Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) today announced that Nitronex, a
GaAs labs company and leading producer of GaN-on-silicon RF power
devices, has selected Agilent to provide a complete GaN design flow that
spans both device modeling and circuit simulation. The flow uses Agilent
EEsof EDA’s IC-CAP
model extraction software and Advanced
Design System (ADS) circuit and system simulator—both market-leading
platforms in RF and microwave design.
Gallium nitride has emerged as a semiconductor material of choice for
designing RF power devices, providing a formidable combination of high
bandwidth, efficiency and power. In the case of Nitronex, whose GaN
devices use silicon as a substrate, there is an added inherent cost
advantage to its approach. Nonetheless, as with the development of any
high-power device, designing for high levels of reliability, performance
and yield requires investing in leading modeling and simulation
technology.
“Agilent’s software platforms offer a clear advantage for our design
process,” said David Runton, vice president of engineering at Nitronex.
“The usability and simulation advancements of ADS, combined with its
superior device models and IC-CAP model extraction software, puts us in
the best position to offer top-quality GaN parts to our customers. And,
because Agilent’s tools offer a complete design flow, our design process
will be more streamlined.”
“We appreciate Nitronex’s decision to transition to Agilent simulation
and modeling tools for their future GaN designs,” said Charles Plott,
marketing manager with Agilent EEsof EDA. “What is particularly
gratifying is the positive acknowledgement about our usability
advancements. We have gotten uniformly positive feedback from companies
as they reengineer their design flows with the latest nonlinear modeling
technologies and simulator advancements.”
ADS delivers a host of usability features to improve designer
productivity and efficiency for all applications it supports, as well as
capabilities specifically applicable to GaN design. Support for
Agilent’s newly introduced artificial neural network-based model
(extracted by IC-CAP device modeling software), for example, enables
much more accurate FET modeling and simulation results for high-power
GaN FET amplifiers. Additionally, an electro-thermal simulator (based on
a full 3-D thermal solver natively integrated into ADS) incorporates
dynamic temperature effects to improve accuracy in “thermally aware”
circuit simulation results.
IC-CAP features capabilities specifically geared toward high-frequency
device modeling, including turnkey extraction of Agilent’s neural
networked-based model as well as the Angelov-GaN model. GaN models in
particular need to be well suited to deal with the impact of trapping
and thermal effects on the device electrical characteristics.
More information on ADS and IC-CAP is available at www.agilent.com/find/eesof-ads
and www.agilent.com/find/eesof-iccap,
respectively.
About Agilent EEsof EDA Software
Agilent EEsof EDA is the leading supplier of electronic design
automation software for microwave, RF, high-frequency, high-speed
digital, RF system, electronic system level, circuit, 3-D
electromagnetic, physical design and device-modeling applications. More
information is available at www.agilent.com/find/eesof.
About Agilent Technologies
Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) is the world’s premier measurement
company and a technology leader in chemical analysis, life sciences,
diagnostics, electronics and communications. The company’s 20,600
employees serve customers in more than 100 countries. Agilent had
revenues of $6.8 billion in fiscal 2013. Information about Agilent is
available at www.agilent.com.
On Sept. 19, 2013, Agilent announced plans to separate into two publicly
traded companies through a tax-free spinoff of its electronic
measurement business. The new company is named Keysight Technologies,
Inc. The separation is expected to be completed in early November 2014.
NOTE TO EDITORS: Further technology, corporate citizenship and executive
news is available at www.agilent.com/go/news.
Copyright Business Wire 2014