects the actual state of the database of the modeler. This
behavior can be changed and the graphical update can be suppressed using this Scheme
extension. By switching on the update option, the buffer is flushed and the screen is updated.

sde:delay-graphics-update?
Returns the status of sde:delay-graphics-update.

Syntax
(sde:delay-graphics-update?)

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme extension returns the status of sde:delay-graphics-update.

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sde:delete-bg-image

sde:delete-bg-image
Removes the previously loaded image from memory.

Syntax
(sde:delete-bg-image)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension removes the previously loaded image from memory.

sde:delete-materials
Deletes the geometric bodies with the specified DATEX material.

Syntax
(sde:delete-materials materials)

Argument Argument type

materials DATEXMAT | DATEXMAT LIST

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension deletes the geometric bodies with the specified DATEX materials.

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sde:delete-parameter

sde:delete-parameter
Deletes a previously defined parameter.

Syntax
(sde:delete-parameter parameter-name)

Argument Argument type

parameter-name STRING

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

The parameter must be previously defined using sde:define-parameter.

See Also

sde:define-parameter on page 415

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sde:dialog-add-input

sde:dialog-add-input
Adds an input field to a dialog box.

Syntax
(sde:dialog-add-input dlgid varname inputstrfield inputtype [default-value])

Argument Argument type

dlgid STRING DIALOG TYPE (object returned by

sde:create-dialog)

varname STRING

inputstrfield STRING

inputtype STRING

default-value VALUE (optional; according to inputtype)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension adds an input field to a dialog box. The argument varname is the
Scheme variable name that is passed to the executed Scheme script. The argument
inputstrfield is displayed in the input dialog box, and the argument inputtype is the
type of input (STRING, INTEGER, REAL).

Limitations

No default value can be assigned to the input fields and variables.

Examples
(sde:dialog-add-input dlg "width1" "Base Width" "real")

See Also

sde:create-dialog on page 414

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sde:dialog-add-pixmap

sde:dialog-add-pixmap
Adds a bitmap image to a dialog box.

Syntax
(sde:dialog-add-pixmap dlgid bmpfilename)

Argument Argument type

dlgid STRING DIALOG TYPE (object returned by

sde:create-dialog)

bmpfilename STRING

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension adds a predefined bitmap image to a dialog box. The bitmap image
must be scaled to the proper size before it is added to the dialog box.

Examples
(sde:dialog-add-pixmap dlg "mosfet2d.bmp")

See Also

sde:create-dialog on page 414

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sde:dialog-delete

sde:dialog-delete
Removes a dialog box from memory.

Syntax
(sde:dialog-delete dlgid)

Argument Argument type

dlgid STRING DIALOG TYPE (object returned by

sde:create-dialog)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension is used to remove a predefined dialog box from the memory.

Examples
(sde:dialog-delete dlg)

See Also

sde:create-dialog on page 414

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sde:dialog-ok-command

sde:dialog-ok-command
Binds the OK button of a dialog box to a predefined Scheme function.

Syntax
(sde:dialog-ok-command dlgid schemefnname argument-list)

Argument Argument type

dlgid STRING DIALOG TYPE (object returned by

sde:create-dialog)

schemefnname STRING

argument-list STRING LIST (in double quotation marks)

Returns

None.

Description

When the OK button of the dialog box is clicked, this Scheme extension is called with the
supplied argument list.

Examples
(sde:dialog-ok-command dlg "create-2d-mosfet" "width1 width2 width3
height1 height2 height3")

See Also

sde:create-dialog on page 414

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sde:dialog-show

sde:dialog-show
Displays a dialog box.

Syntax
(sde:dialog-show dlgid)

Argument Argument type

dlgid STRING DIALOG TYPE (object returned by

sde:create-dialog)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension is used to display a predefined dialog box.

Examples
(sde:dialog-show dlg)

See Also

sde:create-dialog on page 414

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sde:display

sde:display
Displays a string in the command-line window.

Syntax
(sde:display string)

Argument Argument type

string STRING

NOTE You must initialize the VARNAME variable in the Sentaurus Workbench
script to avoid preprocessing errors, for example:
#set width 0
#set doping 0

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sde:draw-ruler

sde:draw-ruler
Draws a user-defined ruler that can be displayed in the GUI.

Syntax
(sde:draw-ruler "startpos" startpos "alength" alength "adir" adir
"startval" startval "endval" endval ["numdiv" numdiv] ["numdiv2" numdiv2]
["npos" npos] ["acolor" acolor] ["tcolor" tcolor])

Argument Argument type

startpos POSITION

alength REAL

adir INTEGER (0 | 1 | 2)

startval REAL

endval REAL

numdiv INTEGER (default is 5) (optional)

numdiv2 INTEGER (default is 2) (optional)

npos INTEGER (0 | 1) (default is 1) (optional)

acolor COLOR (optional)

tcolor COLOR (optional)

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme extension draws a user-defined ruler that can be displayed in the GUI.

The argument "startpos" defines the starting position of the ruler in 3D space. The
argument "alength" specifies the length of the ruler.

The ruler direction is specified by the "adir" argument, where:

■ "adir" 0 specifies the global x-axis direction.
■ "adir" 1 specifies the y-axis direction.
■ "adir" 2 specifies the z-axis direction.

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sde:draw-ruler

The arguments "startval" and "endval" define the start and end values of the coordinate
axes.

The optional "numdiv" and "numdiv2" arguments specify the number of main tick divisions
and the number of subdivisions in each main division, respectively, where the ruler will draw
the subdivision ticks.

The optional "npos" argument specifies the position of the displayed numbers:
■ For an x-axis ruler ("adir" 0):
• "npos" 1 specifies that the numbers are drawn below the axis.

• "npos" 0 specifies that the numbers are drawn above the axis.
■ For a y-axis ruler ("adir" 1):
• "npos" 1 indicates the right y-axis.

• "npos" 0 indicates the left y-axis.

The "acolor" argument is the axis color and takes a color:rgb value. This color can also
be set by specifying BLACK, BLUE, CYAN, GREEN, MAGENTA, RED, WHITE, or YELLOW.

The "tcolor" argument is the text color and takes a color:rgb value. This color can also
be set by specifying BLACK, BLUE, CYAN, GREEN, MAGENTA, RED, WHITE, or YELLOW.

You can hide user-defined rulers in the GUI using the sde:hide-ruler Scheme extension.

NOTE If you change the parameters of a user-defined ruler, you must use the
sde:hide-ruler Scheme extension first to erase the previously
defined ruler. After this step, the ruler can be redrawn with the new
parameters using the sde:draw-ruler Scheme extension.

Examples
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0)(position 5 4 2) "Silicon" "xx")
(sde:draw-ruler "startpos" (position 0 4 0) "alength" 6 "adir" 0 "startval" 0
"endval" 6 "numdiv" 6 "numdiv2" 5 "npos" 1 "acolor" GREEN "tcolor" BLUE)
(sde:draw-ruler "startpos" (position 5 0 0) "alength" 5 "adir" 1 "startval" 0
"endval" 5 "numdiv" 5 "numdiv2" 5 "npos" 1 "acolor" GREEN "tcolor" BLUE)
(sde:draw-ruler "startpos" (position 5 4 0) "alength" 3 "adir" 2 "startval" 0
"endval" 3 "numdiv" 3 "numdiv2" 5 "npos" 1 "acolor" GREEN "tcolor" BLUE)

See Also

sde:hide-ruler on page 445

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sde:dump-non-default-options

sde:dump-non-default-options
Saves all nondefault ACIS options to a text file.

Syntax
(sde:dump-non-default-options fname)

Argument Argument type

fname STRING

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme extension saves a text file containing all the ACIS options that are set to
nondefault values. This helps to debug and report problems because, in some cases, nondefault
option settings can cause problems or can trigger a different behavior than expected.

The argument fname specifies the file name.

sde:exact-coords?
Checks the status of the Exact Coordinates mode.

Syntax
(sde:exact-coords?)

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

If exact coordinates are used, this Scheme extension returns #t.

If the Exact Coordinates mode is switched off, it returns #f.

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sde:extract-tdr-boundary

sde:extract-tdr-boundary
Extracts the boundary from a TDR grid file.

Syntax
(sde:extract-tdr-boundary fname [file-name])

Argument Argument type

fname STRING

file-name STRING (optional)

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme extension extracts the boundary and saves it in a TDR boundary file from a TDR
grid file. This Scheme extension uses Sentaurus Mesh through a system call to extract the
boundary. An optional file-name argument can also be specified for the extracted TDR
boundary.

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sde:fix-imprint

sde:fix-imprint
Generates a conformal model by imprinting the model edges and faces to neighboring bodies.

Syntax
(sde:fix-imprint)

Returns

None.

Description

The generated model must be tessellated before meshing, and several different conformity
requirements must be satisfied. One of the most important requirements is that neighboring
bodies share the boundary edges (in two dimensions) and the boundary faces (in three
dimensions). Before the tessellated model is generated, Sentaurus Structure Editor
automatically imprints the edges and faces of the neighboring bodies to each other. During
model generation, the modeler tries to create a conformal model in each modeling step, but
several operations can destroy model conformity by merging collinear edges and coplanar
faces. In this case, the sde:fix-imprint Scheme extension restores model conformity.

sde:fix-orientation
Modifies the orientation of 3D bodies.

Syntax
(sde:fix-orientation)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension fixes the orientation of 3D regions, with surface normals pointing
‘inside’ the body. Mainly native ACIS models, generated by other CAD tools and imported
as .sat files, might have this problem. Direct-geometry generation functions in Sentaurus
Structure Editor always generate 3D bodies with positive volume and surface normals pointing
outside.

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sde:front-coord

sde:front-coord
Returns the front coordinate of the device.

Syntax
(sde:front-coord body | body-list)

Argument Argument type

body BODY

body-list BODY LIST

Returns
REAL

Description

This Scheme extension returns the front coordinate of the specified body or body-list. The
front coordinate depends on the coordinate system used:
■ For the UCS, the front coordinate is the maximum z-coordinate.
■ For the DF–ISE coordinate system, the front coordinate is the maximum x-coordinate.

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sde:ft_scalar

sde:ft_scalar
Writes a string in a terminal window.

Syntax
(sde:ft_scalar string)

Argument Argument type

string STRING

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension writes the specified string in a terminal window. A new line character
is added to the argument string.

For the design-of-experiments (DoE) parameter extraction of Sentaurus Workbench, this

Scheme extension must be used to send the information to Sentaurus Workbench. (Sentaurus
Workbench collects the DoE-marked output from standard output.)

Examples
(sde:ft_scalar "aval 3")

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sde:get-backwards-compatibility

sde:get-backwards-compatibility
Returns the value of the given backward-compatibility parameter.

Syntax
(sde:get-backwards-compatibility backcompat-param)

Argument Argument type

backcompat-param STRING

Returns

Value of the given backward-compatibility parameter backcompat-param; otherwise,

returns #f if the given backcompat-param does not exist.

Description

This Scheme extension returns the value of the given backward-compatibility parameter.
Backward-compatibility parameters are specific, internally defined, parameters that are used to
reproduce certain defined functionality from previous releases of Sentaurus Structure Editor.

The available backward-compatibility parameters are described in sde:set-backwards-

compatibility on page 478.

sde:get-default-material
Returns the active DATEX material.

Syntax
(sde:get-default-material)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension returns the selected DATEX material in a string. The DATEX material
can be selected from the GUI using the material list or the Scheme extension sde:set-
default-material.

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sde:get-view-params

sde:get-view-params
Records the current GUI settings (rotation, zoom, and so on).

Syntax
(sde:get-view-params)

Returns

A list containing:

eye position POSITION

target position POSITION

up-vector GVECTOR

width REAL

height REAL

projection STRING

Returns
STRING or #f

Description

This Scheme extension displays a dialog box that can be used to enter a string variable. The
variable-name is displayed.

The argument default-value is used as a default value of the variable. When the OK button
is clicked, the function returns the entered string value, or #f if incorrect input was given or the
Cancel button was clicked. The optional argument dialog-name can be used to define the
name of the input dialog box.

Limitations

This Scheme extension can be used in GUI mode only.

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sde:hide

sde:hide
Removes the specified entity or entities from the view window.

Syntax
(sde:hide entity | entity-list)

Argument Argument type

entity ENTITY

entity-list ENTITY LIST

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension removes the specified entities from the view window, and the view
window is refreshed. If the entities are already removed from the view window, there is no
change in the view window.

Examples
(sde:clear)
(define r1 (sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 0)
"Photoresist" "r_1"))
(define r2 (sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 2 0 0) (position 3 1 0) "Silicon"
"r_2"))
(define r3 (sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 4 0 0) (position 5 1 0) "Resist"
"r_3"))
(define r4 (sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 6 0 0) (position 7 1 0)
"PolySilicon" "r_4"))
(sde:hide r1)
(sde:hide (list r3 r4))

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sde:hide-bg-image

sde:hide-bg-image
Hides the previously loaded image.

Syntax
(sde:hide-bg-image)

Returns

None.

Description

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sde:hide-material

sde:hide-material
Removes the entities with the specified materials from the view window.

Syntax
(sde:hide-material datex-material | datex-material-list)

Argument Argument type

datex-material DATEXMAT

datex-material-list DATEXMAT LIST

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension removes regions that have the specified material names as material
attributes from the view window. The region is removed from the view window, and the view
window is refreshed.

If the region is already removed from the view window, there is no change in the view window.
The argument is either a DATEX material or a list of DATEX materials.

Examples
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 0) "Photoresist"
"region_1")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 2 0 0) (position 3 1 0) "Silicon"
"region_2")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 4 0 0) (position 5 1 0) "Resist" "region_3")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 6 0 0) (position 7 1 0) "PolySilicon"
"region_4")
(sde:hide-material "Silicon")

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sde:hide-region

sde:hide-region
Removes the specified entity or entities from the view window.

Syntax
(sde:hide-region region-name | region-name-list)

Argument Argument type

region-name STRING (existing region name)

region-name-list STRING LIST (existing region names)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension removes the specified regions from the view window. The bodies that
have the specified region names as region attributes are removed from the view window, and
the view window is refreshed.

If the region is already removed from the view window, there is no change in the view window.

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sde:hide-ruler

sde:hide-ruler
Hides user-defined rulers in the GUI.

Syntax
(sde:hide-ruler)

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme extension hides all user-defined rulers in the GUI.

Examples
(sde:hide-ruler)

See Also

sde:draw-ruler on page 427

sde:info
Returns the attributes of Sentaurus Structure Editor attached to the specified bodies.

Syntax
(sde:info entity-list)

Argument Argument type

Returns

group-name or an empty string if the specified material is not found in the datexcodes.txt
file.

Description

This Scheme extension returns the group type from the datexcodes.txt file for the given
material. The group type can be Semiconductor, or Conductor, or Insulator.

sde:max-x
Returns the maximum x-coordinate.

Syntax
(sde:max-x body | body-list)

Argument Argument type

body BODY

body-list BODY LIST

Returns
REAL

Description

This Scheme extension returns the largest x-dimension of the specified body or body-list.

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sde:max-y

sde:max-y
Returns the maximum y-coordinate.

Syntax
(sde:max-y body | body-list)

Argument Argument type

body BODY

body-list BODY LIST

Returns
REAL

Description

This Scheme extension returns the largest y-dimension of the specified body or body-list.

sde:max-z
Returns the maximum z-coordinate.

Syntax
(sde:max-z body | body-list)

Argument Argument type

body BODY

body-list BODY LIST

Returns
REAL

Description

This Scheme extension returns the largest z-dimension of the specified body or body-list.

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sde:merge-materials

sde:merge-materials
Merges the geometric bodies with the specified DATEX material.

Syntax
(sde:merge-materials materials newmaterial)

Argument Argument type

materials DATEXMAT | DATEXMAT LIST

newmaterial DATEXMAT

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension merges (unites) a copy of the geometric bodies with the specified
DATEX materials, and the newmaterial DATEX material is assigned to the new united
body.

NOTE The new united body will overlap with the original bodies. The
entity:delete command must be used to delete the original bodies,
or the overlaps must be removed by other operations before the
tessellated boundary file is created.

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sde:min-x

sde:min-x
Returns the minimum x-coordinate.

Syntax
(sde:min-x body | body-list)

Argument Argument type

body BODY

body-list BODY LIST

Returns

REAL

Description

This Scheme extension returns the smallest x-dimension of the specified body or body-list.

sde:min-y
Returns the minimum y-coordinate.

Syntax
(sde:min-y body | body-list)

Argument Argument type

body BODY

body-list BODY LIST

Returns
REAL

Description

This Scheme extension returns the smallest y-dimension of the specified body or body-list.

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sde:min-z

sde:min-z
Returns the minimum z-coordinate.

Syntax
(sde:min-z body | body-list)

Argument Argument type

body BODY

body-list BODY LIST

Returns
REAL

Description

This Scheme extension returns the smallest z-dimension of the specified body or body-list.

sde:new-region-name
Returns an automatically generated region name.

Syntax
(sde:new-region-name)

Returns
STRING

Description

This Scheme extension returns a region name region_%N, where %N is the actual region
counter. If the region counter is set correctly, this Scheme extension always returns a unique
region name.

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sde:off-lights

sde:off-lights
Switches off the lights in the view window.

Syntax
(sde:off-lights)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension switches off the lights in the view window.

sde:offset-mask
Offsets (or biases) a mask.

Syntax
(sde:offset-mask mask-name offset-distance)

Argument Argument type

mask-name STRING

offset-distance REAL

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension offsets (biases) the specified mask.

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sde:on-lights

sde:on-lights
Switches on the lights in the view window.

Syntax
(sde:on-lights)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension switches on the lights in the view window.

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sde:open-model

sde:open-model
Loads a complete Sentaurus Structure Editor model.

Syntax
(sde:open-model file-name)

Argument Argument type

file-name STRING

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension is the counterpart of sde:save-model. It restores the complete state
of the modeler. First, filename.sat is loaded if it exists. It is a native ACIS .sat file that
contains the geometric description of the model, including Ref/Eval windows, with all the
attributes and contacts of Sentaurus Structure Editor that are attached.

The .sat file is loaded using the sde:part-load command, so the automatic overlap
resolution works the same way as for the sde:part-load command. Check the usage of the
global Boolean variable aut-overlap-control in sde:part-load on page 456.

If the working directory does not include a filename.sat file, the loader checks for the
existence of a TDR boundary file, filename_bnd.tdr (or if it is not found, the loader checks
for filename.tdr). If a TDR boundary file is found, this file is imported into Sentaurus
Structure Editor.

A filename.scm file also is loaded if it exists. This file contains all of the defined parameters.
Finally, a mesh command file, filename_msh.cmd, is loaded if it exists. If this file does not
exist, the loader checks for filename.cmd and loads it if it is found. This file contains all
refinement-related and doping-related information.

See Also

Sentaurus™ Mesh User Guide, Chapter 2 on page 5

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sde:part-load

sde:part-load
Loads a native ACIS .sat file into Sentaurus Structure Editor, with correct overlap handling.

Syntax
(sde:part-load file-name [loadoption])

Argument Argument type

file-name STRING

loadoption BOOLEAN (optional)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension is used for automatic overlap control of loaded .sat files.

A global Boolean variable, aut-overlap-control, determines whether to load .sat files

with automatic overlap control. If it is #f (default value), the newly loaded .sat file is loaded
without checking for overlaps. If it is set to #t, the newly loaded .sat file is loaded in such a
way that the default Boolean overlap setting will be taken into consideration and the overlaps
will be resolved.

NOTE Use (sdegeo:get-default-boolean) to check the current status

of the automatic overlap-handling setting.

Since the automatic overlap control slows down model loading considerably, it is helpful to use
the default #f value for aut-overlap-control if it is known that the loaded files contain
only conformal, non-overlapping regions.

When aut-overlap-control #t is set, the overlaps are checked and resolved within the
loaded model.

See Also

sdegeo:get-default-boolean on page 665

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sde:pick-point-on-wp

sde:pick-point-on-wp
Selects a point on the view window.

Syntax
(sde:pick-point-on-wp)

Returns
POSITION

Description

This Scheme extension is used to select a point on the view window. The global xyz
coordinates of the selected point are returned as a position entity. The point is always selected
in the active work plane. (This Scheme extension draws a cross-hair cursor on the screen, and
a horizontal line and vertical line also help the positioning.) In addition, the exact coordinates
and snap-to-grid options can be used together with this Scheme extension.

sde:pick-two-points-on-wp
Selects two points on the view window.

Syntax
(sde:pick-two-points-on-wp)

Returns
POSITION LIST

Description

This Scheme extension is used to select two points on the view window. The global xyz
coordinates of the selected points are returned as a list of two position entities. The points are
always selected in the active work plane. (This Scheme extension draws a cross-hair cursor on
the screen, and a horizontal and vertical line also help the positioning.)

In addition, the exact coordinates and snap-to-grid options can be used together with this
Scheme extension. The first point is selected by pressing the mouse button; drag to draw a line
from the first point. When the mouse button is released, the two positions are returned.

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sde:post-message

sde:post-message
Displays a dialog box with a message.

Syntax
(sde:post-message message)

This Scheme extension destroys the existing display list, regenerates it from the entities at the
new zoom level, and redisplays the entities in all views associated with the part.

If only GUI actions are used to manipulate the view and modeler, the view is always updated
and there is no need to call (sde:refresh).

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sde:rename-regions

sde:rename-regions
Automatically renames regions based on spatial criteria.

Syntax
(sde:rename-regions entity-list direction)

Argument Argument type

entity-list ENTITY LIST

direction "+x" | "-x" | "+y" | "-y" | "+z" | "-z"

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension renames the specified geometric bodies.

The geometric bodies are ordered, based on the specified direction, and a region name
sequence is attached to the bodies.

For example, if the direction is "+x", the bodies are ordered based on their minimal bounding
box x-coordinates. Then, a "region_RC" region name is attached to each body, where RC is
a numeric region counter, starting from 0. The "region_0" region name is attached to the
body with the smallest minimal bounding box x-coordinate, "region_1" is the body with the
second minimal bounding box x-coordinate, and so on.

When the direction is "-x", the largest bounding box x-coordinates are ordered in a decreasing
sequence. Similar rules apply to "+y", "-y", "+z", and "-z".

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sde:restore-cursor

sde:restore-cursor
Reverts the pointer to the default pointer.

Syntax
(sde:restore-cursor)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension reverts the pointer to the default pointer.

sde:right-coord
Returns the right coordinate of the device.

Syntax
(sde:right-coord body | body-list)

Argument Argument type

body BODY

body-list BODY LIST

Returns
REAL

Description

This Scheme extension returns the right coordinate of the specified body or body-list. The
right coordinate is the maximum y-coordinate.

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sde:save-model

sde:save-model
Saves all information about a model.

Syntax
(sde:save-model file-name)

Argument Argument type

file-name STRING

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension performs a complex task. It calls several other functions to save the
complete model. The Scheme extension sde:open-model is the counterpart of this Scheme
extension that loads the model and restores the original model completely. It saves a native
ACIS .sat file to store the model geometry and Ref/Eval windows. The .sat file stores the
curved boundaries and all the attributes of Sentaurus Structure Editor that are attached to the
model.

This Scheme extension also saves a mesh command file that contains all refinement-related and
doping-related information. A Scheme file also is saved containing all of the defined
parameters.

These three files are sufficient to save and restore the complete state of the modeler. In addition,
a TDR boundary file is saved. This file contains a tessellated model, so it cannot be used to
restore the complete geometric model if curved boundaries are present.

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sde:save-parameters

sde:save-parameters
Saves the defined parameters to a .scm file.

Syntax
(sde:save-parameters file-name)

Argument Argument type

file-name STRING

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme extension saves all defined parameters (Scheme variables) that were created using
sde:define-parameter. The saved Scheme file can be edited and used for later sessions to
restore the complete previous state of the modeler. Some information about the GUI (such as
size and background color) is recorded as well.

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sde:save-tcl-parameters

sde:save-tcl-parameters
Saves the defined contact colors to a Tcl file.

Syntax
(sde:save-tcl-parameters file-name)

Argument Argument type

file-name STRING

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme extension saves the defined contact colors to a Tcl file, using the contact color
assignment syntax of Sentaurus Visual. The saved Tcl file can be loaded into Sentaurus Visual,
after a TDR file is loaded. The contacts of the TDR file will have the same colors in Sentaurus
Visual as in Sentaurus Structure Editor.

Examples

Example 1:
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 0)
"Silicon" "x1")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0.3 1 0) (position 0.7 1.5 0)
"PolySilicon" "x2")
(sdegeo:define-contact-set "red" 4 (color:rgb 1 0 0) "##")
(sdegeo:define-contact-set "green" 4 (color:rgb 0 1 0) "##")
(sdegeo:define-contact-set "blue" 4 (color:rgb 0 0 1) "##")
(sdegeo:define-contact-set "black" 4 (color:rgb 0 0 0) "##")
(sdegeo:define-2d-contact (list (car (find-edge-id (position 0.1 1 0))))
"red")
(sdegeo:define-2d-contact (list (car (find-edge-id (position 0.5 1.5 0))))
"green")
(sdegeo:define-2d-contact (list (car (find-edge-id (position 0.9 1 0))))
"blue")
(sdegeo:define-2d-contact (list (car (find-edge-id (position 0.1 0 0))))
"black")

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sde:save-tcl-parameters

(sdeio:save-tdr-bnd (get-body-list) "xx2d.tdr")

(sde:save-tcl-parameters "xx2d.tcl")

The file xx2d.tcl contains the following:

set_region_prop {red} -color #FF0000
set_region_prop {green} -color #00FF00
set_region_prop {blue} -color #0000FF
set_region_prop {black} -color #000000

Example 2:
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 0.4)
"Silicon" "x1")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0.3 0 0.4) (position 0.7 1 0.6)
"PolySilicon" "x2")
(sdegeo:define-contact-set "red" 4 (color:rgb 1 0 0) "##")
(sdegeo:define-contact-set "green" 4 (color:rgb 0 1 0) "##")
(sdegeo:define-contact-set "blue" 4 (color:rgb 0 0 1) "##")
(sdegeo:define-contact-set "black" 4 (color:rgb 0 0 0) "##")
(sdegeo:define-3d-contact (list (car (find-face-id (position 0.1 0.1 0.4))))
"red")
(sdegeo:define-3d-contact (list (car (find-face-id (position 0.5 0.1 0.6))))
"green")
(sdegeo:define-3d-contact (list (car (find-face-id (position 0.9 0.1 0.4))))
"blue")
(sdegeo:define-3d-contact (list (car (find-face-id (position 0.1 0.1 0))))
"black")
(sdeio:save-tdr-bnd (get-body-list) "xx3d.tdr")
(sde:save-tcl-parameters "xx3d.tcl")

The file xx3d.tcl is the same as xx2d.tcl.

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sde:scale-scene

sde:scale-scene
Scales the model in the view window.

Syntax
(sde:scale-scene xs ys zs)

Argument Argument type

Syntax
(sde:scmwin-select-font)

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

Description

This Scheme extension sets the preferences of the command-line window. The argument
font-type specifies the command-line window font. Use sde:scmwin-get-font-
families for the available fonts and sde:scmwin-get-font-family for the active
setting. The argument font-style can be used to set the actual font style.

The Scheme extension sde:scmwin-select-font displays the Select Font dialog box,
which can be used to change font styles. The argument font-size is used to set the required
font size, and cmdwin-height specifies the height of the command-line window.

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sde:scmwin-set-window-height

sde:scmwin-set-window-height
Sets the height (in pixels) of the command line window.

Syntax
(sde:scmwin-set-window-height height)

Argument Argument type

Syntax
(sde:separate-lumps [NULL | body | body-list])

Argument Argument type

body BODY

body-list BODY LIST

Returns
ENTITY LIST

Description

Geometric operations can result in models with bodies that have multiple lumps (disjoint parts
of a body). Since each body has a unique region-name attribute, these separate lumps in a body
will have the same region name. As the Synopsys meshing engines require a unique region
name for each disjoint region, bodies with multiple lumps must be separated before a TDR
boundary file is generated.

This Scheme extension separates lumps and is also called automatically before a TDR
boundary file is generated. For example, if the original region name was region_1 and it has
three lumps before sde:separate-lumps is called, this Scheme extension ‘breaks’ the body
into three parts and assigns a unique region name to each. A _lump_N string is added to each
lump, where N is the lump counter, starting from 1. Therefore, three new bodies are generated
with the region names region_1_lump_1, region_1_lump_2, and region_1_lump_3.

If the argument list is empty, all geometric bodies are separated. Alternatively, either a single
body or a body list can be specified in the argument list, in which case, only the specified
entities are separated.

This Scheme extension returns the newly created body list (which contains the entity IDs of the
separated lumps).

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sde:separate-lumps

Examples
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 10 3 0) "Silver"
"region_1")
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "ABA")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 4 -1 0) (position 6 4 0) "Silicon"
"region_2")
; region_1 will have two lumps !
(get-body-list)
; returns the entity ids of the two bodies
(sde:separate-lumps)
(get-body-list)
; returns the entity ids of the three bodies
; region_1 was separated into two bodies, with region names
; region_1_lump_1 and region_1_lump_2

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sde:set-background-color

sde:set-background-color
Sets the background color of the main window of the GUI.

Syntax
(sde:set-background-color rtop gtop btop rbottom gbottom bbottom)

Argument Argument type

rtop INTEGER

gtop INTEGER

btop INTEGER

rbottom INTEGER

gbottom INTEGER

bbottom INTEGER

Returns

None.

Description

The RGB colors for the top and bottom must be specified (0–255). If the top and bottom colors
differ, a graded background will be used. If the top and bottom RGB colors match, the
background will be uniform.

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sde:set-backwards-compatibility

sde:set-backwards-compatibility
Sets the value of the overall backward compatibility or the given backward-compatibility
parameter.

Syntax
(sde:set-backwards-compatibility { backcompat-release | backcompat-param
backcompat-release [ backcompat-param2 backcompat-release2 ... ] })

Argument Argument type

backcompat-release STRING corresponding to release version, for example:

"N-2017.09"

backcompat-param STRING

Returns

Returns #t upon successful setting of overall backward compatibility or backward-

compatibility parameters.

Description

This Scheme extension, if called with one parameter, sets the general backward compatibility
to the given release string. If one or more pairs of parameters are given, the corresponding
backward-compatibility parameters are set to the corresponding release values.

up-direction 0 | 1 | "+z" | "-x"

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme extension is used to specify which coordinate system convention is used during
process emulation. It needs one input argument:
■ If 0 or "+z" is used, the up direction is +z (default).
■ If 1 or "-x" is used, the up direction changes to -x.

If the Sentaurus Process–Sentaurus Structure Editor interface is used to perform process

emulation, the Scheme script generated by Sentaurus Process will contain instructions to select
the correct coordinate system convention automatically.

Examples
(sde:set-process-up-direction 1)

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sde:set-project-name

sde:set-project-name
Sets the name of the project.

Syntax
(sde:set-project-name project-name)

Argument Argument type

project-name STRING

Returns
STRING

Description

This Scheme extension sets the project name, which is used in the Build Mesh dialog box as
the name of the saved mesh.

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sde:set-rendering-mode

sde:set-rendering-mode
Sets the rendering mode.

Syntax
(sde:set-rendering-mode rendering-mode)

view-mode STRING

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension sets the view to the specified value, and it also performs a zoom extent
operation.

The argument view-mode can be one of the following:

■ ISO specifies the isometric view.
■ XY sets the view to the xy plane.
■ XZ sets the view to the xz plane.
■ YZ sets the view to the yz plane.
■ X-Y sets the view window in such a way that the x-axis points horizontally and the y-axis
points downwards.

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sde:set-view-operator

sde:set-view-operator
Sets the view operator to the specified value.

Syntax
(sde:set-view-operator op-mode)

Argument Argument type

op-mode STRING

Returns

Previous setting (STRING).

Description

This Scheme extension manipulates the toolbar, by setting the active actions to the specified
mode. The available op-mode options are orbit, zoom, pan, and select.

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sde:set-view-params

sde:set-view-params
Sets the GUI view (rotation, zoom, and so on).

Syntax
(sde:set-view-params view-params)

Argument Argument type

view-params Contains the following parameters:

eye position POSITION
target position POSITION
up-vector GVECTOR (optional)
width REAL (optional)
height REAL (optional)
projection STRING (optional)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension sets the GUI view to a previously recorded state.

The argument view-params is a list containing the same parameters that are returned by
sde:get-view-params, but with some less rigid constraints.

The parameters up-vector, width, height, and projection are optional. The order is not
significant, but eye must precede target and, if given, width must precede height.
Existing settings are extracted from the current camera position if the optional values are not
given.

Examples
(define myview (sde:get-view-params))
(sde:set-view-params myview)

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sde:set-window-position

sde:set-window-position
Positions the main window of the GUI.

Syntax
(sde:set-window-position xpos ypos)

Argument Argument type

ypos INTEGER

Returns

None.

Description

The arguments xpos and ypos are used to specify the horizontal and vertical placements of
the GUI, respectively.

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sde:set-window-size

sde:set-window-size
Resizes the main window of the GUI.

Syntax
(sde:set-window-size xsize ysize)

Argument Argument type

xsize INTEGER

ysize INTEGER

Returns

None.

Description

The arguments xsize and ysize specify the horizontal and vertical sizes (in pixels) of the
GUI, respectively.

sde:set-window-style
Sets the GUI style.

Syntax
(sde:set-window-style wstyle)

Argument Argument type

wstyle STRING

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension is used to set the GUI style. The available styles are Windows, Motif,
Cleanlooks, Plastique, and CDE.

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sde:setrefprops

sde:setrefprops
Sets the refinement properties for the internal faceter.

NOTE This Scheme extension is deprecated and will be removed in a future

release. Instead, use the "aspect ratio", "max edge length",
"normal tolerance", and "surface tolerance" arguments of
the sdeio:save-tdr-bnd Scheme extension to control the properties
of the faceter (see sdeio:save-tdr-bnd on page 758).

Syntax
(sde:setrefprops surface-tolerance normal-tolerance
[aspect-ratio max-edge-length])

Argument Argument type

surface-tolerance REAL

normal-tolerance REAL

aspect-ratio REAL (optional)

max-edge-length REAL (optional)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension controls the properties of the internal faceter of Sentaurus Structure
Editor, which is an important link between Sentaurus Structure Editor and other Synopsys
tools. When Sentaurus Structure Editor contains a model with curved boundaries, this internal
curved representation must be tessellated before a TDR boundary file is generated. The
following arguments control this tessellation:
■ surface-tolerance is an absolute number. It is the allowable maximum distance
between the original model and tessellated output. By specifying a smaller value, the
tessellated model deviates less from the original model.
■ normal-tolerance is the allowable maximum difference between the surface normals
of the original and tessellated models. Both values are global and apply to the complete
model. In the case of a thin, curved channel, the refinement based on surface-
tolerance is not recommended. It is better to control the normal-tolerance.

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sde:setrefprops

■ aspect-ratio (optional) controls the maximum aspect ratio of the triangles in the
tessellated boundary. Using an aspect ratio control can prevent the creation of sliver faces
(triangles with a close to zero angle). The recommended aspect ratio value is [2–4].
■ max-edge-length (optional) controls the maximum-allowable edge length in the
tessellated boundary. In some cases, a more regular tessellation can be created using max-
edge-length, which helps meshing. A small max-edge-length value might cause
unnecessary overrefinement.

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sde:setup-grid

sde:setup-grid
Sets the basic grid parameters.

Syntax
(sde:setup-grid x-spacing y-spacing edge-weight edge-pattern)

Argument Argument type

x-spacing REAL

y-spacing REAL

edge-weight INTEGER

edge-pattern STRING

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension sets the basic parameters for the grid. The arguments x-spacing and
y-spacing specify the horizontal and vertical grid size. The argument edge-weight
specifies the line thickness, and edge-pattern specifies the line pattern that is used for
drawing the grid. The possible values for edge-pattern are pattern strings:
■ A solid line: "---"
■ A simple dashed line: "- -"
■ A dotted line: "..."
■ Dash and dot alternating: "-.-."
■ Dash and two dots alternating: "-..-.."
■ Dash and three dots alternating: "-...-..."
■ Long dashes: "---- ----"
■ Very long dash and short dash alternating: "center"
■ Very long dash and two short dashes alternating: "phantom"

Examples
(sde:setup-grid 1 1 2 "...")
(sde:show-grid #t)

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sde:show

sde:show
Adds the specified entity or entities to the view window.

Syntax
(sde:show entity | entity-list)

Argument Argument type

entity ENTITY

entity-list ENTITY LIST

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension is used to show the specified entity or entities in the view window. The
bodies are added to the view window, and the view window is refreshed. If the entity is already
visible, there is no change in the view window.

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sde:showattribs

sde:showattribs
Shows the attributes of Sentaurus Structure Editor attached to a body or bodies.

Syntax
(sde:showattribs entity-list | "all")

Argument Argument type

entity-list ENTITY LIST

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension shows the attached attributes for the specified entity-list. Instead
of an entity-list, the keyword all also can be specified, in which case, all ACIS bodies
are shown. This Scheme extension can display the ACIS part number, and the material and
region attributes of Sentaurus Structure Editor that are attached to the bodies.

sde:show-bg-image
Displays the previously loaded image.

Syntax
(sde:show-bg-image)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension displays the previously loaded image.

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sde:show-contact

sde:show-contact
Adds to the view all the regions that have the specified contact attributes.

