VHDL-AMS Simulation Framework for Molecular-FET Device-to-Circuit Modeling and Design

Abstract

We concentrate on Molecular-FET as a device and present a new modular framework based on VHDL-AMS. We have implemented different Molecular-FET models within the framework. The framework allows comparison between the models in terms of the capability to calculate accurate I-V characteristics. It also provides the option to analyze the impact of Molecular-FET and its implementation in the circuit with the extension of its use in an architecture based on the crossbar configuration. This analysis evidences the effect of choices of technological parameters, the ability of models to capture the impact of physical quantities, and the importance of considering defects at circuit fabrication level. The comparison tackles the computational efforts of different models and techniques and discusses the trade-off between accuracy and performance as a function of the circuit analysis final requirements. We prove this methodology using three different models and test them on a 16-bit tree adder included in Pentium 4 that, to the best of our knowledge, is the biggest circuits based on molecular device ever designed and analyzed.