A finite‐volume scheme for the multidimensional quantum drift‐diffusion model for semiconductors

A finite‐volume scheme for the stationary unipolar quantum drift‐diffusion equations for semiconductors in several space dimensions is analyzed. The model consists of a fourth‐order elliptic equation for the electron density, coupled to the Poisson equation for the electrostatic potential, with mixed Dirichlet‐Neumann boundary conditions. The numerical scheme is based on a Scharfetter‐Gummel type reformulation of the equations. The existence of a sequence of solutions to the discrete problem and its numerical convergence to a solution to the continuous model are shown. Moreover, some numerical examples in two space dimensions are presented. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 27: 1483–1510, 2011     

A nonconforming exponentially fitted finite element method for two‐dimensional drift‐diffusion models in semiconductors

A new nonconforming exponentially fitted finite element for a Galerkin approximation of convection–diffusion equations with a dominating advective term is considered. The attention is here focused on the drift‐diffusion current continuity equations in semiconductor device modeling. The scheme extends to the two‐dimensional case, the well known Scharfetter–Gummel method, by imposing a divergence‐free current over each element of the triangulation. Convergence of the method in the energy norm is proved and some numerical results are included. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 15: 133–150, 1999     

A two‐grid method for mixed finite‐element solution of reaction‐diffusion equations

We present a scheme for solving two‐dimensional, nonlinear reaction‐diffusion equations, using a mixed finite‐element method. To linearize the mixed‐method equations, we use a two grid scheme that relegates all the Newton‐like iterations to a grid Δ_H much coarser than the original one Δ_h, with no loss in order of accuracy so long as the mesh sizes obey . The use of a multigrid‐based solver for the indefinite linear systems that arise at each coarse‐grid iteration, as well as for the similar system that arises on the fine grid, allows for even greater efficiency. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 15: 317–332, 1999     

A note on second‐order finite‐difference schemes on uniform meshes for advection‐‐diffusion equations

An artificial‐viscosity finite‐difference scheme is introduced for stabilizing the solutions of advection‐diffusion equations. Although only the linear one‐dimensional case is discussed, the method is easily susceptible to generalization. Some theory and comparisons with other well‐known schemes are carried out. The aim is, however, to explain the construction of the method, rather than considering sophisticated applications. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 15: 581–588, 1999     

An upwind finite volume scheme and its maximum‐principle‐preserving ADI splitting for unsteady‐state advection‐diffusion equations

We develop an upwind finite volume (UFV) scheme for unsteady‐state advection‐diffusion partial differential equations (PDEs) in multiple space dimensions. We apply an alternating direction implicit (ADI) splitting technique to accelerate the solution process of the numerical scheme. We investigate and analyze the reason why the conventional ADI splitting does not satisfy maximum principle in the context of advection‐diffusion PDEs. Based on the analysis, we propose a new ADI splitting of the upwind finite volume scheme, the alternating‐direction implicit, upwind finite volume (ADFV) scheme. We prove that both UFV and ADFV schemes satisfy maximum principle and are unconditionally stable. We also derive their error estimates. Numerical results are presented to observe the performance of these schemes. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 19: 211–226, 2003     

A locally conservative Eulerian‐Lagrangian control‐volume method for transient advection‐diffusion equations

Characteristic methods generally generate accurate numerical solutions and greatly reduce grid orientation effects for transient advection‐diffusion equations. Nevertheless, they raise additional numerical difficulties. For instance, the accuracy of the numerical solutions and the property of local mass balance of these methods depend heavily on the accuracy of characteristics tracking and the evaluation of integrals of piecewise polynomials on some deformed elements generally with curved boundaries, which turns out to be numerically difficult to handle. In this article we adopt an alternative approach to develop an Eulerian‐Lagrangian control‐volume method (ELCVM) for transient advection‐diffusion equations. The ELCVM is locally conservative and maintains the accuracy of characteristic methods even if a very simple tracking is used, while retaining the advantages of characteristic methods in general. Numerical experiments show that the ELCVM is favorably comparable with well‐regarded Eulerian‐Lagrangian methods, which were previously shown to be very competitive with many well‐perceived methods. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq, 2005     

Stability of a combined finite element ‐ finite volume discretization of convection‐diffusion equations

We consider a time‐dependent and a stationary convection‐diffusion equation. These equations are approximated by a combined finite element – finite volume method: the diffusion term is discretized by Crouzeix‐Raviart piecewise linear finite elements on a triangular grid, and the convection term by upwind barycentric finite volumes. In the nonstationary case, we use an implicit Euler approach for time discretization. This scheme is shown to be L²‐stable uniformly with respect to the diffusion coefficient. In addition, it turns out that stability is unconditional in the time‐dependent case. These results hold if the underlying grid satisfies a condition that is fulfilled, for example, by some structured meshes. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 28: 402–424, 2012     