Syntax
(sde:show-contact contact-name | contact-name-list)

Argument Argument type

contact-name STRING

contact-name-list STRING LIST

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension adds to the view all regions that have contacts defined with the
specified contact attributes. Contacts are identified with the attribute name contact. In two
dimensions, contacts are edges and, in three dimensions, contacts are faces.

sde:show-grid
Switches on and off the grid in the view window.

Syntax
(sde:show-grid on-off)

Argument Argument type

on-off BOOLEAN

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme extension switches on and off visualization of the grid in the view window.

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sde:show-interface

sde:show-interface
Adds the specified interfaces to the view window.

Syntax
(sde:show-interface interface-name | interface-name-list)

Argument Argument type

interface-name STRING

interface-name-list STRING LIST

u-params INTEGER (optional)

v-params INTEGER (optional)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension is used to visualize the parametric curves for each entity, defined in the
database. The Boolean argument rendering-flag is used to switch on or off the parameter
line visualization. If the optional arguments u-params and v-params are not specified, the
default value of 5 is used.

Limitations

Only the wire frame view is affected by this Scheme extension, by rendering the parameter
lines.

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sde:show-region

sde:show-region
Adds the specified entity or entities to the view window.

Syntax
(sde:show-region region-name | region-name-list)

Argument Argument type

region-name STRING (existing region name)

region-name-list STRING LIST (existing region names)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension is used to show the specified regions in the view window. The bodies
that have the specified region name as a region attribute are added to the view window, and the
view window is refreshed. If the region is already visible, there is no change in the view
window.

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sde:split-solid

sde:split-solid
Splits a solid (2D and 3D) into separate bodies.

Syntax
(sde:split-solid solid-body base-position plane-normal)

Argument Argument type

solid-body BODY

base-position POSITION

plane-normal GVECTOR

Returns
BODY LIST

Description

The new split bodies can be treated as high-level entities. They can be deleted, new material
and region properties can be assigned to them, and any geometry operations can be applied to
them that can be applied to high-level entities only. The argument list contains solid-body,
which will be split. The cut plane is defined by a base-position (that is, a position variable)
and a normal vector (plane-normal), that is, a gvector variable.

NOTE After a solid entity is split into parts, the region names will no longer be
unique. All split parts will have the same region name, therefore,
renaming of these parts might be necessary.

Examples
(sde:clear)
(define my_cube (sdegeo:create-cuboid (position -1 -1 -1) (position 1 1 1)
"Silver" "xx"))
(sde:split-solid my_cube (position 0 0 0) (gvector 1 1 0))
(sde:split-solid my_cube (position 0 0 0) (gvector 1 -1 0))

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sde:stripextension

sde:stripextension
Deletes the file extension from a string.

Syntax
(sde:stripextension name)

Argument Argument type

name STRING

Returns
STRING

Description

This Scheme extension locates the last dot (.) in the specified string and removes all characters
that follow. The stripped string is returned. If the input string does not have a dot, the input
string is returned.

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sde:substring

sde:substring
Returns a substring.

Syntax
(sde:substring string min max)

Argument Argument type

string STRING

min INTEGER

max INTEGER

Returns
STRING

Description

This Scheme extension returns a substring of the input string.

The min number denotes the first character position (starting from zero), and the max number
denotes the last character position. If the length of the input string is smaller than max, an empty
string is returned. (The string-length command returns the length of a string.)

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sde:test-entity

sde:test-entity
Returns the entity types.

Syntax
(sde:test-entity entities)

Argument Argument type

entities ENTITY | ENTITY LIST

Returns

The possible return values are:

"unknown"

"solid" Solid with a positive volume (manifold).

"non-manifold" Solid with zero volume (non-manifold).
"mask" Mask (same conditions as for "non-manifold",
but also the maskname attribute is defined).

Description

This Scheme extension returns the entity types.

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sde:toggle-lights

sde:toggle-lights
Switches on or off the lights.

Syntax
(sde:toggle-lights)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension behaves like a light switch. It switches on or off the lights of the view
window.

sde:top-coord
Returns the top coordinate of the device.

Syntax
(sde:top-coord body | body-list)

Argument Argument type

body BODY

body-list BODY LIST

Returns
REAL

Description

This Scheme extension returns the top coordinate of the specified body or body-list. The
top coordinate depends on the coordinate system used:
■ For the UCS, the top coordinate is the minimum x-coordinate.
■ For the DF–ISE coordinate system, the top coordinate is the maximum z-coordinate.

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sde:tr-get

sde:tr-get
Returns the transformation used to place the 3D cut on the xy plane, using sdegeo:3d-cut.

Syntax
(sde:tr-get)

Returns
LIST

Description

This Scheme extension returns the transformation that was used to place the 3D cut on the xy
plane, using sdegeo:3d-cut. The transformation is composed of a rotation component
( 3 × 3 matrix) and a translation component (3D vector). The extension returns 12 real numbers
in a list. The first nine numbers represent the 3 × 3 rotation matrix (A) and the last three
numbers (T) represent the xyz part of the translation component. The new position of any point
in the cut can be calculated by P cut = P original × A + T .

sde:view-filter-reset
Resets the view window.

Syntax
(sde:view-filter-reset)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension resets the view window to the default value. All regions and contacts
are shown, and interfaces are hidden.

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sde:view-set-light-intensity

sde:view-set-light-intensity
Sets the light intensity.

Syntax
(sde:view-set-light-intensity lintensity)

Argument Argument type

lintensity INTEGER

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension sets the light intensity of the GUI view window. The light intensity can
be changed to a value between 0 and 1.

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sde:view-set-visible-area

sde:view-set-visible-area
Sets the visible screen area.

Syntax
(sde:view-set-visible-area xmin xmax ymin ymax)

Argument Argument type

xmin REAL

xmax REAL

ymin REAL

ymax REAL

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension resizes the GUI drawing area explicitly. If the bounding box of the
created device is known, it might be convenient to preset the view area to that size.

sde:wait-cursor
Changes the pointer to an hourglass pointer.

Syntax
(sde:wait-cursor)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension changes the pointer to an hourglass pointer.

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sde:window-select-2d

sde:window-select-2d
Returns a list containing all vertex, edge, or body entities that are inside the specified 2D
window.

Syntax
(sde:window-select-2d x-left y-left x-right y-right elist stype)

Argument Argument type

x-left REAL

y-left REAL

x-right REAL

y-right REAL

elist {BODY LIST | "all"}

stype {"vertex" | "edge" | "body"}

Returns
LIST

Description

This Scheme extension selects all entities (of the specified type, stype) lying in the specified
2D window. The first four arguments x-left, y-left, x-right, and y-right define the
rectangular window that will be used during the selection.

The elist argument can be either "all", in which case, all entities in the model will be used
for the selection, or it can be a body list.

The last argument stype is the selection criterion. If stype is "vertex", a vertex list is
returned. If it is "edge", an edge list is returned. If stype is "body", a body list is returned.
If no entity is found, an empty list is returned.

Limitations

This Scheme extension applies to 2D models only.

A similar Scheme extension sde:window-select-3d applies to 3D models.

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Examples
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "AB")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 2 2 0) "Silicon"
"region_1")
(sdegeo:create-circle (position 1 2 0) 1 "Silicon" "region_2")
(define vlist (sde:window-select-2d -1 -1 3 4 "all" "vertex"))
(define elist (sde:window-select-2d -1 -1 3 4 "all" "edge"))
(define blist (sde:window-select-2d -1 -1 3 4 "all" "body"))

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sde:window-select-3d

sde:window-select-3d
Returns a list containing all vertex, edge, or face entities that are inside the specified 3D
window.

Syntax
(sde:window-select-3d pmin pmax elist stype)

Argument Argument type

pmin POSITION

pmax POSITION

elist {BODY LIST | "all"}

stype {"vertex" | "edge" | face" | "body"}

Returns
LIST

Description

This Scheme extension selects all entities (of the specified type, stype) lying in the specified
3D window. The first two arguments pmin and pmax define the 3D window (cuboid) that will
be used during the selection.

The elist argument can be either "all", in which case, all entities in the model will be used
for the selection or it can be a body list.

The last argument stype is the selection criterion. If stype is "vertex", a vertex list is
returned. If it is "edge", an edge list is returned. If it is "face", a face list is returned. If it is
"body", a body list is returned. If no entity is found, an empty list is returned.

Limitations

This Scheme extension applies to 3D models only.

This Scheme extension is used to show exclusively the regions that have the specified material
names as material attributes. The region is added to the view window, all other regions are
removed from the view window, and the view window is refreshed. The argument is either a
DATEX material or a list of DATEX materials.

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sde:xshow-region

sde:xshow-region
Adds the specified entity or entities to the view window, and hides all other entities.

Syntax
(sde:xshow-region region-name | region-name-list)

Argument Argument type

region-name STRING (existing region name)

region-name-list STRING LIST (existing region names)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension is used to show the specified regions exclusively in the view window.
The bodies, which have the specified region names as region attributes, are added to the view
window. All other bodies are removed from the view window, and the view window is
refreshed.

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sde:zoom-all

sde:zoom-all
Fits the model to the view window.

Syntax
(sde:zoom-all)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension is used to fit the model to the view window.

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None.

Description

This Scheme extension deletes all refinement definition–related data from the doping and
refinement container. The mesh command files contain all refinement-related data. The
command file includes two data sections that are related to doping and refinement:
Definitions and Placements.

The Definitions section contains the definitions of the refinement entities (definition name,
refinement size information), and the Placements section contains the named placements for
refinements (associated refinement windows). This Scheme extension deletes all refinement-
related data only from the Definitions section. (Choose Mesh > Clear All > Refinement
Definitions.)

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sdedr:clear-refinement-placements

sdedr:clear-refinement-placements
Deletes all refinement placement–related data.

Syntax
(sdedr:clear-refinement-placements)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension deletes all refinement placement–related data from the doping and
refinement container. The mesh command files contain all refinement-related data. The
command file includes two data sections that are related to doping and refinement:
Definitions and Placements.

The Definitions section contains the definitions of the refinement entities (definition name,
refinement size information), and the Placements section contains the named placements for
refinements (associated refinement windows). This Scheme extension deletes all refinement-
related data only from the Placements section. (Choose Mesh > Clear All > Refinement
Placements.)

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sdedr:clear-submesh-placement-transform

sdedr:clear-submesh-placement-transform
Clears the list of all transform operations applied to the named external profile placement.

Syntax
(sdedr:clear-submesh-placement-transform placement-name)

Argument Argument type

placement-name STRING

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension clears all transform operations (Reflect, Rotation, and
ShiftVector) as defined for the named external profile placement through the Scheme
extension sdedr:transform-submesh-placement.

See Also

sdedr:transform-submesh-placement on page 578

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sdedr:convert-mask-to-drs-body

sdedr:convert-mask-to-drs-body
Converts the specified mask to a Ref/Eval window.

Syntax
(sdedr:convert-mask-to-drs-body maskname refwindowname)

Argument Argument type

maskname STRING

refwindowname STRING

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme extension converts the specified mask into a Ref/Eval window. If the mask is not
found, the function returns #f; if the conversion is successful, it returns #t.

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sdedr:define-1d-external-profile

sdedr:define-1d-external-profile
Creates a one-dimensional external profile in the mesh command file.

Syntax
(sdedr:define-1d-external-profile name filename "Scale" scale
"DataScale" data-scale ["Range" range-from range-to] [lateral-function])

where the optional lateral-function is one of the following, depending on the chosen
lateral function, "Erf", "Gauss", or "Eval":
"Erf" {"Factor" lateral-factor | "Length" length}

or:
"Gauss" {"Factor" lateral-factor | "Length" length |
"StdDev" standard-deviation}

or:
"Eval" eval-init eval-function

Argument Argument type

name STRING

filename STRING

scale REAL

data-scale REAL

range-from REAL (optional)

range-to REAL (optional)

lateral-factor REAL

length REAL

standard-deviation REAL

eval-init STRING

eval-function STRING

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sdedr:define-1d-external-profile

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension creates a 1D external profile in the mesh command file.

The default unit is micrometer. The lateral profile can be given as a Gaussian function or an
error function. The "Range" keyword with its parameters range-from and range-to is
optional.

See Also

Sentaurus™ Mesh User Guide, Defining Analytic Profiles on page 12 for detailed descriptions
of parameters

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sdedr:define-analytical-profile

sdedr:define-analytical-profile
Creates a user-defined analytic function that describes doping in the mesh command file.

Syntax
(sdedr:define-analytical-profile name species initialization function
start-value analytical-type [ lateral-type-gauss-erf lateral-parameter
lateral-value | "Eval" lateral-eval-init lateral-eval-func ])

Argument Argument type

name STRING

species STRING

initialization STRING

function STRING

start-value REAL

analytical-type STRING = "General" | "Eval"

lateral-type-gauss-erf STRING = "Gauss" | "Erf" (optional)

lateral-parameter STRING = "factor" | "stddev" | "length" (optional)

lateral-value REAL (optional)

lateral-eval-init STRING (optional)

lateral-eval-func STRING (optional)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension creates a user-defined analytic function that describes doping in the
mesh command file. Note that the optional definition of lateral diffusion is not available if the
definition in the primary direction is the analytic type "General". The "General" type
includes both the primary and lateral distributions in its definition and, therefore, it is not
intended to have a separate lateral diffusion.

See Also

Sentaurus™ Mesh User Guide, Defining Analytic Profiles on page 12 for detailed descriptions
of parameters

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sdedr:define-analytical-profile-placement

sdedr:define-analytical-profile-placement
Creates a placement for an analytic profile definition in the mesh command file.

Syntax
(sdedr:define-analytical-profile-placement placement-name definition-name
ref-eval-window symmetry replacement evaluation eval-window decay-length
[ "Gauss" ] eval-window-type)

Argument Argument type

placement-name STRING

definition-name STRING

ref-eval-window STRING

symmetry {"Both" | "Positive" | "Negative"}

replacement {"Replace" | "NoReplace" | "LocalReplace"}

evaluation {"Eval" | "NoEval"}

eval-window STRING

decay-length REAL

eval-window-type {"region" | "material" | "evalwin"}

Returns

None.

Description

The argument decay-length corresponds to the mesh command file parameter

"DecayLength" unless the optional string "Gauss" is additionally present, in which case,
decay-length is interpreted instead as corresponding to the "GaussDecayLength"
parameter of the mesh command file.

Specifying the "NoEval" option causes Sentaurus Structure Editor to write the
"notevalline" keyword to the AnalyticalProfile statement of the Placements
section of the Sentaurus Mesh command file. The AnalyticalProfile statement instructs
Sentaurus Mesh not to include the base line or base polygons in the evaluation of the analytic
doping profiles.

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sdedr:define-body-interface-refwin

See Also

Sentaurus™ Mesh User Guide, Placing Analytic Profiles on page 25 for detailed descriptions
of parameters

sdedr:define-body-interface-refwin
Defines a refinement window between the interfaces of the specified geometric bodies.

Syntax
(sdedr:define-body-interface-refwin body-list ref-eval-window)

Argument Argument type

body-list BODY (LIST)

ref-eval-window STRING

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme extension defines a refinement window between the interfaces of the specified
geometric bodies. The input arguments are a body list and the name of a refinement window.

If the refinement window is already defined, the extension returns #f. If there is an interface
between the input bodies, a refinement window is created, which conforms to the interface.

NOTE The interface between bodies can be a geometric object that is not
supported in the mesh command file and that is not supported by the
other sdedr Scheme extensions. For example, if the interface is a
polygon (wire body in two dimensions), this entity type is not supported
by other sdedr extensions. In this case, the wire body is converted to
an edge list, and a refinement window is created from each edge. If the
original refinement window name is, for example, "rw", the
"_edge_EN" string is appended to the name, where EN is an edge
counter (rw_edge_1, rw_edge_2, and so on). Similarly, if the
interface is a face list (3D), each face is converted to a polygon and the
mesh command file includes these polygons if the interface refinement
window is used to define doping/refinement. The refinement window
name will have the "_lump_FN" string appended, where FN is a face
number counter.

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sdedr:define-constant-profile

sdedr:define-constant-profile
Creates a definition for a constant doping profile in the mesh command file.

Syntax
(sdedr:define-constant-profile definition-name species concentration)

Argument Argument type

definition-name STRING

species STRING

concentration REAL

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension creates a definition for a constant doping profile in the mesh command
file.

See Also

Sentaurus™ Mesh User Guide, Defining Constant Profiles on page 12 for detailed descriptions
of parameters

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sdedr:define-constant-profile-material

sdedr:define-constant-profile-material
Creates a constant doping profile placement based on a material in the mesh command file.

Syntax
(sdedr:define-constant-profile-material placement-name definition-name
material [decay-length ["Gauss"]] [replace])

Argument Argument type

placement-name STRING

definition-name STRING

material DATEXMAT

decay-length REAL (optional)

replace "Replace" | "LocalReplace" (optional)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension creates a constant doping profile placement based on a material in the
mesh command file.

The argument decay-length corresponds to the mesh command file parameter

See Also

Sentaurus™ Mesh User Guide, Defining Constant Profiles on page 12 for detailed descriptions
of parameters

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sdedr:define-constant-profile-placement

sdedr:define-constant-profile-placement
Creates a Ref/Eval window placement of a constant doping profile definition in the mesh
command file.

Syntax
(sdedr:define-constant-profile-placement placement-name definition-name
ref-win-name [decay-length ["Gauss"]] [replace])

Argument Argument type

placement-name STRING

definition-name STRING

ref-win-name STRING

decay-length REAL (optional)

replace "Replace" | "LocalReplace" (optional)

Returns

None.

Description

The argument decay-length corresponds to the mesh command file parameter

See Also

Sentaurus™ Mesh User Guide, Defining Constant Profiles on page 12 for detailed descriptions
of parameters

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sdedr:define-constant-profile-region

sdedr:define-constant-profile-region
Creates a constant doping profile placement based on a region in the mesh command file.

Syntax
(sdedr:define-constant-profile-region placement-name definition-name
region-name [decay-length ["Gauss"]] [replace])

Argument Argument type

placement-name STRING

definition-name STRING

region-name STRING

decay-length REAL (optional)

replace "Replace" | "LocalReplace" (optional)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension creates a constant doping profile placement based on a region in the
mesh command file.

The argument decay-length corresponds to the mesh command file parameter

See Also

Sentaurus™ Mesh User Guide, Defining Constant Profiles on page 12 for detailed descriptions
of parameters

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sdedr:define-erf-profile

sdedr:define-erf-profile
Creates a definition of an error-function doping profile in the mesh command file.

Syntax
(sdedr:define-erf-profile definition-name species "SymPos" symmetry-position
"MaxVal" max-value | "Dose" dose "Junction" junction
"ValueAtDepth" value-at-depth "Depth" depth "Length" length
"StdDev" standard-deviation [lateral-function])

where the optional lateral-function is one of the following, depending on the chosen
lateral function, "Erf", "Gauss", or "Eval":
"Erf" {"Factor" lateral-factor | "Length" length}

or:
"Gauss" {"Factor" lateral-factor | "Length" length |
"StdDev" standard-deviation}

or:
"Eval" eval-init eval-function

Argument Argument type

definition-name STRING

species STRING

symmetry-position REAL

max-value REAL

dose REAL

junction REAL

value-at-depth REAL

depth REAL

length REAL

standard-deviation REAL

lateral-factor REAL

eval-init STRING

eval-function STRING

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sdedr:define-erf-profile

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension creates a definition of an error-function doping profile in the mesh
command file.

See Also

Sentaurus™ Mesh User Guide, Defining Constant Profiles on page 12 for detailed descriptions
of parameters

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sdedr:define-gaussian-profile

sdedr:define-gaussian-profile
Creates a definition of a Gaussian-function doping profile in the mesh command file.

Syntax
(sdedr:define-gaussian-profile definition-name species
"PeakPos" peak-position {"PeakVal" peak-concentration | "Dose" dose}
{"ValueAtDepth" concentration-at-depth "Depth" depth |
"Length" diffusion-length | "StdDev" standard-deviation}
[lateral-function])

where the optional lateral-function is one of the following, depending on the chosen
lateral function, "Erf", "Gauss", or "Eval":
"Erf" {"Factor" lateral-factor | "Length" length}

or:
"Gauss" {"Factor" lateral-factor | "Length" length |
"StdDev" standard-deviation}

or:
"Eval" eval-init eval-function

Argument Argument type

definition-name STRING

species STRING

peak-position REAL

peak-concentration REAL

dose REAL

concentration-at-depth REAL

depth REAL

diffusion-length REAL

standard-deviation REAL

lateral-factor REAL

length REAL

eval-init STRING

eval-function STRING

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sdedr:define-gaussian-profile

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension creates a definition of a Gaussian-function doping profile in the mesh
command file.

See Also

Sentaurus™ Mesh User Guide, Defining Analytic Profiles on page 12 for detailed descriptions
of parameters

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sdedr:define-multibox-placement

sdedr:define-multibox-placement
Defines the placements part of a multibox definition.

Syntax
(sdedr:define-multibox-placement placement-name definition-name
refwindow-name)

Argument Argument type

placement-name STRING

definition-name STRING

refwindow-name STRING

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension defines the placements part of a multibox definition.

Examples
(sdedr:define-multibox-placement "p1" "d1" "refwindow1")

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sdedr:define-multibox-size

sdedr:define-multibox-size
Defines the definitions part of a multibox definition.

Syntax
(sdedr:define-multibox-size mbox-name max-x max-y [max-z] min-x min-y [min-z]
ratio-x ratio-y [ratio-z])

Argument Argument type

mbox-name STRING

max-x REAL

max-y REAL

max-z REAL (optional)

min-x REAL

min-y REAL

min-z REAL (optional)

ratio-x REAL

ratio-y REAL

ratio-z REAL (optional)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension defines the definitions part of a multibox definition.

Examples
(sdedr:define-multibox-size "multibox-2d" 10 10 1 1 2 2)
(sdedr:define-multibox-size "multibox-3d" 10 10 10 1 1 1 2 2 2)

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sdedr:define-particle-profile

sdedr:define-particle-profile
Creates a particle profile that describes doping in the mesh command file.

Syntax
(sdedr:define-particle-profile name file
["AutoScreeningFactor" auto-screening-factor]
["BoundaryExtension" boundary-extension] ["Divisions" divisions]
["DopingAssignment" doping-assignment] ["Normalization" normalization]
["NumberOfThreads" number-of-threads] ["ScreeningFactor" screening-factor]
["ScreeningScalingFactor" screening-scaling-factor] ["Species" species])

Argument Argument type

name STRING

file STRING

auto-screening-factor BOOLEAN (optional)

boundary-extension REAL (optional)

divisions INTEGER (optional)

doping-assignment STRING (optional)

"CIC" | "NGP" | "Sano"

normalization BOOLEAN (optional)

number-of-threads INTEGER (optional)

screening-factor REAL (optional)

screening-scaling-factor BOOLEAN (optional)

species STRING (optional)

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme extension creates a particle doping profile.

See Also

Sentaurus™ Mesh User Guide, Defining Particle Profiles on page 17 for detailed descriptions
of parameters

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sdedr:define-particle-profile-placement

sdedr:define-particle-profile-placement
Creates a placement for a particle profile definition in the mesh command file.

Syntax
(sdedr:define-particle-profile-placement placement-name definition-name
"EvalWindow" eval-window eval-window-type
["Replace" replace] ["LocalReplace" local-replace])

Argument Argument type

placement-name STRING

definition-name STRING

eval-window STRING

eval-window-type {"region" | "material" | "evalwin"}

replace BOOLEAN (optional)

local-replace BOOLEAN (optional)

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme extension creates a particle profile placement.

NOTE Only one of the options "Replace" or "LocalReplace" can be set to

true at the same time.

See Also

Sentaurus™ Mesh User Guide, Placing Particle Profiles on page 28 for detailed descriptions
of parameters

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sdedr:define-refeval-window

sdedr:define-refeval-window
Defines a geometric region that can be used as a Ref/Eval window.

Syntax
(sdedr:define-refeval-window rfwin-name { single-shape | multi-shape })

Argument Argument type

rfwin-name STRING (name of Ref/Eval window)

multi-shape (list single-shape1 single-shape2 ...

single-shapen)

single-shape rfwin-type data

where rfwin-type can be:

{"Point" | "Line" | "Rectangle" | "Polygon" |
"Cuboid" | "ComplexPolygon" | "Polyhedron"}

where data can be:

POSITION | POSITION LIST

Returns

ENTITY of the ACIS body Ref/Eval window if it was successfully created; otherwise, #f if the
operation failed.

Description

For rfwin-type:
■ In the case of "Point", the data argument is a position.
■ In the case of "Line", "Rectangle", or "Cuboid", the data argument is
POSITION POSITION (the two opposite corners). The keywords "Rectangle" and
"Cuboid" are axis aligned.
■ In the case of "Polygon", the data argument is a position list (the first and last positions
must be the same).
■ "ComplexPolygon" is for multiconnected polygons, that is, polygons with internal
doughnut holes. In this case, the data argument is a list of polygon shapes where the first
polygon given is the outer perimeter, and the subsequent polygon shapes in the list
represent internal holes.
■ In the case of "Polyhedron", the data argument is a list of polygon definitions creating a
closed polyhedral solid from the union of the polygon faces.
■ The rfwin-type object is not case sensitive.

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sdedr:define-refeval-window

Multiple body shapes are created by listing multiple single shapes with the (list ...)
construct. (Choose Mesh > Define Ref/Eval Window.)

The faces of the defined Ref/Eval windows are oriented. The face normal direction follows the
right-hand rule (for polygonal Ref/Eval windows, the vertex list must be counterclockwise). In
this case, the Ref/Eval windows are used in the sdedr:define-analytical-profile-
placement Scheme extension for reference. The "Positive" and "Negative" arguments
in this Scheme extension must be adjusted to the Ref/Eval window normal direction.

Examples
; Line
(sdedr:define-refeval-window "rfwin1" "Line" (position 0 0 0) (position 1 0 0))
; Rectangle
(sdedr:define-refeval-window "rfwin2" "Rectangle" (position 0 -2 0)
(position 1 -1 0))
; Polygon
(sdedr:define-refeval-window "rfwin3" "Polygon" (list (position 1 2 0.0)
(position 0.75 2 0.0) (position 1 2.5 0.0) (position 1.25 3 0.0)
(position 1.5 3.5 0.0) (position 1.75 4 0.0) (position 2 4.25 0.0)
(position 2.25 4.5 0.0) (position 2.5 2 0.0) (position 1.5 2 0.0)
(position 1 2 0.0)))
; Cuboid
(sdedr:define-refeval-window "rfwin4" "Cuboid" (position 0 0 0)
(position 1 2 3))
; Multiconnected Polygon = ComplexPolygon
(sdedr:define-refeval-window "polygon-multiconnected" "ComplexPolygon"
(list
(list (position 0 0 0) (position 0 3 0) (position 3 3 0) (position 3 0 0))
(list (position 1 1 0) (position 1 2 0) (position 2 2 0) (position 2 1 0))))
; Polyhedron
(sdedr:define-refeval-window "polyhedron_shape" "Polyhedron" (list
(list (position 0 0 0) (position 0 3 0) (position 3 3 0) (position 3 0 0))
(list (position 0 0 3) (position 0 3 3) (position 3 3 3) (position 3 0 3))
(list (position 0 0 0) (position 0 0 3) (position 3 0 3) (position 3 0 0))
(list (position 0 3 0) (position 0 3 3) (position 3 3 3) (position 3 3 0))
(list (position 0 0 0) (position 0 3 0) (position 0 3 3) (position 0 0 3))
(list (position 3 0 0) (position 3 3 0) (position 3 3 3) (position 3 0 3))))

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; Multiple body
(sdedr:define-refeval-window "multiple_body" (list
(list "Point" (position 0.15 0.25 0))
(list "Rectangle" (position 0.1 0.2 0) (position 0.3 0.4 0))
(list "Line" (position 1.5 1.6 0) (position 1.7 1.8 0))
(list "Polygon" (list (position 0 0 0) (position 0.1 0.3 0)
(position 0.2 0.4 0) (position 0.3 0.2 0) (position 0.2 0.0 0)
(position 0.1 -0.1 0) (position 0 0 0)))
(list "Cuboid" (position 3.1 3.2 3.3) (position 3.4 3.5 3.6))))

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sdedr:define-refinement-function

sdedr:define-refinement-function
Adds a refinement function to the specified refinement.

Syntax
(sdedr:define-refinement-function definition-name function-name
{ "MaxLenInt" mat-reg mat-reg value [factor] ["DoubleSide"]
["UseRegionNames"] |
"MaxInterval" "Variable" dopant-name "Cmin" cmin "Cmax" cmax
["Scaling" scaling] ["TargetLength" targetLength] ["Rolloff"] |
"MaxGradient" value | "MaxTransDiff" value })

Argument Argument type

definition-name STRING

function-name STRING (name of function to be used for

refinement)

value REAL

factor REAL

mat-reg STRING (material or region names defining

the interface)

dopant-name STRING

cmin REAL | REAL LIST

cmax REAL | REAL LIST

scaling REAL

targetLength REAL

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension adds a refinement function to the specified refinement.

See Also

Sentaurus™ Mesh User Guide, Defining Refinement Regions on page 9 for detailed
descriptions of parameters

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sdedr:define-refinement-material

sdedr:define-refinement-material
Defines the placements information for a ‘materialwise’ refinement.

Syntax
(sdedr:define-refinement-material placement-name definition-name
material-name)

Argument Argument type

placement-name STRING

definition-name STRING

material-name DATEXMAT

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension defines the placements information for a ‘materialwise’ refinement.

Examples
(sdedr:define-refinement-material "p1" "d1" "Silicon")

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sdedr:define-refinement-placement

sdedr:define-refinement-placement
Creates a refinement placement in the mesh command file.

Syntax
(sdedr:define-refinement-placement refinement-name definition-name
ref-eval-window)

Argument Argument type

refinement-name STRING

definition-name STRING

ref-eval-window STRING | LIST

Returns

None.

Description

The ref-eval-window argument can be either a simple string (the name of the defined
refinement window) or a list of Ref/Eval windows, materials, and regions in the form:
(list "window" "refevalwin1" "window" "refevalwindow2" ... "material"
"material1" ... "region" "region1" ...)

If a list is specified, the refinement is performed at the intersection of all the criteria.

See Also

Sentaurus™ Mesh User Guide, Defining Refinement Regions on page 9 for detailed
descriptions of parameters

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sdedr:define-refinement-region

sdedr:define-refinement-region
Defines the placements information for a ‘regionwise’ refinement.

Syntax
(sdedr:define-refinement-region placement-name definition-name region-name)

Argument Argument type

placement-name STRING

definition-name STRING

region-name STRING

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension defines the placements information for a ‘regionwise’ refinement.

Examples
(sdedr:define-refinement-region "p1" "d1" "Region_1")

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sdedr:define-refinement-size

sdedr:define-refinement-size
Creates a refinement size definition in the mesh command file.

Syntax
(sdedr:define-refinement-size definition-name max-x max-y max-z min-x min-y
min-z)

Argument Argument type

definition-name STRING

max-x REAL

max-y REAL (optional)

max-z REAL (optional)

min-x REAL

min-y REAL (optional)

min-z REAL (optional)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension creates a refinement size definition in the mesh command file.

See Also

Sentaurus™ Mesh User Guide, Defining Refinement Regions on page 9 for detailed
descriptions of parameters

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sdedr:define-submesh

sdedr:define-submesh
Creates a 1D external profile in the mesh command file.

Syntax
(sdedr:define-submesh definition-name geofile-name file1 mode1 file2 mode2 ...
filen moden [ (list field1 field2 fieldn) ])

Argument Argument type

definition-name STRING

geofile-name STRING

file[1...n] STRING

mode[1...n] {"r" | "i" | "o" | "w" | "w=outfile-name"}

field[1...n] STRING (optional)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension creates a 1D external profile in the mesh command file.

See Also

Sentaurus™ Mesh User Guide, Defining Submeshes on page 17 for detailed descriptions of
parameters

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sdedr:define-submesh-placement

sdedr:define-submesh-placement
Creates a submesh placement in the mesh command file.

Syntax
(sdedr:define-submesh-placement placement-name definition-name
evaluation-window ["PlacementType" eval-window-type]
["DecayLength" decay-length | "GaussDecayLength" gauss-decay-length]
["Replace" | "NoReplace" | "LocalReplace"]
["IgnoreMat"] ["MatchMaterialType"])

Argument Argument type

decay-length REAL

definition-name STRING

eval-window-type "region" | "material" | "evalwin"

evaluation-window STRING

gauss-decay-length REAL

placement-name STRING

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension creates a submesh placement in the mesh command file. The
evaluation-window can name a region, material, or Ref/Eval window, depending on the
eval-window-type. The default eval-window-type is "evalwin".

To rotate, shift, or reflect submesh placements, the Scheme extension sdedr:transform-

submesh-placement is available.

See Also

Sentaurus™ Mesh User Guide, Placements Section on page 19 for detailed descriptions of
parameters

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sdedr:del-selected-drentity

sdedr:del-selected-drentity
Deletes a specified entity or list of entities.

Syntax
(sdedr:del-selected-drentity entity | entity-list)

Argument Argument type

entity ENTITY

entity-list ENTITY LIST

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension deletes a specified entity or list of entities.

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sdedr:delete-multibox-placement

sdedr:delete-multibox-placement
Deletes the specified multibox placement from the placements part of the command file.

Syntax
(sdedr:delete-multibox-placement placement-name)

Argument Argument type

placement-name STRING

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension deletes the specified multibox placement from the placements part of
the command file.

Examples
(sdedr:delete-multibox-placement "multibox_1")

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sdedr:delete-profile-placement

sdedr:delete-profile-placement
Deletes the specified placement.

Syntax
(sdedr:delete-profile-placement placement-name)

Argument Argument type

placement-name STRING

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension deletes the specified placement.

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sdedr:delete-refeval-window

sdedr:delete-refeval-window
Deletes a Ref/Eval window or list of Ref/Eval windows.

Syntax
(sdedr:delete-refeval-window bodies)

Argument Argument type

bodies BODY | BODY LIST

sdedr:get-definition-list
Returns a list of definitions.

Syntax
(sdedr:get-definition-list "profile" | "refinement" | "multibox")

Returns
STRING LIST

Description

This Scheme extension returns a list of definition names of the given placement type. The
available placement types are "profile", "refinement", or "multibox".

sdedr:get-placement-list
Returns a list of placements.

Syntax
(sdedr:get-placement-list "profile" | "refinement" | "multibox")

Returns
STRING LIST

Description

This Scheme extension returns a list of placement names of the given placement type. The
available placement types are "profile", "refinement", or "multibox".

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sdedr:hide-mbox

sdedr:hide-mbox
Hides the specified multiboxes.

Syntax
(sdedr:hide-mbox mbox-list)

Argument Argument type

mbox-list STRING LIST

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension displays the specified multiboxes.

sdedr:hide-profile
Hides the specified analytic doping profiles.

Syntax
(sdedr:hide-profile profile-list)

Argument Argument type

profile-list STRING LIST

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension hides the specified analytic doping profiles.

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sdedr:hide-refinement

sdedr:hide-refinement
Hides the specified refinements.

Syntax
(sdedr:hide-refinement refinement-list)

Argument Argument type

refinement-list STRING LIST

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension hides the specified refinements.

Examples
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 10 10 0) "Silicon"
"region_1")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 4 10 0) (position 6 12 0) "PolySilicon"
"region_2")
(sdedr:define-refinement-size "ref1" 2 2 2 1 1 1)
(sdedr:define-refinement-region "ref1" "ref1" "region_1")
(sdedr:show-refinement "ref1")
(sdedr:hide-refinement "ref1")

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sdedr:hide-rewin

sdedr:hide-rewin
Hides the specified Ref/Eval window or windows.

Syntax
(sdedr:hide-rewin rewin-list)

Argument Argument type

rewin-list STRING LIST

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension hides the specified Ref/Eval window or windows.

Examples
(sdedr:define-refeval-window "N1" "Rectangle" (position 0 0 0)
(position 1 1 0))
(sdedr:define-refeval-window "N2" "Rectangle" (position 2 0 0)
(position 3 1 0))
(sdedr:define-refeval-window "N3" "Rectangle" (position 4 0 0)
(position 5 1 0))
(sdedr:define-refeval-window "N4" "Rectangle" (position 0 2 0)
(position 1 3 0))
(sdedr:define-refeval-window "N5" "Rectangle" (position 2 2 0)
(position 3 3 0))
(sdedr:define-refeval-window "N6" "Rectangle" (position 4 2 0)
(position 5 3 0))
(sdedr:define-refeval-window "N7" "Rectangle" (position 0 4 0)
(position 1 5 0))
(sdedr:define-refeval-window "N8" "Rectangle" (position 2 4 0)
(position 3 5 0))
(sdedr:define-refeval-window "N9" "Rectangle" (position 4 4 0)
position 5 5 0))
(sdedr:hide-rewin (list "N1" "N2" "N3" "N4" "N5" "N6" "N7" "N8" "N9"))
(sdedr:show-rewin "N1")
(sdedr:show-rewin (list "N2" "N3" "N4"))

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sdedr:offset-block

sdedr:offset-block
Generates a new offsetting block.

Syntax
(sdedr:offset-block "region" region "maxlevel" maxlevel)
(sdedr:offset-block "material" material "maxlevel" maxlevel)

Argument Argument type

region STRING

material DATEXMAT

maxlevel INTEGER

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension generates a new offsetting block inside the Offsetting section of the
mesh command file.

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sdedr:offset-global

sdedr:offset-global
Generates a new global offsetting parameters block.

