A Global EMC-FDTD Simulation Tool for High-Frequency Carrier Transport in Semiconductors

Abstract

We present a computational tool for the characterization of conductive media at THz frequencies. By coupling the Ensemble Monte Carlo (EMC) simulator of carrier dynamics and the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) solver of Maxwell's equations, we develop and characterize a robust and versatile global simulator that interactively tracks field-particle dynamics. In this report the EMC-FDTD simulator is used to model the interaction of bulk doped silicon with THz frequency electromagnetic plane waves. The performance of the simulation tool is investigated in terms of several simulation parameters, including grid cell size and carrier ensemble size. The complex conductivity of doped silicon at THz frequencies obtained from the combined EMC-FDTD solver is in good agreement with available experimental results.