An Automated EM-Simulation Environment with Parameterized Layout Generation for Microwave Integrated Circuits

Abstract

Design automation of microwave components is increasing its importance in sub-THz applications such as fifth (5G) and sixth generation (6G) communications and sensing applications. Sub-THz design involves laborious, tedious and time-consuming iterative trial-and-error work present in typical electromagnetic design flows used for microwave circuits. To eliminate the need for manual iterations, this paper introduces an automated design environment, which enables seamless integration of these components to traditional tool-chains in integrated circuits. The implementation uses Berkeley Analog Generator (BAG) for programmatic layout generation, ADS Momentum applied as an electromagnetic (EM) field simulator, and The System Development Kit (TheSyDeKick) multi-simulator system design and verification environment. In this work, a new open-source ADS Momentum TheSyDeKick simulation interface has been implemented to bind the two former together which enables large-scale optimization of microwave components. The advantage of using the design environment is demonstrated by generating and simulating 260 interwound and 104 stacked transformers in a loop to find the optimum for 100 GHz.