POET Technologies Inc of Toronto, Canada – which, through subsidiary OPEL Defense Integrated Systems (ODIS Inc) of Storrs, CT, USA, has developed the proprietary planar-optoelectronic technology (POET) platform for monolithic fabrication of integrated III-V-based electronic and optical devices on a single semiconductor wafer – is collaborating with Synopsys Inc (which provides software, IP and services used to accelerate innovation in chips and electronic systems) to develop an advanced model and first process design kit (PDK) of POET’s planar electronic technology (PET) targeting the 40nm technology node widely used for highly integrated systems-on-chip (SoC).
POET will use Synopsys’ TCAD (technology computer-aided design) toolset and services to continue to develop the PET and POET PDKs. The PET PDK milestone (MS-12) focuses on devices requiring only the electronic subset of the POET devices and processes. “Synopsys will provide expertise and services to the POET team, enabling us to expedite the design process,” says POET’s chief technology officer Daniel DeSimone. “The Synopsys TCAD software toolset is well positioned for the POET PDK requirements.”
The Synopsys toolset will be used for process technology development and design of nano-scale devices in POET’s III-V compound semiconductor process. Devices include complementary HFET and HBT transistors with high-electron-mobility performance, including a thyristor with both optical and electrical operation. These devices will form the foundation of POET’s technology, which is able to integrate active optical circuitry, lasers, modulators, filters, detectors and electrical circuitry on a single die.
“POET Technologies’ III-V process and devices IP represent a significant innovation for our industry,” comments Terry Ma, Synopsys’ VP of engineering for TCAD. “This collaboration with POET will combine the strengths of our TCAD modeling expertise and POET’s innovative technologies to provide leading-edge semiconductor companies significant benefits for next-generation semiconductor designs.”
The PET PDK and process offers lower cost and simpler process fab options for applications that do not require the full POET optical feature set, says the firm. Due to the high mobility inherent in III-V materials, PET technology is predicted to deliver performance that could be equivalent to 3-4 nodes ahead of mainstream technologies, it is reckoned. Further performance and capabilities will be enabled by incorporating in-plane optical intra- and inter-chip signaling capabilities within the electrical technology.
The PET/PDK is scheduled to be available at the end of fourth-quarter 2014 and will allow POET to provide detailed design information to industry fab partners and customers. This will enable pre-semiconductor design evaluation to integrate optical, analog and digital functions together, says POET. PET-based electronic devices represent a breakthrough in performance and power efficiency, the firm claims.
“This [the 40nm technology node] is an aggressive target for our POET devices and process IP,” says Copetti. “This will demonstrate to the industry the significance and the strengths of POET compared to the performance and power efficiency of today’s widely used technologies.”
