11_contributing.md

Contributing to SemiDevKit

Thank you for your interest in contributing to SemiDevKit!
This project integrates semiconductor device physics, compact modeling, reliability analysis,
and physical design flows. High-quality contributions are welcome.

1. How to Contribute

There are several ways to contribute:

✔ 1. Improve documentation

• Fix typos, unclear explanations, missing diagrams
• Add tutorials or examples for any module

✔ 2. Submit bug reports

Report issues here:
https://github.com/Samizo-AITL/SemiDevKit/issues

Include:

• OS, Python version, ngspice version
• Exact error message
• Steps to reproduce
• Expected vs. actual behavior

✔ 3. Add new features

Examples:

• New TCAD solvers (2D Poisson, DD-lite)
• New BSIM analyzers
• Additional reliability models
• New PZT material models
• OpenLane-Lite extensions

✔ 4. Improve code quality

• Refactor scripts
• Add comments
• Increase modularity
• Reduce duplicated code

2. Contribution Workflow

Follow this process when making a contribution:

Step 1 — Fork the Repository

https://github.com/Samizo-AITL/SemiDevKit

Step 2 — Create a Feature Branch

git checkout -b feature/my-new-feature

Step 3 — Make Changes

• Follow coding guidelines (below)
• Test before committing

Step 4 — Commit Message Format

Use clear and descriptive messages:

Added new MOSCAP CV model
Fixed ngspice path handling on Windows
Improved PZT hysteresis visualization

Step 5 — Push & Create Pull Request

git push origin feature/my-new-feature

Then open a Pull Request on GitHub.

3. Coding Guidelines

✔ Python

• Use PEP8 style wherever possible
• Keep scripts small and readable
• Prefer functions over long procedural code
• Use fig/ for images, results/ for outputs

✔ SPICE

• Keep templates under templates/
• Use .param variables instead of hard-coded values
• Maintain consistency in instance names (m1, dut, etc.)

✔ Documentation

• Use Markdown (.md)
• Include diagrams or tables where helpful
• Keep language clear and concise

4. Module Design Rules

✔ Each module must be self-contained

No module should rely on files outside its folder.

✔ Use consistent directory names

• run/
• plot/
• models/
• templates/
• results/
• fig/

✔ Do not commit generated results

Except for demonstration examples.

5. Testing Guidelines

Before submitting a PR:

✔ TCAD Playground

• Run MOSFET & MOSCAP scripts
• Verify PNG images are generated

✔ BSIM4 Analyzer

• Ensure .csv, .dat, .log, .png are produced
• Check Vth/gm/Ids extraction runs without error

✔ Reliability Analyzer

• Run HCI/NBTI scripts
• Confirm ΔVth / ΔId curves look correct

✔ OpenLane-Lite

• Ensure Docker script runs
• Produce GDS in example design

6. Style & Naming Rules

✔ File naming

Use lowercase_with_underscores.md, no spaces.

✔ Variable naming

Use snake_case for Python.

✔ Output naming

Include:

• node (e.g., 130nm)
• device (nmos/pmos)
• mode (vgid/vdid/cv)
• sweep condition (LT/RT/HT)

Example:

130nm_nmos_vgid_RT.csv

7. Licensing Rules for Contributions

SemiDevKit uses a hybrid license:

By contributing, you agree your contribution will be released under the same hybrid licensing.

8. Contributor Recognition

Contributors will be credited in:

• GitHub contributors list
• SemiDevKit documentation pages
• Acknowledgment section in future release notes

9. Contact

For discussion before contributing:

📌 Item	Details
Name	Shinichi Samizo
GitHub