ECE-656: Fall 2011

Lecture 34a:
Monte Carlo Simulation

Mark Lundstrom
Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN USA
1

11/16/11

Damocles

SAT

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outline
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Introduction
Review of carrier scattering
Simulating carrier trajectories
Free flight
Collision
Update after collision
Putting it all together
Summary

(Reference: Chapter 6, Lundstrom, FCT)

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http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/
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carrier scattering

r (tC+ ) = r (tC )
+
p (tC )

E p (tC+ )

r(0)
p (0)

E [ p (0) ]

r (tC )

p (tC )

E p (tC )

1) Scattering events are assumed to

be instantaneous - scattering
changes the carriers momentum
(and energy) but not position.
2) Scattering events are treated
quantum mechanically. Carrier
motion between scattering events is
treated semi-classically

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carrier scattering
+
p (tC )
+

E p (tC )

Elastic scattering:

E p (tC+ ) = E p (tC )

p (tC )

E p (tC )

Scattering rate:
1
~ D(Ef
( Ei )

Inelastic scattering:
+

E p (tC ) E p (tC )

Isotropic scattering:
-no preferred direction

Anisotropic scattering:
-preferred direction

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total scattering rate

scattering mechanisms:

1
=
( Ei )

1
= ( Ei )

k =1 k ( Ei )

ionized impurity
acoustic phonon emission
acoustic phonon absorption
optical phonon ems
optical phonon abs
intervalley
electron-electron
electron-hole
polar optical phonon
surface roughness
etc.

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total scattering rate

typical scattering rates vs. energy

http://www.research.ibm.com/DAMOCLES/html_files/sirates.html#history
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outline
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Introduction
Review of carrier scattering
Simulating carrier trajectories
Free flight
Collision
Update after collision
Putting it all together
Summary

(Reference: Chapter 6, Lundstrom, FCT)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/
Lundstrom ECE-656 F11
8

carrier trajectories in 2D

E = E x x

dp
= qE
dt

x
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carrier trajectories in phase space

px (t )

E = E x x

t
x(t )

free-flight

dpx
= qE x
dt
dp y
=0
dt

tC

x=
(t ) x(0 )+ x (t ) dt
0

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t
10

MC algorithm
1) free flight for tC seconds.

r1

2) update E(tC-) and r (tC-)

3) identify collision

r2

4) update E(tC+) and p (tC+)

r3 , r4

5) Set t = 0 and repeat

Lundstrom ECE-656 F11

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outline
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Introduction
Review of carrier scattering
Simulating carrier trajectories
Free flight
Collision
Update after collision
Putting it all together
Summary

(Reference: Chapter 6, Lundstrom, FCT)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/
Lundstrom ECE-656 F11
12

free flight
0

= 1 0

( E )

E
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free flight

p ( 0)

p (t )

N CF ( t )
N CF ( 0 )

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free flight time

How many carriers survive until time t + dt
without scattering?
N CF ( t + dt=
) NCF (t ) NCF (t )0 dt
dN CF ( t )
=
N CF (t ) 0
dt
N CF (t ) = N CF (0)e 0t
N CF (t )
= e 0t
N CF (0)
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free flight time

What is the probability that a carrier survives until time, t,
and then scatters between t and t + dt ?
N CF (t )
0t

=
0 dt
P (t )dt =
dt
e
0
N CF (0)

free-flight time
probability density
function

If we have a random number generator that produces

random numbers with a probability distribution, P(r), how
do we use it to choose free flight times?

P (t )dt = e t 0 dt = P (r )dr
0

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free flight times

Assume a random number generator that produces
random numbers uniformly distributed between 0 and 1.

P (r )=
dr e t 0 dt
0

=
dr e 0t 0 dt
rC

tC

rc e
dr ==
0

0t

0 dt =
e

0t t C
0

1 e 0tC
=

1
tC =
ln (1 rC )
0
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free flight distribution

1
tC = ln ( r1 )
0

tC

P ( tC )

1
=
0

0 e 0tC

tC

but, the scattering rate is not constant with energy!

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free flight
0
N

( E )

1
k =1 k ( E )

( E ) =

SELF = 0 ( E )

N +1

p ( tC )

1
0 =
k =1 k ( E )

p ( tC+ )

1
tC = ln ( r1 )
0

E
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update at end of free-flight

p (=
tC ) p (0) qE tC

t = tC

E ( tC ) = E p (tC )

r (=
tC ) r (0) + ( 0 ) tC
t =0

1) what collision terminated the free flight?

2) how does the collision affect the carriers momentum
and energy?
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L32 outline
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Introduction
Review of carrier scattering
Simulating carrier trajectories
Free flight
Collision
Update after collision
Putting it all together
Summary

(Reference: Chapter 6, Lundstrom, FCT)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/
Lundstrom ECE-656 F11
21

collision

To be continued next lecture

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