Oeworks leverages Tidy3D in streamlining simulation process
Who is oeworks
At oeworks we create solutions that empower technology innovators to rapidly advance their ideas from concept to prototype to production. We have worked on a large number of technical challenges across several domains and have developed and continue to evolve a toolkit consisting of hardware, software, and processes, including several commercial simulation tools. We structure our work using a technical risk mitigation framework, which, in conjunction with our toolkit, allows us to define and traverse the shortest path between a technical challenge and its solution.
Why we chose Tidy3D
When working on a design project, we typically use a combination of analytical models and simulations to better understand and mitigate technical risk. Once we achieve a fundamental understanding of the design landscape, we want to complete parametric explorations and quickly obtain precise results at specific design points.
Tidy3D has been a game change for us in a number of ways. The most obvious one is speed. Thanks to its substantial hardware acceleration, Tidy3D enables us to complete parametric simulations on a range and scale that were previously impractical, if at all possible.
A second advantage of Tidy3D is that it allows us to define our simulations as Python code. This enables us to streamline the process of defining simulations, particularly when we have the need to parametrize them. It also allows us to integrate many tools from the rich Python ecosystem, ranging from optimization and simulation orchestration to results storage, processing, and visualization. We have been able to generate code that, using a single command, can set up a number of parametric simulations, execute them, collect and store the results, and then process, interpret, and plot them. In some instances where the reporting requirements were known a priori we have even been able to generate the complete reports in slide format.
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| Figure 1: Process flow from simulation set up to report generation. The entire process can be executed using a single command. |
Another advantage of simulation-as-code is that it can easily be integrated into our revision control system. Given the large number of projects we execute and the often rapidly evolving parameter spaces we are required to explore, this gives us a great advantage in tracking the evolution of our simulations and designs. Furthermore, it enables reproducibility in the event that we need to revisit a result or resume work that has been paused for a substantial period of time.
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Figure 2: Far field emission patterns of micro-LED structures for different polarizations. |
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We also had a great experience with Tidy3D from an IT infrastructure point of view. Simulation setup is very lightweight and can be worked on any of the standard development machines we routinely use. Simulation execution runs on Flexcompute’s cloud instances, freeing us from the requirement to acquire, operate, and maintain high-end workstations. In addition to that, license setup is practically trivial, freeing precious IT resources for an operation of our size.
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Figure 3: Post-processing of light extraction simulation results. (a) Far-field radiosity vs. elevation angle; (b) Light extraction efficiency vs. a design parameter for two different configurations. |
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Finally, we have been delighted with the support we have received from the Flexcompute team. All our requests for support have been addressed promptly, and without fail we were pointed in the right direction, minimizing downtime. We have also interacted with the development team and have found them to be very responsive to our requests for enhancements and new features.
Conclusion
Since we adopted Tidy3D as our main FDTD simulation tool, we have used it to complete many projects, ranging from micro-LED light extraction optimization to the modeling of silicon photonic components. Our clients have been very satisfied with our ability to quickly explore extended design spaces and simulate large structures with quick turnaround times. Internally, we have been able to streamline our workflows for simulation setup, execution, and result processing and visualization, leading to drastically improved efficiency.
Our engagement with the Flexcompute support and development teams has been extremely smooth and productive – we have the highest confidence in their ability to support us in our efforts to accelerate our client’s technology release to market.
We are continuously improving our understanding of Tidy3D’s evolving capabilities and are actively seeking projects that can benefit from streamlined FDTD simulations in the context of a thorough understanding of the corresponding design space. We look forward to discussing how our processes and software tools, combined with the power of Tidy3D, can help mitigate your technical risk, and allow you to reach your objectives faster.