Syntax
(sdedr:offset-global "factor" factor "hlocal" hlocal "maxlevel" maxlevel)

Argument Argument type

factor REAL

hlocal REAL

maxlevel INTEGER

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension generates a new global offsetting parameters block.

See Also

Offsetting Refinements on page 214

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sdedr:offset-interface

sdedr:offset-interface
Generates a new offsetting interface block.

Syntax
(sdedr:offset-interface "region" region1 region2
"hlocal" hlocal "factor" factor
"window" x1 y1 z1 x2 y2 z2)
(sdedr:offset-interface "material" material1 material2
"hlocal" hlocal "factor" factor
"window" x1 y1 z1 x2 y2 z2)

Argument Argument type

region STRING

material DATEXMAT

hlocal REAL

factor REAL

x1 y1 z1 x2 y2 z2 REAL

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension generates a new offsetting interface block inside the Offsetting
section of the mesh command file.

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sdedr:read-cmd-file

sdedr:read-cmd-file
Loads a mesh command file.

Syntax
(sdedr:read-cmd-file cmd-file-name)

Argument Argument type

cmd-file-name STRING

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension parses a specified mesh command file and initializes the doping-related
and refinement-related data structures in Sentaurus Structure Editor. The command file entities
can be visualized using the Placements Viewer.

The command file entities can be manipulated by using the sdedr Scheme extensions or the
Sentaurus Structure Editor GUI menus.

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sdedr:redefine-refeval-window

sdedr:redefine-refeval-window
Redefines a previously defined geometric Ref/Eval window.

Syntax
(sdedr:redefine-refeval-window rfwin-name new-rfwin-name rfwin-type data)

Argument Argument type

rfwin-name STRING (name of Ref/Eval window)

new-rfwin-name STRING (new name of Ref/Eval window)

rfwin-type {"Point" | "Line" | "Rectangle" |

"Polygon" | "Cuboid"}

data POSITION | POSITION LIST

Returns

ENTITY ID of the redefined ACIS body Ref/Eval window; otherwise, #f if the operation fails.

Description

For the argument rfwin-type:

■ In the case of "Point", the data argument is a position.
■ In the case of "Line" or "Rectangle" or "Cuboid", the data argument is
POSITION POSITION (the two opposite corners).
■ In the case of "Polygon", the data argument is a position list (the first and last positions
must be the same).

This Scheme extension is used mainly in renaming existing Ref/Eval windows.

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sdedr:refine-box

sdedr:refine-box
Defines a refinement window–style refinement box.

Syntax
(sdedr:refine-box refinement_name pos_min pos_max spacing)

Argument Argument type

refinement-name STRING

pos_min POSITION

pos_max POSITION

spacing REAL | REAL REAL REAL

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension defines a refinement window–style refinement box, where:

■ refinement-name is the name of the refinement box.
■ pos_min is the minimum coordinate of the box.
■ pos_max is the maximum coordinate of the box.
■ spacing is either a single value, which denotes the mesh spacing in all directions, or a list
of three values for spacing in each direction.

The Scheme extension defines a refinement rectangle in two dimensions and a refinement
cuboid in three dimensions.

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sdedr:refine-doping

sdedr:refine-doping
Adds a refinement based on doping (field:DopingConcentration) in an entire region or
material.

Syntax
(sdedr:refine-doping spacing | sx sy sz ["MaxTransDiff" asinhdiff]
["material" "m" | "region" "r"])

Argument Argument type

spacing REAL | REAL REAL REAL

sx sy sz REAL REAL REAL

"MaxTransDiff" KEYWORD (optional)

asinhdiff REAL (optional)

"material" KEYWORD (optional)

"m" STRING (optional)

"region" KEYWORD (optional)

"r" STRING (optional)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension adds a refinement based on doping (field:DopingConcentration)

in an entire region or material:
■ spacing is either a single value, which denotes the mesh spacing in all directions, or a list
of three values for spacing in each direction.
■ asinhdiff is the value for MaxTransDiff. If you do not specify any value, 1.0 is used.
■ "material" or "region" is the material name or the region name in which the
refinement is performed. If you do not specify any value, material = "Silicon" is
used.

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sdedr:refine-interface

sdedr:refine-interface
Creates a refined mesh at an interface.

Syntax
(sdedr:refine-interface "region" r1 r2 | "material" m1 m2
"hlocal" spacing ["factor" factor] ["window" x1 y1 z1 x2 y2 z2])

Argument Argument type

"region" KEYWORD

r1 STRING

r2 STRING

"material" KEYWORD

m1 STRING

m2 STRING

"hlocal" KEYWORD

spacing REAL

"factor" KEYWORD (optional)

factor REAL (optional)

"window" KEYWORD (optional)

x1 y1 z1 x2 y2 z2 REAL (optional)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension creates a refined mesh at an interface:

■ The "region" or "material" keyword identifies the interface type.
■ r1 or m1 denotes the first region or material.
■ r2 or m2 denotes the second region or material.
■ spacing is the initial normal spacing at the interface (scalar).

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sdedr:refine-interface

■ factor determines how fast the spacing increases (optional; it defaults to 2.0).
■ x1 y1 z1 x2 y2 z2 define the window corners if the placement will be restricted to a
window (optional, the default is no window; placement in r1 or m1).

Following the convention used in Sentaurus Structure Editor and Sentaurus Mesh, but unlike
Sentaurus Process, the refinement is placed only in region r1 or material m1, unless users
specify a window, in which case, the placement is performed in the entire window.

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sdedr:set-cmdprecision

sdedr:set-cmdprecision
Sets the precision value of the mesh command file.

Syntax
(sdedr:set-cmdprecision cmdprecision)

Argument Argument type

cmdprecision INTEGER

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension sets the precision value of the mesh command file. The number of
digits that is written in the mesh command file for Ref/Eval window coordinates can be
controlled. The vertex coordinates of the Ref/Eval windows that are written to the mesh
command file can be chopped and rounded.

Rounding the vertex coordinates of the Ref/Eval objects might be needed, for example, when
a rigid body rotation is performed on a Ref/Eval window, which will introduce some rounding
errors.

The default value is 12.

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sdedr:set-title

sdedr:set-title
Sets the title of the command file.

Syntax
(sdedr:set-title cmd-file-title)

Argument Argument type

cmd-file-title STRING

Returns

None.

Examples
(sdedr:define-refeval-window "N1" "Rectangle" (position 0 0 0)
(position 1 1 0))
(sdedr:define-refeval-window "N2" "Rectangle" (position 2 0 0)
(position 3 1 0))
(sdedr:define-refeval-window "N3" "Rectangle" (position 4 0 0)
(position 5 1 0))
(sdedr:define-refeval-window "N4" "Rectangle" (position 0 2 0)
(position 1 3 0))
(sdedr:define-refeval-window "N5" "Rectangle" (position 2 2 0)
(position 3 3 0))
(sdedr:define-refeval-window "N6" "Rectangle" (position 4 2 0)
(position 5 3 0))
(sdedr:define-refeval-window "N7" "Rectangle" (position 0 4 0)
(position 1 5 0))
(sdedr:define-refeval-window "N8" "Rectangle" (position 2 4 0)
(position 3 5 0))
(sdedr:define-refeval-window "N9" "Rectangle" (position 4 4 0)
(position 5 5 0))
(sdedr:hide-rewin (list "N1" "N2" "N3" "N4" "N5" "N6" "N7" "N8" "N9"))
(sdedr:show-rewin "N1")
(sdedr:show-rewin (list "N2" "N3" "N4"))

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sdedr:transform-submesh-placement

sdedr:transform-submesh-placement
Defines transform operations applied to the named external profile placement.

Syntax
(sdedr:transform-submesh-placement placement-name
[<transform1> <transform2> ... <transformN>])

where <transformX> is any one of these transforms:

■ "Reflect" axis
■ "Rotation" angle axis
■ "ShiftVector" (gvector x y z)

Argument Argument type

placement-name STRING

axis "X" | "Y" | "Z"

angle REAL

x, y, z REAL

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension defines a transform operation, or a series of transform operations,

applied to the named external profile placement. The operation or series of operations is
appended to any existing series of operations already applied to the placement.

Any number of operations can be given by users in this Scheme extension, and it can be called
any number of times. Operations are performed in the order of calls to this extension and in the
order listed within each call.

The Scheme extension sdedr:clear-submesh-placement-transform is used to clear

the list of transformation operations for a given external profile placement.

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sdedr:write-cmd-file

sdedr:write-cmd-file
Writes a mesh command file.

Syntax
(sdedr:write-cmd-file cmd-file-name)

Argument Argument type

None.

Description

The sdeepi:publish-global-vars Scheme extension defines the global and layer

variables of the sdeepi Scheme extensions as global Scheme variables.

If the sdeepi:publish-global-vars Scheme extension is called with a #t argument, all

the published global and layer variables will be available as global Scheme variables after the
epi layers are created using the sdeepi:create-layerstack Scheme extension. By
default, to avoid overwriting existing Scheme variables, no layer stack variables are retained
after the stack creation.

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sdeepi:scm

sdeepi:scm
Generates a Scheme script for creating a planar layer stack structure from CSV input data.

Syntax
(sdeepi:scm file-name [output-file-name])

Argument Argument type

file-name STRING

output-file-name STRING (optional)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension generates a Scheme script for creating a planar layer stack structure
from CSV input data. This can be useful to investigate the layer stack creation in more detail.
The Scheme script will be named like file-name but with .scm as the file extension unless it
is specified explicitly using the optional output-file-name argument.

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sdeepi:tcl

sdeepi:tcl
Generates a Tcl script that contains all layer stack data from the CSV input file defined as Tcl
variables.

Syntax
(sdeepi:tcl file-name [output-file-name])

Argument Argument type

file-name STRING

output-file-name STRING (optional)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension creates a Tcl script that contains all layer stack–specific data from the
CSV input file in the form of Tcl variables. This file can be easily sourced in Tcl preprocessing
blocks or any other Tcl interpreter such as Sentaurus Visual or Inspect to access layer data (see
Global Section on page 247 for an example).

The Tcl file will be named like file-name but with .tcl as the file extension unless it is
specified explicitly using the optional output-file-name argument.

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sdegeo:2d-cut

sdegeo:2d-cut
Extracts a 2D cut from a 2D device.

Syntax
(sdegeo:2d-cut p1 p2)

Argument Argument type

p1 POSITION

p2 POSITION

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension extracts a 2D rectangular part from a 2D device. The rectangle is
specified by the two opposite corners of the rectangle (p1 and p2).

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sdegeo:3d-cut

sdegeo:3d-cut
Extracts a 2D slice from a 3D device.

Syntax
(sdegeo:3d-cut base-position normal-vector [tr-xy] [tr-record]
[tr-axisaligned])

Argument Argument type

base-position POSITION

normal-vector GVECTOR

tr-xy BOOLEAN (optional), default value is #f

tr-record BOOLEAN (optional), default value is #f

tr-axisaligned BOOLEAN (optional), default value is #f

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension cuts a 2D slice from a 3D device. The cut plane is defined by a base
point (base-position) and a normal vector to the cut plane (normal-vector). This
Scheme extension transfers 3D face contacts to 2D edge contacts.

The optional tr-xy argument is used to transform the 2D cut to the xy plane. This is needed
when the 2D cut is to be meshed.

The optional tr-record argument is used to record the transform (rotation and translation)
that transforms the 2D cut on the xy plane. The sde:tr-get Scheme extension can be used
to return the rotation ( 3 × 3 matrix) and translation (vector) components of the transform (see
sde:tr-get on page 507).

The sdegeo:3d-cut Scheme extension always creates a well-defined 2D model. If the

original 3D model contains multiple touching faces at the cut position in the cut plane
(material/region interfaces), then the direction of the normal vector (which is specified in the
argument list of the sdegeo:3d-cut command) defines which regions to keep in the 2D
model.

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The 2D cut will contain only those faces that are visible from the normal plane direction in the
3D model. In this way, the outcome of the sdegeo:3d-cut operation is always well defined,
and the 2D cut will not contain overlapping faces. If the 2D sheet bodies in the 2D cut contain
multiple faces, these faces are merged to one face.

The tr-axisaligned argument is used to trigger new transformation rules for axis-aligned
cuts. If the new transformation rule is applied, the positioning of the 2D cut can be explicitly
calculated following the simple rules in Table 40.

Table 40 Transformation rules for axis-aligned cuts

Cut plane normal New 2D coordinate axes (x, y) with
respect to global coordinate system

( 1, 0, 0 ) (0,1,0) (0,0,1)

(-1, 0, 0 ) (0,1,0) (0,0,1)

( 0, 1, 0 ) (1,0,0) (0,0,1)

( 0, -1, 0 ) (1,0,0) (0,0,1)

( 0, 0, 1 ) (1,0,0) (0,1,0)

( 0, 0, -1 ) (1,0,0) (0,1,0)

NOTE The + and – face normal directions are not distinguished, so the (1,0,0)
cut plane normal will generate the same result as the (-1,0,0) normal.

The model is placed such that the minimum bounding box position (lower-left corner) will be
the same as the minimum bounding box position of the 3D model at the cut plane position. The
axis-aligned transformation rule determines which coordinates to use for xmin and ymin for
the 2D cut from the global x,y,z bounding box minimum.

The transformation rules for axis-aligned cuts are:

■ If the gvector is parallel to the x-axis, the 2D cut x-axis would be the global y-axis, and the
2D cut y-axis would be the global z-axis. The global bounding box minimum coordinates
bbymin and bbzmin would be the minimum coordinates of the 2D cut: xmin = bbymin,
ymin = bbzmin.
■ If the gvector is parallel to the y-axis, the 2D cut x-axis would be the global x-axis, and the
2D cut y-axis would be the global z-axis. The global bounding box minimum coordinates
bbxmin and bbzmin would be the minimum coordinates of the 2D cut: xmin = bbxmin,
ymin = bbzmin.
■ If the gvector is parallel to the z-axis, the 2D cut x-axis would be the global x-axis, and the
2D cut y-axis would be the global y-axis. The global bounding box minimum coordinates
bbxmin and bbymin would be the minimum coordinates of the 2D cut: xmin = bbxmin,
ymin = bbymin.

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Examples
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 10 10 0) "Silicon"
"region_1")
(sdegeo:define-contact-set "cstop" 4 (color:rgb 1 0 0) "##")
(sdegeo:define-contact-set "csbottom-middle" 4 (color:rgb 1 1 0) "||")
(sdegeo:set-contact (find-edge-id (position 5 10 0)) "cstop")
(sdegeo:insert-vertex (position 3 0 0))
(sdegeo:insert-vertex (position 7 0 0))
(sdegeo:set-current-contact-set "csbottom-middle")
(sdegeo:set-contact (find-edge-id (position 5 0 0)) "csbottom-middle")
; 2D model containing edge contacts
(sdegeo:extrude (find-face-id (position 5 5 0)) 6)
; 3D model containing face contacts
(sdegeo:3d-cut (position 5 0 2) (gvector 0 0 1))
; 2D model containing edge contacts

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sdegeo:align-horizontal

sdegeo:align-horizontal
Aligns points horizontally to a specified position.

Syntax
(sdegeo:align-horizontal vertex-list align-position)

Argument Argument type

vertex-list VERTEX LIST

align-position REAL

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension aligns the specified vertices to a horizontal line. The argument
vertex-list contains the list of vertices, and align-position defines the position (y-
coordinate) of the line.

Limitations

This Scheme extension applies to 2D models only.

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sdegeo:align-horizontal-aut

sdegeo:align-horizontal-aut
Aligns points horizontally to the average position.

Syntax
(sdegeo:align-horizontal-aut vertex-list)

Argument Argument type

vertex-list VERTEX LIST

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension aligns the specified vertices to a horizontal line. The argument
vertex-list contains the list of vertices. The align position (y-coordinate) of the line is
defined using the average y-coordinate of the specified vertices, which is calculated
automatically.

Limitations

This Scheme extension applies to 2D models only.

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sdegeo:align-to-line

sdegeo:align-to-line
Aligns vertices to a line.

Syntax
(sdegeo:align-to-line vertex-list pos1 pos2)

Argument Argument type

vertex-list VERTEX LIST

pos1 POSITION

pos2 POSITION

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension aligns the specified vertices (given by a vertex list vertex-list) to a
line. The line is specified by two points (pos1 and pos2). The points must lie on the same work
plane as the vertex-list vertices. The vertices are projected to the specified line.

Limitations

This Scheme extension applies to 2D models only.

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sdegeo:align-vertical

sdegeo:align-vertical
Aligns points vertically to a specified position.

Syntax
(sdegeo:align-vertical vertex-list align-position)

Argument Argument type

vertex-list VERTEX LIST

align-position REAL

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension aligns the specified vertices to a vertical line. The argument vertex-
list contains the list of vertices and align-position defines the new position (x-
coordinate) of the line.

Limitations

This Scheme extension applies to 2D models only.

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sdegeo:align-vertical-aut

sdegeo:align-vertical-aut
Aligns points vertically to the average position.

Syntax
(sdegeo:align-vertical-aut vertex-list)

Argument Argument type

vertex-list VERTEX LIST

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension aligns the specified vertices to a vertical line. The argument vertex-
list contains the list of vertices. The align position (x-coordinate) of the line is defined using
the average x-coordinate of the specified vertices, which is calculated automatically.

Limitations

This Scheme extension applies to 2D models only.

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sdegeo:average-edge-length

sdegeo:average-edge-length
Returns the average edge length.

Syntax
(sdegeo:average-edge-length edge-list)

Argument Argument type

edge-list EDGE LIST

Returns
REAL

Description

This Scheme extension computes the length of each edge in edge-list and returns the
average edge length.

Examples
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "AB")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 2 2 0) "Silicon"
"region_1")
(sdegeo:create-circle (position 1 2 0) 1 "Silicon" "region_2")
(define elist (entity:edges (get-body-list)))
(sdegeo:average-edge-length elist)

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sdegeo:body-trim

sdegeo:body-trim
Trims the model to the specified box.

Syntax
(sdegeo:body-trim x0 y0 z0 x1 y1 z1)

Argument Argument type

x0 REAL

y0 REAL

z0 REAL

x1 REAL

y1 REAL

z1 REAL

Returns

If the specified body-list contains empty bodies, the Scheme extension returns #f.

If the result of the Boolean operation is an empty body, the empty body is removed from the
entity list, and #t is returned.

Examples
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "XX")
(define b1 (sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 10 10 0)
"Silicon" "region_1"))
(define b2 (sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 5 5 0) (position 12 12 0)
"Silicon" "region_2"))
(sdegeo:bool-subtract (list b2 b1))

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sdegeo:bool-unite

sdegeo:bool-unite
Unites the specified bodies.

Syntax
(sdegeo:bool-unite body-list)

Argument Argument type

body-list BODY LIST

Returns
ENTITY | BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme extension performs a Boolean unite operation on the specified body list. The
newly ‘united’ body inherits the DATEX material attribute of the first body from the specified
list of bodies. Similarly, the region-name attribute is inherited from the first entity in the body
list.

This Scheme extension applies to both 2D and 3D bodies.

If the specified body-list contains empty bodies, the Scheme extension returns #f.

If the result of the Boolean operation is an empty body, the empty body is removed from the
entity list, and #t is returned.

Examples
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "ABA")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position -10 -8 0) (position -5 -3 0) "Silicon"
"region_1")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position -6 -7 0) (position 1 -4 0) "Silicon"
"region_2")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position -1 -9 0) (position 3 -3 0) "PolySilicon"
"region_3")
(sdegeo:create-polygon (list (position 1 -7 0) (position 5 -9 0)
(position 10 -9 0) (position 11 -4 0) (position 3 -1 0) (position 1 -7 0))
"Silver" "region_4")
(sdegeo:bool-unite (get-body-list))

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sdegeo:break-nearly-axis-aligned-edges

sdegeo:break-nearly-axis-aligned-edges
Breaks nearly axis-aligned linear edges into horizontal or vertical components.

Syntax
(sdegeo:break-nearly-axis-aligned-edges edge-list [angular-tolerance])

Argument Argument type

edge-list EDGE LIST

angular-tolerance REAL (optional)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension changes the nearly axis-aligned edges to axis-aligned edges by
inserting additional vertices and staircase edges to the model. This step might be needed before
meshing because some meshing algorithms (typically, quadtree-based meshing engines) might
have difficulties handling nearly axis-aligned edges.

The optional argument angular-tolerance specifies the minimal angle in degrees that is
permitted between model edges and between the x-axis and y-axis of the model. If the angle
between the edge and the horizontal and vertical direction is smaller than angular-
tolerance, the edge will be split into a horizontal and vertical component. If angular-
tolerance is not specified, the default value ( 5° ) is used.

Limitations

This Scheme extension applies to 2D models only.

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sdegeo:chamfer

sdegeo:chamfer
Performs a 3D edge or vertex chamfering operation.

Syntax
(sdegeo:chamfer edge | vertex-list chamfer-dist [adaptive-chamfering])

Argument Argument type

edge | vertex-list EDGE LIST | VERTEX LIST

chamfer-dist REAL

adaptive-chamfering BOOLEAN (optional)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension performs edge or vertex chamferings for 3D bodies.

The edge | vertex-list contains a list of edges or vertices to be chamfered. The argument
chamfer-dist is the chamfering distance used for the operation.

The GUI can be used to select the edges to be operated on, or some other method can be used
to find the edge entity IDs. For example, find-edge-id can be used to find the edge IDs.

Chamfering is a complex operation and can fail for several reasons. A common problem is the
use of an incorrect chamfer distance, which is usually too large. The chamfer distance must be
selected so that the resulting model (after performing the chamfering operation) is physically
(topologically) correct. Another typical problem is the incorrect selection of the edges to be
chamfered. The edge | vertex-list must contain all tangent continuous edges; otherwise,
the operation might fail.

Chamfering changes the model topology; new faces (and edges) are created, and old faces
(edges) are removed from the model. When chamfering is performed in several steps, the order
of performing the sdegeo:chamfer operation can be important.

If a vertex list is specified in edge | vertex-list, all the edges that are connected in the
specified vertices will be chamfered.

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sdegeo:chamfer

The optional adaptive-chamfering Boolean argument can be used to perform adaptive

Examples
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 10 10 10) "Silver" "region_1")
(define edge1 (find-edge-id (position 5 0 0)))
(sdegeo:chamfer edge1 2)
(define face1 (find-face-id (position 5 5 10)))
(sdegeo:chamfer (entity:edges face1) 1)
(define face1 (find-face-id (position 5 0 5)))
(sdegeo:chamfer (entity:edges face1) 3)

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sdegeo:chamfer-2d

sdegeo:chamfer-2d
Performs a 2D vertex chamfering operation.

Syntax
(sdegeo:chamfer-2d vertex(s) chamfer-dist)

Argument Argument type

vertex(s) VERTEX | VERTEX LIST

chamfer-dist REAL

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension performs a chamfering operation on a specified vertex or list of

vertices. When you use the GUI, this operation is applied to the selected entities.
((sde:selected-entities) returns the selected entity list.) (Choose Edit > Edit 2D >
Chamfer.)

NOTE When the chamfering is to be performed on a vertex (or vertices) that is

shared by neighboring regions, all vertices must be added to the
argument list.

Limitations

The chamfering distance, chamfer-dist, must be selected so that the operation does not
result in an invalid geometry.

Examples
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 10 10 0) "Silicon"
"region_1")
(define mybody (car (reverse (part:entities))))
(define myvertices (entity:vertices mybody))
(sdegeo:chamfer-2d (list (list-ref myvertices 0) (list-ref myvertices 1)) 3)

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sdegeo:check-overlap

sdegeo:check-overlap
Performs an overlap check between bodies.

Syntax
(sdegeo:check-overlap body-list [use-bbox-check])

Argument Argument type

Returns

A Scheme list that contains the names of the defined contact sets.

Description

This Scheme extension returns the names of all the defined contact sets.

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sdegeo:create-circle

sdegeo:create-circle
Creates a 2D circular region.

Syntax
(sdegeo:create-circle center-pos radius region-material region-name
[start-angle end-angle])

Argument Argument type

center-pos POSITION

radius REAL

region-material DATEXMAT

region-name STRING

start-angle REAL (optional)

end-angle REAL (optional)

Returns
ENTITY (BODY)

Description

This Scheme extension adds a 2D circular region to the model. The circle is defined by
specifying the center position and the radius. If the generated polygon overlaps already existing
regions, the default Boolean behavior determines the topology of the newly inserted region and
the overlapping regions. The material attribute is set to region-material and the region
attribute is set to region-name.

When the optional arguments start-angle and end-angle are specified, a circular arch is
generated.

Examples
; Scheme Extension
(sdegeo:create-circle (position 0 0 0) 10 "Silicon" "Region_1")

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sdegeo:create-cone

sdegeo:create-cone
Creates a circular cone.

Syntax
(sdegeo:create-cone {{start-axis end-axis} | {start-axis-x start-axis-y
start-axis-z end-axis-x end-axis-y end-axis-z}} base-radius top-radius
[ratio=1 [position3 | {x3 y3 z3}]] region-material region-name)

Argument Argument type

start-axis POSITION

end-axis POSITION

start-axis-x REAL

start-axis-y REAL

start-axis-z REAL

end-axis-x REAL

end-axis-y REAL

end-axis-z REAL

base-radius REAL

top-radius REAL

ratio REAL (optional)

position3 POSITION (optional)

x3 REAL (optional)

y3 REAL (optional)

z3 REAL (optional)

region-material DATEXMAT

region-name STRING

Returns
ENTITY (BODY)

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sdegeo:create-cone

Description

The argument start-axis specifies the start axis position or base of the cone. The argument
end-axis specifies the end axis position or top of the cone. Two syntax formats are available
for defining these positional arguments:
■ The first (original) syntax format defines all positional arguments by placing them in
‘position’ statements enclosed in parentheses.
■ The second syntax format defines positional arguments without using the ‘position’
statement or the additional set of parentheses.

Otherwise, the two formats are identical. The format selected must be used for all three
positional arguments.

The argument base-radius specifies the radius at start-axis (must be greater than zero).
The argument top-radius specifies the radius at end-axis (which can be zero).

If the optional arguments ratio and position3 are specified, an elliptical cone is created. If
ratio is specified, the ratio between the major and minor axes of the ellipse is used.

If position3 (or x3, y3, and z3) is specified, the vector from the projection of position3
(or x3, y3, and z3) onto the axis of the cone to position3 (or x3, y3, and z3) specifies the
major axis. If position3 (or x3, y3, and z3) is not specified, the major axis is defined by the
projection of the x-axis of the active coordinate system onto the plane that is defined by
start-axis and the vector from start-axis to end-axis.

NOTE The argument position3 cannot lie on the axis of the cone; otherwise,
an error occurs.

If the generated body overlaps already existing regions, the default Boolean behavior
determines the topology of the newly inserted body and the overlapping regions. The material
attribute is set to region-material and the region attribute is set to region-name.

Examples
(sdegeo:create-cone (position -20 -5 -9) (position 15 20 10) 10 2 "Gold" "")
(sdegeo:create-cone -20 -5 -9 5 15 7.5 10 2 3 "Silver" "")
(sdegeo:create-cone -2 -5 -9 15 20 10 10 2 3 17 22 12 "Copper" "")

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sdegeo:create-cuboid

sdegeo:create-cuboid
Creates a solid block.

Syntax
(sdegeo:create-cuboid diagonal1 diagonal2 region-material region-name)

Argument Argument type

diagonal1 POSITION

diagonal2 POSITION

region-material DATEXMAT

region-name STRING

Returns
ENTITY (BODY)

Description

The argument diagonal1 specifies the first diagonal corner and diagonal2 specifies the
second diagonal corner. The block is oriented with respect to the current work plane. If the
generated body overlaps already existing regions, the default Boolean behavior determines the
topology of the newly inserted body and the overlapping regions. The material attribute is set
to region-material and the region attribute is set to region-name.

Examples
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 1)
(sde:get-default-material) "r1")

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sdegeo:create-cylinder

sdegeo:create-cylinder
Creates a cylinder.

Syntax
(sdegeo:create-cylinder {{start-pos end-pos} | {x-start y-start z-start
x-end y-end z-end}} radius [ratio=1 {position3 | {x3 y3 z3}}]
region-material region-name)

Argument Argument type

start-pos POSITION

end-pos POSITION

x-start REAL

y-start REAL

z-start REAL

x-end REAL

y-end REAL

z-end REAL

radius REAL

ratio REAL (optional)

position3 POSITION (optional)

x3 REAL (optional)

y3 REAL (optional)

z3 REAL (optional)

region-material DATEXMAT

region-name STRING

Returns
ENTITY (BODY)

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sdegeo:create-cylinder

Description

The argument start-pos (or x-start, y-start, and z-start) specifies the start position
of the cylinder. The argument end-pos (or x-end, y-end, and z-end) specifies the end
position of the cylinder. Two syntax formats are available for defining the start and end
positions for creating a cylinder:
■ The first (original) syntax format defines the positional arguments by placing them in
‘position’ statements enclosed in parentheses.
■ The second syntax format defines the positional arguments without using the ‘position’
statement or the additional set of parentheses.

Otherwise, the two formats are identical. The format selected must be used for all three
positional arguments.

The argument radius specifies the radii for the base and top. If the optional arguments ratio
and position3 (or x3, y3, and z3) are specified, an elliptical cylinder is created. If ratio is
specified, the ratio between the major and minor axes of the ellipse is used.

If position3 (or x3, y3, and z3) is specified, the vector from the projection of position3
(or x3, y3, and z3) on to the axis of the cylinder to position3 (or x3, y3, and z3) specifies
the major axis. If position3 (or x3, y3, and z3) is not specified, the major axis is defined by
the projection of the x-axis of the active coordinate system onto the plane that is defined by
position1 and the vector from position1 to position2.

NOTE The argument position3 cannot lie on the axis of the cylinder;
otherwise, an error occurs.

Examples
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-cylinder (position 0 0 0) (position 25 25 0) 30 "Gold" "")
(sdegeo:create-cylinder 2 2 2 -20 -20 0 15 3 "Gold" "")
(sdegeo:create-cylinder 2 2 2 -20 -20 0 15 3 -5 -5 0 "Gold" "")

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sdegeo:create-ellipse

sdegeo:create-ellipse
Creates a 2D ellipse.

Syntax
(sdegeo:create-ellipse position1 position2 ratio lmat lreg)

Argument Argument type

position1 POSITION

position2 POSITION

ratio REAL

lmat DATEXMAT

lreg STRING

Returns
ENTITY (BODY)

Description

This Scheme extension creates a 2D elliptical region (ellipse). The first argument position1
is the center position of the ellipse, and position2 is the endpoint of the major axis. The
argument ratio is the ratio of the major and minor axes. (The ratio value can be greater than
1, in which case, the minor axis becomes the major axis.) The argument lmat is the DATEX
material and lreg is the region name.

The Scheme extension generates the ellipse on the active work plane, using the active
coordinate system. The default Boolean setting is respected by the Scheme extension.

Examples
; Scheme Extension
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "ABA")
(sdegeo:create-ellipse (position 0 0 0) (position 10 0 0) 0.5 "PolySi" "x1")
(sdegeo:create-ellipse (position 0 0 0) (position 3 0 0) 3 "Silver" "x2")
(sdegeo:create-ellipse (position 0 0 0) (position 8 8 0) 0.2 "Oxide" "x3")

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sdegeo:create-ellipsoid

sdegeo:create-ellipsoid
Creates a 3D ellipsoid.

Syntax
(sdegeo:create-ellipsoid position1 position2 ratio lmat lreg)

Argument Argument type

position1 POSITION

position2 POSITION

ratio REAL

lmat DATEXMAT

lreg STRING

Returns
ENTITY (BODY)

Description

This Scheme extension creates a 3D ellipsoid.

The first argument position1 is the center position of the ellipse, and position2 is the
endpoint of the major axis. The argument ratio is the ratio of the major and minor axes. (The
ratio value can be greater than 1, in which case, the minor axis becomes the major axis.) The
argument lmat is the DATEX material and lreg is the region name.

The Scheme extension generates the ellipse on the active work plane, using the active
coordinate system. The default Boolean setting is respected by the Scheme extension.

Examples
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "ABA")
(sdegeo:create-ellipsoid (position 0 0 0) (position 10 0 0) 0.5 "PolySi" "x1")
(sdegeo:create-ellipsoid (position 0 0 0) (position 3 0 0) 3 "Silver" "x2")
(sdegeo:create-ellipsoid (position 0 0 0) (position 8 8 0) 0.2 "Oxide" "x3")

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sdegeo:create-linear-edge

sdegeo:create-linear-edge
Creates a linear edge.

Syntax
(sdegeo:create-linear-edge position1 position2)

Argument Argument type

position1 POSITION

position2 POSITION

Returns
ENTITY (EDGE)

Description

This Scheme extension creates a linear edge. The arguments position1 and position2
specify the end positions.

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sdegeo:create-ot-ellipsoid

sdegeo:create-ot-ellipsoid
Creates an oriented and truncated (ot) ellipsoid.

Syntax
(sdegeo:create-ot-ellipsoid center-position major-axis-position ratio
truncate-angle-1 truncate-angle-2 region-material region-name)

Argument Argument type

center-position POSITION

major-axis-position POSITION

ratio REAL

truncate-angle-1 REAL

truncate-angle-2 REAL

region-material DATEXMAT

region-name STRING

Returns
ENTITY (BODY)

Description

This Scheme extension creates an oriented and truncated ellipsoid.

The center-position argument specifies the center position of the ellipsoid. The argument
major-axis-position specifies the endpoint of the major axis of the untruncated ellipsoid.
The argument ratio is the ratio of the major and minor axes. The truncate-angle-1 and
truncate-angle-2 arguments determine the cut-off angles where the ellipsoidal top and
bottom are replaced by a flat top and bottom.

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sdegeo:create-ot-ellipsoid

Examples
(sde:clear)
(define mb
(sdegeo:create-polygon (list (position 0 3 0) (position 1 3 0)
(position 2 2 0) (position 3 2 0) (position 4 3 0) (position 5 3 0)
(position 5 0 0) (position 0 0 0)) "Silicon" "xx"))
(sdegeo:extrude (list mb) 2)
(do ((i 0 (+ i 1))) ((>= i 5))
(define mf (caar (sdegeo:ray-test mb (ray (position (+ i 0.5) 5 1.0)
(gvector 0 -1 0)) 0.01)))
(define mp (cdar (sdegeo:ray-test mb (ray (position (+ i 0.5) 5 1.0)
(gvector 0 -1 0)) 0.01)))
(define mn (face:plane-normal mf))
(define sf 0.5)
(define mp1 (position (+ (position:x mp) (* sf (gvector:x mn)))
(+ (position:y mp) (* sf (gvector:y mn)))
(+ (position:z mp) (* sf (gvector:z mn)))))
(define sf 1.2)
(define mp2 (position (+ (position:x mp) (* sf (gvector:x mn)))
(+ (position:y mp) (* sf (gvector:y mn)))
(+ (position:z mp) (* sf (gvector:z mn)))))
(sdegeo:create-ot-ellipsoid mp1 mp2 0.5 20 80 "Gold" "xx")
)

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sdegeo:create-ot-sphere

sdegeo:create-ot-sphere
Creates an oriented and truncated (ot) sphere.

Syntax
(sdegeo:create-ot-sphere center-position orientation radius
truncate-angle-1 truncate-angle-2 region-material region-name)

Argument Argument type

center-position POSITION

orientation GVECTOR

radius REAL

truncate-angle-1 REAL

truncate-angle-2 REAL

region-material DATEXMAT

region-name STRING

Returns
ENTITY (BODY)

Description

This Scheme extension creates an oriented and truncated sphere.

The center-position argument specifies the center position of the sphere.

The orientation vector specifies the normal vector of the truncated top and bottom. The
sphere is oriented in such a way that the poles of the sphere are placed in the orientation
direction. The argument radius determines the size of the sphere. The truncate-angle-1
and truncate-angle-2 arguments determine the cut-off angle where the spherical top and
bottom are replaced by a flat top and bottom.

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sdegeo:create-ot-sphere

Examples
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-ot-sphere (position 0 0 0) (gvector 1 0 0) 1 65 65 "Silicon"
"x1")
(sdegeo:create-ot-sphere (position 0 0 3) (gvector 1 1 0) 1 50 50
"PolySilicon" "x2")
(sdegeo:create-ot-sphere (position 0 0 6) (gvector 0 1 0) 1 40 40 "Copper"
"x3")
(sdegeo:create-ot-sphere (position 0 0 9) (gvector -1 1 0) 1 30 30 "Oxide"
"x4")

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sdegeo:create-polygon

sdegeo:create-polygon
Creates a 2D polygonal region.

Syntax
(sdegeo:create-polygon vertex-list region-material region-name)

Argument Argument type

vertex-list POSITION LIST

region-material DATEXMAT

region-name STRING

Returns
ENTITY (BODY)

Description

This Scheme extension adds a closed 2D polygonal region to the model. The polygon is defined
by specifying the vertex list of the polygon (either closed or not closed). If the last vertex is
different from the first vertex, the first vertex closes the polygon. If the generated polygon
overlaps already existing regions, the default Boolean behavior determines the topology of the
newly inserted region and the overlapping regions. The material attribute is set to region-
material and the region attribute is set to region-name.

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sdegeo:create-polyline-wire

sdegeo:create-polyline-wire
Creates a polyline wire.

