EM-based yield optimization exploiting trust-region optimization and space mapping technology

Abstract

Design centering is a design problem which looks for nominal values of circuit parameters that maximize the probability of satisfying the design specification (yield function). Direct yield optimization of electromagnetic (EM)-based circuits is obstructed by the high expense of EM simulations required in the yield estimation process. Also, the absence of any gradient information represents an obstacle against the optimization process. In this article, a new approach for design centering and yield optimization of EM-based circuits is introduced. In the proposed approach, the generalized space mapping (SM) technique is incorporated with a derivative-free trust region optimization method (NEWUOA). Moreover, a variance reduction sampling technique is implemented in the yield estimation process. Two techniques suitable for the microwave circuit design centering process are introduced. The first technique exploits the surrogate developed using any circuit optimizer, for example, minimax optimizer, in the yield maximization process. While the second technique iteratively constructs and updates an SM surrogate during the yield optimization process. Our novel approach is illustrated by practical examples showing its efficiency. One of the examples is entirely designed within the sonnet em environment. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE 25:474–484, 2015.