Non-intrusive data-driven model order reduction for circuits based on Hammerstein architectures

We demonstrate that data-driven system identification techniques can provide a basis for effective, non-intrusive model order reduction (MOR) for common circuits that are key building blocks in microelectronics. Our approach is motivated by the practical operation of these circuits and utilizes a canonical Hammerstein architecture. To demonstrate the approach we develop a parsimonious Hammerstein model for a non-linear CMOS differential amplifier. We train this model on a combination of direct current (DC) and transient Spice (Xyce) circuit simulation data using a novel sequential strategy to identify the static nonlinear and linear dynamical parts of the model. Simulation results show that the Hammerstein model is an effective surrogate for the differential amplifier circuit that accurately and efficiently reproduces its behavior over a wide range of operating points and input frequencies.

A Novel Partitioned Approach for Reduced Order Model -- Finite Element Model (ROM-FEM) and ROM-ROM Coupling

Partitioned methods allow one to build a simulation capability for coupled problems by reusing existing single-component codes. In so doing, partitioned methods can shorten code development and validation times for multiphysics and multiscale applications. In this work, we consider a scenario in which one or more of the "codes" being coupled are projection-based reduced order models (ROMs), introduced to lower the computational cost associated with a particular component. We simulate this scenario by considering a model interface problem that is discretized independently on two non-overlapping subdomains. We then formulate a partitioned scheme for this problem that allows the coupling between a ROM "code" for one of the subdomains with a finite element model (FEM) or ROM "code" for the other subdomain. The ROM "codes" are constructed by performing proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) on a snapshot ensemble to obtain a low-dimensional reduced order basis, followed by a Galerkin projection onto this basis. The ROM and/or FEM "codes" on each subdomain are then coupled using a Lagrange multiplier representing the interface flux. To partition the resulting monolithic problem, we first eliminate the flux through a dual Schur complement. Application of an explicit time integration scheme to the transformed monolithic problem decouples the subdomain equations, allowing their independent solution for the next time step. We show numerical results that demonstrate the proposed method's efficacy in achieving both ROM-FEM and ROM-ROM coupling.

Learning Compact Physics-Aware Delayed Photocurrent Models Using Dynamic Mode Decomposition

Radiation-induced photocurrent in semiconductor devices can be simulated using complex physics-based models, which are accurate, but computationally expensive. This presents a challenge for implementing device characteristics in high-level circuit simulations where it is computationally infeasible to evaluate detailed models for multiple individual circuit elements. In this work we demonstrate a procedure for learning compact delayed photocurrent models that are efficient enough to implement in large-scale circuit simulations, but remain faithful to the underlying physics. Our approach utilizes Dynamic Mode Decomposition (DMD), a system identification technique for learning reduced order discrete-time dynamical systems from time series data based on singular value decomposition. To obtain physics-aware device models, we simulate the excess carrier density induced by radiation pulses by solving numerically the Ambipolar Diffusion Equation, then use the simulated internal state as training data for the DMD algorithm. Our results show that the significantly reduced order delayed photocurrent models obtained via this method accurately approximate the dynamics of the internal excess carrier density -- which can be used to calculate the induced current at the device boundaries -- while remaining compact enough to incorporate into larger circuit simulations.