2D Heat Transfer Visualization
Measured data are used to calibrate key parameters in the PDE model. The full run lasts ~100 s, and ignition occurs near ~90 s under the selected material conditions.
Featured Project
A representative example of how we turn math & physics into intuitive, visual learning.
Knowledge Paths
SemiSimTech is organized from foundation to engineering application: Physics → Devices → Systems → Modeling → Reliability.
Physics Path
Build intuition from wave behavior, carrier effects, and material response before moving into devices. Good starting topics include calculus, RLC transients, optical mode behavior, and plasma-dispersion intuition.
Device Path
Focus on photonic and semiconductor building blocks such as edge couplers, phase shifters, modulators, photodiodes, APDs, and device-level transport behavior.
System Path
Connect device behavior to link-level consequences such as PAM4 margin, BER sensitivity, optical loss budget, and transmitter / receiver tradeoffs.
Modeling Path
Turn measured data into compact intuition models, parameter sensitivities, and engineering tradeoff views. This is where SemiSimTech becomes especially useful for practicing engineers.
Fundamental
Start here for intuition-building and core concept exploration.
Interactive Calculus Intuition
A step-by-step interactive page that turns derivatives and integrals into visual stories. The full interactive lab is planned as part of the members library.
RLC Transient Explorer
A clean simulator-style exploration of RLC transient response, resonance, and damping. The full interactive version is planned for members.
Shell Scripting Intuition Lab
Build deep intuition for shell scripting using real engineering patterns: shebang, path safety (SCRIPT_DIR), command substitution, quoting, and argument handling. This lab shows how simple scripts evolve into reliable CLI tools used in real workflows.
Linux Command Intuition Lab
Build systematic intuition for common Linux commands by command intent: system information, file navigation, search, mounting, and safe system control. This lab converts command lists into a structured engineering reference.
Python Fundamentals Intuition Lab
Build intuition for Python fundamentals using a structured memory-map approach: variables, operators, flow control, data structures, functions, exceptions, file operations, modules, and object-oriented thinking.
Python Workflow Intuition Lab
Build system-level intuition for Python as an engineering tool: data acquisition, data transformation, visualization, and modeling. This lab shows how Python evolves from simple scripts into reusable engineering pipelines.
Physics
Foundational effects that explain why devices behave the way they do.
Conservation Law Intuition Lab
Build intuition for choosing the correct conservation law in collision problems. This lab explains why energy and linear momentum fail for a projectile sticking to a pivoted rod, while angular momentum about the pivot is conserved.
Plasma Dispersion Intuition Lab
Explore how carrier injection changes refractive index and loss in silicon-based photonic structures. This planned lab will connect directly to phase shifters, modulators, and VOA behavior.
Mode Confinement Intuition Lab
Build intuition for how geometry, index contrast, and wavelength shape optical confinement, effective index, and field overlap in integrated photonics.
Devices
Component-level intuition labs for photonics and semiconductor devices.
Target-Voltage LDMOS Design Intuition Lab
Build intuition for how LDMOS devices are engineered to meet a target operating-voltage window while balancing breakdown, on-resistance, capacitance, and reliability. Includes a visual sandbox and decision framework.
Waveguide Intuition Lab
Build intuition for waveguide geometry, mode confinement, effective index, and propagation loss. This lab serves as the physical foundation for modulators, photodiodes, edge couplers, and thermal tuning behavior in silicon photonics.
Modulator Efficiency Intuition Lab
Explore the key tradeoff between efficiency, bandwidth, and loss in optical modulators. Build intuition for how overlap, device length, effective gap, capacitance, and drive strength impact Si MZM, LN MZM, and Ge EAM behavior.
SiPho Edge Coupler Intuition Lab
This preview introduces a SiPho intuition project. Membership unlocks the full interactive demo and the next project in this series.
Phase Shifter Intuition Lab
Build intuition for how carrier injection, spectral response, and forward-bias loss shape phase shifter and VOA behavior. The full interactive lab is planned for the members library.
APD Intuition Lab
Explore dark current, responsivity, and avalanche gain using extracted measured data and compact fit models. The full interactive lab is planned for members.
Interactive LDMOS Explorer
Explore how current and voltage redistribute between the channel and the drift region. The full interactive explorer is planned as a members lab.
Systems
System-level labs that connect component behavior to link performance and engineering decisions.
400G Modulator System Lab
Connect modulator, link loss, equalization, and receiver sensitivity into one system-level intuition lab. This lab is aimed at understanding how device-level penalties propagate into BER and operating margin.
Isolated Capacitor & Substrate Noise Intuition Lab
Build intuition for how integrated capacitors interact with substrate noise, leakage, and terminal biasing. This lab explains why "just a capacitor" can become a system-level failure in mixed-signal and power ICs.
PAM4 Eye Intuition Lab
A planned lab to build visual understanding of eye closure, linearity, bandwidth limits, and noise penalties in high-speed optical links.
Modeling
Measured data, compact intuition models, and parameter-tradeoff thinking.
Layered RF Field Intuition Lab
Explore how electromagnetic fields distribute across layered materials and how field participation influences RF loss and sensitivity. More interactive experiments will be added to the members library.
Model from Measured Data Lab
A planned lab focused on how to turn measured curves into compact engineering models, with parameter sensitivity, autofit workflows, and physical interpretation.
Decision Systems Intuition Lab
A member-only lab on how multi-factor decision spaces can be formalized using utility functions, penalty terms, and tradeoff geometry. The residential example is used only as a concrete vehicle for explaining broader modeling ideas such as weighting, Pareto thinking, and explainable ranking.
Reliability
Real-world stress mechanisms and why edge cases often dominate failure risk.
Edge Reliability Simulator (Moisture Ingress)
A diffusion-based simulator to show why edge regions can dominate humidity-stress risk under HAST-like conditions. The full simulator is planned for members.