An Eulerian‐Lagrangian control volume scheme for two‐dimensional unsteady advection‐diffusion problems

We develop a mass conservative Eulerian‐Lagrangian control volume scheme (ELCVS) for the solution of the transient advection‐diffusion equations in two space dimensions. This method uses finite volume test functions over the space‐time domain defined by the characteristics within the framework of the class of Eulerian‐Lagrangian localized adjoint characteristic methods (ELLAM). It, therefore, maintains the advantages of characteristic methods in general, and of this class in particular, which include global mass conservation as well as a natural treatment of all types of boundary conditions. However, it differs from other methods in that class in the treatment of the mass storage integrals at the previous time step defined on deformed Lagrangian regions. This treatment is especially attractive for orthogonal rectangular Eulerian grids composed of block elements. In the algorithm, each deformed region is approximated by an eight‐node region with sides drawn parallel to the Eulerian grid, which significantly simplifies the integration compared with the approach used in finite volume ELLAM methods, based on backward tracking, while retaining local mass conservation at no additional expenses in terms of accuracy or CPU consumption. This is verified by numerical tests which show that ELCVS performs as well as standard finite volume ELLAM methods, which have previously been shown to outperform many other well‐received classes of numerical methods for the equations considered. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 2012     

Two‐grid methods for mixed finite‐element solution of coupled reaction‐diffusion systems

We develop 2‐grid schemes for solving nonlinear reaction‐diffusion systems: where p = (p, q) is an unknown vector‐valued function. The schemes use discretizations based on a mixed finite‐element method. The 2‐grid approach yields iterative procedures for solving the nonlinear discrete equations. The idea is to relegate all the Newton‐like iterations to grids much coarser than the final one, with no loss in order of accuracy. The iterative algorithms examined here extend a method developed earlier for single reaction‐diffusion equations. An application to prepattern formation in mathematical biology illustrates the method's effectiveness. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 15: 589–604, 1999     

A decoupled algorithm for a drift‐diffusion model

This paper suggests a decoupled method in order to approximate a free boundary separating the depletion region and the charge neutrality region in a field effect transistor of MESFET type. In order to do that, a simplified drift‐diffusion model is used. A decoupled algorithm is presented in (Math. Comput. Simulat. 1998; 47 (6):531–539). In this work an existence theorem is proved, and the study of the convergence of the previous algorithm is presented with some numerical results. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Adequacy of finite difference schemes for convection‐diffusion equations

Finite difference schemes for the numerical solution of singularly perturbed convection problems on uniform grids are studied in the limit case where the viscosity and the meshsize approach zero at the same time. The present error estimates are given in terms of order of magnitude in the above limit process and are useful in a priori choosing adequate schemes and meshsizes for boundary‐layer problems and problems with closed characteristics. Published 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 18: 280–295, 2002; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/num.10007     

Existence of solution of a finite volume scheme preserving maximum principle for diffusion equations

In this article, a cell‐centered finite volume scheme preserving maximum principle for diffusion equations with scalar coefficients is developed. The construction of the scheme consists of three steps: at first the discrete normal flux is obtained by a linear combination of two single‐sided fluxes, then the tangential term of the normal flux is modified by using a nonlinear combination of two single‐sided tangential fluxes, finally the auxiliary unknowns in the tangential fluxes are calculated by the convex combinations of the cell‐centered unknowns. It is proved that this nonlinear scheme satisfies the discrete maximum principle (DMP). Moreover, the existence of a solution of the nonlinear scheme is proved by using the Brouwer's fixed point theorem and the bounded estimates. Numerical experiments are presented to show that the scheme not only satisfies DMP, but also obtains the second‐order accuracy and conservation.© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 34: 80–96, 2018     

Finite‐volume scheme for a degenerate cross‐diffusion model motivated from ion transport

An implicit Euler finite‐volume scheme for a degenerate cross‐diffusion system describing the ion transport through biological membranes is proposed. The strongly coupled equations for the ion concentrations include drift terms involving the electric potential, which is coupled to the concentrations through the Poisson equation. The cross‐diffusion system possesses a formal gradient‐flow structure revealing nonstandard degeneracies, which lead to considerable mathematical difficulties. The finite‐volume scheme is based on two‐point flux approximations with “double” upwind mobilities. The existence of solutions to the fully discrete scheme is proved. When the particles are not distinguishable and the dynamics is driven by cross diffusion only, it is shown that the scheme preserves the structure of the equations like nonnegativity, upper bounds, and entropy dissipation. The degeneracy is overcome by proving a new discrete Aubin–Lions lemma of “degenerate” type. Numerical simulations of a calcium‐selective ion channel in two space dimensions show that the scheme is efficient even in the general case of ion transport.     

