The Material Database in the Finite Element IDE allows you to manage (create, modify, delete) the electrical, thermal and optical materials that are available for use in simulations. It allows for the definition of complex materials using parametrized models. This database also provides an interface to change material properties like color, and model parameters.
Visualizing material properties
Optical material properties are often best viewed using the Material Explorer. Electrical and thermal properties of semiconductor materials such as mobility, carrier lifetimes and so on can be visualized as a function of various variables by clicking the "Visualize" button in the main window of the Electrical/Thermal Material Database after selecting the desired semiconductor material from the list. For model parameter definitions, see Electrical/Thermal Material Models. The following variables and semiconductor properties are available for visualization in the semiconductor properties visualizer dialog:
Variables
- T: Temperature in the units of Kelvin (K)
- N: Doping concentration in the units of 1/cm3
- NA: Acceptor doping concentration in the units of 1/cm3
- ND: Donor doping concentration in the units of 1/cm3
- F: Field intensity in the units of V/m
- x: Alloy fraction (only available for alloy materials)
Semiconductor properties
- epsr: Relative dielectric permittivity
- Eg: Band gap in the units of ev
- mn: Effective mass of electron (m*/m0)
- mp: Effective mass of hole (m*/m0)
- mun: Electron mobility in the units of cm2/V.s
- mup: Hole mobility in the units of cm2/V.s
- vsatn: Electron saturation velocity in the units of cm/s
- vsatp: Hole saturation velocity in the units of cm/s
- taun: Electron SRH life time in the units of s
- taup: Hole SRH life time in the units of s
- copt: optical capture coefficient for radiative recombination in the units of cm3/s
- caun: Auger recombination capture coefficient for electrons in the units of cm6/s
- caup: Auger recombination capture coefficient for holes in the units of cm6/s
- cstim: linear coefficient (unitless) in the range 0-1 specifying the ratio of the total recombination current undergoing stimulated optical recombination
- jthreshold: threshold recombination current density for turn on of the stimulated optical recombination in the units A/m2
- tgain: thickness of the gain region undergoing stimulated optical recombination in the units of m
Semiconductor properties can be plotted as function of one or two variables chosen in first and second axis drop down menu. The plot range, number of points, and the scale (linear or log) for each variable can also be selected from the this window. Any desired number of semiconductor properties can be chosen for a single plot by checking the name of each property in the window. To plot the selected properties, simply click the "Create Visualization" button. Users can also send the selected property to script workspace for further processing by clicking the "Send to Script" button. Once done, you can click the "< Done" button to go back to the property editor window.
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Semiconductor properties visualizer dialog |
Electron and hole mobilities for Si visualized as a function of temperature |
Modifying default materials
The first column of the list shows which materials are write protected. To modify the default materials that appear when you create a new simulation, edit the simulation file in the defaults sub-directory of the installation directory. For example, you could create a new database that contains only the materials required for your simulations. This change would apply to any new projects you create, but would not update any existing projects.
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Note: Materials currently used in the simulation cannot be deleted. If a material is being used in the current project or used to create an alloy material, a "no delete" icon will indicate that the material can be modified but not erased. To delete these materials, first modify the simulation so they are not used. |
Default Materials
The default electrical/thermal material database includes a number of common materials. When starting a new project, the default database will be loaded. The default materials cannot be edited directly, however changes made to the materials will be saved with the project. If you wish to modify one of the default materials, the default project file located in the product installation directory must be edited.
Importing materials from other projects
The IMPORT button allows users to import material data from Lumerical project files (.ldev), or Material Database files (.mdf) for exchange with FDTD or MODE.
It's worth noting that a full copy of the database is stored in each simulation file. A change to the database in one file does not automatically change the materials in any other files.
Materials in the default material database
The Finite element products have the same default optical materials as FDTD and MODE. See Material Database in FDTD and MODE for a complete list. The Electrical and Thermal database includes the following default materials:
Base semiconductors
- GaAs (Gallium Arsenide)
- AlAs (Aluminum Arsenide)
- InAs (Indium Arsenide)
- AlP (Aluminum Phosphide)
- InP (Indium Phosphide)
- GaP (Gallium Phosphide)
- AlN (Aluminum Nitride)
- InN (Indium Nitride)
- GaN (Gallium Nitride)
- GaSb (Gallium Antimonide)
- AlSb (Aluminum Antimonide)
- InSb (Indium Antimonide)
- CdS (Cadmium Sulfide)
- CdSe (Cadmium Selenide)
- CdTe (Cadmium Telluride)
- Si (Silicon)
- Ge (Germanium)
Alloys
- SiGe (Silicon Germanium)
- AlGaAs (Aluminum Gallium Arsenide)
- InGaAs (Indium Gallium Arsenide)
- InAlAs (Indium Aluminum Arsenide)
- InAsP (Indium Arsenide Phosphide)
- GaAsP (Gallium Arsenide Phosphide)
- InGaP (Indium Gallium Phosphide)
- AlGaN (Aluminum Gallium Nitride)
- InGaN (Indium Gallium Nitride)
- GaAsSb (Gallium Arsenide Antimonide)
- AlGaSb (Aluminum Gallium Antimonide)
- AlAsSb (Aluminum Arsenide Antimonide)
- InAsSb (Indium Arsenide Antimonide)
- InAlSb (Indium Aluminium Antimode)
- AlGaP (Aluminum Gallium Phosphide)
- AlInP (Aluminum Indium Phosphide)
- AlGaInAs (Aluminum Gallium Indium Arsenide)
- AlGaInP (Aluminum Gallium Indium Phosphide)
- GaInAsP (Gallium Indium Arsenide Phosphide)
Insulators
- Al2O3 (Aluminium oxide) - Robertson
- HfO2 (Hafnium oxide) - Robertson
- Si3N4 (Silicon nitride) - Sze
- SiO2 (Glass) - Sze
- TiO2 (Titanium oxide) - Robertson
- ZrO2 (Zirconium dioxide) - Vitanov
Conductors
- Ag (Silver) - CRC
- Al (Aluminium) - CRC
- Au (Gold) - CRC
- Cu (Copper) - CRC
Fluid
- Air
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Note: All fluid materials are treated as insulators in the electrical (CHARGE) simulation. And the materials are defined by the permittivity. |
Supported materials in MQW solver
For III-V semiconductors listed in the table below and semiconductors converted from the alloys listed in the table below, k · p model is by default enabled with built-in k · p parameters for MQW simulations. Other materials with III-V with zincblende crystal structure can also be used in MQW solver by defining the required k.p parameters. See Semiconductor material model properties for the required k.p parameters.
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III-V semiconductors |
Ternary alloys |
Quaternary Alloys |
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AlAs |
AlxGa1-xAs |
InxGa1-xAsyP1-y |
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GaAs |
AlxGa1-xP |
AlxGayIn1-x-yAs |
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InAs |
AlxIn1-xP |
GaxAlyIn1-x-yN |
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AlP |
GaAsxP1-x |
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GaP |
InxAl1-xAs |
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InP |
InAsxP1-x |
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| AlN |
InxGa1-xAs |
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| GaN |
InxGa1-xP |
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| InN |
AlxGa1-xN |
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GaxIn1-xN |
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AlxIn1-xN |