Syntax
(sdegeo:create-polyline-wire vertex-list)

Argument Argument type

vertex-list POSITION LIST

Returns
ENTITY (BODY)

Description

This Scheme extension defines a wire body consisting of linear edges only. The vertex
positions of the wire are specified in the argument list as a position list. The wire body does not
have an attached material or region-name attribute and is not written to the output boundary
file. The wire body can be used, for example, during a sweep operation when the sweep along
a wire option is used.

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sdegeo:create-prism

sdegeo:create-prism
Creates a solid prism.

Syntax
(sdegeo:create-prism centerposition height major-radius minor-radius nsides
region-material region-name)

Argument Argument type

centerposition POSITION

height POSITION

major-radius REAL

minor-radius REAL

nsides INTEGER

region-material DATEXMAT

region-name STRING

Returns
ENTITY (BODY)

Description

This Scheme extension creates an nsides-sided prism where n is greater than or equal to
three. The prism is centered about the center position with its height along the z-axis, the
major-radius along the x-axis, and the minor-radius along the y-axis. If height is zero,
the resulting body consists of only one polygonal-sided sheet face, lying in the xy plane.

Examples
(sdegeo:create-prism (position 0 0 0) 20 40 40 6 "PolySilicon" "")

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sdegeo:create-pyramid

sdegeo:create-pyramid
Creates a solid pyramid.

Syntax
(sdegeo:create-pyramid centerposition height major-radius minor-radius nsides
top region-material region-name)

Argument Argument type

centerposition POSITION

height REAL

major-radius REAL

minor-radius REAL

nsides INTEGER

top REAL

region-material DATEXMAT

region-name STRING

Returns
ENTITY (BODY)

Description

The number of sides (nsides) must be greater than or equal to three. The pyramid is centered
about the origin with its height along the z-axis, the major-radius along the x-axis, and
the minor-radius along the y-axis. The argument top specifies the major axis length at the
top of the pyramid. If height is zero, the resulting body consists of only one polygonal-sided
sheet face, lying in the xy plane.

Examples
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-pyramid (position 0 0 0) 20 40 40 6 12 "PolySilicon" "")
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "ABA")
(sdegeo:create-pyramid (position 0 0 0) 30 30 20 5 5 "Gold" "")

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sdegeo:create-rectangle

sdegeo:create-rectangle
Creates a 2D rectangular region.

Syntax
(sdegeo:create-rectangle v1 v2 material-name region-name)

Argument Argument type

v1 POSITION

v2 POSITION

material-name DATEXMAT

region-name STRING

Returns
ENTITY (BODY)

Description

This Scheme extension adds a 2D rectangle to the model. The rectangle is defined by
specifying two opposite corner vertices.

If the generated rectangle overlaps with already existing regions, the default Boolean behavior
determines the topology of the newly inserted region and the overlapping regions. The material
attribute is set to region-material and the region attribute is set to region-name.

Examples
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 0))
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 0) "Silicon" "sir")

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sdegeo:create-reg-polygon

sdegeo:create-reg-polygon
Creates a 2D regular polygonal region.

Syntax
(sdegeo:create-reg-polygon v1 rad [nsides] [angle] region-material
region-name)

Argument Argument type

v1 POSITION

rad REAL

nsides INTEGER (optional)

angle REAL (optional)

region-material DATEXMAT

region-name STRING

Returns
ENTITY (BODY)

Description

This Scheme extension adds a regular 2D polygonal region to the model. The regular polygon
is defined by specifying the center position of the polygon, the radius, and the number of
segments.

If the generated polygon overlaps already existing regions, the default Boolean behavior
determines the topology of the newly inserted region and the overlapping regions. The material
attribute is set to region-material and the region attribute is set to region-name.

The following arguments must be specified:

■ v1: Center of the regular polygon.
■ rad: Radius of the circle that defines the vertex points.

The following arguments are optional:

■ nsides: Number of sides.
■ angle: Angle [degree], counterclockwise from the x-axis, which defines the ‘rotation’ of
the regular polygon.

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sdegeo:create-ruled-region

Examples
; Scheme Extension
(sdegeo:create-reg-polygon (position 0 0 0) 1 10 0 "Silicon" "region_1")

sdegeo:create-ruled-region
Creates a 2D ruled region.

Syntax
(sdegeo:create-ruled-region edge1 edge2 region-material region-name)

Argument Argument type

edge1 EDGE

edge2 EDGE

region-material DATEXMAT

region-name STRING

Returns
ENTITY (BODY)

Description

This Scheme extension adds a 2D ruled region to the model. The ruled region is defined by
specifying two existing edges. Edge orientation is not important, since the ruled region is
always created in such a way that a simply connected region is created. The selected edges
cannot intersect each other.

If the ruled region overlaps already existing regions, the default Boolean behavior determines
the topology of the newly inserted region and the overlapping regions. The material attribute is
set to region-material and the region attribute is set to region-name.

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sdegeo:create-sphere

sdegeo:create-sphere
Creates a sphere that is centered at a specified position.

Syntax
(sdegeo:create-sphere {center-position | {center-x center-y center-z}}
radius region-material region-name)

Argument Argument type

center-position POSITION

center-x REAL

center-y REAL

center-z REAL

radius REAL

region-material DATEXMAT

region-name STRING

Returns
ENTITY (BODY)

Description

The argument center-position specifies the center position of the sphere. Two syntax
formats are available for defining center-position:
■ The first (original) syntax format defines the center-position by placing the xyz
coordinates in a ‘position’ statement enclosed in parentheses (as shown in the example
creating sphere1).
■ The second syntax format defines the center position xyz coordinates without using the
‘position’ statement or the additional set of parentheses (as shown in the example defining
sphere2 and sphere3).

Otherwise, the two formats are identical.

The argument radius determines the size of the sphere.

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sdegeo:create-spline-wire

Examples
(sde:clear)
(define sphere1 (sdegeo:create-sphere (position -4 -4 0) 1.5 "Gold" ""))
(define sphere2 (sdegeo:create-sphere -30 0 0 15 "Silver" ""))
(define sphere3 (sdegeo:create-sphere 10 10 10 5 "Copper" ""))

sdegeo:create-spline-wire
Creates a spline wire.

Syntax
(sdegeo:create-spline-wire vertex-list)

Argument Argument type

vertex-list POSITION LIST

Returns
ENTITY (BODY)

Description

This Scheme extension defines a spline wire body. The vertex positions of the wire are
specified in the argument list as a position list. The wire body does not have an attached
material or region-name attribute, and is not written to the output boundary file. The wire body
can be used, for example, during a sweep operation when the sweep along a wire option is used.

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sdegeo:create-torus

sdegeo:create-torus
Creates a solid torus.

Syntax
(sdegeo:create-torus {center-position | {center-x center-y center-z}}
major-radius minor-radius region-material region-name)

Argument Argument type

center-position POSITION

center-x REAL

center-y REAL

center-z REAL

major-radius REAL

minor-radius REAL

region-material DATEXMAT

region-name STRING

Returns
ENTITY (BODY)

Description

This Scheme extension creates a solid torus of given radii centered at the origin. The torus is
defined in the xy plane of the active coordinate system and is oriented using the normal
gvector of the active coordinate system.

The argument center-position specifies the center location of the torus. Two syntax
formats are available for this argument:
■ The first (original) syntax format defines center-position by placing it in a ‘position’
statement enclosed in parentheses.
■ The second format defines the xyz coordinates of the center position without using the
‘position’ statement or the additional set of parentheses.

Otherwise, the two formats are identical.

The argument major-radius specifies the distance from the center to the spine curve lying
in this plane. It is specified around a circle having the minor axis and is swept to define the

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torus. Three shapes of tori can be specified (donut, apple, or lemon) depending on the relative
magnitudes of the major and minor radii:
■ If major-radius is greater than minor-radius, the torus is a donut.
■ If major-radius is positive, but smaller than minor-radius, the torus is an apple.
■ If major-radius is negative, the torus is a lemon.

Examples
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-torus (position -10 -5 -10) 7 3 "Gold" "")
(sdegeo:create-torus 10 15 20 10 5 "Gold" "")

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sdegeo:create-triangle

sdegeo:create-triangle
Creates a 2D triangular region.

Syntax
(sdegeo:create-triangle v1 v2 v3 region-material region-name)

Argument Argument type

v1 POSITION

v2 POSITION

v3 POSITION

region-material DATEXMAT

region-name STRING

Returns
ENTITY (BODY)

Description

This Scheme extension adds a 2D triangle to the model. The triangle is defined by specifying
three vertices.

If the generated triangle overlaps with existing regions, the default Boolean behavior
determines the topology of the newly inserted region and the overlapping regions. The material
attribute is set to region-material and the region attribute is set to region-name.

Examples
(sdegeo:create-triangle (position 0 0 0) (position 1 0 0) (position 0.5 1 0)
"Silicon" "sir")

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sdegeo:curve-intersect

sdegeo:curve-intersect
Returns the intersection positions of the specified curves.

Syntax
(sdegeo:curve-intersect edge1 edge2)

Argument Argument type

edge1 EDGE

edge2 EDGE

Returns
POSITION LIST

Description

This Scheme extension determines the intersections between the specified curves.

Examples
(define e1 (edge:linear (position 0 0 0) (position 10 10 0)))
(define e2 (edge:linear (position 0 10 0) (position 10 0 0)))
(sdegeo:curve-intersect e1 e2)
; (#[position 5 5 0])
(define e3 (edge:circular (position 5 5 0) 3))
(sdegeo:curve-intersect e1 e3)
; (#[position 7.12132034355964 7.12132034355964 0]
#[position 2.87867965644036 2.87867965644036 0])

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sdegeo:define-3d-contact-by-polygon

sdegeo:define-3d-contact-by-polygon
Defines a 3D face contact by a polygon.

Syntax
(sdegeo:define-3d-contact-by-polygon pos-list dir-vector contact-name)

Argument Argument type

pos-list POSITION LIST

dir-vector GVECTOR

contact-name STRING

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension imprints a general polygon wire to an existing body. The imprinted
wire splits the faces of the body. This Scheme extension can be used to define a polygonal
contact area. The imprint functions split faces to surface patches. After the face split, the newly
created face segments to be marked as contacts must be identified. During the assignment of
contacts, these face ID numbers can be used explicitly. The argument pos-list contains the
vertices of the imprinted polygon. The polygon must be closed to imprint it, so the first position
must be repeated as the last position.

The argument dir-vector specifies the direction in which the polygon is projected for the
imprint step. The argument contact-name specifies the name of the contact set.

Examples
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 10 10 10) "Silicon"
"region_1")
(sdegeo:define-contact-set "demo" 4 (color:rgb 1 0 0) "##")
(sdegeo:set-current-contact-set "demo")
(sdegeo:define-3d-contact-by-polygon (list (position 1 1 10) (position 5 1 10)
(position 5 5 10) (position 3 2 10) (position 1 5 10) (position 1 1 10))
(gvector 0 0 -1) "demo")

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sdegeo:define-contact-set

sdegeo:define-contact-set
Defines a contact set name and initializes the supporting data.

Syntax
(sdegeo:define-contact-set name [edgeThickness Color] | [Color facePattern])

Argument Argument type

name STRING

edgeThickness INTEGER (optional) (default is 4.0)

Color COLOR (optional) Default is (color:rgb 1.0 0.0 0.0)

facePattern STRING (optional) Can be one of:

"solid", "##", "||", "==", "//", "::", "<><>", "[] []"
(default is "##")

Returns

Unspecified.

Description

The last three arguments are optional and can be given in any order. If the contact set name is
already defined, the existing contact set is replaced by the new definition.

The argument Color is an RGB color object, for example, (color:rgb 0 1 0). The
color:rgb command takes three real-number arguments, each in the range [0,1].

For edge contacts (2D), the edgeThickness and Color arguments are used.
For face contacts (3D), the Color and facePattern arguments are used.
(The argument that is not used will be ignored if it is specified in the argument list.)

The Contact Sets button of the GUI is used to display the corresponding Contact Set dialog
box, which can be used to define the arguments interactively. (Choose Device > Contacts >
Contact Sets.)

Examples
(sdegeo:define-contact-set "Drain")
(sdegeo:define-contact-set "Source" 4.0 (color:rgb 1.0 0.0 0.0) "##")

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sdegeo:define-coord-sys

sdegeo:define-coord-sys
Creates a new coordinate system in the active work plane.

Syntax
(sdegeo:define-coord-sys cs-name x-pos y-pos angle)

Argument Argument type

cs-name STRING

x-pos REAL

y-pos REAL

angle REAL

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

If the active work plane is called awp, the newly created coordinate system is called awp_cs-
name. The origin of the new coordinate system is based at x-pos and y-pos, relative to the
origin of the active work plane. The coordinate system is rotated by angle [degree].
Counterclockwise rotation is positive (looking from the positive z-axis of the active work
plane).

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sdegeo:define-work-plane

sdegeo:define-work-plane
Creates a new work plane.

Syntax
(sdegeo:define-work-plane wp-name origin x-axis y-axis)

Argument Argument type

wp-name STRING

origin POSITION

x-axis POSITION

y-axis POSITION

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

The name of the work plane is wp-name. The origin of the work plane is placed at origin.
The x-axis points towards x-axis and the y-axis points towards y-axis. The z-axis is defined
by the right-hand rule. The origin must be considered when you define the x-axis and y-axis.

Examples
; Define a new working plane, wp1 parallel to the global x-y plane,
; located at z = 1.
(sdegeo:define-work-plane "wp1" (position 0 0 1) (position 1 0 1)
(position 0 1 1))

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sdegeo:del-short-edges

sdegeo:del-short-edges
Deletes short edges.

Syntax
(sdegeo:del-short-edges entity edge-length angular-tolerance)

Argument Argument type

entity ENTITY LIST

edge-length REAL

angular-tolerance REAL

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension deletes linear edges if the edge length is shorter than the specified
edge-length. Ridges can be protected by an angular tolerance, angular-tolerance. If the
vertex normal difference is larger than angular-tolerance at a given vertex location, the
vertex (and the adjoining edges) are protected. In this case, even if the edge length is smaller
than edge-length, the edge is not removed.

This Scheme extension is fast, very robust, and recommended to simplify 2D geometry.

Limitations

This Scheme extension applies to 2D models only.

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sdegeo:delete-collinear-edges

sdegeo:delete-collinear-edges
Deletes collinear edges from the specified edge list.

Syntax
(sdegeo:delete-collinear-edges edge-list)

Argument Argument type

edge-list EDGE LIST

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension removes collinear edges from the specified edge list by merging the
neighboring collinear edges into one single-edge entity.

Limitations

This Scheme extension applies to 2D models only.

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sdegeo:delete-contact-boundary-edges

sdegeo:delete-contact-boundary-edges
Removes the active contact set attribute from all edges of the specified regions.

Syntax
(sdegeo:delete-contact-boundary-edges [body | body-list])

Argument Argument type

body | body-list BODY | BODY LIST (optional)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension deletes the current contact set attributes from all edges of the selected
body or bodies. Alternatively, a body or body list can be given in the argument list. Only the
active contacts are removed.

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sdegeo:delete-contact-boundary-faces

sdegeo:delete-contact-boundary-faces
Deletes a contact attribute from all faces of the specified body or bodies.

Syntax
(sdegeo:delete-contact-boundary-faces [body | body-list])

Argument Argument type

body | body-list BODY | BODY LIST (optional)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension removes a contact attribute from all faces of each specified body in
body-list. If the argument list is empty and body-list is not defined, the Scheme
extension takes the body or bodies from (sde:selected-entities). The active contact set
name is taken to specify the contacts. Alternatively, to the selected faces, a face list can be given
explicitly in the argument list.

Examples
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:define-contact-set "xx" 4.0 (color:rgb 1 0 0) "##")
(sdegeo:set-current-contact-set "xx")
(define mycube (sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 1)
"PolySilicon" "region_1"))
(sdegeo:set-contact-boundary-faces mycube)
(sdegeo:delete-contact-boundary-faces mycube)

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sdegeo:delete-contact-edges

sdegeo:delete-contact-edges
Deletes the current contact set attributes from the selected edges.

Syntax
(sdegeo:delete-contact-edges [edge | edge-list])

Argument Argument type

edge | edge-list EDGE | EDGE LIST (optional)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension deletes the current contact set attributes from the selected edges.
Alternatively, an edge or edge list can be given in the argument list. Only the active contacts
are removed. (Choose Device > Contacts > Unset Edges.)

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sdegeo:delete-contact-faces

sdegeo:delete-contact-faces
Removes the contact attribute from specified faces.

Syntax
(sdegeo:delete-contact-faces [face | face-list])

Argument Argument type

face | face-list FACE | FACE LIST (optional)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension removes a contact attribute from faces. If the argument list is empty and
face-list is not defined, the Scheme extension takes the faces from (sde:selected-
entities). The name of the active contact set is taken to specify the contacts. Alternatively,
to the selected faces, a face list can be given explicitly in the argument list.

sdegeo:delete-contact-set
Deletes the specified contact set.

Syntax
(sdegeo:delete-contact-set) contact-name

Argument Argument type

contact-name STRING

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension deletes the specified contact set and removes the corresponding contact
attributes (either ‘2D contact’ or ‘3D contact’).

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sdegeo:delete-coord-sys

sdegeo:delete-coord-sys
Deletes the specified coordinate system.

Syntax
(sdegeo:delete-coord-sys cs-name)

Argument Argument type

cs-name STRING

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme extension deletes the specified coordinate system.

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sdegeo:delete-edges

sdegeo:delete-edges
Deletes the specified edges.

Syntax
(sdegeo:delete-edges edge-list [angular-tolerance])

Argument Argument type

edge-list EDGE LIST

angular-tolerance REAL (optional)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension removes the specified edges from the model. If there are neighboring
regions, edges that are shared by more than one body must be selected from all bodies.
Otherwise, model conformity is not preserved.

By default, a 90° angular tolerance is used to protect model features (that is, only those edges
from the specified entity list that enclose an angle larger than 90° will be removed from the
edge list).

The optional argument angular-tolerance value (in degrees) can be used to modify the
default setting.

The sdegeo:delete-edges command appends the input edge-list with all the matching
neighbor edges to provide a conformal result (no gaps or overlaps are created by
sdegeo:delete-edges between the originally matching neighbor bodies).

Limitations

This Scheme extension applies to 2D models only. Only linear edges can be deleted.

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sdegeo:delete-nearly-collinear-edges

sdegeo:delete-nearly-collinear-edges
Deletes nearly collinear edges from the specified edge list.

Syntax
(sdegeo:delete-nearly-collinear-edges edge-list dist)

Argument Argument type

edge-list EDGE LIST

dist REAL

Returns

None.

Description

Nearly collinear edges are defined as follows: If the distance from the point between the two
edges is closer than the specified distance (dist) to the edge that is defined by the other two
noncommon endpoints of the two edges, they are classified as nearly collinear. All nearly
collinear edges are removed from the edge list.

Limitations

This Scheme extension applies to 2D models only.

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sdegeo:delete-region

sdegeo:delete-region
Deletes the specified region or regions, including Ref/Eval window bodies.

Syntax
(sdegeo:delete-region bodies)

Argument Argument type

bodies BODY | BODY LIST

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension removes the specified body or bodies from the entity list. The body is
specified by its entity number. The specified regions are permanently removed from the model.

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sdegeo:delete-short-edges

sdegeo:delete-short-edges
Deletes all edges from the edge list that are shorter than the specified edge length.

Syntax
(sdegeo:delete-short-edges edge-list max-edge-length)

Argument Argument type

edge-list EDGE LIST

max-edge-length REAL

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension removes edges from the specified list of edges. An edge is deleted from
the model only if the length of the edge is shorter than the specified edge length, max-edge-
length. If there are neighboring regions, edges that are shared by more than one body must
be selected from all bodies. Otherwise, model conformity is not preserved.

Limitations

This Scheme extension applies to 2D models only.

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sdegeo:delete-vertices

sdegeo:delete-vertices
Deletes the specified vertices.

Syntax
(sdegeo:delete-vertices vertex-list)

Argument Argument type

vertex-list VERTEX LIST

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension removes the specified vertices from the model. If there are neighboring
regions, vertices that are located at the same position and are shared by more than one body
must be selected from all bodies. Otherwise, model conformity is not preserved.

Limitations

This Scheme extension applies to 2D models only. Only vertices that are shared by linear edges
can be deleted.

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sdegeo:delete-work-plane

sdegeo:delete-work-plane
Deletes a work plane.

Syntax
(sdegeo:delete-work-plane wp-name)

Argument Argument type

wp-name STRING

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme extension deletes the specified work plane wp-name.

Limitations

The global work plane ‘base’ is created automatically and cannot be deleted.

sdegeo:distance
Returns the distance between two vertices.

Syntax
(sdegeo:distance vertex-list)

Argument Argument type

vertex-list VERTEX LIST

Returns
REAL

Description

This Scheme extension returns the distance between two vertices.

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sdegeo:dnce

sdegeo:dnce
Deletes nearly collinear edges from a 2D model.

Syntax
(sdegeo:dnce angular-tolerance)

Argument Argument type

angular-tolerance REAL

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension removes nearly collinear edges from a 2D model. The specified angular
tolerance, angular-tolerance, determines which linear edges are removed.

If the edge normals differ less than the angular tolerance (in degrees) at a given vertex, the two
neighboring edges will be deleted and they will be replaced by a linear edge connecting the
other two vertices of the two original edges that shared the given vertex.

Limitations

This Scheme extension applies to 2D models only.

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sdegeo:extend-device

sdegeo:extend-device
Extends a device around its axis-aligned perimeter.

Syntax
(sdegeo:extend-device { "right" rightextension } { "left" leftextension }
{ "top" topextension } { "bottom" bottomextension })

Argument Argument type

"right" KEYWORD

rightextension REAL

"left" KEYWORD

leftextension REAL

"top" KEYWORD

topextension REAL

"bottom" KEYWORD

bottomextension REAL

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme extension extends a device around its axis-aligned perimeter. The keywords
specify the direction of the extension. At least one of the keywords must be used in the
argument list. More than one keyword can be used together with the actual extension distance.

If an extension is defined around a corner (for example, both "top" and "right" are
specified), the rounded corner will be filled as well. The region names of the extended strips
will be derived from the original region names. The extended sides must be axis aligned.

The sdegeo:extend-device command takes the process up direction into consideration. If

the process up direction is set to "-x":
■ "left" is interpreted as "bottom".
■ "right" is interpreted as "top".
■ "top" is interpreted as "left".
■ "bottom" is interpreted as "right".

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sdegeo:extend-device

Limitations

This Scheme extension applies to 2D models only.

Examples
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 1 0.2 0) "Silicon" "xx1")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0.2 0) (position 1 0.3 0) "Copper" "xx2")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0.3 0) (position 1 0.6 0) "Silver" "xx3")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0.6 0) (position 1 0.7 0) "PolySi" "xx4")
(sdegeo:extend-device "right" 0.3 "top" 0.2)

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sdegeo:extrude

sdegeo:extrude
Extrudes a 2D device to a 3D model.

Syntax
(sdegeo:extrude body-list extrusion-depth [extrude-option])

Argument Argument type

body-list BODY LIST

extrusion-depth REAL

extrude-option "2D" | "3D" | "Mixed" (optional)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension takes a list of 2D bodies (specified by body-list) and extrudes them
in the positive z-direction by extrusion-depth. Instead of body-list, the keyword all
can be used, in which case, the complete model is extruded.

This Scheme extension also applies to Ref/Eval windows. In the case of a submesh reference,
information regarding the extruded Ref/Eval window before the extrusion and the
extrusion-depth are stored in the command file, so that the meshing engine can reproduce
doping information in the 3D extruded profile. For other doping profile types, the extruded Ref/
Eval window is stored directly in the command file without extrusion information.

The optional extrude-option argument can be set either to "2D", "3D", or "Mixed", and
it can be used to filter the input body-list:
■ If extrude-option is "2D" (default), only 2D entities (sheet bodies) from the input
body-list will be extruded.
■ If extrude-option is "3D", only the faces of 3D entities (solid bodies with a positive
volume) from the input body-list will be extruded.
■ If extrude-option is "Mixed", both 2D and 3D entities are extruded (the entire body-
list).

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sdegeo:extrude

Examples
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 10 10 0) "Silicon"
"region_1")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 10 0) (position 10 10.1 0) "Oxide"
"region_2")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 4 10.1 0) (position 6 14 0) "PolySilicon"
"region_3")
(sdegeo:extrude "all" 4)

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sdegeo:face-find-interior-point

sdegeo:face-find-interior-point
Finds an interior point on a face.

Syntax
(sdegeo:face-find-interior-point position)

Argument Argument type

position POSITION

Returns
ENTITY (FACE)

Description

This Scheme extension takes a face Scheme object and returns a position object for an interior
point of that face.

Examples
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 10 10 10) "Silicon" "xx")
(define myface (car (find-face-id (position 5 5 10))))
(sdegeo:face-find-interior-point myface)
;; #[ position 5 5 10 ]

(sde:clear)
(define mybody (sdegeo:create-polygon (list (position 0 0 0) (position 10 0 0)
(position 10 5 0) (position 9 5 0) (position 9 1 0) (position 1 1 0)
(position 1 5 0) (position 0 5 0) (position 0 0 0)) "Silicon" "xx"))
(define myface (car (entity:faces mybody)))
(sdegeo:face-find-interior-point myface)
;; #[ position 5 0.5 0 ]

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sdegeo:fillet

sdegeo:fillet
Performs a 3D edge or vertex rounding operation.

Syntax
(sdegeo:fillet edge | vertex-list fillet-radius [adaptive-filleting])

Argument Argument type

edge | vertex-list EDGE LIST | VERTEX LIST

fillet-radius REAL

adaptive-filleting BOOLEAN (optional)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension performs edge or vertex roundings for 3D bodies.

The argument edge | vertex-list contains a list of edges or a list of vertices to be rounded.
The argument fillet-radius is the rounding radius used for the operation.
The optional argument adaptive-filleting is used to perform adaptive filleting.

The GUI can be used to select the edges that need to be rounded or other methods can be used
to find the edge entity IDs. For example, find-edge-id can be used to find the edge IDs.

Rounding is a complex operation and can fail for several reasons. A common problem is the
use of an incorrect fillet-radius, which is usually too large. The fillet-radius must
be selected so that the resulting model (after performing the filleting operation) is physically
(topologically) correct. Another typical problem is the incorrect selection of the edges to be
filleted. The edge | vertex-list must contain all tangent continuous edges if an edge list is
specified; otherwise, rounding fails. Rounding changes model topology; new faces (and edges)
are created and old faces (edges) are removed from the model. When rounding is performed in
several steps, the order of performing the sdegeo:fillet operation can be important. The
rounding uses a constant-radius rounding for all edges in the edge | vertex-list.

The optional adaptive-filleting Boolean argument can be used to perform adaptive

filleting. If this option is used and the argument is set to #t, then if the filleting operation fails
using the original fillet-radius value, the operation is repeated with a sequence of filleting

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sdegeo:fillet

operations, using an adaptive approach, to set the fillet radius to smaller values until the
operation succeeds.

Examples
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 10 10 10) "Silver" "region_1")
(define edge1 (find-edge-id (position 5 0 0)))
(sdegeo:fillet edge1 2)
(define face1 (find-face-id (position 5 5 10)))
(sdegeo:fillet (entity:edges face1) 1)
(define face1 (find-face-id (position 5 0 5)))
(sdegeo:fillet (entity:edges face1) 3)

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sdegeo:fillet-2d

sdegeo:fillet-2d
Rounds the specified vertex or vertices.

Syntax
(sdegeo:fillet-2d vertex(s) fillet-radius)

Argument Argument type

vertex(s) ACIS VERTEX | ACIS VERTEX LIST

fillet-radius REAL

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension rounds the specified vertex or list of vertices.

When you use the GUI, this operation is applied to the selected entities. ((sde:selected-
entities) returns the selected entity list.) (Choose Edit > Edit 2D > Fillet.)

NOTE When the rounding is to be performed on a vertex (or vertices) that is

shared by neighboring regions, all vertices must be added to the
argument list.

Limitations

The fillet-radius must be selected so that the operation does not result in an invalid
geometry. Small roundings can result in an excessive number of small elements during
meshing.

Examples
(define mybody (sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 10 10 0)
"Silicon" "region_1"))
(define myvertices (entity:vertices mybody))
(sdegeo:fillet-2d (list (list-ref myvertices 0) (list-ref myvertices 1)) 3)

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sdegeo:find-closest-edge

sdegeo:find-closest-edge
Finds the entity ID of the closest edge to the specified position.

Syntax
(sdegeo:find-closest-edge position)

Argument Argument type

position POSITION

Returns
(EDGE.REAL)

Description

This Scheme extension goes through the edge list of all defined geometric bodies and returns
the entity ID of the closest edge to the specified position.

sdegeo:find-closest-face
Finds the entity ID of the closest face to the specified position.

Syntax
(sdegeo:find-closest-face position)

Argument Argument type

position POSITION

Returns
(FACE.REAL)

Description

This Scheme extension goes through the face list of all defined geometric bodies and returns
the entity ID of the closest face to the specified position.

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sdegeo:find-closest-vertex

sdegeo:find-closest-vertex
Finds the entity ID of the closest vertex to the specified position.

Syntax
(sdegeo:find-closest-vertex position)

Argument Argument type

position POSITION

Returns
(VERTEX.REAL)

Description

This Scheme extension goes through the vertex list of all defined geometric bodies and returns
the entity ID of the closest vertex to the specified position.

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sdegeo:find-touching-faces

sdegeo:find-touching-faces
Finds all touching faces from those specified.

Syntax
(sdegeo:find-touching-faces flist)

Argument Argument type

flist FACE | FACE LIST

Returns
ENTITY (FACE PAIR) | (FACE PAIR LIST)

Description

This Scheme extension takes a list of faces and returns a list of pairs. The face pair list contains
entries only for those faces from the input list that have neighbor faces. For these faces, the
input face entity ID and the entity ID of the neighboring touching face are returned as a pair.

Examples
(sde:clear)
(define mb1 (sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 10 10 10)
"Silicon" "x1"))
(define mb2 (sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 3 3 6) (position 7 7 12)
"PolySilicon" "x2"))
(define nfl (sdegeo:find-touching-faces (car (find-face-id (position 5 3 7)
mb2))))
;; In this case, (cdar nfl) will return the face on the Silicon body that is
;; neighbor to the PolySilicon (car (find-face-id (position 5 3 7) mb2)) face
;; (there is only one such face).
(define nfl (sdegeo:find-touching-faces (entity:faces mb2)))
;; Return a list that contains all neighbor Silicon faces (listing as PAIRs
;; with the corresponding PolySilicon face). There are 5 such face pairs
;; returned in the nfl list, since there are 5 neighbor Silicon faces to the
;; PolySilicon body.

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sdegeo:find-touching-faces-global

sdegeo:find-touching-faces-global
Finds all touching faces.

Syntax
(sdegeo:find-touching-faces-global flist)

Argument Argument type

flist FACE | FACE LIST

Returns
ENTITY FACE LIST

Description

This Scheme extension takes a list of faces and returns a face list. The returned list contains
entries only for those faces from the input list that have neighbor faces. For these faces, the
neighboring touching face IDs are returned.

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sdegeo:get-active-work-plane

sdegeo:get-active-work-plane
Returns the name of the active work plane.

Syntax
(sdegeo:get-active-work-plane)

Returns
STRING

Description

This Scheme extension returns the name of the active work plane.

sdegeo:get-auto-region-naming
Returns the status of the automatic region-naming option.

Syntax
(sdegeo:get-auto-region-naming)

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme extension returns #t if the automatic region-naming option is switched on. It
returns #f if it is switched off.

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sdegeo:get-contact-edgelist

sdegeo:get-contact-edgelist
Returns the edges that have the specified contact set as ‘2D contact’ attributes.

Syntax
(sdegeo:get-contact-edgelist contact-set-name)

Argument Argument type

contact-set-name STRING

Returns
EDGE LIST

Description

This Scheme extension returns all edges that have the specified contact set name attached as a
"2d-contact" attribute. The argument contact-set-name is the name of the contact set.

sdegeo:get-contact-facelist
Returns the faces that have the specified contact set as ‘3D contact’ attributes.

Syntax
(sdegeo:get-contact-facelist contact-set-name)

Argument Argument type

contact-set-name STRING

Returns
FACE LIST

Description

This Scheme extension returns all faces that have the specified contact set name attached as a
"3d-contact" attribute. The argument contact-set-name is the name of the contact set.

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sdegeo:get-current-contact-set

sdegeo:get-current-contact-set
Returns the name of the current (active) contact set.

Syntax
(sdegeo:get-current-contact-set)

Returns
STRING

Description

This Scheme extension returns the name of the current (active) contact set.

Examples
(sdegeo:define-contact-set "Drain")
(sdegeo:define-contact-set "Source" 4.0 (color:rgb 1.0 0.0 0.0) "##")
(sdegeo:set-current-contact-set "Drain")
(sdegeo:get-current-contact-set)

sdegeo:get-default-boolean
Returns the default Boolean behavior.

Syntax
(sdegeo:get-default-boolean)

Returns
STRING

Description

This Scheme extension returns the default Boolean behavior as a string, which can be any of
the following predefined values: "AB", "ABA", "BAB", "ABiA", "ABiB", and "XX".

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sdegeo:get-region-counter

sdegeo:get-region-counter
Returns the region counter.

Syntax
(sdegeo:get-region-counter)

Returns
INTEGER

Description

This Scheme extension returns the valid region counter. By default, region names are assigned
automatically to the generated regions. The generated region names are region_%N, where %N
is the region counter. The Scheme extension returns %N.

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sdegeo:imprint-circular-wire

sdegeo:imprint-circular-wire
Splits boundary faces by imprinting a circular wire to the model.

Syntax
(sdegeo:imprint-circular-wire center-position radius)

Argument Argument type

center-position POSITION

radius REAL

Returns
FACE ID | FACE ID LIST

Description

This Scheme extension imprints a circular wire to an existing body. The imprinted wire splits
the faces of the existing bodies. This Scheme extension can be used to prescribe a circular
contact area.

The imprint functions split existing faces to surface patches. After the face split, the newly
created face patches to be marked as contacts must be identified. During the assignment of
contacts, these face ID numbers can be used explicitly. The argument center-position is
used to define the center of the circular wire body, and radius specifies the radius of the
circular patch.

The extension returns the FACE ID or the FACE ID LIST of the imprinted faces.

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sdegeo:imprint-contact

sdegeo:imprint-contact
Imprints 3D face contacts to neighboring faces.

Syntax
(sdegeo:imprint-contact)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension imprints all 3D contacts (face contacts) to the neighboring touching
faces. The Scheme extension sdegeo:set-contact-boundary-faces does this
automatically.

However, if the sdegeo:set-contact faces function is used for contact assignment, that
function does not imprint the 3D contact to the neighboring touching faces. If this is needed,
sdegeo:imprint-contact can be used to add the contacts to the touching faces.

Examples
(sde:clear)
(define mb1 (sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 10 10 4) "Silicon"
"x1"))
(define mb2 (sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 3 3 4) (position 7 7 6)
"PolySilicon" "x2"))
(sdegeo:define-contact-set "base" 4 (color:rgb 1 0 0) "##")
(sdegeo:set-current-contact-set "base")
(define siliconface (car (find-face-id (position 5 5 4) mb1)))
(sdegeo:set-contact (list siliconface) "base")
;; Now the contact face is defined on the Silicon body (mb1) but the contact is
;; not yet defined on the touching face of the PolySilicon body (mb2).
(sdegeo:imprint-contact)
;; The contact is transferred to the neighbor face of the PolySilicon body as
;; well.

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sdegeo:imprint-polygonal-wire

sdegeo:imprint-polygonal-wire
Splits boundary faces by imprinting a polygonal wire to the model.

Syntax
(sdegeo:imprint-polygonal-wire vertex-list)

Argument Argument type

vertex-list POSITION LIST

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension imprints a polygonal wire to an existing body. The imprinted wire splits
the faces of the existing body. This Scheme extension can be used to prescribe a polygonal
contact area. The imprint functions split existing faces to surface patches. After the face split,
the newly created face patches to be marked as contacts must be identified. During the
assignment of contacts, these face ID numbers can be used explicitly.

The argument vertex-list contains the vertices of the imprinted polygon. The polygon
must be closed to imprint it, so the first position must be repeated as the last position.

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sdegeo:imprint-rectangular-wire

sdegeo:imprint-rectangular-wire
Splits boundary faces by imprinting a rectangular wire to the model.

Syntax
(sdegeo:imprint-rectangular-wire position1 position2)

Argument Argument type

position1 POSITION

position2 POSITION

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension imprints a rectangular wire to an existing body. The imprinted wire
splits the faces of the existing body. This Scheme extension can be used to prescribe a
rectangular contact area. The imprint functions split existing faces to surface patches. After the
face split, the newly created face patches to be marked as contacts must be identified. During
the assignment of contacts, these face ID numbers can be used explicitly.

The arguments position1 and position2 define the two opposite corners of the imprinted
rectangular body.

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sdegeo:imprint-triangular-wire

sdegeo:imprint-triangular-wire
Splits boundary faces by imprinting a triangular wire to the model.

Syntax
(sdegeo:imprint-triangular-wire position1 position2 position3)

Argument Argument type

position1 POSITION

position2 POSITION

position3 POSITION

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension imprints a triangular wire to an existing body. The imprinted wire splits
the faces of the existing body. This Scheme extension can be used to prescribe a triangular
contact area. The imprint functions split existing faces to surface patches. After the face split,
the newly created face patches to be marked as contacts must be identified. During the
assignment of contacts, these face ID numbers can be used explicitly.