A two‐grid characteristic finite volume element method for semilinear advection‐dominated diffusion equations

A two‐grid finite volume element method, combined with the modified method of characteristics, is presented and analyzed for semilinear time‐dependent advection‐dominated diffusion equations in two space dimensions. The solution of a nonlinear system on the fine‐grid space (with grid size h) is reduced to the solution of two small (one linear and one nonlinear) systems on the coarse‐grid space (with grid size H) and a linear system on the fine‐grid space. An optimal error estimate in H¹ ‐norm is obtained for the two‐grid method. It shows that the two‐grid method achieves asymptotically optimal approximation, as long as the mesh sizes satisfy h = O(H²). Numerical example is presented to validate the usefulness and efficiency of the method. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq, 2013     

Existence analysis for a simplified transient energy‐transport model for semiconductors

A simplified transient energy‐transport system for semiconductors subject to mixed Dirichlet–Neumann boundary conditions is analyzed. The model is formally derived from the non‐isothermal hydrodynamic equations in a particular vanishing momentum relaxation limit. It consists of a drift‐diffusion‐type equation for the electron density, involving temperature gradients, a nonlinear heat equation for the electron temperature, and the Poisson equation for the electric potential. The global‐in‐time existence of bounded weak solutions is proved. The proof is based on the Stampacchia truncation method and a careful use of the temperature equation. Under some regularity assumptions on the gradients of the variables, the uniqueness of solutions is shown. Finally, numerical simulations for a ballistic diode in one space dimension illustrate the behavior of the solutions. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A variable nonlinear splitting algorithm for reaction diffusion systems with self‐ and cross‐ diffusion

Self‐ and cross‐diffusion are important nonlinear spatial derivative terms that are included into biological models of predator–prey interactions. Self‐diffusion models overcrowding effects, while cross‐diffusion incorporates the response of one species in light of the concentration of another. In this paper, a novel nonlinear operator splitting method is presented that directly incorporates both self‐ and cross‐diffusion into a computational efficient design. The numerical analysis guarantees the accuracy and demonstrates appropriate criteria for stability. Numerical experiments display its efficiency and accuracy.     

Diffusion relaxation limit of a nonisentropic hydrodynamic model for semiconductors

In this paper, we discussed a general multidimensional nonisentropic hydrodynamical model for semiconductors with small momentum relaxation time. The model is self‐consistent in the sense that the electric field, which forms a forcing term in the momentum equation, is determined by the coupled Poisson equation. With the help of the Maxwell‐type iteration, we prove that, as the relaxation time tends to zero, periodic initial‐value problem of certain scaled multidimensional nonisentropic hydrodynamic model has a unique smooth solution existing in the time interval where the corresponding classical drift‐diffusion model has smooth solutions. Meanwhile, we justify a formal derivation of the drift‐diffusion models from the nonisentropic hydrodynamic models. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A regularity criterion for two‐and‐half‐dimensional magnetohydrodynamic equations with horizontal dissipation and horizontal magnetic diffusion

We study the global regularity of classical solution to two‐and‐half‐dimensional magnetohydrodynamic equations with horizontal dissipation and horizontal magnetic diffusion. We prove that any possible finite time blow‐up can be controlled by the L^∞‐norm of the vertical components. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A control volume technique based on integrated RBFNs for the convection–diffusion equation

This article reports a new high‐order control‐volume discretization for the convection–diffusion equation in one and two dimensions. Diffusive fluxes at the faces of a control volume and other terms embracing the unknown field variable are all approximated using one‐dimensional integrated radial‐basis‐function networks; line integrals involving these fluxes and other integrals are evaluated using a high‐order numerical integration scheme. The accuracy of the proposed technique is investigated numerically through the solution of several linear and nonlinear test problems, including a benchmark thermally driven cavity flow. High‐order convergence solutions are obtained. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq, 2010     

Stability of a colocated finite volume scheme for the Navier‐Stokes equations

The aim of this article is to describe a colocated finite volume approximation of the incompressible Navier‐Stokes equation and study its stability. One of the advantages of colocated finite volume space discretizations over staggered space discretizations is that all the variables share the same location; hence, the possibility to more easily use complex geometries and hierarchical decompositions of the unknowns. The time discretization used in the scheme studied here is a projection method. First, we give the full discretization of the incompressible Navier‐Stokes equations, then, we state the stability result and prove it following the methods of Marion and Temam. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq, 2005