Fully Coupled Multi-Physics
In 1995, we released the first fully coupled thermal,electrostatic and mechanical (TEM) analysis tool for MEMS. Since then, our multiphysics capabilities have grown by leaps and bounds, encompassing all domains of physical phenomenon including fludics, magnetostatics, and high frequency electromagnetics. At the same time, we've added support for orthotropic, anisotropic, piezoresistive, piezoelectric and anisoelastic materials. While the breadth of analyses have grown to include, linear and non-linear, static, steady state, transient, frequency domain and harmonic simulations. A bevy of enhancements now allow you to perform parametric loading, take into account processing conditions, or greatly reduce problems sizes by sub-modeling. You can also use the tool to create macromodels for integration with system modeling tools.
Unified Theory...
IntelliSuite provides some of the most extensive field coupling in the industry. Users can perform a wide range of coupled simulations ranging from:
It is little wonder that IntelliSuite is used in corporations ranging from blue-chips to startups and is part of the MEMS curriculum in leading universities worldwide.
What is Fastfield?
IntelliSuite Multiphysics is not a pure Finite Element based tool like Ansys, Comsol or a number of other tools on the market. IntelliSuite uses a mixed formulation that couples Finite Element methods with other numerical computing techniques which are optimized for the fields being computed. For instance, Electrostatic fields or high frequency impedance calculation use a boundary element formulation.
IntelliSuite's multiphysics capabilities support 64bit multi-processor and multi-core computing to fully take advantage of modern computing trends.
Best solvers for the job
Advanced solvers techniques
IntelliSuite uses a number of solvers optimized for the computation at hand rather than relying on Finite Element Method as the only tool.
Why Fastfield Solvers?
Boundary element techniques use Green's theorem to convert volume integrals into surface integrals, as a result only surface meshes are needed for Electrostatics and Electromagnetic computations. In addition, electrical meshes can be decoupled from mechanical meshes- a big time saver. In many MEMS devices, electrostatic fields are confined to areas of low deformation and high stresses occur in flexures with low electrostatic fields. By optimizing computational meshes for each field, users can simulate large MEMS devices with ease.
Speed and efficiency
In a number of benchmarks, Fastfield solvers are 2-10X faster than pure finite element solvers. Use of surface meshes instead of volume meshes obviates the need for meshing air gaps. In addition, there is no costly remeshing that is required during the deformation of MEMS devices. Fastfield solvers can handle large deformations, contact and post contact problems in coupled field simulations.
Thermal analysis
IntelliSuite gives you a full range of tools to model heat transfer phenomena. Designing a thermal actuator or a bolometer? Want to calculate thermal stresses during packaging? Want to model Joule heating or heat flux? No problem! This tool does it all. Or use the tool in conjunction with other analysis modules to calculate the temperature coefficient and response of your device.
Electrostatic analysis
The electrostatic module of IntelliSuite is designed from the ground up for real world MEMS problems, like a 200 radial comb drive or a corrugated RF-MEMS device. Other CAD tools run into severe limitations while solving real world problems and have to use toy models. Not IntelliSuite! With our innovative Exposed Face Meshing algorithms, you can solve extremely large problems with ease. In fact, you can even investigate second order effects such as levitation due to the ground plane (important in most comb drive structures), temperature coefficient of your capacitors, or charge buildup that can cause potential arcing.
IntelliSense uses a boundary element formulation to capture the electrostatics, this means that users do not have to mesh the electrostatic gaps. A surface mesh is all that is needed! Multi-dielectric problems, dielectric discontinuities, parasitic capacitance can all be modeled accurately without resorting to costly trial and error in the fab.
Mechanical analysis
One of the strong suits of IntelliSuite is its unparalleled mechanical analysis capability. The mechanical module is seamlessly integrated with the thermal and electrostatic modules to perform fully-coupled analyses. IntelliSuite comes with a full-featured mechanical module that can solve the most complex linear or non-linear, transient or steady-state, static or dynamic problems. Stress and strain calculations, modal and buckling analyses, and frequency responses can all be performed with ease. Full squeeze film damping, dynamic response to complex vibration inputs, shock analysis, and Q factor calculations are equally easy to derive. Difficult problems such as the shift of natural frequency due to voltage, stress loading, or the effect of residual processing stresses on device performance are easy to analyze.
Contact analysis and microassembly
IntelliSuite really shines when it comes to contact, post-contact, and micro-assembly analysis. Other MEMS CAD tools are limited to analyzing single dielectric layers with artificial air stops and make you specify contact faces a priori. IntelliSuite avoids such limitations. Our proprietary algorithms take into account multi-dielectric moving or deformable boundaries and help you locate the exact point of contact.
IntelliSuite's contact analysis goes way beyond the reduced-order models and other gross simplifications and can help you model complex post-contact phenomena such as hysteresis.
Piezoelectric and piezoresistive modeling
The TEM Module is fully coupled with IntelliSuite’s PiezoMEMS module, the most
sophisticated piezoelectric and piezoresistive modeling tool in the industry. Considering piezo actuation for your MEMS device? You can investigate the voltage dependency of the natural frequency, calculate the Q factors in different packaging environments, or apply time-varying loads with ease. You can also look at a floating conductor voltage as a function of time-varying loading, an important factor in acoustic transducer and microphone design.
Electromagnetic actuation
IntelliSuite is the only tool on the market to offer fully-coupled linear and non-linear thermal-electrostatic-electromagnetic-mechanical simulations. TEM coupled with the ElectroMagnetic module can be used to simulate static and frequency responses of magnetic or electromagnetically actuated MEMS devices. Lorentz force-driven actuators such as scanning mirrors, switches, and mechanisms can be simulated wth ease.
NEMS & Carbon Nanotube (CNT) Module
IntelliSuite also includes the world's first NEMS simulator, allowing you to simulate nanoscale structures in conjunction with micro-scale features. The NEMS module can be used to perform thermo-electro-mechanical simulations on a nanoscale. Among other applications, the NEMS module can be used for simulating nanoscale resonators, CNT-based sensors, and carbon nanowires (CNWs).
This is particularly useful in simulating the emerging class of carbon nanotube (CNT) based sensors which combine micro-scale structures with nanoscale CNTs. Users can perform piezoresistive and electro-thermal-stress simulations to understand the CNT response to thermoelectromechanical loading.
IntelliSuite now features full Fluid-Structure Interaction capabilities. FSI simulations can be performed in time or frequency domain (important for extracting fluidic damping in MEMS). The picture above shows the evolution of flow patterns in a valveless piezoelectrically actuated pump.
Advanced fluid-structure interaction
TEM is also fully coupled with IntelliSuite’s Microfluidic module. With the capability to analyze advanced fluid-structure interaction, IntelliSuite makes it easier than ever to model complex devices like piezoelectrically-actuated micropumps, fluidic damping in large micromirror arrays, and micromechanical valves.