SIMULATION MESH GENERATION METHOD, COMPUTER SYSTEM, AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM FOR REPRESENTING COMPLEX SHAPES USING A LIMITED NUMBER OF TRIANGULAR MESHES

A method, computer system, and a computer readable medium is disclosed for generating triangular meshes for the purpose of performing high-speed generation of triangular meshes with boundary protection layers. One use for the invention is in simulations such as for semiconductor process and device simulations. The invention provides a way to suppress the volume of triangular meshes generated, by limiting the domains that destroy the boundary protection layer, thus, improving the speed of shape analysis. First, shape data is received and then, the next step is defining a boundary protection layer comprising orthogonal meshes matched locally with boundary line segments. After that, mesh points are placed inside domains separated by at least a reference distance from the boundary protection layer. Next, destructive domains are defined as those domains wherein there is a possibility of boundary protection layer destruction, and the mesh points that are inside the destructive domains are joined to create triangular meshes. A determination of the presence or absence of any such triangular meshes destructive of the boundary protection layer is made. When triangular meshes exist that are destructive of the boundary protection layer, the mesh point inside the destructive domains is projected onto the boundary line segments, and is added as a mesh point on a newly created boundary. Finally, unjoined mesh points are joined when triangular meshes no longer exist that are destructive of the boundary protection layer, and the triangular mesh data is output.