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Author: Farrell, Patricio × Subject: diffusion enhancement ×

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    Challenges for drift-diffusion simulations of semiconductors: A comparative study of different discretization philosophies
    (Berlin : Weierstraß-Institut für Angewandte Analysis und Stochastik, 2018) Farrell, Patricio; Peschka, Dirk
    We analyze and benchmark the error and the convergence order of finite difference, finite-element as well as Voronoi finite-volume discretization schemes for the drift-diffusion equations describing charge transport in bulk semiconductor devices. Three common challenges, that can corrupt the precision of numerical solutions, will be discussed: boundary layers at Ohmic contacts, discontinuties in the doping profile, and corner singularities in L-shaped domains. The influence on the order of convergence is assessed for each computational challenge and the different discretization schemes. Additionally, we provide an analysis of the inner boundary layer asymptotics near Ohmic contacts to support our observations.
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    Computational and analytical comparison of flux discretizations for the semiconductor device equations beyond Boltzmann statistics
    (Berlin : Weierstraß-Institut für Angewandte Analysis und Stochastik, 2016) Farrell, Patricio; Koprucki, Thomas; Fuhrmann, Jürgen
    For a Voronoi finite volume discretization of the van Roosbroeck system with general charge carrier statistics we compare three thermodynamically consistent numerical fluxes known in the literature. We discuss an extension of the Scharfetter-Gummel scheme to non-Boltzmann (e.g. Fermi-Dirac) statistics. It is based on the analytical solution of a two-point boundary value problem obtained by projecting the continuous differential equation onto the interval between neighboring collocation points. Hence, it serves as a reference flux. The exact solution of the boundary value problem can be approximated by computationally cheaper fluxes which modify certain physical quantities. One alternative scheme averages the nonlinear diffusion (caused by the non-Boltzmann nature of the problem), another one modifies the effective density of states. To study the differences between these three schemes, we analyze the Taylor expansions, derive an error estimate, visualize the flux error and show how the schemes perform for a carefully designed p-i-n benchmark simulation. We present strong evidence that the flux discretization based on averaging the nonlinear diffusion has an edge over the scheme based on modifying the effective density of states.
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    On thermodynamic consistency of a Scharfetter-Gummel scheme based on a modified thermal voltage for drift-diffusion equations with diffusion enhancement
    (Berlin : Weierstraß-Institut für Angewandte Analysis und Stochastik, 2014) Koprucki, Thomas; Rotundo, Nella; Farrell, Patricio; Doan, Duy Hai; Fuhrmann, Jürgen
    Driven by applications like organic semiconductors there is an increased interest in numerical simulations based on drift-diffusion models with arbitrary statistical distribution functions. This requires numerical schemes that preserve qualitative properties of the solutions, such as positivity of densities, dissipativity and consistency with thermodynamic equilibrium. An extension of the Scharfetter-Gummel scheme guaranteeing consistency with thermodynamic equilibrium is studied. It is derived by replacing the thermal voltage with an averaged diffusion enhancement for which we provide a new explicit formula. This approach avoids solving the costly local nonlinear equations defining the current for generalized Scharfetter-Gummel schemes.
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    Numerical methods for drift-diffusion models
    (Berlin : Weierstraß-Institut für Angewandte Analysis und Stochastik, 2016) Farrell, Patricio; Rotundo, Nella; Doan, Duy Hai; Kantner, Markus; Fuhrmann, Jürgen; Koprucki, Thomas
    The van Roosbroeck system describes the semi-classical transport of free electrons and holes in a self-consistent electric field using a drift-diffusion approximation. It became the standard model to describe the current flow in semiconductor devices at macroscopic scale. Typical devices modeled by these equations range from diodes, transistors, LEDs, solar cells and lasers to quantum nanostructures and organic semiconductors. The report provides an introduction into numerical methods for the van Roosbroeck system. The main focus lies on the Scharfetter-Gummel finite volume disretization scheme and recent efforts to generalize this approach to general statistical distribution functions.