IEEE Solid-State Circuits Society K-W Section Distinguished Lecture

Title: Truths, Lies, and Simulations - A Tutorial on Process Corner Models

Speaker: Dr. Alvin Loke, Senior Principal Engineer, Intel Corporation

Date: March 24, 2025

Time: 1:30pm to 3:00pm

Location: E7 7303/7363

Abstract:

Device models play the essential role of bridging technology and design. A deeper understanding of model limitations and simulation methodologies enables better design judgment and can lead to higher quality designs. As the late statistician George Box once said, "all models are wrong, but some are useful." Given this premise, this tutorial attempts to demystify the basics of how transistor models are constructed, what they attempt to capture, and how/why they are incomplete. A conceptual overview of corner models used in both fixed-corner and Monte Carlo simulations is presented.

About Alvin Loke:

Dr. Alvin Loke is a Senior Principal Engineer at Intel Corporation, San Diego, working on analog design/technology co-optimization for Intel’s Angstrom-era CMOS nodes. He has previously worked on CMOS nodes spanning 250nm to 2nm at Agilent, AMD, Qualcomm, TSMC, and NXP. He received a BASc in engineering physics from the University of British Columbia, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from Stanford University. After several years in CMOS process integration, Dr. Loke has since worked on analog/mixed-signal design, focusing on a variety of wireline links, design/model/technology interface, and analog design methodologies.

Alvin has been an active IEEE Solid-State Circuits Society (SSCS) volunteer since 2003, having served as a Distinguished Lecturer, AdCom Member, Webinar Chair, Denver and San Diego Chapter Chair, as well as an IEEE-CICC Technical Program Committee member, and JSSC, SSC-L, and Solid-State Circuits Magazine Guest Editor. He currently serves as the IEEE-VLSI Symposium Secretary, SSCS Global Chapters Chair, and as a Distinguished Lecturer. Dr. Loke has authored over 70 publications and delivered invited short courses at the ISSCC, VLSI Symposium, CICC, and BCICTS meetings. He holds 29 US patents.