The arguments position1, position2, and position3 define the three vertices of the
imprinted triangular wire.

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sdegeo:insert-vertex

sdegeo:insert-vertex
Inserts a vertex in a 2D model.

Syntax
(sdegeo:insert-vertex vertex-list)

Argument Argument type

vertex-list VERTEX LIST

Returns

None.

transform transform:reflection

keep-flag BOOLEAN

reverse-DRS-flag BOOLEAN (optional)

Returns

None.

Description

The reflection data is specified through a transform, which is a transform:reflection-

type transform object.

If keep-flag is #t and the mirrored body overlaps the original body, the two bodies are
merged in the case of geometric bodies. Doping and Ref/Eval bodies are merged even if the
original and the mirrored bodies are disjoint.

If the optional reverse-DRS-flag is #t, doping and Ref/Eval wire bodies such as the
direction of the doping baselines are reversed before being mirrored. So that after mirroring,
the doping direction remains the same as the original. The default value is #f.

Examples
(sde:clear)
(define mb (sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 1 1 0) (position 2 2 0)
"Silicon" "xx"))
(define tr1 (transform:reflection (position 0 0 0) (gvector -1 0 0)))
(sdegeo:mirror-selected (get-body-list) tr1 #t)

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sdegeo:move-2d-regions

sdegeo:move-2d-regions
Moves the specified regions.

Syntax
(sdegeo:move-2d-regions body | body-list gvector)

Argument Argument type

body BODY

body-list BODY LIST

gvector GVECTOR

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme extension moves the specified regions (identified by their entity IDs) to a new
location. The new position of the regions is specified by a gvector.

Limitations

This Scheme extension applies to 2D models only.

Examples
(sde:clear)
(define mb1 (sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 0) "Silver"
"region_1"))
(sdegeo:move-2d-regions mb1 (gvector 1 1 0))

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sdegeo:move-edge

sdegeo:move-edge
Moves the specified edge.

Syntax
(sdegeo:move-edge edge gvector)

Argument Argument type

edge EDGE

gvector GVECTOR

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension moves the specified edge (identified by its entity ID) to a new location.
The new position of the edge is specified by a gvector.

Limitations

This Scheme extension applies to 2D models only.

Examples
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 0) "Silver" "region_1")
(define top-edge (car (find-edge-id (position 0.5 1 0))))
(sdegeo:move-edge top-edge (gvector 0.2 0.2 0))

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sdegeo:move-vertex

sdegeo:move-vertex
Moves the selected vertex.

Syntax
(sdegeo:move-vertex ve pe)

Argument Argument type

ve VERTEX | VERTEX LIST

pe POSITION | GVECTOR | POSITION LIST

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension moves the specified vertex or vertex list (identified by its entity IDs) to
a new location, which is given by a position entity or by a gvector (if a single vertex is the
input). If the input is a vertex list, the new vertex positions can be specified by either a gvector
or a position list.

Limitations

This Scheme extension applies to 2D models only. Vertices of 2D geometric bodies, as well as
vertices of 2D DRS bodies (Ref/Eval windows), can be used.

Examples
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 0) "Silver" "region_1")
(define lower-left-vertex (car (find-vertex-id (position 0 0 0))))
(sdegeo:move-vertex lower-left-vertex (position -0.2 0.2 0))

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sdegeo:point-entity-relationship

sdegeo:point-entity-relationship
Returns the containment relationship between a body and a point.

Syntax
(sdegeo:point-entity-relationship body lposition)

Argument Argument type

body BODY

lposition POSITION

Returns
STRING ("inside", "boundary", "outside")

Description

This Scheme extension determines the containment of the specified position with respect to the
specified body:
■ If the body contains the specified position, the Scheme extension returns inside.
■ If the body lies on a face of the body, the Scheme extension returns boundary.
■ If the point is not contained, the Scheme extension returns outside.

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sdegeo:polygonal-split

sdegeo:polygonal-split
Splits a 2D device along the specified path.

Syntax
(sdegeo:polygonal-split plist)

Argument Argument type

plist POSITION LIST

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension splits a 2D device along the specified path. The first and last positions
in the argument list snap to the closest boundary edge. All device bodies are split along the
specified path, and a new unique region name is assigned to each split part (original region
name plus _N, where N is a counter, which counts the split parts for each region separately).

Examples
(sdegeo:create-circle (position 7 5 0) 3 "Copper" "r3")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 10 5 0) "Silicon" "r1")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 3 5 0) (position 7 9 0) "PolySi" "r2")
(sdegeo:polygonal-split (list (position 2 4.5 0) (position 4 1 0)
(position 9 1 0) (position 9 6 0) (position 9 6 0)))

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sdegeo:prune-vertices

sdegeo:prune-vertices
Merges neighboring edges by pruning the vertices.

Syntax
(sdegeo:prune-vertices {body-list | edge-list | vertex-list}
angular-tolerance)

Argument Argument type

body-list BODY LIST

edge-list EDGE LIST

vertex-list VERTEX LIST

angular-tolerance REAL

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension merges neighboring edges by pruning the vertices. The angular-
tolerance argument specifies the angular threshold for the operation. If the edge normals (at
the common vertex position) are less than the specified angular-tolerance (in degrees),
the edges will merge by removing the common vertex and replacing the two neighboring linear
edges by a single edge.

The Scheme extension sdegeo:dnce (delete nearly collinear edges) calls sdegeo:prune-
vertices for all bodies.

This Scheme extension is fast, very robust, and recommended to simplify 2D geometry.

Limitations

This Scheme extension applies to 2D models only.

See Also

sdegeo:dnce on page 650

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sdegeo:ray-test

sdegeo:ray-test
Obtains the positions where a ray intersects a solid.

Syntax
(sdegeo:ray-test entity ray radius)

Argument Argument type

entity BODY

ray RAY

radius REAL

Returns
((ENTITY . POSITION) ...)

Description

This Scheme extension returns the positions where a ray intersects a solid as pairs. The first
element of each pair is the entity hit by the ray, and the second element of the pair is the
position where the ray intersects the solid. The pairs are sorted along the direction of the ray.
If the ray intersects a single face more than once, the Scheme extension returns the first
intersection.

The argument entity must be a solid body.

The argument ray consists of a position and a direction.

Examples
; solid:ray-test
; Create a solid block.
(define block1 (solid:block (position 0 0 0) (position 40 40 40)))
; Determine where the ray intersects the solid block.
(sdegeo:ray-test block1 (ray (position 10 20 60) (gvector 0 0 -1)) 0.1)
; ((#[face 20 1] . #[position 10 20 40]) (#[face 19 1] . #[position 10 20 0]))

(sde:clear)
(define mysphere (sdegeo:create-sphere (position 5 5 10) 3 "Gold" "x2"))
(sdegeo:ray-test mysphere (ray (position 5 5 20) (gvector 0 0 -1)) 0.1)
; ((#[face 27 1] . #[position 5 5 13]))

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sdegeo:reflect

sdegeo:reflect
Reflects the specified entities.

Syntax
(sdegeo:reflect entity-list base-position base-vector keep-flag)

Argument Argument type

entity-list BODY | BODY LIST | "all"

base-position POSITION

base-vector GVECTOR

keep-flag BOOLEAN

Returns

None.

Description

Instead of an entity-list, the keyword all can be used. In this case, the operation is
performed on all entities. The base position that is used for the operation is specified by base-
position. The argument base-vector is a gvector specifying the direction of the reflection.
The reflect operation generates new bodies that inherit the material properties of the parent
bodies.

If the base-vector points to the x-direction, the region names for the new regions are
inherited from the parent region names and .x is appended to the region names.

If gvector points to the y-direction, .y is appended to the region names. Similarly, for the z-
direction, .z is used. In all other cases, .tr is added to the region names.

The argument keep-flag determines whether the parent elements are kept. If keep-flag is
#t, the parent elements are kept. If it is #f, the parent elements are deleted.

Limitations

This Scheme extension is still available, but it is obsolete. Use sdegeo:mirror-selected.

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sdegeo:rename-contact

Examples
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "ABA")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 10 10 0) "Silicon"
"region_1")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 10 0) (position 10 10.1 0) "Oxide"
"region_2")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 4 10.1 0) (position 6 14 0) "PolySilicon"
"region_3")
; (sdegeo:extrude "all" 4)
(sdegeo:reflect "all" (position 10 0 0) (gvector 1 0 0) #t)

See Also

sdegeo:mirror-selected on page 675

sdegeo:rename-contact
Renames an existing contact.

Syntax
(sdegeo:rename-contact oldContName newContName)

Argument Argument type

oldContName STRING (name of the contact set)

newContName STRING

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension renames an existing contact.

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sdegeo:revolve

sdegeo:revolve
Revolves the specified entity or entities.

Syntax
(sdegeo:revolve entity-list base-position base-vector angle)

Argument Argument type

entity-list BODY | BODY LIST | "all"

base-position POSITION

base-vector GVECTOR

angle REAL

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension revolves the specified entity or entities with the specified base-
position and base-vector. The specified entity can be either a single entity or a list of
entities. Alternatively, all can be used, in which case, the complete device is revolved.

When the GUI is used, the revolve operation is applied to the selected entities.
((sde:selected-entities) returns the selected entity list.) If no entities are selected and
the GUI is used, the operation is performed for the complete model.

The revolve operation is defined by a base-position and base-vector. The specified

entity-list entities are revolved about the base-position. The axis of the revolve
operation is specified by base-vector. The revolve operation is always performed with
respect to the active coordinate system.

Limitations

When the operation is applied to only some parts of a device, overlapping regions or gaps can
be created. In this case, explicit Boolean operations must be performed on the model to avoid
overlapping regions.

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sdegeo:revolve

Examples
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "ABA")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 10 10 0) "Silicon"
"region_1")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 10 0) (position 10 10.1 0) "Oxide"
"region_2")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 4 10.1 0) (position 6 14 0) "PolySilicon"
"region_3")
(sdegeo:revolve "all" (position 0 0 0) (gvector 0 1 0) 90)
(sdegeo:reflect "all" (position 0 0 0) (gvector -1 0 0) #t)

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sdegeo:rotate-selected

sdegeo:rotate-selected
Rotates the specified entities.

Syntax
(sdegeo:rotate-selected entity-list transform
{[keep-flag]} |
{[keep-flag] [overlap-rule]} |
{[keep-flag] [repeat-number]} |
{[keep-flag] [repeat-number] [overlap-rule]})

Argument Argument type

entity-list BODY | BODY LIST

transform transform:rotation

keep-flag BOOLEAN (optional)

overlap-rule BOOLEAN or "ABA", "BAB" (optional)

repeat-number INTEGER (optional)

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

The rotation data is specified through a transform, which is a transform:rotation-type

transform object.

If keep-flag is #t, an optional argument repeat-number also can be specified. If keep-

flag is #t and the transformed entities overlap the existing entities, the default overlap
removal rule is used to delete the overlaps, or another overlap removal rule can be specified
using the optional overlap-rule argument.

The overlap-rule argument controls the automatic Boolean overlap removal. The default
value is #t, in which case, the overlaps are removed automatically. If overlap-rule is set to
#f, the automatic overlap control is disabled. This optional argument also can be any of the
valid automatic Boolean overlap removal methods ("ABA", "BAB", and so on), in which case,
the specified Boolean overlap removal rule will be used when the overlaps are deleted.

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sdegeo:rotate-selected

Examples
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "ABA")
(define mb (sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 10 0 0) (position 20 10 0)
"Silicon" "xx"))
(define tr (transform:rotation (position 0 0 0) (gvector 0 0 1) 30))
(sdegeo:rotate-selected mb tr #t 6)
;; overlaps are not removed
(roll)
(sdegeo:rotate-selected mb tr #t 6 #f)
;; same as above, the overlaps are not removed
(roll)
(sdegeo:rotate-selected mb tr #t 6 #t)
;; overlaps are removed, using the current "ABA" rule
(roll)
(sdegeo:rotate-selected mb tr #t 6 "BAB")
;; overlaps are removed, using the specified "BAB" rule

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sdegeo:scale

sdegeo:scale
Scales the specified entity or entities.

Syntax
(sdegeo:scale entity-list scale-x scale-y | scale-z)

Argument Argument type

entity-list BODY | BODY LIST | "all"

scale-x REAL

scale-y REAL

scale-z REAL (optional)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension scales the specified entity or entities with the specified scaling factors.
The specified entity can be either a single entity or a list of entities. Alternatively, all can be
used, in which case, the complete device is scaled.

When the GUI is used, scaling is applied to the selected entities. ((sde:selected-
entities) returns the selected entity list.) If no entities are selected and the GUI is used, the
operation is performed for the complete model. Scaling is defined by its xyz components. The
z-component is optional.

Note that the scale operation is always performed with respect to the active coordinate system,
that is, the xyz values are applied in the active coordinate system, in the local xyz directions.
(Choose Edit > Transform > Scale.)

Limitations

This Scheme extension is still available, but it is obsolete. Use sdegeo:scale-selected.

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sdegeo:scale-selected

See Also

sdegeo:scale-selected

sdegeo:scale-selected
Scales the specified entities.

Syntax
(sdegeo:scale-selected entity-list transform)

Argument Argument type

entity-list BODY | BODY LIST

transform transform:scaling

Returns

None.

Description

The scaling data is specified through a transform, which is a transform:scaling-type

transform object.

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sdegeo:set-active-coord-sys

sdegeo:set-active-coord-sys
Sets the specified coordinate system as the active coordinate system.

Syntax
(sdegeo:set-active-coord-sys cs-name)

Argument Argument type

cs-name STRING

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme extension sets the specified coordinate system with cs-name as the active
coordinate system. All subsequent geometry creation commands are applied to that coordinate
system.

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sdegeo:set-active-work-plane

sdegeo:set-active-work-plane
Sets the specified work plane as the active work plane.

Syntax
(sdegeo:set-active-work-plane wp-name)

Argument Argument type

wp-name STRING

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme extension sets the specified work plane with wp-name as the active work plane.
All subsequent geometry creation commands are applied to that work plane.

Examples
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 0) "Silicon"
"region_1")
(sdegeo:define-work-plane "wp1" (position 0 0 1) (position 1 0 1)
(position 0 1 1))
(sdegeo:set-active-work-plane "wp1")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 0) "PolySilicon"
"region_2")
; view the model, by rotating the view.

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sdegeo:set-auto-region-naming

sdegeo:set-auto-region-naming
Switches on or off the automatic region-naming option.

Syntax
(sdegeo:set-auto-region-naming on-off)

Argument Argument type

on-off BOOLEAN

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme extension switches on or off the automatic region-naming option. Regions are
named using region_%d, where %d is an increasing integer.

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sdegeo:set-contact

sdegeo:set-contact
Assigns the active contact to the specified entities.

Syntax
(sdegeo:set-contact entity | entity-list [contact-name ["remove"]])

Argument Argument type

entity ENTITY

entity-list ENTITY LIST

contact-name STRING (optional)

remove-flag "remove" (optional)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension attaches the active contact to the specified entity (or entities) if the
optional argument contact-name is not given.

If contact-name is given, it will be activated (or created as a contact if it does not exist). If
the entity type is EDGE, a 2D contact is defined. If the entity type is FACE (and the entity
belongs to a 3D body), a 3D contact will be assigned. If the entity is a 2D body, a 2D contact
will be defined on all edges of the entity. If the entity is a 3D body, a 3D contact will be defined
on all faces of the entity. (Choose Device > Contacts > Contact.)

Followed by the contact-name argument, the optional "remove" argument can be used. If
"remove" is used, the specified entity or entity-list bodies are deleted, and the contacts
are defined only for the imprinted edges or faces.

This Scheme extension is more convenient and can replace the following Scheme extensions:
■ sdegeo:set-contact-boundary-edges
■ sdegeo:set-contact-boundary-faces
■ sdegeo:set-contact-edges
■ sdegeo:set-contact-faces

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sdegeo:set-contact-boundary-edges

sdegeo:set-contact-boundary-edges
Attaches the name of the active contact set to all edges of a specified body.

Syntax
(sdegeo:set-contact-boundary-edges body | body-list)

Argument Argument type

body BODY

body-list BODY LIST

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension defines all edges of a selected region or regions as contacts, using the
name of the active contact set and the selected entities (sde:selected-entities).
Alternatively, a body list can be specified in the argument list. In this case, (sde:selected-
entities) is ignored and the edge list is extracted from the specified body list. (Choose
Device > Contacts > Set Region Boundary Edges.)

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sdegeo:set-contact-boundary-faces

sdegeo:set-contact-boundary-faces
Attaches a contact attribute to all faces of the specified body or bodies.

Syntax
(sdegeo:set-contact-boundary-faces body | body-list)

Argument Argument type

body | body-list BODY | BODY LIST

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension attaches a contact attribute to each face of the specified body or bodies.
If the argument list is empty, the Scheme extension takes the bodies from (sde:selected-
entities). The name of the active contact set is taken to specify the contacts. Alternatively,
to the selected faces, a face list can be given explicitly in the argument list.

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sdegeo:set-contact-edges

sdegeo:set-contact-edges
Marks the specified edges as contacts.

Syntax
(sdegeo:set-contact-edges edge-list contact-set-name)

Argument Argument type

edge-list EDGE LIST

contact-set-name REAL

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension marks all edges in edge-list as contacts. The argument contact-
set-name specifies the contact set to which the contact edges will belong. The specified
contact set must be predefined.

When the GUI is used to add contact attributes to the edges, the selected entities are used to
initialize edge-list. (sde:selected-entities) returns the edges that were previously
selected (and that are highlighted) from the GUI as contacts. The contact set name is the active
contact set name. (Choose Device > Contacts > Set Edges.)

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sdegeo:set-contact-faces

sdegeo:set-contact-faces
Attaches a contact attribute to specified faces.

Syntax
(sdegeo:set-contact-faces face | face-list)

Argument Argument type

face | face-list FACE | FACE LIST

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension attaches a contact attribute to faces. If the argument list is empty, the
Scheme extension takes the faces from (sde:selected-entities). The name of the active
contact set is taken to specify the contacts. Alternatively, to the selected faces, a face list can
be given explicitly in the argument list. (Choose Device > Contacts > Set Faces.)

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sdegeo:set-contact-faces-by-polygon

sdegeo:set-contact-faces-by-polygon
Attaches a ‘3D contact’ attribute to specified polygons.

Syntax
(sdegeo:set-contact-faces-by-polygon polygon-list normal-list
contact-set-name)

Argument Argument type

polygon-list POLYGON LIST (a polygon is a POSITION list)

normal-list GVECTOR LIST

contact-set-name STRING

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension provides an alternative way to prescribe contacts. It can attach a contact
attribute to only a part of an existing face (or list of faces).

The specified polygons are imprinted on the faces of the existing model. After the imprint
operation, the original faces are split and the contact attribute is attached to the imprinted face
segment. A normal vector must be specified for each face to mark the direction of the imprint.

Examples
; to define a polygonal contact region use sde:define-contact
; which is a list of polygons. (a polygon is a list of 3d vertices)
; example:
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 10 10 10) "Silicon" "r1")
(sdegeo:define-contact-set "c1" 4 (color:rgb 1 0 0) "##")
(sdegeo:define-contact-set "c2" 4 (color:rgb 1 0 0) "==")
(sdegeo:define-contact-set "c3" 4 (color:rgb 1 0 0) "//")
(sdegeo:set-current-contact-set "c1")
(sdegeo:set-contact-faces-by-polygon (list (list (position 8 7 10)
(position 9 8 10) (position 8 9 10) (position 7 8 10) (position 8 7 10)))
(list (gvector 0 0 -1)) "c1")
(sdegeo:set-contact-faces-by-polygon (list (list (position 0 0 0)
(position 2 0 0) (position 2 3 0) (position 0 3 0) (position 0 0 0)))
(list (gvector 0 0 1)) "c2")

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sdegeo:set-current-contact-set

(sdegeo:set-contact-faces-by-polygon (list (list (position 0 5 2)

(position 0 8 5) (position 0 5 8) (position 0 2 5)) (list (position 10 5 2)
(position 10 8 5) (position 10 5 8) (position 10 2 5)))
(list (gvector 1 0 0) (gvector -1 0 0)) "c3")
(sdegeo:set-contact-faces-by-polygon (list (list (position 0 5 2)
(position 0 8 5) (position 0 5 8) (position 0 2 5)) (list (position 10 5 2)
(position 10 8 5) (position 10 5 8) (position 10 2 5)))
(list (gvector 1 0 0) (gvector -1 0 0)) "c3")

sdegeo:set-current-contact-set
Sets the name of the current (active) contact set.

Syntax
(sdegeo:set-current-contact-set csName)

Argument Argument type

csName STRING

Returns

Name of the previously defined contact set.

Description

This Scheme extension sets the name of the current (active) contact to the specified contact set.
An error occurs if the specified contact set is not yet defined.

Examples
(sdegeo:define-contact-set "Drain")
(sdegeo:define-contact-set "Source" 4.0 (color:rgb 1.0 0.0 0.0) "##")
(sdegeo:set-current-contact-set "Drain")

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sdegeo:set-default-boolean

sdegeo:set-default-boolean
Sets the default Boolean behavior.

Syntax
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean boolean-value)

Argument Argument type

boolean-value STRING

Returns
STRING

Description

The argument boolean-value can be any of the following predefined values (the default
behavior determines how overlapping regions are treated):
■ When it is set to "AB", the newly created regions are merged (united) automatically with
all existing overlapping regions. The merged regions inherit the DATEX material (and
region name) from the new region.
■ "ABA" subtracts all overlapping regions from the existing regions.
■ "BAB" subtracts all existing regions from the newly created regions.
■ The "ABiA" behavior is similar to the "ABA" behavior, except that the overlaps are
separate regions (with the DATEX material inherited from the new regions).
■ "ABiB" is similar to "ABiA", except that the overlap regions inherit the DATEX material
from the existing regions.
■ "XX" allows the creation of overlapping regions. In this case, you must modify the model
by explicitly deleting the overlapping parts, before generating the tessellated boundary
output.

Examples
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "AB")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 10 10 0) "Silicon"
"region_1")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 3 8 0) (position 7 13 0) "PolySilicon"
"region_2")
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "ABA")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 20 0 0) (position 30 10 0) "Silicon"
"region_3")

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sdegeo:set-default-boolean

(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 23 8 0) (position 27 13 0) "PolySilicon"

"region_4")
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "BAB")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 40 0 0) (position 50 10 0) "Silicon"
"region_5")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 43 8 0) (position 47 13 0) "PolySilicon"
"region_6")
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "ABiA")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 20 0) (position 10 30 0) "Silicon"
"region_7")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 3 28 0) (position 7 33 0) "PolySilicon"
"region_8")
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "ABiB")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 20 20 0) (position 30 30 0) "Silicon"
"region_9")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 23 28 0) (position 27 33 0) "PolySilicon"
"region_10")
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "XX")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 40 20 0) (position 50 30 0) "Silicon"
"region_11")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 43 28 0) (position 47 33 0) "PolySilicon"
"region_12")

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sdegeo:set-region-counter

sdegeo:set-region-counter
Sets the region counter.

Syntax
(sdegeo:set-region-counter counter)

Argument Argument type

counter INTEGER

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension sets the region counter explicitly. When the automatic region-naming
option is selected, the generated regions are numbered sequentially using the region counter.
Regions are named automatically as Region_1, Region_2, and so on. When the region
counter is set to N, the next generated region is named Region_N.

sdegeo:set-region-counter-aut
Automatically sets the region counter.

Syntax
(sdegeo:set-region-counter-aut)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension sets the region counter automatically. The region attribute is checked
for each existing regions and, if a Region_N attribute is found, the region counter attribute is
set to the next available number N+1. When a boundary file is loaded, this Scheme extension
is called automatically.

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sdegeo:skin-wires

sdegeo:skin-wires
Creates a sheet body that interpolates a series of wires or faces.

Syntax
(sdegeo:skin-wires body-list [path] [skin-options])

Argument Argument type

body-list WIRE LIST | FACE LIST

path WIRE (optional)

skin-options SKIN OPTIONS (optional)

Returns
ENTITY (BODY)

Description

This Scheme extension defines a 3D body such that the given wires or faces define the cross
sections to be interpolated by the resulting 3D body. There must be at least two wire bodies or
faces specified. The wires can be open or closed. The wires are copies, that is, the originals
remain. The wires can share endpoints and do not have to be C1 continuous.

The argument body-list is a list of wire bodies.

The optional argument path defines a curve that is intersected with the plane of each profile.
At each of the resulting intersection points on the curve, the tangent vector is calculated and is
applied to the surface as a constraint at that profile.

The argument skin-options defines the different skinning options. For a complete list of
skinning options, see skin:options on page 802.

Examples
(sde:clear)
(define b1 (sdegeo:create-circle (position 0 0 0) 10 "Copper" "r1"))
(define b2 (sdegeo:create-ellipse (position 0 0 20) (position 20 0 20)
0.5 "Copper" "r2"))
(define f1 (car (entity:faces b1)))
(define f2 (car (entity:faces b2)))
(define bs (sdegeo:skin-wires (list f1 f2)))
(sde:add-material bs "Copper" "bs")
(entity:delete (list b1 b2))

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sdegeo:skin-wires-guides

sdegeo:skin-wires-guides
Creates a sheet body that interpolates a series of wires or faces with a guide curve.

Syntax
(sdegeo:skin-wires-guides body-list guides [skin-options])

Argument Argument type

body-list WIRE LIST | FACE LIST

guides EDGE LIST

skin-options SKIN OPTIONS (optional)

Returns
ENTITY (BODY)

Description

The given wires or faces define the cross sections to be interpolated by the resulting sheet body.
The wire bodies are assumed to be simple and well-behaved. The wires can be open or closed.
The wires are copies, that is, the originals remain. The wires can share endpoints and do not
have to be C1 continuous.

The argument body-list is a list of wire bodies.

The argument guides is defined to be the curves for which the skinning surface directly
follows (in the skinning direction). The guides must intersect each wire profile within 1.0e-06,
and must start and end on the first and last profile exactly. Any number of guides can be added,
and they can fall directly on vertices or not. Guides must be C1 continuous and well-behaved
(no looping).

The argument skin-options defines the different skinning options. For a complete list of
skinning options, see skin:options on page 802.

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sdegeo:skin-wires-normal

sdegeo:skin-wires-normal
Creates a sheet body that interpolates a series of wires or faces with take-off vectors normal to
the plane of the wire body.

Syntax
(sdegeo:skin-wires-normal body-list normal-type [skin-options])

Argument Argument type

body-list WIRE LIST | FACE LIST

normal-type STRING

skin-options SKIN OPTIONS (optional)

Returns
ENTITY (BODY)

Description

The given wires or faces define the cross sections to be interpolated by the resulting sheet body
with the additional constraint of the surface take-off vectors leaving normal to the plane of each
of the wire bodies. There must be at least two wire bodies. The wire bodies are assumed to be
simple, meaning only the first wire of each body is used for skinning. The wires can be open
or closed. The wires are copies, that is, the originals remain. The wires can share endpoints and
do not have to be C1 continuous.

The argument body-list is a list of wire bodies.

The argument normal-type has four values: "first_normal", "last_normal",

"ends_normal", and "all_normal". These values specify to which profiles the normal
constraint must be applied. In the case of "first_normal", the constraint is applied only to
the first profile. Other values follow similarly.

The argument skin-options defines the different skinning options. For a complete list of
skinning options, see skin:options on page 802.

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sdegeo:skin-wires-vectors

sdegeo:skin-wires-vectors
Creates a sheet body that interpolates a series of wires with take-off vectors as constraints.

Syntax
(sdegeo:skin-wires-vectors body-list SPAvector-list
([guide-list] | [magnitude-list])
[skin-options])

Argument Argument type

body-list WIRE | FACE LIST

SPAvector-list GVECTOR (LIST)

guide-list EDGE (LIST) (optional)

magnitude-list REAL (LIST) (optional)

skin-options SKIN OPTIONS (optional)

Returns
ENTITY (BODY)

Description

The wires provided in the body-list argument define the cross sections to be interpolated by
the resulting sheet body. There must be at least two wire bodies. The wire bodies are assumed
to be simple, meaning only the first wire of each body is used for skinning. The wires can be
open or closed. The wires are copies, that is, the originals remain. The wires can share
endpoints and do not have to be C1 continuous.

The argument body-list is a list of wire bodies, and the argument SPAvector-list is a
list of vectors.

The argument magnitude-list is a list of magnitudes. Skinning with vectors accepts as

additional constraints a list of vectors and, optionally, a list of magnitudes to control the take-
off directions with which the skin surface leaves the profiles. The number of supplied vectors
must equal the number of profiles if the closed option is set to FALSE. If the closed option
is set to TRUE, one more vector can be given. It will be used on the copy that is made of the first
profile to create a closed body. If no additional vector is provided, the first vector will be used
also on the first profile copy. In a similar way, magnitudes can be provided. A profile will be
interpolated without constraint if the vector supplied for it is the zero vector.

The argument guide-list is a list of guides.

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sdegeo:split-insert-device

The argument skin-options defines the different skinning options. For a complete list of
skinning options, see skin:options on page 802.

sdegeo:split-insert-device
Splits the device and inserts a part between the split bodies.

Syntax
(sdegeo:split-insert-device splitpos splitdir splitlength | splitmerge)

Argument Argument type

splitpos POSITION

splitdir GVECTOR

splitlength REAL

splitmerge BOOLEAN

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme extension splits a device at a specified position and inserts a part between the split
bodies. The direction of the insertion also can be specified. The Scheme extension applies to
both 2D and 3D devices. If splitmerge is set to #t, the split faces are merged. In addition,
the Scheme extension supports the splitting of wire bodies.

Examples
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 0) "Silicon" "xx")
(sdegeo:split-insert-device (position 0.2 0 0) (gvector 1 0 0) 0.4 #t)
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 1) "Silicon" "xx")
(sdegeo:split-insert-device (position 0.2 0 0) (gvector 1 0 0) 0.4 #t)
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 1) "Silicon" "xx")
(sdegeo:split-insert-device (position 0.5 0.5 0.5) (gvector 1 1 0) 0.4 #t)

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sdegeo:split-solid

(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-sphere (position 0 0 0) 1 "Silicon" "xx")
(sdegeo:split-insert-device (position 0 0 0) (gvector 1 0 0) 0.4 #t)

sdegeo:split-solid
Splits the specified solid bodies.

Syntax
(sdegeo:split-solid body-list plane-position plane-normal)

Argument Argument type

body-list ENTITY | ENTITY LIST

plane-position POSITION

plane-normal VECTOR

Returns
ENTITY LIST

Description

This Scheme extension splits the specified solid or solid list along the specified plane. The
plane is defined by a position on the plane, plane-position, and the plane normal, plane-
normal. The solid list containing all the split solid bodies is returned.

This Scheme extension works for both 2D and 3D models.

Examples
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-cylinder (position 0 0 0) (position 0 0 10) 4
"PolySilicon" "x1")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position -10 -10 -10) (position 10 10 5) "Silicon" "x2")
(sdegeo:split-solid (get-body-list) (position 0 0 0) (gvector 1 0 0))

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sdegeo:sweep

sdegeo:sweep
Performs a sweep operation.

Syntax
(sdegeo:sweep profile {path | distance | vector | axis} [sweep-options])

Argument Argument type

profile FACE

path WIRE | EDGE

distance REAL

vector GVECTOR

axis POSITION . VECTOR

sweep-options SWEEP OPTIONS (optional)

Returns
ENTITY

Errors

An error is reported if the result of the sweep operation is unsuccessful.

Description

This Scheme extension creates a sheet body or solid body from a profile and a path. The
path can be defined as a path, a distance, a vector, or an axis (position and vector). The
argument profile is a pointer to a face, which in turn, defines the sweep geometry and
becomes the base of the solid or the edge of the surface.

The argument path is a wire body along which the profile is swept, and path can be
defined as:
■ A distance if profile is a planar face.
■ A vector if rail_law is used (no twist).
■ An axis (defined as position and vector) if rail_law is used (no twist).

The distance argument defines the distance to sweep along the face normal. The vector
argument defines the direction and distance to sweep. The axis argument is a position and
vector that defines the axis to revolve about. The amount to revolve is controlled by the sweep-

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sdegeo:sweep

angle option. The optional argument sweep-options contains the sweep-options data
structure.

This Scheme extension also applies to Ref/Eval windows. In the case of a submesh reference,
information regarding the sweep parameters and the pre-swept Ref/Eval window is stored in
the command file so that the meshing engine can reproduce doping information in the 3D swept
profile. For other doping profile types, the swept Ref/Eval window must be a valid 2D shape
(for reference/baseline) or a 3D shape (for evaluation window) since only the final swept
element is stored in the command file.

This data structure is created by sweep:options. If sweep-options is not specified, default

sweep-options values are used. The defaults are:
■ Create a solid.
■ Draft angle is 0.
■ Gap type is 2 (natural).
■ Twist angle is 0.
■ Rail law is minimum rotation.

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sdegeo:sweep-corner

sdegeo:sweep-corner
Performs a corner sweep operation.

Syntax
(sdegeo:sweep-corner profile axis)

Argument Argument type

profile FACE | FACE LIST

axis POSITION . VECTOR

Returns
ENTITY

Errors

An error is reported if the result of the corner sweep operation is unsuccessful.

Description

This Scheme extension creates a sheet body or solid body from a profile and an axis (position,
vector).

The generated solid body is similar to the generated solid body using sdegeo:sweep (when
the same axis method is used), except that the swept body is extended to form a right corner.

The axis argument is a position and vector that defines the axis to revolve about. The amount
to revolve is 90° for the corner sweep operation.

Examples
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 1 0 0) (position 2 1 0) "Silicon"
"region_1")
(sdegeo:sweep-corner (find-face-id (position 1.5 1 0)) (position 0 0 0)
(gvector 0 1 0))

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sdegeo:taper-faces

sdegeo:taper-faces
Tapers an array of faces about a point and a supplied draft vector by a given draft angle.

Syntax
(sdegeo:taper-faces face-list point normal angle)

Argument Argument type

face-list FACE LIST

point POSITION

normal GVECTOR

angle REAL

Returns
BODY

Description

This Scheme extension tapers the faces specified by face-list by the supplied draft angle
about an axis defined by the intersection between the plane of the face and a taper plane, which
is defined by a point and normal given as arguments to the Scheme extension. The direction of
the normal defines the direction of the angle, that is, the resulting angled plane will slope in the
direction of the draft plane normal. The taper plane need not intersect the face to be tapered
and, even when it does, this intersection need not be an edge of the body (unlike in edge
tapering).

The face-list identifies the faces of the body to be tapered. The argument point specifies
a position on the taper plane. The argument normal specifies the normal of the taper plane at
the point specified, and angle specifies the rotation angle in degrees.

Limitations

Only planes, cones, ruled surfaces, and previously plane-tapered surfaces (provided the same
taper plane is used) can be plane tapered.

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sdegeo:translate

sdegeo:translate
Translates the specified entity or entities.

Syntax
(sdegeo:translate entity-list translate-x translate-y | [translate-z])

Argument Argument type

entity-list BODY | BODY LIST | "all"

translate-x REAL

translate-y REAL

translate-z REAL (optional)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension translates the specified entity or entities with the specified distance.
The specified entity can be either a single entity or a list of entities. Alternatively, all can be
used, in which case, the complete device is translated. When you use the GUI, the translate
operation is applied to the selected entities. ((sde:selected-entities) returns the
selected entity list.) If no entities are selected and the GUI is used, the operation is performed
for the complete model. The translation is defined by its xyz components. The z-component is
optional. (Choose Edit > Transform > Translate.)

NOTE The translate operation is always performed with respect to the active
coordinate system, that is, the xyz values are applied in the active
coordinate system, in the local xyz directions.

Limitations

When the Scheme extension is applied only to some parts of a device, overlapping regions or
gaps can be created. In this case, explicit Boolean operations must be performed on the model
to avoid overlapping regions.

This Scheme extension is still available, but it is obsolete. Use sdegeo:translate-

selected instead.

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sdegeo:translate-selected

Examples
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "ABA")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 10 10 0) "Silicon"
"region_1")
(sdegeo:create-polygon (list (position 2 0 0) (position 3 2 0) (position 7 2 0)
(position 8 0 0) (position 8 -3 0) (position 7 -4 0) (position 3 -4 0)
(position 2 -3 0) (position 2 0 0)) "PolySilicon" "region_2")
(sdegeo:translate "all" 1 0)
(sdegeo:define-coord-sys "cs" 0 0 45)
(sdegeo:set-active-coord-sys "cs")
(sdegeo:translate "all" 1 0)

See Also

sdegeo:translate-selected

sdegeo:translate-selected
Translates the specified entities.

Syntax
(sdegeo:translate-selected entity-list transform keep-flag [repeat-number])

Argument Argument type

entity-list BODY | BODY LIST

transform transform:translation

keep-flag BOOLEAN

repeat-number INTEGER (optional)

Returns

None.

Description

The translate data is specified through a transform, which is a transform:translation-

type transform object. If keep-flag is #t and the translated geometric body overlaps the
original body, the overlap is removed using the default overlap handling rule.

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sdegeo:vsmooth

sdegeo:vsmooth
Two-dimensional boundary smoothing.

Syntax
(sdegeo:vsmooth polynomial-degree vertex-list)

Argument Argument type

polynomial-degree INTEGER (2 or 3)

vertex-list VERTEX LIST

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension can be used for 2D boundary smoothing and can be called multiple
times. It uses a least squares fit of a small set of consecutive data points (vertices) to a
polynomial and takes the calculated central point of the fitted polynomial curve as the new
smoothed data point (vertex). The fitted polynomial can be either quadratic or cubic.

