The Process Viewer Module

The output of the compiler can be displayed in the process viewer tool. This tool allows the user to open one of the processes generated (usually the first with the best figure of merit), and display various kinds of information.

The process viewer retrieves information from the compiler module output files and displays them in various formats. The process viewer by default reads the first flow and generates schematic cross-sections of the device at each different step in the process flow. A different flow can be selected from the process selection window that displays various statistics of the generated process flows.

Invoking the Process Viewer

The Process Viewer software module can be invoked either from the Manager module or can be run as a stand-alone program by typing 'pv' at the command prompt.

Description of the Interface

Different areas of the Process Viewer interface are described below.

Menu area

The Process Viewer menu functions have the following structure:

Device
- Open -- Open a new device
- Quit -- Quit the ProcessViewer
Process
- Open -- Open a new process of the current device
Options
- Background -- Change the canvas bachground color
- Line color -- Change the canvas line color
- Line width -- Change the canvas line width
- Line type -- Change the canvas line type, e.g., solid or dashed
Display
- Steps -- Display the step list of the currently opened process in a pop-up text window
- Recipe -- Display the recipe of the currently opened process in a pop-up text window
- Summary -- Display the summary of the currently opened process in a pop-up text window
- Suprem -- Display SUPREM deck for the opened process in a pop-up text window
Print
- Process steps -- Print the step list of the currently opened process to a file or printer
- Process recipe -- Print the recipe of the currently opened process to a file or printer
- Process summary -- Print the summary of the currently opened process to a file or printer
- Suprem deck -- Print the SUPREM deck of the opened process to a file or printer
- Cur canvas -- Print the current canvas to a file or printer
- All canvases -- Print all canvases of the currently opened process to a file or printer
- Multi canvases -- Print the cross-sections of the device at different steps in arrays of figures for each page
Plot
- Plot file name -- Change the plot file name
- Time -- Plot process times vs different parameters
  - Step time vs step number (X-Y plot)
  - Cumulative time vs step number (X-Y plot)
  - Step Time vs step type (Bar chart)
  - Step Time vs step type (Pie chart)
- Count -- Plot process step count vs different parameters
  - Step count vs step type (Bar chart)
  - Step count vs step type (Pie chart)
- Oper cost -- Plot operating process cost vs different parameters
  - Operating step cost vs step number (X-Y plot)
  - Cumulative operating cost vs step no (X-Y plot)
  - Operating step cost vs time (X-Y plot)
  - Cumulative operating cost vs time (X-Y plot)
  - Operating Step Cost vs step type (Bar chart)
  - Operating Step Cost vs step type (Pie chart)
- Tot cost -- Plot total process cost vs different parameters
  - Total step cost vs step number (X-Y plot)
  - Cumulative operating cost vs step no (X-Y plot)
  - Total step cost vs time (X-Y plot)
  - Cumulative operating cost vs time (X-Y plot)
  - Total Step Cost vs step type (Pie chart) \hline

Device name label

The device name label shows the name of the currently loaded device. If no device has been loaded to the compiler yet, this label shows the name 'default'.

Process number label

The process number label shows the index of the currenly displayed process.

Canvas

The canvas area is actually a drawing area widget which displays the cross-sections of the currently loaded device at different process steps.

Material legend area

This legend area shows the names of different materials that have been used in the currently loaded device and their corresponding colors.

Process summary area

This small text widget shows only the 'general summary' part of the process summary.

Process recipe area

This text widget shows the process recipe in a scrolled text window.

Step list

This list widget shows all important process step in a succinct manner. This also serves another very important purpose of controlling the display on the canvas. The selected item on this list causes the corresponding device cross-section at that step to be displayed on the canvas.

Movie speed control

The movie speed control is a scale type widget that determines the speed at which the canvas will display the device cross-sections in a sequential manner when the 'movie' button is pressed in the canvas control panel.

Canvas control

The canvas control panel has three buttons:

Next: Pressing this button selects the next item in the step list. This also causes the canvas to display the device corss-section at the next process step. If the canvas is alreay showing the last step, the display does not change at pressing this button.
Prev: Pressing this button selects the previous item in the step list. This also causes the canvas to display the device corss-section at the previous process step. If the canvas is alreay showing the firtst step, the display does not change at pressing this button.
Movie: Pressing this button causes the canvas to display the device cross-sections at different process steps starting from the initial substrate state in a sequential manner at a speed determined by the movie speed control.

Opening a Different Process of the Loaded Device

The Process Viewer opens process 1 (the best process according to the calculated figures of merit) of the current device by default. Other processes can be opened using the Process Viewer Process Selector interface which shows a list of process. A number of fields on each process line show different important process parameters such as number of steps, number of masks, process types (LOCOX, self-aligned, etc.), time, cost, etc. for the user to be able to decide which process to open based on the knowledge of these parameters.

Viewing, Printing and Plotting Outputs

Although majority of MISTIC outputs are shown on the Process Viewer main interface, many of them can also be viewed on pop-up windows as shown in the following figure.

All the process outputs and device cross-sections at different steps can also be printed to either files or directly to a printer. As discussed earlier, the Process Viewer is capable of generating plots of different process data for easy understanding by the user. These plots can also be printed to files or a printer.

Summary

Device cross-sections and all other outputs, e.g., process run sheets and SUPREM simulation files can be saved or printed from the Process Viewer module. It also displays the device cross-sections at different process steps. All these features make it easier for the user to understand the nature and sequence of a process and compare it with other processes based on calculated process data.

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