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AI Software AtomTCAD Enhances Heat Management in Nanoscale Semiconductors

Semiconductors and Electronics

Business Honor - AtomTCAD Enhances Nano Heat Management

Business Honor
24 July, 2025

AtomTCAD’s AI software predicts and manages heat in nanoscale semiconductors, enhancing chip performance.

Semiconductors—the tiny chips that guide electric signals in everything from telephones to wristwatches—are the centerpiece of modern electronics. With chipmakers shrinking their designs to nanoscale dimensions, though, heat control is an increasingly urgent challenge. Chips that are smaller and more efficient and faster are also harder to cool, compromising performance and reliability. Dr. Sanghamitra Neogi, a CU Boulder associate professor in the Aerospace Engineering Sciences department, is heading groundbreaking research into better semiconductor heat management. Her group has built a tool, AtomThermCAD (Atom-to-Device Thermal Computer Aided Design), that forecasts at an atomic scale how heat is produced and flows through semiconductor devices.

In contrast to traditional chip design software, AtomThermCAD employs AI-based quantum physics models to model thermal performance in nanometer-scale transistors and materials. This enables chip designers to detect potential overheating problems early in the production process, shaving months or even years off of the development cycle. The software is the result of a $1 million DARPA-funded research project and now forms the foundation of Neogi’s startup, AtomTCAD Inc. The company recently received $150,000 in funding from Colorado’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT), along with $50,000 in matching support from CU Boulder’s Venture Partners.

By providing detailed, predictive modeling at the nanoscale, AtomThermCAD addresses one of the biggest barriers in modern chip design—thermal failure—and offers semiconductor manufacturers a much-needed tool to keep up with rising performance demands. Neogi’s work is poised to significantly impact the global semiconductor industry and bolster Colorado’s position as an emerging hub for advanced electronics and quantum technologies.