Development, Demonstration, and Validation of Data-driven Compact Diode Models for Circuit Simulation and Analysis

TL;DR

This paper explores machine learning techniques to develop data-driven compact diode models, aiming to automate and accelerate the modeling process while maintaining accuracy for circuit simulation and analysis.

Contribution

It introduces three ML-based modeling approaches for diodes and validates their effectiveness through circuit simulation comparisons with laboratory data.

Findings

ML models accurately predict diode I-V characteristics

Data-driven models successfully simulate circuit behavior

Approaches reduce development time compared to traditional methods

Abstract

Compact semiconductor device models are essential for efficiently designing and analyzing large circuits. However, traditional compact model development requires a large amount of manual effort and can span many years. Moreover, inclusion of new physics (eg, radiation effects) into an existing compact model is not trivial and may require redevelopment from scratch. Machine Learning (ML) techniques have the potential to automate and significantly speed up the development of compact models. In addition, ML provides a range of modeling options that can be used to develop hierarchies of compact models tailored to specific circuit design stages. In this paper, we explore three such options: (1) table-based interpolation, (2)Generalized Moving Least-Squares, and (3) feed-forward Deep Neural Networks, to develop compact models for a p-n junction diode. We evaluate the performance of these "data-driven" compact models by (1) comparing their voltage-current characteristics against laboratory data, and (2) building a bridge rectifier circuit using these devices, predicting the circuit's behavior using SPICE-like circuit simulations, and then comparing these predictions against laboratory measurements of the same circuit.