Method for modeling a conductive semiconductor substrate

A method for approximating the capacitance between a contact conductor and a conductor in a first conductor layer, said contact conductor being provided between a conductor in a second conductor layer and a diffusion region in said substrate, said method comprising:

• in a computer model, creating an open circuit between said contact conductor and said diffusion region by creating a gap between said contact conductor and said diffusion region;
• and
• solving, using a 3-dimensional electric field solver, the capacitance between said contact conductor and said conductor in said first conductor layer.

A method for approximating the capacitance between a contact conductor and a first conductor in a first conductor layer, said contact conductor being provided between a conductor in a second conductor layer and a diffusion region in said substrate, said method comprising:

• in a computer model, replacing said contact conductor with a second conductor in said first conductor layer of comparable dimensions as said replaced contact conductor;
• and
• computing a capacitance between said first and second conductors in said first conductor layer.

A method for approximating the capacitance between a contact conductor and a first conductor in a first conductor layer, said contact conductor being provided between a conductor in a second conductor layer and a diffusion region in a substrate, and said first conductor layer being one of one or more intervening conductor layers between said second conductor layer and said diffusion region, said method comprising:

• in a computer model, replacing said contact conductor by one or more conductors in said intervening layers, each of said one or more conductors being a conductor of comparable dimensions as said replaced contact conductor in a corresponding intervening layer;
• and
• computing a capacitance between said first conductor and the corresponding one of said one or more conductors in said first conductor layer.