The first argument of the function is the polynomial order (2 or 3). The second argument is the
vertex list that will be smoothed. You can specify all the vertices of the model as input by using
the (entity:vertices (get-body-list)) command.

The global Scheme variable bsmooth-ac specifies an angular criterion (in degrees) for shape
preservation (preserving ridges). The default value is 100.

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sdeicwb:clear

sdeicwb:clear
Removes all IC WorkBench (ICWB)–related data from memory.

Syntax
(sdeicwb:clear)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension removes all ICWB-related data from memory.

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sdeicwb:contact

sdeicwb:contact
Creates contacts for subsequent device simulations that are tied to a mask or a text label in the
TCAD layout file.

Syntax
(sdeicwb:contact ("label.name" label.name | "layer.name" layer.name)
("type" "box" "material" material ["adjacent.material" adjacent.material]
(["boxheight" boxheight] | ["hi" <n> "lo" <n>]) |
"type" "point" "material" material ["height" <n>] ["replace" #t | #f])
["name" name])

Argument Argument type

label.name STRING

layer.name STRING

type "box" or "point"

material STRING

adjacent.material STRING (optional)

boxheight REAL (optional)

hi REAL (optional)

lo REAL (optional)

height REAL (optional)

replace BOOLEAN (optional)

name STRING (optional)

Returns

Returns #t if successful. Otherwise, #f if the contact cannot be created.

Description

The command extracts the lateral placement of a contact from either the mask specified in the
layer.name argument or the anchor point location (or locations) of the text label specified in
the label.name argument.

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sdeicwb:contact

NOTE Before you can refer to a mask in sdeicwb:contact with the

layer.name argument, you must create it first, for example, with the
sdeicwb:generate-mask-by-layer-name Scheme extension or
the sdepe:generate-mask Scheme extension.

Invoke sde:separate-lumps before calling sdeicwb:contact to

avoid that a point-type contact is assigned erroneously to other lumps in
the requested material, which are not connected to the lump marked
with the text label.

The sdeicwb:contact command supports both box-type and point-type contacts:

■ A box-type contact ("type" "box") consists of elements at the surface of one region or
material inside the box. The lateral extent of the box is determined automatically from the
layer polygons, while the vertical extent is taken from the lo and hi arguments. If the lo
argument is not explicitly given, the vertical extent is determined automatically, based on
the topmost interface with the material in the command call. The vertical extent of the box
is controlled by boxheight.
The contact area is defined by the surface of the material specified with the material
argument, which lies inside the mentioned box. The contact area can be further restricted
to only the part of the surface that also touches the material specified with the
adjacent.material argument.

If a text label name is given, the layer associated with that text label is used.
■ A point-type contact ("type" "point") contains all the boundary elements of one region.
The lateral position of the point is determined automatically as a point inside the polygon,
while the vertical position is taken from the height argument. If the height argument is
not explicitly given, the vertical position is determined automatically, based on the
interfaces with the material specified with the material argument. If the replace option
is set to true, the original region of a contact is removed.
If a text label name is given, the anchor point of the text label is used.

The name of the contact defaults to the name of the layer or the text label, depending on
whichever is specified. This default name can be overwritten with the name argument.

NOTE It might be advantageous to create auxiliary layers or text labels in

IC WorkBench Edit/View Plus (ICWBEV Plus) for the placement of
contacts.

Examples

The location of contact faces can be defined using different argument combinations. The
following examples illustrate the use of the sdeicwb:contact arguments.

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sdeicwb:contact

Example 1

The hi and lo arguments define the box extent, where the contact faces are assigned, in the
x-direction or z-direction (depending on the up direction, which can be set by the sde:set-
process-up-direction Scheme extension). The following example creates a simple cube
with a mask, which covers the complete domain (base):
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 10 10 10) "Silicon" "xx")
(sde:addmasktomodel "m1" (list (list 0 0 10 10)))

If a mask covers only part of the specified material, the contact is assigned only that part of
the device, as follows:
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 5 10 10) "Silicon" "xx1")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 5 0 0) (position 10 10 10) "PolySilicon" "xx2")
(sde:addmasktomodel "m1" (list (list 0 0 10 10)))

If the contact should be assigned to the complete bottom and top faces, specify the lo and hi
arguments such that the bottom and the top faces are between the lo – hi interval, as follows:
(sdeicwb:contact "layer.name" "m1" "type" "box" "material" "Silicon"
"lo" -1 "hi" 11)

or:
(sdeicwb:contact "layer.name" "m1" "type" "box" "material" "Silicon"
"lo" (- (position:z (car (bbox-exact (get-body-list)))) 0.1)
"hi" (+ (position:z (cdr (bbox-exact (get-body-list)))) 0.1))

NOTE Both lo and hi must be below or above the bottom or top face z-
coordinate. Therefore, the following command does not work:
(sdeicwb:contact "layer.name" "m1" "type" "box" "material" "Silicon"
"lo" (position:z (car (bbox-exact (get-body-list))))
"hi" (position:z (cdr (bbox-exact (get-body-list)))))

Example 2

If you use (sde:set-process-up-direction 1), you must reverse the lo and hi

coordinates as follows:
(sde:clear)
(sde:set-process-up-direction 1)
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 10 10 10) "Silicon" "xx")
(sde:addmasktomodel "m1" (list (list 0 0 10 10)))
(sdeicwb:contact "layer.name" "m1" "type" "box" "material" "Silicon"
"lo" 11 "hi" -1)

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or:
(sdeicwb:contact "layer.name" "m1" "type" "box" "material" "Silicon"
"lo" (+ (position:x (cdr (bbox-exact (get-body-list)))) 0.1)
"hi" (- (position:x (car (bbox-exact (get-body-list)))) 0.1))

Example 3

Instead of using the lo and hi arguments, you can use boxheight. If neither lo nor hi is
given, but boxheight is specified, the top of the region is computed (x) and lo is set to
x – boxheight and hi is set to x + boxheight:
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 10 10 10) "Silicon" "xx")
(sde:addmasktomodel "m1" (list (list 2 2 8 8)))
(sdeicwb:contact "layer.name" "m1" "type" "box" "material" "Silicon"
"boxheight" 11)

Since boxheight is larger than the vertical extent of the device, the contacts are assigned to
both the top and the bottom faces, which are covered by the mask.

Example 4

If boxheight is less than the height of the device, the contact is assigned only to the top face
as follows:
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 10 10 10) "Silicon" "xx")
(sde:addmasktomodel "m1" (list (list 2 2 8 8)))
(sdeicwb:contact "layer.name" "m1" "type" "box" "material" "Silicon"
"boxheight" 9)

Similarly for (sde:set-process-up-direction 1):

(sde:clear)
(sde:set-process-up-direction 1)
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 10 10 10) "Silicon" "xx")
(sde:addmasktomodel "m1" (list (list 2 2 8 8)))
(sdeicwb:contact "layer.name" "m1" "type" "box" "material" "Silicon"
"boxheight" 11)
(sde:clear)
(sde:set-process-up-direction 1)
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 10 10 10) "Silicon" "xx")
(sde:addmasktomodel "m1" (list (list 2 2 8 8)))
(sdeicwb:contact "layer.name" "m1" "type" "box" "material" "Silicon"
"boxheight" 9)

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sdeicwb:create-boxes-from-layer

sdeicwb:create-boxes-from-layer
Creates cuboids with a lateral extent given by the polygon bounding boxes from the layer in an
ICWB TCAD layout. The vertical extent is taken from the argument list.

Syntax
(sdeicwb:create-boxes-from-layer lname top bot region-material region-name)

Argument Argument type

lname STRING (name of a layer)

top REAL (top coordinate of box)

bot REAL (bottom coordinate of box)

region-material STRING

region-name STRING

Returns
ENTITY (BODY)

Description

This Scheme extension supports layout-driven structural operations, with a syntax independent
of the coordinate system used in the currently active ICWB simulation domain.

Use this Scheme extension, for example, to superimpose a dummy region onto a structure to
turn its interfaces into contacts and delete it afterwards.

Examples
(define PoTop (sdeicwb:get-region-top (find-material-id "PolySilicon")))
(sdegeo:set-current-contact-set "gate")
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "ABA")
(define GATEMETAL (sdeicwb:create-boxes-from-layer "ngate"
(sdeicwb:down PoTop 0.05) (sdeicwb:up PoTop 0.1) "Metal" "R.dummy"))
(sdegeo:set-contact-boundary-faces GATEMETAL)
(sdegeo:delete-region GATEMETAL)

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sdeicwb:define-refinement-from-layer

sdeicwb:define-refinement-from-layer
Creates refinement windows with a lateral extent given by layers in an ICWB TCAD layout.
The vertical extent is taken from the argument list. In addition, it generates 3D refinement size
settings with coordinate system–independent syntax.

Syntax
(sdeicwb:define-refinement-from-layer "lname" lname ["rname" rname]
["oversize" oversize] "top" top "bot" bot "dlrmin" dlrmin "dlrmax" dlrmax
"dbtmin" dbtmin "dbtmax" dbtmax ["dbfmin" dbfmin] ["dbfmax" dbfmax]
["material" material] ["region" region] ["use-bbox" use-bbox])

Argument Argument type

lname STRING (name of a layer)

rname STRING (optional name of refinement window; defaults to

layer name)

oversize REAL (optional argument to extend the refinement window

beyond the lateral extent of the layer)

top REAL (top coordinate of refinement window)

bot REAL (bottom coordinate of refinement window)

dlrmin REAL (minimum refinement in left-right dimension)

dlrmax REAL (maximum refinement in left-right dimension)

dbtmin REAL (minimum refinement in bottom-top dimension)

dbtmax REAL (maximum refinement in bottom-top dimension)

dbfmin REAL (minimum refinement in back-front dimension)

(optional)

dbfmax REAL (maximum refinement in back-front dimension)

(optional)

material DATEXMAT | DATEXMAT LIST (optional)

region STRING | STRING LIST (optional)

use-bbox BOOLEAN (optional)

Returns

None.

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sdeicwb:define-refinement-from-layer

Description

This Scheme extension supports layout-driven mesh refinements, with a syntax independent of
the coordinate system of the currently active ICWB simulation domain.

The Scheme extension serves as an interface between the ICWB TCAD layout and the
Sentaurus Structure Editor commands sdedr:define-refeval-window, sdedr:define-
refinement-size, and sdedr:define-refinement-placement by automatically
obtaining the lateral dimension of the refinement box from the specified ICWB layers, taking
the vertical refinement box dimensions from the argument list.

For a 3D ICWB simulation domain, a refinement window is created for each polygon found in
the specified layers. The lateral extent of the respective refinement windows is given by the
bounding box of the polygon. The name of the refinement window has the form
RPlace.<rname>_<counter>. The name of the refinement size setting is RSize.<rname>.

The "region" argument is followed by either a region name or a list of region names, for
example:
"region" "region_1"
"region" (list "region_1" "region_2" ...)

NOTE To use oversize for a non-rectangular mask while continuing to avoid

unnecessary refinement, use ICWBEV Plus to break, for example, an L-
shaped polygon into two rectangular polygons such that the union of the
polygon bounding boxes coincides with the shape itself.

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sdeicwb:define-refinement-from-layer

The Scheme extension also generates the appropriate calls to sdedr:define-refinement-

placement to complete the refinement definition.

You can make explicit calls to sdedr:define-refinement-function to activate other

meshing-specific options such as refinement on doping gradients or interface refinements.

Limitations

Layout-driven refinement is available only for the area under the given layer itself, not for the
inverse of a layer. If refinement is needed in an area not covered by the layer, you must create
the inverse of the layer as an auxiliary layer explicitly in ICWBEV Plus.

Examples
(sdeicwb:define-refinement-from-layer "lname" "POLY" "rname" "Channel"
"oversize" 0.15 "top" (sdeicwb:up SiTop 0.03) "bot" (sdeicwb:down SiTop 0.1)
"dlrmax" 0.05 "dlrmin" 0.025 "dbtmax" 0.02 "dbtmin" 0.01
"dbfmax" 0.05 "dbfmin" 0.025)
(sdedr:define-refinement-function "RSize.Channel" "DopingConcentration"
"MaxTransDiff" 1)
(sdedr:define-refinement-function "RSize.Channel" "MaxLenInt" "Silicon"
"Oxide" 0.0002 1.41)

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sdeicwb:down

sdeicwb:down
Increases or decreases the vertical positions depending on the coordinate system convention.

Syntax
(sdeicwb:down value increment)

Argument Argument type

value REAL

increment REAL

Returns

For the UCS, sdeicwb:down returns value + increment. For the DF–ISE coordinate
system, it returns value – increment.

Description

These Scheme extensions support layout-driven mesh generation and structural operations,
with a syntax independent of the coordinate system of the currently active ICWB simulation
domain.

For the UCS, the x-axis points downwards. For the DF–ISE coordinate system, the y-axis
points backwards and the z-axis points upwards.

Examples
(define SiTop (sdeicwb:get-region-top (find-material-id "Silicon")))
(define epsilon 0.1)
(define AboveSiInterface (sdeicwb:up SiTop epsilon))
(define BelowSiInterface (sdeicwb:down SiTop epsilon))

See Also

sdeicwb:up on page 752

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sdeicwb:gds2mac

sdeicwb:gds2mac
Converts a GDS layout file to a .mac file.

Syntax
(sdeicwb:gds2mac "gds.file" gdsfile "cell" cellname "layer.names" lnames
"layer.numbers" lnumbers "sim3d" sim3ddomain "scale" scale
"domain.name" dname "mac.file" macfile
["recenter" #t | #f] ["stretches" stretches] ["loadmacfile" #t | #f])

Argument Argument type

gdsfile STRING

cellname STRING

lnames STRING LIST

lnumbers STRING LIST

sim3ddomain REAL LIST

scale REAL

dname STRING

macfile STRING

recenter BOOLEAN (optional; default is #f)

stretches STRING (optional)

loadmacfile BOOLEAN (optional; default is #f)

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme extension converts a GDS layout file to a .mac file, which is then loaded
automatically and is ready to be processed further by other sdeicwb commands. If the
converted .mac file must not be loaded, you must specify "loadmacfile" #f to suppress the
automatic loading of the converted .mac file.

When sdeicwb:gds2mac loads the converted .mac file, recentering is not performed by
default. To center the loaded mask, use "recenter" #t.

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sdeicwb:gds2mac

The argument gdsfile is the name of the GDS file. cellname is the name of the GDS cell.
The cellname argument "cell" can be the "?" wildcard character. In this case, the active
(open) GDS cell is used for the .mac file conversion. lnames and lnumbers are the names of
the layers and the corresponding layer numbers (refer to the sdeicwb:mapreader command
for how to initialize these variables easily).

The sim3ddomain argument is a real list that defines the layout area to be converted. It uses
a list of four real numbers. The domain coordinates are given in (unscaled) layout coordinates.

scale is the mask scaling factor. dname is the domain name, and macfile is the name of the
output .mac file.

The stretches argument is a list of stretches, with each stretch having a name and being
defined by a segment with two points. The segment must cross the bounding box of the 3D
domain.

Translation of the ICWB file coordinates to the (0,0) origin is switched off when the recenter
option is set to false.

By default, the converted layout is loaded in to Sentaurus Structure Editor, and you can use
"loadmacfile" #f to not load the converted layout automatically.

Example 1: Layer Names and Layer Numbers Read From External *.map File

The usage of sdeicwb:gds2mac requires the specification of the layer names and the layer
numbers from the .gds file. You can obtain this information using the sdeicwb:mapreader
Scheme extension, which returns the layer names and layer numbers in a list. The first element
in this list contains the layer names and the second element in this list contains the layer
numbers. In this example, all layers are converted:
(define map-content (sdeicwb:mapreader MAPFILE))
(define LAYERNAMES (list-ref map-content 0))
(define LAYERNUMBERS (list-ref map-content 1))

where MAPFILE is the name of the GDS .map file.

(define GDSFILE "mygdsfile.gds")
(define CELLNAME "gdscellname")
(define MAPFILE "mygdsfile.map")
(define DOMAIN "SIM3D1")
(define map-content (sdeicwb:mapreader MAPFILE))
(define LAYERNAMES (list-ref map-content 0))
(define LAYERNUMBERS (list-ref map-content 1))
(sdeicwb:gds2mac "gds.file" GDSFILE "cell" CELLNAME "layer.names"
LAYERNAMES "layer.numbers" LAYERNUMBERS "sim3d" (list 115 115 985 485)
"scale" 1.e-3 "mac.file" "xx")

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Example 2: User-Defined Layer Names and Layer Numbers

(define GDSFILE "mygdsfile.gds")
(define CELLNAME "gdscellname")
(define DOMAIN "SIM3D1")
(define LAYERNAMES (list "POLY" "CONTACT" "METAL1" "METAL2" "RECESS" "source"
"drain" "gate"))
(define LAYERNUMBERS (list "1:0" "2:0" "3:0" "4:0" "5:0" "9:1" "9:2" "9:3"))
(define STRETCH "{S1 = {850 50 850 550} S2 = {50 150 1000 150}}")
(sdeicwb:gds2mac "gds.file" GDSFILE "cell" CELLNAME "layer.names" LAYERNAMES
"layer.numbers" LAYERNUMBERS "sim3d" (list 115 115 985 485) "scale" 1.e-3
"mac.file" "xx" "stretches" STRETCH)

The .map file format is a two-column format:

See Also

sdeicwb:mapreader on page 749

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sdeicwb:generate-mask-by-layer-name

sdeicwb:generate-mask-by-layer-name
Creates a mask based on given ICWB layer names.

Syntax
(sdeicwb:generate-mask-by-layer-name maskname layernames
[with-overlaps do-entity-check])

Argument Argument type

maskname STRING

layernames STRING | STRING LIST

with-overlaps BOOLEAN (optional)

Use this Scheme extension to obtain the bottommost coordinate for both coordinate systems.

Examples
(define GBot (sdeicwb:get-global-bot))

See Also

sdeicwb:get-global-top on page 735

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sdeicwb:get-global-top

sdeicwb:get-global-top
Returns the top coordinate of the global bounding box using a coordinate system–independent
syntax.

Syntax
(sdeicwb:get-global-top)

Returns

For the UCS, sdeicwb:get-global-top returns the minimum x-coordinate. For the
DF–ISE coordinate system, it returns the maximum z-coordinate of the global bounding box.

Description

This Scheme extension supports layout-driven mesh generation and structural operations, with
a syntax independent of the coordinate system used.

Use this Scheme extension to obtain the topmost coordinate for both coordinate systems.

Examples
(define GTop (sdeicwb:get-global-top))

See Also

sdeicwb:get-global-bot on page 734

Sentaurus™ Structure Editor User Guide 735

sdeicwb:get-layer-polygon-midpoints
Computes the midpoints of the segments or polygons in a layer.

Syntax
(sdeicwb:get-layer-polygon-midpoints layer-name height)

Argument Argument type

layer-name STRING

height REAL

Returns

A list of positions given by the midpoints of the polygon bounding box and the height as the
third coordinate.

layer-name STRING

Returns
STRING LIST

Description

The given layer-name returns a list of names of polygons on that layer.

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sdeicwb:get-region-bot

sdeicwb:get-region-bot
Returns the bottom coordinate of a given region using a coordinate system–independent
syntax.

Syntax
(sdeicwb:get-region-bot body)

Argument Argument type

body BODY

Returns

For the UCS, sdeicwb:get-region-bot returns the maximum x-coordinate. For the
DF–ISE coordinate system, it returns the minimum z-coordinate of the region bounding box.

Description

This Scheme extension supports layout-driven mesh generation and structural operations, with
a syntax independent of the coordinate system used.

Use this Scheme extension to obtain the bottommost coordinate of the specified region for both
coordinate systems.

Examples
(define SubstrateID (find-material-id "Silicon"))
(define SiBottom (sdeicwb:get-region-bot SubstrateID))
(define PolyID (find-material-id "PolySilicon"))
(define PoBottom (sdeicwb:get-region-bot PolyID))

See Also

sdeicwb:get-region-top on page 744

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sdeicwb:get-region-top

sdeicwb:get-region-top
Returns the top coordinate of a given region using a coordinate system–independent syntax.

Syntax
(sdeicwb:get-region-top body)

Argument Argument type

Description

When sdeicwb:set-domain has set the current domains, the ‘ymin’ coordinate of the
domain bounding box is returned in ICWB coordinates by calling sdeicwb:get-ymin. The
bounding box includes all stretches applied by sdeicwb:stretch.

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sdeicwb:load-file

sdeicwb:load-file
Loads an ICWB macro file.

Syntax
(sdeicwb:load-file filename [(scale | center?) | (scale center?)])

Argument Argument type

filename STRING

scale REAL (optional)

center? BOOLEAN (optional)

Returns

Returns #t if successful. Otherwise, #f if the file cannot be read.

Description

The ICWB macro file must be read in using sdeicwb:load-file as a prerequisite to other
sdeicwb Scheme extensions that act on the domains and masks defined in that file.

All ICWB coordinates in the macro file are multiplied by the optional argument scale as they
are read.

The optional center? argument can be set to #t to center the loaded mask. If it is set to #t,
the mask vertex coordinates are modified by the value of the vertex coordinate minus the value
of the highlight coordinate.

Limitations

The ICWB macro file must be readable.

NOTE If the .mac file is already loaded, it is not reloaded by sdeicwb:load-

file. If you used sdeicwb:gds2mac to convert and load a layout file,
different scaling and centering specified in the sdeicwb:load-file
Scheme extension will have no effect.

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sdeicwb:mapreader

sdeicwb:mapreader
Parses a .map file, and returns the layer names and the layer numbers.

Syntax
(sdeicwb:mapreader fname)

Argument Argument type

fname STRING

Returns

List of two STRING lists.

Description

This Scheme extension parses a .map file. It returns a list with two lists. The first returned list
is the layer name list, and the second is the layer number list. After sdeicwb:mapreader is
called, the sdeicwb:gds2mac command can be called with the layernames and
layernumbers arguments, so when the map file is available, there is no need to add the
layernames and numbers manually to the sdeicwb:gds2mac call.

Map File Format

The .map file has a two-column format (<layername> <space or tab> <layernumber>):
<layername0> <layernumber0>
<layername1> <layernumber1>
<layername2> <layernumber2>

If the layer .map file is exported from a third-party layout editor, you might have to edit the file
manually. The exported .map file might contain some other information and might be in a
different format than the required two-column format.

Examples
(define map-content (sdeicwb:mapreader "layer.map"))
(define layernames (list-ref map-content 0))
(define layernumbers (list-ref map-content 1))

Then, the sdeicwb:gds2mac command can be called with the layernames and
layernumbers arguments.

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sdeicwb:set-domain

See Also

sdeicwb:gds2mac on page 727

sdeicwb:set-domain
Sets the current domain.

Syntax
(sdeicwb:set-domain domain)

Argument Argument type

domain STRING | STRING LIST

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension sets the current domain to the given domain name or list of domain
names.

Setting the current domain is a prerequisite for other sdeicwb Scheme extensions that
implicitly depend on the current domain being defined.

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sdeicwb:stretch

sdeicwb:stretch
Stretches the current domain using the given stretch by the given amount.

Syntax
(sdeicwb:stretch stretch-name stretch-amount)

Argument Argument type

stretch-name STRING

stretch-amount REAL

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension applies the given stretch by the given amount to the current domains.
The order of applied stretches is important because the location of other stretches can change
given the application of one stretch.

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sdeicwb:up

sdeicwb:up
Increases or decreases the vertical positions depending on the coordinate system convention.

Syntax
(sdeicwb:up value increment)

Argument Argument type

value REAL

increment REAL

Returns

For the UCS, sdeicwb:up returns value – increment. For the DF–ISE coordinate system,
it returns value + increment.

Description

These Scheme extensions support layout-driven mesh generation and structural operations,
with a syntax independent of the coordinate system of the currently active ICWB simulation
domain.

For the UCS, the x-axis points downwards. For the DF–ISE coordinate system, the y-axis
points backwards and the z-axis points upwards.

See Also

sdeicwb:down on page 726

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sdeio:read-dfise-mask

sdeio:read-dfise-mask
Loads a mask layout file (.lyt) into the modeler.

Syntax
(sdeio:read-dfise-mask filename)

Argument Argument type

filename STRING

Returns
BOOLEAN (#t for success, #f for failure)

Description

This Scheme extension loads the specified layout file and initializes the data structure that
defines the mask layouts inside Procem.

During process emulation, the initialized mask layouts can be used in pattern operations. Mask
polarities are not fixed; each mask can be used either as a ‘light’ or ‘dark’ field mask.

The argument filename is the name of the mask layout file (specified with the file
extension .lyt), and it can also contain a path.

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sdeio:read-tdr

sdeio:read-tdr
Extracts the boundary and loads a TDR boundary file into Sentaurus Structure Editor.

Syntax
(sdeio:read-tdr file-name ["skip-doping"])

Argument Argument type

file-name STRING

"skip-doping" STRING (optional)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension performs the following operations:

1. It takes a TDR mesh file and extracts the boundary, unless the TDR file already contains
the boundary as geometry (which is typical of TDR files saved by Sentaurus Process and
Sentaurus Interconnect).
2. It loads the boundary.
3. It creates a submesh definition and placement using the doping information contained in
the TDR file, unless the user has specified "skip-doping".

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sdeio:read-tdr-bnd

sdeio:read-tdr-bnd
Loads a TDR boundary file into Sentaurus Structure Editor.

Syntax
(sdeio:read-tdr-bnd file-name)

Argument Argument type

file-name STRING

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension loads a TDR boundary file into Sentaurus Structure Editor.

Each TDR region element is converted to an ACIS body. For 2D models, contact attributes are
attached to the corresponding edges of the ACIS model and to the corresponding faces for 3D
models. Two-dimensional regions are converted to nonuniform sheet bodies, while 3D regions
are converted to manifold solids. The material properties and region names are attached as
attributes to the ACIS bodies.

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sdeio:save-1d-tdr-bnd

sdeio:save-1d-tdr-bnd
Creates a 1D TDR boundary output file extracted from a simple 2D geometry along the up
coordinate axis defined by (sde:set-process-up-direction).

Syntax
(sdeio:save-1d-tdr-bnd body-list file-name
["aspect ratio" aspect-ratio]
["aut-tolerance-control" aut-tolerance-control] ["faceter" faceter]
["max edge length" max-edge-length] ["normal tolerance" normal-tolerance]
["surface tolerance" surface-tolerance]
["vertex-precision" vertex-precision] [writeinterface saveprecision])

Argument Argument type

body-list BODY LIST | "all"

file-name STRING

aspect-ratio REAL (optional) (default is 0)

aut-tolerance-control BOOLEAN (optional) (default is #t)

faceter "v1" or "v2" (optional) (default is "v1")

max-edge-length REAL (optional) (default is 0)

normal-tolerance REAL (optional) (default is 15)

saveprecision INTEGER (optional)

surface-tolerance REAL (optional) (default is 0)

vertex-precision INTEGER [8-16] (optional) (default is bndprecision)

writeinterface BOOLEAN (optional)

Returns

Returns #t if the boundary is saved successfully; otherwise, returns #f.

Description

The 1D geometry is extracted from the entities listed in body-list in the up direction along
the corresponding axis (at x=0 in the vertical direction, or y=0 in the horizontal direction). The
2D geometry should be a simple 2D representation of the required 1D geometry, extruded in
the corresponding direction.

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sdeio:save-1d-tdr-bnd

The definition of the up direction – horizontal versus vertical – is made by the Scheme
extension sde:set-process-up-direction, which takes an integer value 0 or 1. The
default value 0 corresponds to the up direction being along the y-axis. The value 1 corresponds
to the up direction being along the x-axis.

The output file is extracted from the entities listed in body-list. The 2D geometry is
tessellated first, using the same process as in two dimensions. These parameters are described
in sdeio:save-tdr-bnd on page 758.

Examples
; Create three regions in 2D bordering the y-axis
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 1 5 0) "Silicon" "body")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 -0.1 0) (position 1 0 0) "Oxide" "gateox")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 -1 0) (position 1 -0.1 0) "PolySilicon"
"gatepoly")
; Add contacts to top and bottom of the structure
(sdegeo:define-contact-set "gate" 4 (color:rgb 1 0 0) "##")
(sdegeo:define-contact-set "substrate" 4 (color:rgb 1 0 0) "##")
(sdegeo:set-current-contact-set "substrate")
(sdegeo:set-contact-edges (list (car (find-edge-id (position 0.5 5 0))))
"substrate")
(sdegeo:set-current-contact-set "gate")
(sdegeo:set-contact-edges (list (car (find-edge-id (position 0.5 -1 0))))
"gate")
; Save 1D extraction to boundary file in TDR format
(sdeio:save-1d-tdr-bnd (get-body-list) "1D.tdr")

See Also

sde:set-process-up-direction on page 481

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sdeio:save-tdr-bnd

sdeio:save-tdr-bnd
Generates an output TDR boundary file.

Syntax
(sdeio:save-tdr-bnd body-list file-name
["aspect ratio" aspect-ratio]
["aut tolerance control" aut-tolerance-control] ["faceter" faceter]
["grid mode" grid-mode]
["max edge length" max-edge-length] ["normal tolerance" normal-tolerance]
["separate lumps" separate-lumps]
["surface tolerance" surface-tolerance]
["triangulate" triangulate]
["unique region names" unique-region-names]
["vertex precision" vertex-precision])

Argument Argument type

body-list ENTITY LIST | "all"

file-name STRING

aspect-ratio REAL (optional) (default is 0, which deactivates this control)

aut-tolerance-control BOOLEAN (optional)

The default is aut-adjust-refinement-tolerance.
The aut-adjust-refinement-tolerance global Scheme variable is
set to #f by default.

faceter "v1" | "v2" (optional) (default is "v1")

grid-mode "AF_GRID_ONE_DIR" | "AF_GRID_TO_EDGES"

(optional) (default is "AF_GRID_ONE_DIR")

max-edge-length REAL (optional) (default is 0, which deactivates this control)

normal-tolerance REAL (optional) (default is 15)

separate-lumps BOOLEAN (optional) (default is #t)

surface-tolerance REAL (optional) (default is 0, which deactivates this control)

triangulate BOOLEAN (optional) (default is #t)

Works only for 3D models with planar faces and linear edges.

unique-region-names BOOLEAN (optional) (default is #t)

vertex-precision REAL (optional) (default is bndprecision (14))

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sdeio:save-tdr-bnd

Returns
(BOOLEAN, faceter)

Description

This Scheme extension generates a TDR boundary file. Depending on model dimensionality, a
2D or a 3D TDR boundary file is generated. Model dimensionality is determined by the solids
in the body-list argument. Mixed dimensionality is not supported, so all entities in
body-list must be either 2D or 3D solid entities. The body-list argument can also be
"all", in which case, all geometry regions are saved in the TDR boundary file.

By default in three dimensions, the model boundary is triangulated and the triangulated
boundary (satisfying all the specified refinement criteria) is saved to the TDR boundary file. If
you set "triangulate" #f and only planar faces are present with linear edges, the TDR
boundary contains only the face polygons; no triangulation is performed. In this case, all other
controls are ignored.

By default, before the TDR boundary file is written, the structure is triangulated, that is,
polygonal faces are split into multiple triangles. For very complex geometries, triangulation
can take a considerable amount of time, but the triangulation can be switched off by setting
"triangulate" #f. Consequently, face polygons are written to the TDR boundary file as
polygons.

However, you can use "triangulate" #f only if the model is polyhedral. (Only planar faces
and planar edges are supported.)

One restriction for "triangulate" #f is that polyhedron faces cannot contain internal
holes. (Only one edge loop per face is allowed.)

If you set "aut tolerance control" #f (default), the faceter uses the user-specified
tolerance controls. If you set "aut tolerance control" #t, the value of
"surface tolerance" changes if the model contains nonplanar faces and small edges, with
the edge length smaller than twice the surface tolerance. In this case, the surface tolerance
refinement control is adjusted automatically to half of the smallest edge length. This automatic
adjustment avoids having intersecting boundaries in the tessellated boundary file. (This can
occur when very thin curved regions are present in the model and the surface tolerance is
greater than the thickness of the region.)

The global Scheme variable aut-adjust-refinement-tolerance can also be used to

control the automatic readjustment of the surface tolerance. The default value of this variable
is #f.

The (set! aut-adjust-refinement-tolerance #t) command switches on automatic

setting of the surface tolerance.

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sdeio:save-tdr-bnd

The "aspect ratio" (default is 0, that is, no restriction) control sets the aspect ratio of the
triangles in the surface tessellation.

For "vertex precision", specify an integer ([8–16]) indicating how many decimal digits
the vertex coordinate list in the tessellated boundary file will contain.

When the tessellated boundary file is saved, the refinement control values (surface, normal
tolerance, and so on) are satisfied by the surface triangulation.

For "faceter", specify either "v1" or "v2", which denote different algorithms that can be
used for the tessellation. The "v2" faceter satisfies the refinement criteria (surface and normal
tolerances) more precisely than the "v1" faceter; therefore, it creates denser meshes and more
elements in the tessellated boundary file. The "v1" faceter is the default used in Sentaurus
Structure Editor. The "v2" faceter creates a better tessellation for spline faces than the "v1"
faceter. However, if layering is applied in Sentaurus Mesh, then using the "v1" faceter in
Sentaurus Structure Editor is recommended to avoid a possible overrefinement in the bulk by
the layering operation.

The surface tessellation controls "surface tolerance", "aspect ratio", "normal

tolerance", and "max edge length" affect the quality of the surface triangulation.
Smaller values result in a denser surface triangulation for curved faces. For planar faces,
"surface tolerance" and "normal tolerance" do not change the triangulation.

The default "grid mode" "AF_GRID_ONE_DIR" control is used to avoid poles for spherical
faces.

NOTE The order of arguments in the argument list is arbitrary. However, the
first two arguments must be body-list file-name. Each keyword
must be followed by a value.

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sdepe:add-substrate

sdepe:add-substrate
Adds an initial substrate layer to the device.

Syntax
(sdepe:add-substrate "material" material "thickness" thickness ["base" base]
["region" region-name])

Argument Argument type

material DATEXMAT

thickness REAL

base REAL (optional)

region-name STRING (optional)

Returns
ENTITY (BODY)

Description

This Scheme extension generates the first substrate layer for a device. The domain boundary
must be set before this function is called. The keyword "material" identifies the DATEX
material of the generated body. The keyword "base" can be used to assign a value for the
bottom z-coordinate of the substrate layer. If "base" is not specified, the substrate layer will
be placed such that the bottom will be placed at z = 0. An explicit region name can be assigned
to the generated substrate by using the "region" keyword.

See Also

sdepe:pattern on page 779

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sdepe:clean

sdepe:clean
Cleans the model before a process emulation operation.

Syntax
(sdepe:clean)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension regularizes all the bodies and fixes the imprints. It can be used to
simplify or clean the Procem model, especially if the input model is generated by other tools
and a tessellated boundary is imported to Sentaurus Structure Editor first, as the initial
structure.

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sdepe:define-pe-domain

sdepe:define-pe-domain
Defines a base domain for the process emulation.

Syntax
(sdepe:define-pe-domain {{X0 Y0 X1 Y1} | {polygon}})

Argument Argument type

X0 REAL

Y0 REAL

X1 REAL

Y1 REAL

polygon REAL LIST

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension creates the simulation domain for subsequent Procem operations. The
argument list contains either four real numbers or a list of real pairs.

If the argument list contains four real numbers, a rectangle is defined, using the four numbers
as the xy coordinates as the two opposite corners of the simulation domain.

If a list of real pairs is defined, these pairs define the vertex points of the simulation domain in
the xy plane. If a polygon is used to define the simulation domain, the only restriction is that
the polygon must be a simply connected convex polygon. The domain is defined in the xy plane
at z = 0. This Scheme extension creates a wire body, representing the simulation domain. This
wire body is called domainboundary, and this global variable can be accessed directly from
Scheme. The domainboundary is an artificial object that is needed for other Procem
commands to identify the simulation domain.

The domainboundary is not written separately to the output boundary file. If, after some
Procem operations, you want to change the simulation domain, domainboundary must be
deleted using the command (entity:delete domainboundary). This might be
necessary, for example, if the model was reflected after some Procem operations, which
changed the bounding box of the model.

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sdepe:define-pe-domain

If a 3D model is already defined, Procem operations can be applied directly, without the need
to define the domain boundary explicitly. In this case, the domain boundary is computed
automatically from the existing model when the first Procem operation is used. The domain
boundary is computed as the xy cross section of the model at the minimal z-position.

Examples
; to define a polygonal simulation domain use:
(sdepe:define-pe-domain (list 0 0 10 0 15 2.5 10 5 0 5))
; or equivalently
(sdepe:define-pe-domain 0 0 10 0 15 2.5 10 5 0 5)
; to define a rectangular simulation domain use:
(sdepe:define-pe-domain (list 0 0 10 5))
; or equivalently
(sdepe:define-pe-domain 0 0 10 5)

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sdepe:depo

sdepe:depo
Performs a deposition step.

