Article Abstract:
Supercomputer-aided design tools are essential for development of the million component very large scale integrated circuits which are now possible. Number crunching programs for the CRAY-1 computer perform process simulation, device simulation, and circuit simulation. The process steps include thermal processing and doping, etching and deposition, and lithography. The algorithms used for this simulation affect the efficiency and numerical robustness of the simulation. Device simulation programs such as DEVICE and ATLAS solve the system of semiconductor equations over a spatial grid. DEVICE consists of a finite- difference code and a finite-element code for dealing with two- dimensional device structures. ATLAS uses Gummels' method and the Newton method to simulate bipolar devices with the vector processor of the CRAY-1. The ADVICE circuit simulation program at Bell Laboratories predicts the electrical characteristics of a circuit. Diagrams illustrate routes of integrated circuit development and processing steps. Algorithmic equations and results of simulations also are shown.
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Article Abstract:
Supercomputers should improve finite-element analysis computations, which are primary tools for structural analysis. For reduction in turnaround time for large problems, emphasis has been on using existing software which has been modified for vector processing systems. MSC-NASTRAN is a large-scale Finite-Element Method (FEM) program used on the CRAY supercomputer. The program performs well for large problems and has continually been improved with improvements in CRAY system hardware.
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Article Abstract:
The industrial need for supercomputers has risen sharply in the last decade, particularly in the aircraft industry, and the oil industry. Smaller businesses are using time-sharing services and scientic requirements demand a new generation of vector and parallel machines. The United States must continue work for higher performance computers.
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