DDNet: A Unified Physics-Informed Deep Learning Framework for Semiconductor Device Modeling

Abstract

The accurate modeling of semiconductor devices plays a critical role in the development of new technology nodes and next-generation devices. Semiconductor device designers largely rely on advanced simulation software to solve the drift-diffusion equations, a coupled system of nonlinear partial differential equations that describe carrier transport in semiconductor devices. While these tools perform well for forward modeling, they are not suitable to address inverse problems, for example, determining doping profiles, material, and geometrical parameters given a desired device performance. Meanwhile, physics-informed neural networks (PINNs) have grown in popularity in recent years thanks to their ability to efficiently and accurately solve inverse problems at minimal computational cost compared to forward problems. In this study, we introduce the Drift-Diffusion Network (DDNet), a unified physics-informed deep learning solver for the forward and inverse mesh-free solutions of the drift-diffusion equations of semiconductor device modeling. Using prototypical device configurations in one- and two spatial dimensions, we show that DDNet achieves low absolute and relative error compared to traditional simulation software while additionally solving user-defined inverse problems with minimal computational overhead. We expect that DDNet will benefit semiconductor device modeling by facilitating exploration and discovery of novel device structures across comprehensive parameter sets in a fully automated way.