Syntax
(sdepe:depo "material" material "thickness" thickness ["region" region-name]
["type" depo-type] ["algorithm" depo-alg]
( ["radius" radius] ["vexity" vexity-type]
["advanced-rounding" advrounding] | ["rounding" rounding] )
( ["chamfer" cutback-distance] ["vexity" vexity-type] )
( ["taper-angle" taper-angle] ["taper-direction" taper-direction] )
( ["initial-thickness" initial-thickness]
["selective-material" selective-material]
["selective-taper" selective-taper] )
( ["ray-vector" ray-vector] ["BC" BC] ["ext-dist" ext-dist]
["shadowing" shadowing] )
["steps" nsteps] ["adaptive" adaptive] [PT keywords and values])

Argument Argument type

material DATEXMAT

thickness REAL

region-name STRING (optional)

depo-type {"iso" | "aniso"} (optional)

depo-alg {"lopx" | "lop-move" | "sweep" | "PT"}

(optional)

radius REAL (optional)

vexity-type VEXITY TYPE {"convex" | "concave" | "all"}

(optional)

advrounding BOOLEAN (optional)

rounding BOOLEAN (optional)

chamfer REAL (optional)

taper-angle REAL (optional)

taper-direction (list "x" "-x" "y" "-y") (or any combination of

these directions) (optional)

initial-thickness REAL ( between (0-1) ) (optional)

selective-material DATEXMAT (optional)

selective-taper BOOLEAN (optional)

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sdepe:depo

Argument Argument type

ray-vector GVECTOR (optional)

BC {"none" | "Reflect" | "Periodic" |"ext-dist"}

(optional)

ext-dist REAL (optional)

shadowing BOOLEAN (optional)

nsteps INTEGER (>=1) (optional)

adaptive BOOLEAN (optional)

PT keywords and values Table 25 on page 155 (optional)

Returns

ENTITY of the generated deposit layer.

Description

This Scheme extension performs a deposition step. For details, see Deposition on page 160.
For details regarding the command arguments, see Table 27 on page 161.

NOTE The order of the argument list items is not relevant, but the correct data
values always must follow the keywords. Certain options might be
contradictory, for example, the "lopx" algorithm cannot be used for
anisotropic deposition, and the "PT" algorithm cannot be used with
rounding. In addition, certain arguments must be specified together. The
Scheme extension sdepe:depo performs a preprocessing consistency
check of the arguments. If a keyword does not match, an error message
is displayed and the function execution is terminated.

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sdepe:doping-constant-placement

sdepe:doping-constant-placement
Defines and applies a constant doping.

Syntax
(sdepe:doping-constant-placement name species concentration region-name)

Argument Argument type

name STRING

species STRING

concentration REAL

region-name STRING

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension defines and applies a constant doping to a given region. In the case of
constant doping, a separate implant command is not necessary, as is the case with Gaussian
doping profiles.

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sdepe:etch-material

sdepe:etch-material
Performs an etching step operation.

Syntax
(sdepe:etch-material "material" material "depth" depth
+ all deposition arguments listed for sdepe:depo
["overetch" overetch] ["ebl" ebl] [PT keywords and values])

Argument Argument type

material DATEXMAT

depth REAL

overetch REAL (optional)

ebl "all" (default) | "top" (optional)

PT keywords and values Table 25 on page 155 (optional)

+ all deposition arguments

listed for sdepe:depo

Returns

None.

Description

The etching step is very similar to the deposition step, except that the deposition is performed
on a complementary body. The deposition is performed on the complementary body and, as a
last step, this deposited layer is removed from the original device (only using the bodies with
the specified material attribute). All regions with a different material attribute that are
originally on top of the material being etched will protect the etch material underneath. The
optional keyword "overetch" can be added to move the vertical etch faces by the specified
offset.

The argument "ebl" determines during etching whether only the initially exposed bodies
(with the given etch material) are affected (if "ebl" "top" is specified) or whether initially
unexposed layers of the specified materials are affected (if "ebl" "all" is specified).

For detailed descriptions of the available keywords and effects, see sdepe:depo on page 765.

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sdepe:extend-masks

NOTE The deposition offset is specified using the "thickness" attribute, and
the etch offset is specified using the "depth" attribute. This is the only
difference between the argument names for these two Scheme
extensions (sdepe:depo and sdepe:etch-material).

sdepe:extend-masks
Extends all masks.

Syntax
(sdepe:extend-masks pminx pminy pmaxx pmaxy extension-distance)

Argument Argument type

pminx REAL

pminy REAL

pmaxx REAL

pmaxy REAL

extension-distance REAL

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme extension extends all masks about the boundary, which is specified by pminx,
pminy, pmaxx, and pmaxy. The extension distance is specified by extension-distance.
All existing masks are affected.

Examples
(sde:clear)
(sdepe:generate-mask "M1" (list (list 0 0 10 5)))
(sdepe:extend-masks 0 0 10 5 2)
(sde:clear)
(sdepe:generate-mask "M1" (list (list 0 0 10 5)))
(sdepe:extend-masks 0 0 5 2 2)
(sdepe:extend-masks 6 3 10 5 2)

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sdepe:fill-device

sdepe:fill-device
Fills the device with the specified material up to the specified height.

Syntax
(sdepe:fill-device "material" material ["height" height]
["region" region-name])

Argument Argument type

material DATEXMAT

height REAL (optional)

region-name STRING (optional)

Returns

ENTITY of the generated fill region.

Description

The material is identified with the "material" keyword and a subsequent DATEX material.
The height is specified by using the "height" keyword and a real number. If "height" is not
given, the function fills up the device to the top position. The region name of the filled region
can be specified using the optional "region" argument.

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sdepe:generate-domainboundary

sdepe:generate-domainboundary
Extracts the simulation boundary from an existing model.

Syntax
(sdepe:generate-domainboundary)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension extracts the simulation boundary from an existing model. When
Procem is started from an empty model, one of the first commands should be
(sdepe:define-pe-domain) to define the domain boundary. All subsequent functions
work on that domain. If you want to perform additional process steps on a model, this step is
not needed. It is sufficient to call (sdepe:generate-domainboundary), which will extract
the domainboundary wire from the model. (The same restrictions apply here as for
(sdepe:define-pe-domain).) The extracted boundary must be convex and can contain
only one lump. The Scheme extension initializes the Scheme variable domainboundary (wire
body).

Examples
(sdegeo:set-default-boolean "AB")
(sdegeo:create-cylinder (position 0 0 0) (position 0 0 1) 5 "Silicon"
"region_1")
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 -5 0) (position 15 5 1) "Silicon" "region_2")
(sdepe:generate-domainboundary)
(sdepe:depo "PolySilicon" 0.5)

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sdepe:generate-empty-mask

sdepe:generate-empty-mask
Creates a new empty mask.

Syntax
(sdepe:generate-empty-mask maskname)

Argument Argument type

maskname STRING

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme extension creates a new empty mask. Empty masks behave the same way in
Procem operations as ‘regular’ masks, except no geometry is attached to the empty masks. The
name of the empty mask is registered, and query functions can be used to find it (get-empty-
mask-list, exists-empty-mask-name).

When mask polarity "light" is used, an empty mask behaves like a regular mask that is
placed completely outside of the simulation domain.

When mask polarity "dark" is used, an empty mask behaves like a regular mask that covers
the complete simulation domain.

Examples
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 10 10 4) "Silicon" "base")
(sdepe:generate-empty-mask "M1")
(sdepe:pattern "mask" "M1" "thickness" 1 "material" "Resist")
(sdepe:pattern "mask" "M1" "thickness" 1 "material" "Resist" "polarity"
"dark")

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sdepe:generate-mask

sdepe:generate-mask
Creates a mask for further process operations.

Syntax
(sdepe:generate-mask mask-name polygon-list)

Argument Argument type

mask-name STRING

polygon-list POLYGON LIST

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension is used to define masks in Procem. The defined masks can be used in
further patterning operations. (The used masks are not deleted.) Each mask is defined as a
polygon list. When the polygon list is converted to a mask, first each polygon is converted to a
2D sheet body. Then, a containment check is performed, and the partially overlapping
converted sheet bodies are united. If a sheet body is completely contained inside another body,
it will be subtracted from that body and an internal void will form. In this way, multiply
connected mask sheet bodies can be created.

A single mask polygon list cannot contain intersecting edges, and the polygon vertex list must
define a manifold sheet body for each polygon. (No cutlines or dangling edges are allowed.) If
the vertex list is not closed, the converter will close it automatically. Zero length edges are not
allowed in the polygon vertex list (that is, there should be at least a 1.0e-06 distance between
the vertices). Different masks can have intersecting polygonal boundaries. If a mask contains
rectangular polygons, it is sufficient to specify only two opposite corners of such polygons.
Each polygon is defined as an xy coordinate list.

The argument mask-name is the name of the mask that is created by the Scheme extension.
The generated mask will be a 2D sheet body, and a ‘mask name’ mask-name attribute will be
attached to the mask body. If a mask with the specified name already exists, subsequent
operations will use the newly created mask. The argument polygon-list specifies the vertex
points of the generated mask.

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sdepe:generate-mask

Examples
(sde:clear)
(sdepe:generate-mask "DEMO-MASK-1" (list (list 2 2 5 2 5 3 2 3)
(list 5 6 9 6 7 9)))
(sdepe:generate-mask "DEMO-MASK-2" (list (list 14 7 13.73 8 13 8.73 12 9 11
8.73 10.27 8 10 7 10.27 6 11 5.27 12 5 13 5.23 13.73 6)))
(sdepe:generate-mask "DEMO-MASK-3" (list (list 11 3 10.73 4 10 4.73 9 5 8 4.73
7.27 4 7 3 7.27 2 8 1.27 9 1 10 1.23 10.73 2)))

(sde:clear)
(sdepe:generate-mask "MASK1" (list (list 1 1 3 3) (list 7 7 9 9)))
(sdepe:generate-mask "MASK2" (list (list 7 1 9 3 3 9 1 7)))
(sdepe:generate-mask "MASK3" (list (list 2 1 3 2 2 3 1 2)
(list 8 1 9 2 8 3 7 2) (list 8 7 9 8 8 9 8) (list 2 7 3 8 2 9 1 8)))
(sdepe:generate-mask "MASK4" (list (list 3 3 7 7)))
(sdepe:generate-mask "MASK5" (list (list 3 0 8 2) (list 8 3 10 7)
(list 3 8 7 10) (list 0 3 2 7)))

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sdepe:icon_layer

sdepe:icon_layer
Creates interconnect structures.

Syntax
(sdepe:icon_layer {"mask" mname} {"polarity" mpolarity} {"thickness" lth}
{"taper-angle" tang} {"ic-material" icmat} {"env-material" envmat}
{"ic-region" icr} {"env-region" envr} {"base-coord" bc}
{"taper-position" tpos})

Argument Argument type

mname STRING (name of mask; default is "")

mpolarity STRING (mask polarity; default is "light")

lth REAL (layer thickness; default is 0)

tang REAL (taper angle; default is 0)

icmat DATEXMAT (interconnect material; default is

"Metal")

envmat DATEXMAT (material used for the fill; default is

"Gas")

icr STRING (interconnect region name; default is

"ic-region")

envr STRING (region name of the filled part; default

is "env-region")

bc REAL (base coordinate of created layer in

z-direction; default is the previous maximal
z-coordinate)

tpos STRING ("top" or "bottom"); default value is

"bottom"

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension can be used like other sdepe Scheme extensions. The arguments must
be added as keyword–value pairs. The "mask" and "thickness" arguments must be
specified; all other variables have default values, which are listed in the above syntax section.

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sdepe:icon_layer

If the region names are not given, different layers will have the same region names
("ic-region" and "env-region"). Before the generation of boundary output, these regions
can be united or renamed to have unique region names.

If "taper-position" "bottom" is used, the mask is tapered from the bottom position of
the interconnect layer. If "taper-position" "top" is used, the initial mask is extruded
first and, then the sidewalls are tapered from the top position of the interconnect layer.

Examples

Example: Generating an Interconnect Structure on page 177

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sdepe:implant

sdepe:implant
Creates a doping distribution using analytic functions to emulate an implantation operation that
can include diffusion.

Syntax
(sdepe:implant doping-name ["flat" ["abs-height" abs-height |
"delta-height" delta-height] ["pmat" pmatlist] ["direction" direction])

Argument Argument type

doping-name STRING

abs-height REAL (optional)

delta-height REAL (optional)

pmatlist DATEXMAT DATEXMAT LIST (optional)

direction STRING (optional) "Positive" | "Negative" |

"Both"

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension applies the doping profile doping-name to the top surface of a device.
Areas of ‘resist’ and device features covered by resist are protected from doping implantation.
The doping profile doping-name must be previously defined using one of the sdedr doping
definition commands:
■ sdedr:define-constant-profile
■ sdedr:define-1d-external-profile
■ sdedr:define-erf-profile
■ sdedr:define-gaussian-profile
■ sdedr:define-analytical-profile

Sentaurus Structure Editor analyzes the geometry of the surface of the structure to find resist
layers blocking the interface with the gas. By default, the doping profile doping-name is
placed at all surface faces exposed to the gas.

By giving the option "flat", the contour of the exposed surface is projected onto the xy plane,
and this planar surface is used as the reference for the placement of the doping profile doping-

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sdepe:implant

name. By default, this plane is positioned along the z-axis at the uppermost nonresist device
feature. This z-coordinate can be adjusted by using the option delta-height (in this case,
the maximum z-coordinate is offset by delta-height) or can be set to an absolute value
(fixed value) using the option abs-height.

The optional "pmat" keyword together with a DATEX material list can be used in addition to
define a list of (or only one) other DATEX material that will behave like resist. The specified
materials also will protect the top exposed surface from doping implantation.

The optional keyword "direction" determines the direction of the profile with respect to the
baseline computed by sdepe:implant. The default is "Both".

NOTE By default, the sdepe:implant command places the doping profile at

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sdepe:pattern

sdepe:pattern
Performs a pattern step.

Syntax
(sdepe:pattern "mask" mask-name "polarity" polarity ["type" depo-type]
"material" material ["algorithm" depo-alg] "thickness" thickness
["steps" nsteps] ["region" region] [PT keywords and values])

Argument Argument type

mask-name STRING (name of an existing mask)

polarity {"light" | "dark"}

depo-type {"iso" | "aniso"} (optional)

depo-alg {"lopx" | "lop-move" | "sweep" |

"PT"} (optional)

material DATEXMAT

thickness REAL

nsteps INTEGER (>=1) (optional)

region STRING (region name of the patterned

body) (optional)

PT keywords and values Table 25 on page 155 (optional)

Returns

ENTITY of the generated pattern layer.

Description

This Scheme extension generates a patterned layer. The "mask" keyword identifies the mask
to be used for the pattern operation. (The mask must be already defined.) The mask polarity
can be defined using the "polarity" keyword.

Since the pattern operation is analogous to a deposition step, for detailed explanations of the
used algorithms and types, see sdepe:depo on page 765.

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sdepe:photo

sdepe:photo
Performs a photo (flat pattern) step.

Syntax
(sdepe:photo "mask" mask-name "polarity" polarity ["type" depo-type]
"material" material { "thickness" thickness | "height" height }
["steps" nsteps] ["region" region])

Argument Argument type

mask-name STRING (name of an existing mask)

polarity {"light" | "dark"}

depo-type {"aniso" | "iso"} (optional)

material DATEXMAT

thickness REAL

height REAL

nsteps INTEGER (>=1) (optional)

region STRING (region name of the patterned body)

(optional)

Returns

ENTITY of the generated pattern layer.

Description

This Scheme extension generates a photo layer. The "mask" keyword identifies the mask to be
used for the operation. (The mask must be already defined.) The mask polarity can be defined
using the "polarity" keyword.

The photo operation is similar to a combined sequence of a fill, a pattern, and an etch step. The
used algorithms for the sdepe:photo operation are selected automatically to provide more
robustness. Users cannot change these algorithms.

NOTE The difference between sdepe:photo and sdepe:pattern is that the

sdepe:photo operation creates a flat top.

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sdepe:polish-device

sdepe:polish-device
Removes the top part of the device.

Syntax
(sdepe:polish-device { ["thickness" thickness] | ["height" height] }
["material" material])

Argument Argument type

thickness REAL (optional)

Argument Argument type

allowRegionMismatch BOOLEAN (optional)

binaryTreeSplitBox LIST (list REAL REAL REAL REAL) |

(list REAL REAL REAL REAL REAL REAL)
(optional)

binaryTreeSplitFactorX REAL (optional)

binaryTreeSplitFactorY REAL (optional)

binaryTreeSplitFactorZ REAL (optional)

convexTriangulation BOOLEAN (optional)

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sdesnmesh:axisaligned

Argument Argument type

decimate BOOLEAN (optional)

delPsc BOOLEAN (optional)

delPscAccuracy REAL (optional)

delPscRidgeAngle REAL (optional)

delPscRidgeSampling REAL (optional)

fitInterfaces BOOLEAN (optional)

geometricAccuracy REAL (optional)

hintBoxSize REAL (optional)

imprintAccuracy REAL (optional)

imprintCoplanarFacesOnly BOOLEAN (optional)

imprintCoplanarityAngle REAL (optional)

imprintCoplanarityDistance REAL (optional)

latticeCellSize LIST (list REAL REAL) |

(list REAL REAL REAL) (optional)

latticeDimensions LIST (list REAL REAL) |

(list REAL REAL REAL) (optional)

maxAngle REAL (optional)

maxAspectRatio REAL (optional)

maxBoundaryCutRatio REAL (optional)

maxNeighborRatio REAL (optional)

minEdgeLength REAL (optional)

minimumRegionMismatchVolume REAL (optional)

overscan BOOLEAN (optional)

overscanResolution REAL (optional)

skipSameMaterialInterfaces BOOLEAN (optional)

smoothing BOOLEAN (optional)

spacingMethod STRING ("even" | "none" | "regular" |

"smooth") (optional)

splitDisconnectedRegions BOOLEAN (optional)

virtualSpacing BOOLEAN (optional)

xCuts REAL LIST (optional)

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sdesnmesh:axisaligned

Argument Argument type

yCuts REAL LIST (optional)

zCuts REAL LIST (optional)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension sets the global variables used inside the AxisAligned section of the
mesh command file.

The LIST sizes depend on the model dimension, as follows:

■ For 2D structures, the binaryTreeSplitBox argument requires four numbers, and
latticeCellSize and latticeDimensions require two numbers.
■ For 3D structures, the binaryTreeSplitBox argument requires six numbers, and
latticeCellSize and latticeDimensions require three numbers.

See Also

Sentaurus Mesh AxisAligned Section on page 211

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sdesnmesh:delaunizer

sdesnmesh:delaunizer
Sets the parameters for the Delaunizer section of the mesh command file.

Syntax
(sdesnmesh:delaunizer
"coplanarityAngle" coplanarityAngle
"coplanarityDistance" coplanarityDistance
"delaunayTolerance" delaunayTolerance
"edgeProximity" edgeProximity "faceProximity" faceProximity
"maxAngle" maxAngle "maxConnectivity" maxConnectivity
"maxNeighborRatio" maxNeighborRatio "maxPoints" maxPoints
"maxSolidAngle" maxSolidAngle "maxTetQuality" maxTetQuality
"minAngle" minAngle "minDihedralAngleAllowed" minDihedralAngleAllowed
"minEdgeLength" minEdgeLength "minEdgeLengthAllowed" minEdgeLengthAllowed
"sliverAngle" sliverAngle "sliverDistance" sliverDistance
"sliverRemovalAlgorithm" sliverRemovalAlgorithm
"storeDelaunayWeight" storeDelaunayWeight
"type" {"boxmethod" | "conforming" | "constrained"})

Argument Argument type

coplanarityAngle REAL

coplanarityDistance REAL

delaunayTolerance REAL

edgeProximity REAL

faceProximity REAL

maxAngle REAL

maxConnectivity REAL

maxNeighborRatio REAL

maxPoints REAL

maxSolidAngle REAL

maxTetQuality REAL

minAngle REAL

minDihedralAngleAllowed REAL

minEdgeLength REAL

minEdgeLengthAllowed REAL

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sdesnmesh:delaunizer

Argument Argument type

sliverAngle REAL

sliverDistance REAL

sliverRemovalAlgorithm INTEGER

storeDelaunayWeight BOOLEAN

type {"boxmethod" | "conforming" | "constrained"}

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension sets the global variables used inside the Delaunizer section of the
mesh command file. These are the parameters for the delaunizer module.

See Also

Sentaurus™ Mesh User Guide, Delaunizer Section on page 40

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sdesnmesh:delaunizer-tolerance

sdesnmesh:delaunizer-tolerance
Sets the delaunizer tolerance.

Syntax
(sdesnmesh:delaunizer-tolerance tolerance location location-type window)

Argument Argument type

tolerance REAL

location {"boundary" | "interior" | "surface"}

location-type {"region" ["region1" ["region2"]] |

"material" ["material1" ["material2"]] |
"global"}

window "window" x0 y0 z0 x1 y1 z1

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension sets the tolerance parameters for the delaunizer in the Sentaurus Mesh
command file.

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sdesnmesh:interpolate

sdesnmesh:interpolate
Sets the parameters for the Interpolate section of the mesh command file.

Syntax
(sdesnmesh:interpolate
["interpolateElements" interpolateElements]
["keepTotalConcentration" keepTotalConcentration]
["lateralDiffusion" lateralDiffusion])

Argument Argument type

interpolateElements BOOLEAN (default is #f) (optional)

keepTotalConcentration BOOLEAN (default is #f) (optional)

lateralDiffusion BOOLEAN (default is #f) (optional)

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme extension sets the parameters used in the Interpolate section of the mesh
command file.

See Also

Sentaurus™ Mesh User Guide, Interpolate Section on page 29

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sdesnmesh:iocontrols

sdesnmesh:iocontrols
Sets the parameters for the IOcontrols section of the mesh command file.

Syntax
(sdesnmesh:iocontrols
["inputFile" inputFile] ["outputFile" outputFile]
["EnableSections" EnableSections] ["EnableOffset" EnableOffset]
["EnableTensor" EnableTensor] ["EnableEMW" EnableEMW]
["EnableTools" EnableTools]
["verbosity" verbosity] ["numThreads" numThreads]
["useDFISEcoordinates" useDFISEcoords | "useUCScoordinates" useUCScoords])

Argument Argument type

inputFile STRING (optional)

outputFile STRING (optional)

EnableSections BOOLEAN (optional)

EnableOffset BOOLEAN (optional)

EnableTensor BOOLEAN (optional)

EnableEMW BOOLEAN (optional)

EnableTools BOOLEAN (optional)

verbosity INTEGER (optional)

numThreads INTEGER (optional)

useDFISEcoords BOOLEAN (optional) (default is #f)

useUCScoords BOOLEAN (optional) (default is #t)

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme extension sets the parameters used in the IOControls section of the mesh
command file.

See Also

Sentaurus™ Mesh User Guide, IOControls Section on page 6

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sdesnmesh:qualityreport

sdesnmesh:qualityreport
Sets the parameters of the QualityReport section of the Sentaurus Mesh command file.

Syntax
(sdesnmesh:qualityreport
qrtype qrelements
["limitMaxConnectivity" limitMaxConnectivity]
["limitMaxNonDelaunay" limitMaxNonDelaunay]
["limitMinAngle" limitMinAngle]
["limitMinEdgeLength" limitMinEdgeLength]
["limitMinVolume" limitMinVolume])

Argument Argument type

qrtype STRING ("Global" | "Material" | "Region")

qrelements STRING LIST

limitMaxConnectivity INTEGER (optional)

limitMaxNonDelaunay REAL (optional)

limitMinAngle REAL (optional)

limitMinEdgeLength REAL (optional)

limitMinVolume REAL (optional)

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

The QualityReport section can contain one global block, and multiple material and region
blocks defined by the value of qrtype as follows:
■ "Global" defines a global block. In this case, the qrelements argument is not used.
■ "Material" defines a material block. In this case, qrelements is a list of DATEX
materials.
■ "Region" defines a region block. In this case, qrelements is a list of region names.

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sdesnmesh:qualityreport

Examples
(sde:clear)
(sdesnmesh:qualityreport "Global" "limitMaxConnectivity" 100)
(sdesnmesh:qualityreport "Material" (list "Silicon" "PolySilicon")
"limitMaxNonDelaunay" 5 "limitMinEdgeLength" 0.01)
(sdesnmesh:qualityreport "Region" (list "region1") "limitMaxNonDelaunay" 10
"limitMinAngle" 60 "limitMinEdgeLength" 0.001 "limitMinVolume" 0.0001)

These Scheme extensions generate the following QualityReport section in the Sentaurus
Mesh command file:
QualityReport {
Global {
limitMaxConnectivity = 100
}
Material = { "Silicon" "PolySilicon" } {
limitMaxNonDelaunay = 5
limitMinEdgeLength = 0.01
}
Region = {"region1"} {
limitMaxNonDelaunay = 10
limitMinAngle = 60
limitMinEdgeLength = 0.001
limitMinVolume = 0.0001
}
}

See Also

Sentaurus™ Mesh User Guide, QualityReport Section on page 68

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sdesnmesh:tensor

sdesnmesh:tensor
Replaces the Tensor section of the mesh command file with the given string.

Syntax
(sdesnmesh:tensor value)

Argument Argument type

value STRING

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme extension allows direct manipulation of the Tensor section without syntax-
checking and replaces deprecated commands such as sdesnmesh:set-tensor-box and
sdesnmesh:set-tensor-mesh-float.

NOTE Double quotation marks within the string must be escaped with the
backslash, for example:
\"example string\"

Limitations

These deprecated commands use a different internal data structure unrelated to the data
structure used by (sdesnmesh:tensor value). The deprecated commands are still
supported for backward compatibility, but not with sdesnmesh:tensor at the same time.

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sdesnmesh:tools

sdesnmesh:tools
Replaces the Tools section of the mesh command file with the given string.

Syntax
(sdesnmesh:tools value)

Argument Argument type

value STRING

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme extension allows direct manipulation of the Tools section without syntax-
checking.

NOTE Double quotation marks within the string must be escaped with the
backslash, for example:
\"example string\"

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sdesp:begin

sdesp:begin
Begins Sentaurus Process and Sentaurus Structure Editor boundary-merging mode.

Syntax
(sdesp:begin)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension is called before beginning the merging of .sat file boundaries. It must
be called before the sdesp:define-step command can be used. For that reason, it is
necessary to begin the Sentaurus Process and Sentaurus Structure Editor mode, which is
terminated with sdesp:finalize.

Limitations

This Scheme extension applies to 3D models only.

Examples
; Create Sentaurus Process Tcl file using sdesp commands
; Start Sentaurus Process/Sentaurus Structure Editor mode
(sdesp:begin)
; Load .sat files, each time defining a step name to be reproduced
; in Sentaurus Process
(sdesp:define-step "step1" "_step1.sat")
(sdesp:define-step "step2" "_step2.sat")
(sdesp:define-step "step3" "_step3.sat")
(sdesp:define-step "step4" "_step4.sat")
; Conclude Sentaurus Process/Sentaurus Structure Editor mode, write Tcl file
(sdesp:finalize "sprocess_sde.tcl")

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sdesp:define-step

sdesp:define-step
Merges boundary (in .sat file) and defines a structure step to be reproduced in Sentaurus
Process.

Syntax
(sdesp:define-step step-name file-name)

Argument Argument type

step-name STRING

file-name STRING

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension loads a .sat file called file-name. It merges with the currently
loaded geometry and associates step-name with the current step.

See Also

sdesp:begin on page 796

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sdesp:finalize

sdesp:finalize
Completes Sentaurus Process and Sentaurus Structure Editor boundary merging and writes a
Sentaurus Process Tcl file.

Syntax
(sdesp:finalize Tcl-file-name)

Argument Argument type

Tcl-file-name STRING

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension is used to complete the merging of boundaries in the Sentaurus Process
and Sentaurus Structure Editor mode. It writes a Tcl file defining the recreate_step Tcl
procedure called from within Sentaurus Process to recreate model geometry by redefining
region materials.

See Also

sdesp:begin on page 796

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sdesp:restore-state

sdesp:restore-state
Restores the internal state of Sentaurus Process and Sentaurus Structure Editor to permit the
restarting of the boundary-merging process.

Syntax
(sdesp:restore-state step-name-list)

Argument Argument type

step-name-list STRING LIST

Returns

None.

Description

During boundary merging by Sentaurus Process and Sentaurus Structure Editor, you might
want to save the state and restore it later (perhaps in a different Sentaurus Structure Editor
session) before continuing with the merging leading to its finalization.

To restore: Most of the internal bookkeeping is stored in the .sat file that is reloaded. However,
the sequence of steps that have been defined so far must be restored using this Scheme
extension. The list of all steps in the correct order is given as a parameter to this extension.

See Also

sdesp:begin on page 796

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set-interface-contact

set-interface-contact
Marks the common faces of two 3D regions as contacts.

Syntax
(set-interface-contact region1 region2 contact-name)

Argument Argument type

region1 STRING

region2 STRING

contact-name STRING

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension attaches a contact attribute to the common faces of the specified
regions.

Limitations

This Scheme extension applies to 3D models only.

Examples
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-cuboid (position 0 0 0) (position 10 10 10) "Silicon" "mb1")
(sdegeo:create-sphere (position 10 10 0) 4 "PolySilicon" "mb2")
(sdegeo:define-contact-set "ifcontact" 4 (color:rgb 1 0 0) "##")
(set-interface-contact "mb1" "mb2" "ifcontact")

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shell?

shell?
Determines if a Scheme object is a shell.

Syntax
(shell? object)

Argument Argument type

object SCHEME OBJECT

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme extension returns #t if the specified object is a shell; otherwise, it returns #f. The
argument object specifies the Scheme object to be queried.

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skin:options

skin:options
Sets the options in the data structure to be used by skinning APIs.

Syntax
(skin:options {skin-option-name value} [skin-options])

Argument Argument type

skin-option-name STRING

value BOOLEAN

skin-options SKIN OPTIONS (optional)

Returns
sweep-options

Description

This Scheme extension sets the Scheme object skin-options that is used by the skinning and
lofting Scheme extensions.

The argument skin-option-name gives the name of the skinning option.

The argument value is the value of the skin-option-name. The different skin-option-
names and their default values are:
■ align (Boolean): This option is used to align the direction of the cross-section curves such
that the normal of the first profile points towards the second profile. All other profiles are
aligned to follow the first and second. If the sections are not oriented in the same direction,
the align option can be used to avoid producing a twisted, self-intersecting body. The
default value is #t.
■ allow_same_uv (Boolean): This option allows surfaces with the same u and v direction
to be created. If the option is set to #t and a surface with the same u and v directions is
created, a warning will be displayed. If set to #f, an error will be displayed.

NOTE If this option is set to #t and a surface with the same u and v directions
is created, modeling problems might appear later.
■ arc_length and arc_length_u (Boolean): The arc_length option is used to select
the arc length or isoparametric parameterization of the skinning surface. For basic skinning
and lofting in isoparametric parameterization, the surface parameter in the v direction
follows the cross-section curves. For arc-length parameterization, the surface parameter
follows lines of constant length. The default is isoparametric parameterization. In the case

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skin:options

of skinning with guide curves, with arc-length parameterization, the guide curve is arc-
length parameterized; however, the surface is still isoparametric. The arc_length_u
option reparameterizes curves of the skinning or lofting profiles to arc length. The default
value is #f for both options.
■ closed (Boolean): This option can be used to construct a solid body closed in v (that is, a
torus). A solid body will be constructed only when all the wires supplied are closed. At
least three profiles must be provided to create a closed body. The default value is #f.
■ estimate_loft_tanfacs (Boolean): When this option is switched on, the weight factor
for the tangent continuous of the loft will be determined such that it minimizes the average
radius of curvature of the lofting surfaces. The resulting bodies should support shelling to
greater thickness and also blending of their edges to larger blend radii. The default value is
#f.
■ gap_type (string): Specifies the type of gap that will be placed between the new faces.
The type can be:
• "extended" (default) – extending the surfaces and intersecting

• "rounded" – tangent surface to both lateral faces

• "chamfered" – a linear fill between both lateral faces

■ guidePreference (string): This option specifies how an over-constrained guide is
resolved. It is an enumerated type with two possible values:
• If "constrain_to_guide" (default) is specified, the resulting lofting surface always
stays with the defining guide curve.
• If "constrain_to_tangent" is specified, the lofting surface always follows the
tangent constraint.
■ match_vertices (Boolean): This option suppresses the vertex-matching algorithm that
ensures that all profiles consist of the same number of coedges. A heuristic approach is
used to determine which vertex pairs are good matches. Profile coedges are then split where
additional vertices are needed. This option is forced to #t if the coedge numbers of the
profiles are not equal. Its default value is #t.
■ merge_wirecoedges (Boolean): When this option is set to #t, the G1 vertices of the
skinning and lofting wire profiles are removed by merging adjacent coedges/edges. This
improves operations such as blending and shelling as it reduces the coedge/edge count and
the number of surfaces, and eliminates near tangent edges. The default value is #t.
■ no_new_twist_vertices (Boolean): The algorithm that minimizes the surface twist
can add vertices to some of the profiles if none of the existing vertices match well. This
option allows you to force the algorithm to choose matching vertices from the existing
vertices. The default value is #f.

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skin:options

■ no_twist (Boolean): This option minimizes the twist of the surface produced. Twist
minimization aligns closed curves such that the start of the second curve is aligned to the
start of the first curve. Even if the shape of a body is unaffected by twisting, a surface with
a twist could produce unexpected results when faceting and rendering. The default value is
#t.
■ periodic (Boolean): This option allows the construction of loft bodies that are periodic
in v, that is, bodies that close back on themselves smoothly (continuously) at the start and
end profiles. This option is activated in the skinning APIs by giving the closed option a
value of 2. In Scheme, this is achieved by setting the periodic flag to #t. As for the closed
option, at least three profiles must be supplied to create a periodic loft body.
■ perpendicular (Boolean): The take-off vector is a tangent vector going out of the
starting edge or surface and into the skinned or lofted surface. The perpendicular option
(for lofting only) is used to specify the direction of the take-off vector, perpendicular to the
coedge or in the loft direction. (This removes any restriction that the take-off vector for the
loft has to be determined by the cross product of the coedge tangent vector and the surface
normal scaled by the tangent factor.) The default value is #f.
■ postprocess_stitch (Boolean): This option stitches the resulting lofting body to the
original bodies from which its coedge definition came. This option only works with
api_loft_coedges (lofting) and not with any skinning operation (api_skin_wires).
It is identical in nature to the stitching operation performed in api_loft_faces. The
default is #t.
■ self_int_test (integer): This option checks for self-intersecting skin surfaces.
Commonly, self-intersecting skin surfaces can be made based on poor tangent factor
magnitudes, poor profiles, or an incorrect use of the perpendicular option. If set to 0,
the check will not be made and a body will be built; however, modeling problems might
appear later. If 2 is specified, the check will be performed but a warning will be displayed.
The default value is 1.

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solid?

solid?
Determines if a Scheme object is a solid.

Syntax
(solid? object)

Argument Argument type

object SCHEME OBJECT

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme extension determines if a Scheme object is a solid. The argument object
specifies the Scheme object to be queried.

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solid:area

solid:area
Returns the surface area of a solid.

Syntax
(solid:area solid-body [tolerance=0.01])

Argument Argument type

solid-body BODY

tolerance REAL (optional)

Returns
REAL LIST

Description

The first argument solid-body specifies a solid body. If the solid body entity has not been
explicitly defined, the argument should be (entity # [#]), where the first # is its entity
number, and the second # is its part number. The second argument is an optional tolerance,
which specifies the accuracy of the calculation.

This Scheme extension returns a pair of values: the total face area of the body and the relative
accuracy (absolute accuracy/area) achieved in the computation.

Cases that are treated analytically (tolerance is 0) are planes with straight or elliptical edges,
cones with straight edges, circular cylinders with elliptical edges, and special cases of
latitudinal and longitudinal edges on spheres.

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solid:massprop

solid:massprop
Analyzes the mass properties of a solid.

Syntax
(solid:massprop entity [integer-type=0 [thickness] tolerance=0.01
{{position=center} | {x=center-x y=center-y z=center-z}} direction=z-axis])

Argument Argument type

entity BODY

integer-type INTEGER (optional)

thickness REAL (optional)

tolerance REAL (optional)

position POSITION (optional)

x REAL (optional)

y REAL (optional)

z REAL (optional)

direction GVECTOR (optional)

Returns
LIST

Description

The argument entity must be a solid body to compute the mass properties. The optional
integer-type specifies the type of calculation to perform. The argument thickness
specifies the thickness required. The optional argument tolerance specifies the accuracy
required. The optional argument position specifies a point on the projection plane for the
moment (x, y, z are the positional arguments) and can be defined with either of two syntax
formats. The first syntax defines position by placing the xyz coordinates in ‘position’
statements enclosed in parentheses. However, the second syntax format defines the xyz
coordinates without using the ‘position’ statements or the additional set of parentheses.
Otherwise, the two formats are identical and accomplish the same task.

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solid:massprop

The optional argument direction specifies the normal to the projection plane for the
moments; the default is the z-axis of the active coordinate system. Valid values include:
■ 0 = Volume and tolerance only
■ 1 = Volume, tolerance, center of mass, principal moments, and principal axes
■ 2 = Volume, center of mass, principal moments, principal axes, and inertial tensor
■ 3 = Volume and tolerance only using thickness for double-sided faces
■ 4 = Volume, tolerance, and center of mass using thickness for double-sided faces
■ 5 = Volume, center of mass, principal moments, principal axes, and inertia tensor using
thickness for double-sided faces

For types 3–5, a nonnegative thickness argument is required (after the type, before the tolerance
if given), which is used to ascribe mass properties to any double-sided faces that the body
contains. For types 0–2, double-sided sheets are ignored (they are treated as having zero
volume, therefore, no mass and no influence on the center of mass or inertia). This is equivalent
to using types 3–5 with a thickness of zero.

