| SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGIES |
Design, analysis, fabrication and testing of sensors and systems employs many different types of software tools.
Some tools require specific algorithms for silicon sensors, for both design and testing, hence, they were
developed in-house for Waddan specific applications. Earlier test and concept analysis programs were written in
BASIC and FORTRAN with a library of scientific subroutine package. Currently, with the system specitic Linux OS, in-house
development mostly uses C++, Python, Java, HTML and GIMP.
As with most micro devices, silicon is the material of choice. Therefore, in-house modified FEM analysis methods for nonmetallic beams,
shells, serpentine flexures, diaphragms, optical waveguides etc; have been developed. As one can rarely
use a microscope for dynamic measurement in micro devices; during experimentation, wafer level self-testing is performed via
capacitive and optical response for indirect measurement estimates. Similarly, the analysis of micro-channel fluid flow, fluidic
device fabrication and testing are done using the device itself. Even the squeeze film (gas) damping
between closely spaced parallel components in dynamic motion (under vibration) is analyzed using in-house
developed software.
When necessary, many commercially available packages, such as NASTRAN, ANSYS, FEMAP, COSMOS, SDRC-IDEAS, COMSOL, AutoCAD Solid
Modeling, SolidWorks, MATLAB, MathCAD, CERNLIB, SSP, Customized Math Libraries etc. are also extensively used.
The most important aspect of the software technology applied at Waddan is an
integrated development package (IDP).
Every key development project has its own IDP, which keeps its development analyses, its design and drawings,
reduced lumped parameter models, related mask designs and drawings, wafer and individual sensor level test
data, system test data, system calibration parameters, all tied together. With any significant mod, the version
number of the IDP changes. During development phase, the corresponding IDP is extremely helpful. The impact of iterative mods can be
analyzed very qickly.
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