Robust Analog Design through 3D EM Simulation

Abstract:
The tendencies in analog design - increased complexity, miniaturization and frequency range - make the electromagnetic field simulation more and more important. Not only efficient and accurate 3D full-wave field calculation becomes necessary, but also easy data exchange and integration into custom design flows. The paper presents an overview - to the benefit of the circuit designer - of the challenges, current techniques, capabilities, and future trends in this domain, including some application examples. This work has been performed in the framework of the BMBF-Project DETAILS (Nr. 01M3071), whose aim is to devise an efficient design technology for re-usable highly integrated key components for mobile communication systems with carrier frequencies of up to 60 GHz.