Wire bodies are always treated as having zero volume and no influence on the center of mass
or inertia.

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sort

sort
Sorts the supplied list.

Syntax
(sort sort-criteria sort-list)

Argument Argument type

sort-criteria <, <=, >, >= ...

sort-list LIST

Returns
REAL

profile WIRE BODY | FACE | EDGE

path WIRE BODY | EDGE

distance REAL

vector GVECTOR

axis POSITION | GVECTOR

sweep-options SWEEP OPTIONS (optional)

Returns
ENTITY

Description

This Scheme function creates a sheet body or solid body from a profile and a path. The path
can be defined as a path, a distance, a vector, or an axis (position and vector).

This Scheme function is complex. In some cases, the provided input defines topologically
correct output. However, it can cause self-intersections, in which case, the function fails.

The arguments are:

■ profile is a pointer to a wire body, a face, or an edge that, in turn, defines the sweep
geometry and becomes the base of the solid or the edge of the surface. A planar sheet body
containing nonadjacent faces is also permissible.
■ path is a wire body or an edge along which the profile is swept. It can be defined as a
distance if profile is a planar face. It can be defined as a vector if "rail_law" is used
(no twist). It can be defined as an axis (defined as a position and vector) if "rail_law" is
used (no twist).
■ distance defines the distance to sweep along the face normal.
■ vector defines the direction and distance to sweep.

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sweep:law

■ axis is a position and vector that defines the axis to revolve around. The amount to revolve
is controlled by the "sweep_angle" option.
■ sweep-options is an optional argument that contains the Sweep_Options data
structure. This data structure is created by sweep:options. If sweep-options is not
specified, the default sweep option values are used.

Examples
Sweeping an Edge Along a Vector
(sde:clear)
(define edge1 (wire-body (edge:linear (position 10 0 0) (position 10 10 0))))
(define sweep1 (sweep:law edge1 (gvector 10 0 0)))
Sweeping a Face a Distance
(sde:clear)
(define face2 (face:plane (position 0 20 0) 10 10 (gvector 0 0 1)))
(define sweep2 (sweep:law face2 5))
Revolving a Face
(sde:clear)
; Create a solid block.
(define block1 (solid:block (position -10 -10 0) (position 25 25 25)))
; Separate faces from block1.
(define entities (entity:faces block1))
; Extract a single planar face.
(define face1 (car (cdr (cdr entities))))
; Verify transform applied.
(define fix (entity:fix-transform block1))
; Define extent of sweep.
(define opts (sweep:options "sweep_angle" 60))
; Revolve the planar face by a gvector around a position.
(define sweep3 (sweep:law face1 (position -10 -10 -10) (gvector 1 0 0) opts))
Revolving a Wire
(sde:clear)
; Create 4 linear edges.
(define edge1 (edge:linear (position 0 0 0) (position 20 0 0)))
(define edge2 (edge:linear (position 20 0 0) (position 20 20 0)))
(define edge3 (edge:linear (position 20 20 0) (position 0 20 0)))
(define edge4 (edge:linear (position 0 20 0) (position 0 0 0)))
; Create a wire body from the 4 edges.
(define wirebody (wire-body (list edge1 edge2 edge3 edge4)))
; Create a solid by revolving the wire body.
(define sweep4 (sweep:law wirebody (position 0 0 0) (gvector 0 1 0)
sweep:options "sweep_angle" 60)))

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sweep:law

Sweeping a Planar Face

(sde:clear)
; Create a solid block.
(define block1 (solid:block (position -10 -10 -10) (position 30 30 30)))
; Get a list of the faces of the solid block.
(define faces (entity:faces block1))
; Select a single face to sweep.
(define face (car (cdr (cdr faces))))
; Create a new solid by sweeping the face along a gvector.
(define sweep5 (sweep:law face (gvector 0 -5 0)
(sweep:options "draft_angle" -45)))

See Also

sweep:options on page 815

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sweep:options

sweep:options
Sets the options for sdegeo:sweep.

Syntax
(sweep:options sweep-option-name {value | location direction})

Argument Argument type

sweep-option-name STRING

value STRING | law | REAL | GVECTOR | ENTITY |

BOOLEAN | INTEGER

location POSITION

direction GVECTOR

Returns
sweep-options

Description

This Scheme function defines elements in the sweep-options data structure that are used
later for the sdegeo:sweep operation. The argument sweep-option-name is a string. If
value is a real, it does not require delimiters. If value is a string representing a law, it should
be enclosed in double quotation marks. If value is a law, only the variable name for the law is
required. Multiple pairs of sweep-option-name and value can be specified simultaneously,
for example:
(sweep:options "draft_angle" 5 "solid" #f)

The following sweep options can be used: draft_angle, gap_type, miter, rigid, and
sweep_angle. The option draft_angle is a real number that represents the angle with
which the swept profile is to draft while sweeping. Drafting has two mutually exclusive
options: draft_angle and draft_law. The default for draft_angle is 0. One application
of drafting is for molded items. As the profile is swept, the ending profile has been offset by an
equal distance, which helps with the removal of the item from a mold. Extreme draft angles or
draft laws can result in errors due to self-intersecting bodies, incomplete lateral faces (likely at
corners), or unsupported topologies.

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system:command

Examples
(define plist1 (list (position 0 0 0) (position 20 0 0) (position 20 20 0)
(position 20 20 20)))
(define start1 (gvector 1 0 0))
(define end1 (gvector 0 0 10))
(define path1 (edge:spline plist1 start1 end1))
(render:rebuild)
(define edgelist1 (list
(edge:linear (position 0 3 3) (position 0 3 -3))
(edge:linear (position 0 3 -3) (position 0 -3 -3))
(edge:linear (position 0 -3 -3) (position 0 -3 3))
(edge:linear (position 0 -3 3) (position 0 3 3))))
(define profile1 (wire-body edgelist1))
(define sweep1 (sweep:law profile1 path1))

See Also

sdegeo:sweep on page 710

system:command
Executes a system command.

Syntax
(system:command cmd)

Argument Argument type

cmd STRING

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme function executes a system command from the Scheme command-line window.
The command results are displayed in the UNIX window. If you use the system:command
Scheme function, the return value must be processed correctly; otherwise, Sentaurus
Workbench cannot find possible errors. For details, see Error Signaling to Sentaurus
Workbench on page 276.

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system:getenv

system:getenv
Returns the value of an environment variable.

Syntax
(system:getenv name-string)

Argument Argument type

name-string STRING

Returns

Value of the environment variable if it is found; otherwise, it returns #f.

Description

The argument name-string specifies the name of the environment variable.

timer:end
Stops the timer.

Syntax
(timer:end)

Returns
STRING

Description

The commands timer:start, timer:end, timer:show-time, and timer:get-time are

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timer:get-time

timer:get-time
Calculates and returns the amount of time elapsed since timer:start was executed.

Syntax
(timer:get-time)

Returns
REAL

Description

The commands timer:start, timer:end, timer:show-time, and timer:get-time are

used to measure the performance of a command or a series of commands. They measure only
the CPU time required to execute the command and not any delays incurred from entering the
commands into Scheme. They are used most often to determine the time required to execute
one or more commands.

The command timer:get-time can be executed or interspersed any number of times

throughout a command or a series of commands. You also can use timer:show-time to
display the amount of time elapsed since timer:start was executed.

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timer:show-time

timer:show-time
Calculates and returns the amount of time elapsed since timer:start was executed.

Syntax
(timer:show-time)

Returns
REAL

Description

The commands timer:start, timer:end, timer:show-time, and timer:get-time are

The command timer:show-time can be executed or interspersed any number of times

throughout a command or a series of commands. It returns a real number only after
timer:start is executed. If timer:start has not been executed, timer:show-time
returns zero (0). You also can use timer:get-time to display the amount of time elapsed
since timer:start was executed.

timer:start
Starts an internal clock or timer.

Syntax
(timer:start)

Returns
STRING

Description

The commands timer:start, timer:end, timer:show-time, and timer:get-time are

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transform:reflection

transform:reflection
Creates a transform to mirror an object through an axis.

Syntax
(transform:reflection plane-position plane-direction)

Argument Argument type

plane-position POSITION

plane-direction GVECTOR

Returns
transform

Description

This Scheme function is used to define a reflection transform, which can be used in
sdegeo:mirror-selected. The argument plane-position specifies the location to
mirror an object, and plane-direction specifies the normal of the mirror in the plane.

Examples
(sde:clear)
(define mb (sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 1 1 0) (position 2 2 0) "Silicon"
"xx"))
(define tr1 (transform:reflection (position 0 0 0) (gvector -1 0 0)))
(set! tr1 (transform:reflection (position 0 0 0) (gvector 0 1 0)))
(sdegeo:mirror-selected (get-body-list) tr1 #t)

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transform:rotation

transform:rotation
Creates a transform to rotate an object about an axis.

Syntax
(transform:rotation origin-position axis-direction angle)

Argument Argument type

origin-position POSITION

axis-direction GVECTOR

angle REAL

Returns
transform

Description

This Scheme function is used to define a rotation transform, which can be used in
sdegeo:rotate-selected. The origin-position specifies the start location of the
rotate. The argument axis-direction specifies the axis direction of rotation. The right-hand
rule determines the direction of the rotation. The argument angle specifies the angle in
degrees to rotate the object.

Examples
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-circle (position 0 0 0) 0.1 "PolySilicon" "xx")
(define mb (sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 1 1 0) (position 2 2 0) "Silicon"
"xx"))
(define tr1 (transform:rotation (position 0 0 0) (gvector 0 0 1) 45))
(sdegeo:rotate-selected mb tr1 #t 7)

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transform:scaling

transform:scaling
Creates a scaling transform.

Syntax
(transform:scaling x-scale [y-scale z-scale])

Argument Argument type

x-scale REAL

y-scale REAL (optional)

z-scale REAL (optional)

Returns
transform

Description

This Scheme function is used to define a scaling transform, which can be used in
sdegeo:scale-selected.

Although the Scheme function accepts a scaling factor (x-scale, y-scale, or z-scale) 0
or less, only a positive scale factor is recommended. When uniform scaling is used, only the
x-scale term can be supplied.

In this case, all three components of the gvector will be multiplied by the same x-scale factor:
■ x-scale specifies the scaling factor for the x-axis direction.
■ y-scale is an optional argument that specifies the scaling factor for the y-axis direction.
■ z-scale is an optional argument that specifies the scaling factor for the z-axis direction.

Examples
(sde:clear)
(define mb (sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 0) "Silicon"
"xx"))
(sdegeo:scale-selected mb tr1)(define tr1 (transform:scaling 1.0 2.0 1.0))

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transform:translation

transform:translation
Creates a translation transform object.

Syntax
(transform:translation gvector)

Argument Argument type

gvector GVECTOR

Returns
transform

Description

This Scheme function is used to define a translation transform, which can be used in
sdegeo:translate-selected.

Examples
(sde:clear)
(define mb (sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 1 1 0) "Silicon"
"xx"))
(define tr1 (transform:translation (gvector 3.0 0.0 0.0)))
(sdegeo:translate-selected mb tr1 #t 5)

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util:make-bot-contact

util:make-bot-contact
Defines a bottom contact in two dimensions or three dimensions.

Syntax
(util:make-bot-contact contact-name [contact-argument])

Argument Argument type

contact-name STRING

contact-argument INTEGER | RGB COLOR (2D) (optional)

STRING (3D) (optional)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension assigns a contact to the bottom of a 2D or 3D device. In two

dimensions, the bottom edges of the device are defined as contacts. In three dimensions, the
bottom faces of the device are defined as contacts. The optional contact-argument can be
a color (color name or RGB color) in two dimensions, or a face pattern string ("solid" "##"
"||" "==" "//" "\\" "::" "<><>" "[] []") in three dimensions. If the given contact
is not yet defined, util:make-bot-contact will define the contact.

Examples
Example: Two Dimensions
(sde:clear)
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 10 10 0) "Silicon" "x1")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 3 10 0) (position 7 14 0) "PolySilicon"
"x2")
(sdegeo:insert-vertex (position 1 0 0))
(sdegeo:insert-vertex (position 5 0 0))
(sdegeo:insert-vertex (position 9 0 0))
(sdegeo:insert-vertex (position 4 14 0))
(sdegeo:insert-vertex (position 5 14 0))
(sdegeo:insert-vertex (position 6 14 0))
(util:make-bot-contact "c1" GREEN)
(util:make-top-contact "c2" BLUE)

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util:make-bot-contact

Example: Three Dimensions

(sde:clear)
(sde:set-process-up-direction 0)
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 0 0 0) (position 10 10 0) "Silicon" "x1")
(sdegeo:create-rectangle (position 3 10 0) (position 7 14 0) "PolySilicon"
"x2")
(sdegeo:insert-vertex (position 1 0 0))
(sdegeo:insert-vertex (position 5 0 0))
(sdegeo:insert-vertex (position 9 0 0))
(sdegeo:insert-vertex (position 4 14 0))
(sdegeo:insert-vertex (position 5 14 0))
(sdegeo:insert-vertex (position 6 14 0))
(entity:rotate (get-body-list) 0 0 0 1 0 0 90)
(sdegeo:extrude (get-body-list) 5)
(util:make-bot-contact "c1" "##")
(util:make-top-contact "c2" "//")

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util:make-top-contact

util:make-top-contact
Defines a top contact in two dimensions or three dimensions.

Syntax
(util:make-top-contact contact-name [contact-argument])

Argument Argument type

contact-name STRING

contact-argument INTEGER | RGB COLOR (2D) (optional)

STRING (3D) (optional)

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension assigns a contact to the top of a 2D or 3D device. In two dimensions,
the top edges of the device are defined as contacts. In three dimensions, the top faces of the
device are defined as contacts. The optional contact-argument can be a color (color name
or RGB color) in two dimensions, or a face pattern string ("solid" "##" "||" "==" "//
" "\\" "::" "<><>" "[] []") in three dimensions. If the given contact is not yet defined,
util:make-top-contact will define the contact.

Examples

See examples of util:make-bot-contact on page 824.

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vertex?

vertex?
Determines if a Scheme object is a vertex.

Syntax
(vertex? object)

Argument Argument type

object SCHEME OBJECT

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme function determines if a Scheme object is a vertex. The argument object
specifies the Scheme object to be queried.

view:set-point-size
Sets the size of the rendered vertices in the main window of the GUI.

Syntax
(view:set-point-size vertex-size)

Argument Argument type

vertex-size INTEGER

Returns

None.

Description

This Scheme extension sets the size of the rendered vertices in the main window of the GUI.
The default size is 10, and 0 switches off the vertex rendering and removes the vertex markings.

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wire?

wire?
Determines if a Scheme object is a wire.

Syntax
(wire? object)

Argument Argument type

object SCHEME OBJECT

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme function determines if a Scheme object is a wire. The argument object specifies
the Scheme object to be queried.

wire-body?
Determines if a Scheme object is a wire body.

Syntax
(wire-body? object)

Argument Argument type

object SCHEME OBJECT

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme function determines if a Scheme object is a wire body. The argument object
specifies the Scheme object to be queried.

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wire:planar?

wire:planar?
Determines if a Scheme object is a planar wire.

Syntax
(wire:planar? object)

Argument Argument type

object SCHEME OBJECT

Returns
BOOLEAN

Description

This Scheme function determines if a Scheme object is a planar wire. The argument object
specifies the Scheme object to be queried.

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wire:planar?

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Index of Scheme Extensions

A debug ............................................................286, 317

deep-copy ............................................................. 318
afm-smooth-layers .............................................. 75, 298
delete .................................................................... 319
delete domainboundary ......................................... 156
B dist ......................................................................... 320
bbox ........................................................................... 300 edges ................................................... 286, 287, 321
bbox-exact ................................................................. 301 erase ..................................................................... 322
body? ................................................................ 289, 302 faces ..................................................... 124, 286, 322
build-csv-lens ............................................................ 303 loops ..............................................................286, 323
lumps .............................................................287, 324
C set-color ................................................................ 325
shells .............................................................287, 327
color
vertices ..........................................................287, 328
rgb ................................................................ 186, 304 entity? ....................................................................... 289
complete-edge-list ..................................................... 305
env
convert-to-degree ...................................................... 306
set-tolerance ......................................................... 329
convert-to-radian ....................................................... 306 tolerance ............................................................... 330
curve
erf .............................................................................. 330
circular? ................................................................. 289
erfc ............................................................................ 331
elliptical? ................................................................ 289 exists-empty-mask-name ..................................136, 331
linear? .................................................................... 289
exists-mask-name .............................................136, 332
curve? ........................................................................ 289
extract-interface-normal-offset-refwindow .........202, 333
extract-interface-offset-refwindow .....................202, 334
D extract-refpolyhedron ........................................201, 335
define ........................................................................... 28 extract-refwindow ..............................................201, 336

E F
edge face
circular ................................................................... 308 area ....................................................................... 337
circular? ........................................................ 289, 309 conical? .........................................................289, 338
curve? .................................................................... 289 cylindrical? ....................................................289, 338
elliptical? ....................................................... 289, 309 planar? ..........................................................289, 339
end ......................................................................... 310 plane-normal ......................................................... 339
length ..................................................................... 310 spherical? ......................................................289, 340
linear ............................................................. 124, 311 spline? ...........................................................289, 340
linear? ........................................................... 289, 312 toroidal? ........................................................289, 341
mid-point ................................................................ 313 face? ......................................................................... 289
spline? ................................................................... 289 filter
start ........................................................................ 313 type ....................................................................... 342
type ........................................................................ 314 find-body-id .............................................. 281, 282, 343
edge? ............................................................... 289, 307 find-body-id-drs ......................................................... 343
entity find-drs-id .................................................................. 344
box ................................................................ 288, 315 find-edge-id .............................................. 281, 282, 345
copy ....................................................................... 316 find-edge-id-drs ......................................................... 346
find-face-id ................................84, 281, 282, 287, 347

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Index of Scheme Extensions

find-face-id-drs .......................................................... 348 lump? ................................................................289, 380

find-mask ................................................................... 136
find-material-id ..........................................281, 282, 349 M
find-region ................................................................. 350
mask-refevalwin-extract-2d ...............................136, 381
find-region-id ............................................281, 282, 351
find-vertex-id .............................................281, 282, 352 mask-refevalwin-extract-3d ...............................136, 382
member? ................................................................... 383
find-vertex-id-drs ....................................................... 352
merge-collinear-edges-2d ............................ 65, 70, 384

G
P
generic
part
get .......................................................................... 283
get-body-list ............................................................... 353 entities ...........................................................286, 385
load .......................................................... 10, 11, 386
get-drs-list .................................................................. 353
save ....................................................................... 387
get-empty-mask-list .......................................... 136, 354
get-mask-list ..................................................... 136, 354 save-selection ....................................................... 388
set-name ............................................................... 389
gvector ....................................................................... 355
position ...................................................................... 390
- ............................................................................. 358
+ ............................................................................ 357 - ............................................................................. 392
+ ............................................................................ 391
copy ....................................................................... 359
distance ................................................................. 392
cross ...................................................................... 359
dot .......................................................................... 360 set! ........................................................................ 393
set-x! ..................................................................... 394
from-to ................................................................... 360
set-y! ..................................................................... 395
length ..................................................................... 361
parallel? ................................................................. 361 set-z! ..................................................................... 396
x ............................................................................ 397
perpendicular? ....................................................... 362
y ............................................................................ 397
reverse ................................................................... 362
scale ...................................................................... 363 z ............................................................................ 398
position? ............................................................289, 391
set! ......................................................................... 364
protect-all-contacts ............................................192, 399
set-x! ...................................................................... 365
set-y! ...................................................................... 366
set-z! ...................................................................... 367 R
transform ............................................................... 368 random-sd ................................................................. 400
unitize .................................................................... 368 remove-body-ABA ...............................................48, 401
x ............................................................................. 369 remove-body-BAB ...............................................48, 402
y ............................................................................. 369 render
z ............................................................................. 370 rebuild .............................................................36, 403
gvector? ..................................................................... 356 roll .......................................................................21, 404

J S
journal sde
abort ...................................................................... 370 add-material ......................................... 110, 111, 405
append ................................................................... 371 back-coord ............................................................ 406
clean ............................................................... 12, 372 bg-image-transparency .................................292, 407
load ................................................................. 12, 373 bool-regularise ...................................................... 407
off .................................................................... 12, 374 bottom-coord ......................................................... 408
on .................................................................... 12, 375 build-mesh ............................................................. 409
pause .............................................................. 12, 376 change-datex-color-scheme ............................34, 410
resume ............................................................ 12, 376 check-3d-license-status ........................................ 410
save ................................................................ 12, 377 check-model .......................................................... 411
step ................................................................. 11, 378 checkout-3d-license .............................................. 412
clear ................................................................44, 412
L create-bg-image ..................292, 407, 413, 440, 495
create-dialog .................................................292, 414
load .............................................................................. 10
define-parameter .............................................27, 415
loop
external? ....................................................... 289, 379 delay-graphics-update ........................................... 416
delay-graphics-update? ......................................... 416
loop? ................................................................. 289, 379
delete-bg-image ............................................292, 417

832 Sentaurus™ Structure Editor User Guide

O-2018.06
Index of Scheme Extensions

delete-materials ..................................................... 417 save-parameters ................................................... 464

delete-parameter ............................................ 27, 418 save-tcl-parameters .............................................. 465
dialog-add-input ............................................ 292, 419 scale-scene .....................................................38, 467
dialog-add-pixmap ........................................ 292, 420 scmwin .................................................................... 22
dialog-delete ................................................. 292, 421 scmwin-get-font-families .................................23, 468
dialog-ok-command ...................................... 292, 422 scmwin-get-font-family ....................................23, 468
dialog-show .................................................. 292, 423 scmwin-get-font-size .......................................23, 469
display ................................................................... 424 scmwin-get-font-style ......................................23, 469
display-err .............................................................. 425 scmwin-get-window-height ...................................... 23
display-std .................................................... 426, 433 scmwin-select-font ..........................................23, 470
draw-ruler .............................................................. 427 scmwin-set-font-family ....................................23, 470
dump-non-default-options ...................................... 429 scmwin-set-font-size .......................................23, 471
exact-coords? ........................................................ 429 scmwin-set-prefs .............................................23, 472
extract-tdr-boundary .............................................. 430 scmwin-set-window-height ..............................23, 473
fix-imprint ............................................................... 431 scmwin-suppress-output ....................................... 473
fix-orientation ......................................................... 431 selected-entities ....................................... 3, 280, 474
front-coord ............................................................. 432 selected-refeval-windows ...................................... 474
ft_scalar ................................................................. 433 separate-lumps ........................... 112, 278, 284, 475
get-backwards-compatibility .................................. 434 set-background-color ......................................23, 477
get-default-material ....................................... 284, 434 set-backwards-compatibility .................................. 478
get-view-params ............................................. 25, 435 set-default-material .......................................284, 479
gui-get-integer .............................................. 295, 436 set-menubar-font-size .....................................24, 480
gui-get-real ................................................... 295, 437 set-process-up-direction ........................................ 481
gui-get-string ................................................. 295, 438 set-project-name ................................................... 482
hide ........................................................................ 439 setrefprops ....................................................235, 491
hide-bg-image ............................................... 292, 440 set-region-counter ................................................. 284
hide-contact .................................................... 39, 440 set-rendering-mode ............................................... 483
hide-interface ......................................................... 441 set-selection-level .........................................280, 484
hide-mask ..................................................... 136, 442 set-translucency .................................................... 485
hide-material .......................................................... 443 setup-grid .............................................................. 493
hide-region ............................................................. 444 set-view-mode ....................................................... 486
hide-ruler ............................................................... 445 set-view-operator .................................................. 487
info ................................................................ 283, 445 set-view-params ..............................................25, 488
left-coord ................................................................ 446 set-window-position .........................................24, 489
load-sat ........................................................... 11, 447 set-window-size ...............................................24, 490
material-type .......................................................... 448 set-window-style .................................................... 490
max-x ..................................................................... 448 show ...................................................................... 494
max-y ..................................................................... 449 showattribs ............................................................ 495
max-z ..................................................................... 449 show-bg-image ..............................................292, 495
merge-materials ..................................................... 450 show-contact ...................................................39, 496
min-x ...................................................................... 451 show-grid ............................................................... 496
min-y ...................................................................... 451 show-interface ....................................................... 497
min-z ...................................................................... 452 show-mask ....................................................136, 498
new-region-name ................................................... 452 show-material ........................................................ 499
off-lights ................................................................. 453 show-pcurves ........................................................ 500
offset-mask ...........................................136, 137, 453 show-region ........................................................... 501
on-lights ................................................................. 454 split-solid ............................................................... 502
open-model .................................................9, 25, 455 stripextension ........................................................ 503
part-load ................................................................ 456 substring ................................................................ 504
pick-point-on-wp ........................................... 296, 457 test-entity ............................................................... 505
pick-two-points-on-wp ................................... 296, 457 toggle-lights ........................................................... 506
post-message ............................................... 296, 458 top-coord ............................................................... 506
project-name .......................................................... 459 tr-get ...................................................................... 507
refresh ................................................................... 460 use-camera-manipulator ...................................19, 32
rename-regions ..................................................... 461 view-filter-reset ...................................................... 507
restore-cursor ........................................................ 462 view-set-light-intensity ........................................... 508
right-coord ............................................................. 462 view-set-visible-area ............................................. 509
save-model ...............................................10, 25, 463 wait-cursor ............................................................. 509

Sentaurus™ Structure Editor User Guide 833

O-2018.06
Index of Scheme Extensions

window-select-2d ............................................ 70, 510 offset-global ........................................................... 565

window-select-3d ................................................... 512 offset-interface ..............................................215, 566
xshow .................................................................... 513 read-cmd-file ...................................................10, 567
xshow-contact ................................................. 39, 514 redefine-refeval-window ........................................ 568
xshow-interface ..................................................... 515 refine-box .............................................................. 569
xshow-mask .................................................. 136, 516 refine-doping ......................................................... 570
xshow-material ...................................................... 517 refine-interface ...................................................... 571
xshow-region ......................................................... 518 set-cmdprecision ................................................... 573
zoom-all ................................................................. 519 set-title ................................................................... 574
sdedr show-mbox ............................................................ 574
append-cmd-file ..................................................... 520 show-profile ........................................................... 575
clear ....................................................................... 520 show-refinement .................................................... 576
clear-multibox-definitions ....................................... 521 show-rewin ............................................................ 577
clear-multibox-placements ..................................... 521 transform-submesh-placement ............................. 578
clear-profile-definitions .......................................... 522 write-cmd-file ......................................................... 579
clear-profile-placements ........................................ 522 write-scaled-cmd-file .....................................123, 580
clear-refinement-definitions ................................... 523 sdeepi
clear-refinement-placements ................................. 524 create-layerstack ...........................................245, 581
clear-ref-windows .................................................. 523 publish-global-vars ........................................263, 582
clear-submesh-placement-transform ..................... 525 scm ........................................................................ 583
convert-mask-to-drs-body ...................................... 526 tcl ........................................................................... 584
define-1d-external-profile .............................. 224, 527 sdegeo
define-analytical-profile ................................. 224, 529 2d-cut ..............................................................58, 585
define-analytical-profile-placement .......199, 224, 530 3d-cut ............................................................113, 586
define-body-interface-refwin ......................... 201, 531 align-horizontal ......................................... 60, 70, 589
define-constant-profile .................................. 220, 532 align-horizontal-aut ................................... 61, 70, 590
define-constant-profile-material .................... 220, 533 align-to-line ............................................... 61, 71, 591
define-constant-profile-placement ................ 220, 534 align-vertical ............................................. 60, 71, 592
define-constant-profile-region ....................... 220, 535 align-vertical-aut ....................................... 61, 71, 593
define-erf-profile ........................................... 224, 536 average-edge-length ......................... 62, 70, 71, 594
define-gaussian-profile ................................. 224, 538 body-trim ............................................................... 595
define-multibox-placement .................................... 540 bool-intersect ......................................................... 596
define-multibox-size ...................................... 210, 541 bool-subtract ......................................................... 597
define-particle-profile ............................................. 542 bool-unite .............................................................. 598
define-particle-profile-placement ........................... 543 break-nearly-axis-aligned-edges .............. 67, 71, 599
define-refeval-window 198, 199, 200, 207, 210, 220, chamfer ...........................................................77, 600
544 chamfer-2d ......................................................57, 602
define-refinement-function ............................ 207, 547 check-overlap ........................................................ 603
define-refinement-material ............................ 207, 548 chop-domain .................................................118, 604
define-refinement-placement ........................ 207, 549 chull2d .............................................................58, 605
define-refinement-region .............................. 207, 550 contact-sets ........................................................... 606
define-refinement-size .................................. 207, 551 create-circle ........................................................... 607
define-submesh ............................................ 227, 552 create-cone ........................................................... 608
define-submesh-placement .......................... 227, 553 create-cuboid ........................................... 72, 84, 610
delete-multibox-placement .................................... 555 create-cylinder ....................................................... 611
delete-profile-placement ........................................ 556 create-ellipse ......................................................... 613
delete-refeval-window ................................... 204, 557 create-ellipsoid ...................................................... 614
delete-refinement-placement ................................. 558 create-linear-edge ................................................. 615
delete-submesh-placement ................................... 559 create-ot-ellipsoid .................................................. 616
del-selected-drentity .............................................. 554 create-ot-sphere .................................................... 618
get-cmdprecision ................................................... 559 create-polygon ...................................................... 620
get-definition-list .................................................... 560 create-polyline-wire .........................................86, 621
get-placement-list .................................................. 560 create-prism .......................................................... 622
hide-mbox .............................................................. 561 create-pyramid ...................................................... 623
hide-profile ............................................................. 561 create-rectangle ............................................112, 624
hide-refinement ...................................................... 562 create-reg-polygon ................................................ 625
hide-rewin .............................................................. 563 create-ruled-region ................................................ 626
offset-block ................................................... 215, 564 create-sphere ........................................................ 627

834 Sentaurus™ Structure Editor User Guide

O-2018.06
Index of Scheme Extensions

create-spline-wire ........................................... 86, 628 rename-contact ..................................................... 684

create-torus ........................................................... 629 revolve ................................................................... 685
create-triangle ........................................................ 631 rotate-selected ..................................... 132, 135, 687
curve-intersect ....................................................... 632 scale ..............................................................123, 689
define-3d-contact-by-polygon ................................ 633 scale-selected ...................................... 125, 132, 690
define-contact-set ......................................... 186, 634 set-active-coord-sys ......................................122, 691
define-coord-sys ........................................... 122, 635 set-active-work-plane ....................................120, 692
define-work-plane ......................................... 120, 636 set-auto-region-naming .................................283, 693
delete-collinear-edges ..............................63, 71, 638 set-contact .....................................................189, 694
delete-contact-boundary-edges .................... 189, 639 set-contact-boundary-edges ................................. 695
delete-contact-boundary-faces ..................... 189, 640 set-contact-boundary-faces ................................... 696
delete-contact-edges .................................... 189, 641 set-contact-edges .................................................. 697
delete-contact-faces ..................................... 189, 642 set-contact-faces ................................................... 698
delete-contact-set ......................................... 187, 642 set-contact-faces-by-polygon ................................ 699
delete-coord-sys ........................................... 122, 643 set-current-contact-set .......................................... 700
delete-edges ................................................... 71, 644 set-default-boolean ......................... 46, 47, 112, 701
delete-nearly-collinear-edges ...................63, 71, 645 set-region-counter ................................................. 703
delete-region ...........................................84, 112, 646 set-region-counter-aut ........................................... 703
delete-short-edges ...................... 62, 64, 65, 71, 647 skin-wires .............................................................. 704
delete-vertices ................................... 55, 62, 71, 648 skin-wires-guides .................................................. 705
delete-work-plane ......................................... 121, 649 skin-wires-normal .................................................. 706
del-short-edges .........................................65, 71, 637 skin-wires-vectors ................................................. 707
distance ........................................................ 285, 649 split-insert-device ..........................................115, 708
dnce ..........................................................65, 71, 650 split-solid ............................................................... 709
extend-device ............................................... 117, 651 sweep .................................................................... 710
extrude ............................................................ 87, 653 sweep-corner ........................................................ 712
face-find-interior-point ............................................ 655 taper-faces ........................................ 80, 84, 85, 713
fillet .........................................................78, 287, 656 translate ................................................................ 714
fillet-2d ............................................................ 56, 658 translate-selected ..........................................132, 715
find-closest-edge .......................................... 282, 659 vsmooth .................................................... 69, 71, 716
find-closest-face ...................................282, 659, 660 sdeicwb
find-closest-vertex ........................................ 282, 660 clear ...................................................................... 717
find-touching-faces ................................................ 661 contact .................................................. 136, 143, 718
find-touching-faces-global ..................................... 662 create-boxes-from-layer ........................................ 722
get-active-work-plane ............................................ 663 define-refinement-from-layer .........................143, 723
get-auto-region-naming ................................ 283, 663 down ..............................................................143, 726
get-contact-edgelist ............................................... 664 gds2mac ........................................................136, 727
get-contact-facelist ................................................ 664 generate-mask-by-layer-name ............. 136, 141, 730
get-current-contact-set .......................................... 665 get-back ........................................................141, 731
get-default-boolean ................................................ 665 get-dimension ........................................................ 732
get-region-counter ................................................. 666 get-domains .......................................................... 732
imprint-circular-wire ...................................... 191, 667 get-front .........................................................141, 733
imprint-contact ....................................................... 668 get-global-bot ................................................143, 734
imprint-polygonal-wire .................................. 191, 669 get-global-top ................................................142, 735
imprint-rectangular-wire ................................ 191, 670 get-label ................................................................ 736
imprint-triangular-wire ............................................ 671 get-label-for-layer .................................................. 736
insert-vertex ............................................52, 190, 672 get-labels ............................................................... 737
max-edge-length .......................................70, 71, 673 get-layer-ids .......................................................... 139
min-edge-length ........................................70, 71, 674 get-layer-names ............................................139, 738
mirror-selected .............................................. 132, 675 get-layer-polygon-midpoints .................................. 739
move-2d-regions ............................................. 54, 676 get-left ...........................................................141, 740
move-edge ...................................................... 54, 677 get-polygon-bounding-boxes-by-layer-name ........ 741
move-vertex .................................................... 53, 678 get-polygon-by-name ............................................ 742
point-entity-relationship ......................................... 679 get-polygon-names-by-layer-name ....................... 742
polygonal-split ................................................. 59, 680 get-region-bot ................................................143, 743
prune-vertices ...........................................65, 71, 681 get-region-top ................................................142, 744
ray-test ................................................................... 682 get-right .........................................................141, 745
reflect ..................................................................... 683 get-xmax .......................................................140, 745

Sentaurus™ Structure Editor User Guide 835

O-2018.06
Index of Scheme Extensions

get-xmin ........................................................ 140, 746 solid

get-ymax ....................................................... 141, 746 area ....................................................................... 806
get-ymin ........................................................ 141, 747 closed? .................................................................. 290
load-file ......................................................... 139, 748 manifold? ............................................................... 290
mapreader ............................................................. 749 massprop .............................................................. 807
set-domain .................................................... 140, 750 solid? .................................................................290, 805
stretch ........................................................... 140, 751 sort ............................................................................ 809
up .................................................................. 143, 752 string
sdeio head ...................................................................... 810
read-dfise-mask ......................................10, 136, 753 tail .......................................................................... 811
read-tdr .................................................................. 754 sweep
read-tdr-bnd .................................................... 10, 755 law ......................................................................... 812
save-1d-tdr-bnd ..................................................... 756 options ...................................................... 90, 98, 815
save-tdr-bnd .......................................................... 758 system
sdepe command .............................................................. 816
add-substrate ........................................146, 157, 761 getenv ................................................................... 817
clean ...................................................................... 762
define-pe-domain ..................................146, 157, 763 T
depo ......................................................146, 160, 765
timer
doping-constant-placement .......................... 147, 767
etch-material .........................................146, 171, 768 end ........................................................................ 817
get-time ................................................................. 818
extend-masks ............................................... 136, 769
show-time .............................................................. 819
fill-device ...............................................146, 175, 770
generate-domainboundary .................................... 771 start ....................................................................... 819
transform
generate-empty-mask ................................... 136, 772
reflection ........................................................132, 820
generate-mask ......................................136, 137, 773
icon_layer .............................................146, 176, 775 rotation ..........................................................132, 821
scaling ...........................................................132, 822
implant .......................................................... 147, 777
translation ............................................. 128, 132, 823
pattern ..................................................146, 157, 779
photo .....................................................147, 159, 780
polish-device .........................................147, 176, 781 U
remove ..................................................147, 178, 782 util
trim-masks .................................................... 136, 783 make-bot-contact .................................................. 824
sdesnmesh make-top-contact .................................................. 826
axisaligned ............................................................. 784
delaunizer .............................................................. 787
delaunizer-tolerance .............................................. 789
V
interpolate .............................................................. 790 vertex
iocontrols ............................................................... 791 position .................................................................. 285
qualityreport ........................................................... 792 vertex? ..............................................................290, 827
tensor ............................................................ 217, 794 view
tools .............................................................. 218, 795 set-point-size ...................................................36, 827
sdesp
begin ...................................................................... 796 W
define-step ............................................................. 797
wire
finalize ................................................................... 798
closed? .................................................................. 290
restore-state .......................................................... 799
planar? ..........................................................290, 829
set-interface-contact .................................................. 800 wire? .................................................................290, 828
shell? ................................................................ 289, 801
wire-body? ........................................................290, 828
skin
options ................................................................... 802

836 Sentaurus™ Structure Editor User Guide

O-2018.06

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