IntelliSense's proprietary software architecture is based upon a unique combination of the best of bottom up process-driven design and top down synthesis. Top down methodology allows you to quickly explore a wide range of design options, while bottom up design provides the accuracy to produce first-time right silicon.

Pretzel logic

IntelliSense gives you a distinctive methodology to tackle the conversion of product specifications and requirements into a working product. The accurate bottom up process-driven design and top down schematic-driven synthesis are combined to get you to your designs faster and with less process iterations.

From the top down

State-of-the-art schematic capture and simulation tools allow you to take a hierarchical approach to the design space. SYNPLE provides a large multi-domain library of electrical, mechanical, thermal, cell and neuron, and MEMS libraries. These elements may be combined in an effortless drag-and-drop fashion and then wired to create schematics of multi-scale, multi-domain systems. As a result, you can quickly survey a large design space before initiating a detailed analysis and verification process.

One step at a time

IntelliSuite’s bottom up architecture is based upon process elements — familiar process steps, such as photolithography, thin film deposition, selective etching form the basis of understanding the final device geometries. By systematically building the prototype in IntelliSuite, you can identify costly process bugs before entering the fab, which ultimately saves time and money. The process steps, combined with the mask geometries, can be used to build the final virtual device (power users can also import 3D geometries from popular CAD programs). In addition, users can use analysis modules, such as fully integrated thermo-electromechanical analysis, high-frequency electromagnetic analysis and micro-fluidics analysis to analyze the performance of MEMS models.

What’s the bottom line? IntelliSuite allows you to use state-of-the-art model reduction techniques to automatically create compact system models from large finite element models.

Real-world connections

IntelliSuite features a comprehensive material database, which allows you to understand material properties like conductivity, film stresses and mechanical strength as a function of processing parameters. Subsequently, this enables you to produce more realistic models.

Etching has always been a bugbear in MEMS technology. We’ve provide wet and dry etch simulators — a full anisotropic wet etch simulator for creating realistic models of your KOH, TMAH or EDP etches, and a dry etch simulator for simulating RIE/ICP and Bosch etch processes.

Take the complexity out of meshing…

IntelliSuite gives you as much control over the device meshing process as you need. On one hand, automatic meshing tools can generate near- optimal meshes, while on the other, interactive tools allow you to further refine the meshes to your hearts' content. Just think of IntelliSuite as the Tiptronic™ of meshing tools, permitting you to switch from automatic to manual gears. Finally, our thorough attention to real-world usage patterns and ease of learning will maximize your design time and minimize your learning curve.

Let’s get analytical

IntelliSuite comes with all the modules that you need to perform fully coupled thermal, electrostatic and mechanical simulation and piezo simulation of the MEMS device. Optional modules for electromagnetic and fluidic/bioMEMS analysis are available. Out of the box, you can analyze almost any MEMS device that you can dream up! The IntelliSuite virtual device can be subjected to a combination of inputs, such as voltage, electromagnetic fields, temperature, mechanical stresses and pressures, and fluid flow. And, you can perform a systematic sensitivity analysis to understand your device’s response to the external environment.

Open system

IntelliSuite is designed to be an open system that’s compatible with other tools. We speak a wide range of file formats, including DXF and GDS II (for mask import and export), IGES and PATRAN (solid model or FEA input), ABAQUS, ANSYS (FEA model import and export) and Touchstone (high-frequency analysis). Our macro-models can be used in conjunction with SPICE, SPECTRE or other tools for further system integration. All of the analysis results and solid models can be exported to AVI or JPG format to enhance your next presentation or report. In addition, all of our file formats are rigorously documented and available, which means that, like other tools on the market, vendor lock-in is never an issue.