System and method for including protective voltage switchable dielectric material in the design or simulation of substrate devices

Abstract

A substrate device is designed by identifying one or more criteria for handling of a transient electrical event on the substrate device. The one or more criteria may be based at least in part on an input provided from a designer. From the one or more criteria, one or more characteristics may be determined for integrating VSD material as a layer within or on at least a portion of the substrate device. The layer of VSD material may be positioned to protect one or more components of the substrate from the transient electrical condition.

1 . A computer-implemented method for designing a substrate device during a design or simulation phase, the method comprising:
 responsive to an interaction with a designer, selecting a plurality of locations on a substrate device that are to provide a protective electrical path when the transient electrical event occurs;   at each of the plurality of locations, determining a dimension of a layer of a voltage switchable dielectric (VSD) material at the selected location, wherein the dimension of layer of VSD material is selected based at least in part on a threshold measure of energy that is required to cause the layer of VSD material to switch from a dielectric state into a conductive state, wherein when the VSD material is in the conductive state, the VSD material interconnects one or more components to the protective electrical path.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at one or more of the plurality of locations, the dimension of the layer of VSD material corresponds to a gap distance that separates the one or more components at that location from the protective electrical path, and wherein the threshold measure of energy depends at least in part on the gap distance. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the measure of energy corresponds to a threshold voltage level that is known to be within a tolerance of the one or more components at the one or more of the plurality of locations. 
     
     
         4 . A computer-implemented method for determining a spacing of one or more electrical components that are to be connectable on a substrate device, the method comprising:
 identifying one or more electrical tolerances of an electrical component that is to be protected against transient electrical events by a protective electrical path;   identifying a layer of voltage switchable dielectric (VSD) material that is to provide a gap separation between the electrical component and the protective electrical path; and   wherein the VSD material is capable of switching from a dielectric state into a conductive state with application of a measure of energy that exceeds a threshold level, wherein the threshold level is dependent at least in part on a dimension of the VSD material; and   dimensioning the gap separation so that the threshold level for the measure of energy that causes the VSD material to switch is less than the one or more tolerances of the electrical component.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein identifying one or more electrical tolerances includes identifying a breakdown voltage of the electrical components, and wherein the VSD material is capable of switching from the dielectric state into the conductive state with application of a voltage that exceeds a threshold voltage level, wherein the threshold voltage level depends on a dimension of the gap separation. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein identifying one or more electrical tolerances includes identifying a tolerance for leakage current by the electrical components, wherein the VSD material is known to produce an amount of leakage current, and wherein identifying a layer of VSD material includes configuring the layer of VSD material to produce a leakage current that is less than the leakage current tolerance of the electrical components. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the leakage current of the VSD material depends at least in part on a dimension of the gap separation, and wherein configuring the layer of VSD material includes specifying the dimension of the gap separation so that the leakage current produced by the VSD material is less than the leakage current tolerance of the electrical components. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein configuring the layer of VSD material includes selecting a composition for the VSD material that is known to produce the amount of leakage current across the gap separation that is less than the leakage current tolerance of the electrical components. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising dimensioning an area occupied by the layer of VSD material in providing the gap separation, wherein dimensioning the area is subject to or based on the one or more tolerances. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein dimensioning the area is subject to one or more of (i) a spatial constraint identified for the substrate, or (ii) a leakage current tolerance of the one or more components.