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Overview
As ASICs, chiplets, and advanced packaging architectures continue to increase in power density and design complexity, thermal analysis has become a critical enabler of both performance and reliability. HCLTech sought a more efficient way to assess heat flow earlier in the development cycle, before thermal issues could emerge late in the process and introduce redesign risk. By combining Synopsys Sentaurus™ TCAD with a modular automation framework, HCLTech established a scalable methodology for transforming layout data into simulation-ready 3D thermal models spanning die, package, and multi-die implementations.
Challenges
- Complex 3D modeling: Accurate thermal analysis depends on detailed 3D structures, but building them manually from evolving layout data is slow and resource-intensive.
- Constant design change: As ASIC layouts change throughout development, keeping thermal models aligned with the latest design can limit iteration speed and engineering efficiency.
- Late-stage thermal risk: If key heat-conduction paths are missed, teams may uncover thermal problems late in the flow, increasing the risk of redesign and schedule impact.
Solution
- Automated model creation: HCLTech used Synopsys Sentaurus TCAD to convert 2D layout inputs into simulation-ready 3D thermal structures.
- Modular architecture: A reusable core for geometry handling, parsing, and tool integration created a consistent foundation across use cases.
- Configuration-driven flexibility: Process, material, stack, pad, and interconnect definitions were captured in reusable configuration files.
- Broad design coverage: The framework supports die, package, single-die, multi-die, and flipped-die scenarios within one scalable flow.
- Faster exploration: Engineers can evaluate thermal behavior earlier, compare design options quickly, and refine decisions with greater confidence.
Results
- Rapid model generation: Integrated package-and-die thermal models can be generated in under 10 minutes, significantly reducing setup time for analysis.
- Compact user inputs: User-level setup remains lightweight, requiring about 25 lines for die generation and about 70 lines for integrated package-plus-die models.
- Broad modeling coverage: The flow supports die, package, multi-die, and connectivity-aware thermal structures within a single reusable methodology.
- Faster design optimization: Teams can evaluate package, layout, and bond-wire options more quickly, accelerating thermal tradeoff analysis and design refinement.
- Earlier risk reduction: Earlier thermal insight helps identify issues before tapeout, reducing the likelihood of late-stage redesigns and supporting more predictable schedules.
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