Modified octree mesh generation for Manhattan type structures with narrow layers applied to semiconductor devices

One of the most important steps in the process of semiconductor device simulation, or any other numerical simulation based on finite elements, finite differences or similar standard techniques, is the discretization of the domain of the problem. A mesh must be generated, and its properties determine the stability of the numerical solver, computational time and quality of the solution. In this paper an octree‐based mesh generator is presented. The classical model for octree generation have been modified to optimize the programme for special regions of interest in the semiconductor device problem, Manhattan structures with very narrow layers. Using this technique, several meshing patterns have been tested and compared. Numerical results of the generation of general meshes are presented to demonstrate the efficiency of the algorithms from two points of view: mesh quality and computational effort. It has been successfully applied to the modelling and simulation of different transistors, High Electron Mobilty Transistors (HEMTs) and Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors (MOSFETs). Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.