Integrated model for plasma CVD and etch processes

Conference · Sun Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1995

OSTI ID:153900

Hyman, E; Tsang, K; Drobot, A ^[1]

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1. Science Applications International Corp., McLean, VA (United States)

Simulating the complex interactive phenomena in plasma CVD and etch reactors is an exceedingly daunting task because of the wide range of time and space scales that naturally occur in such reactors. The models required will depend on the pressure regime of the reactor. Deposition reactors employ pressures ranging from 10`s of Torr to 100`s of Torr and are collisional while etch reactors range from fractions of a milliTorr to several Torr. Of most interest generally is the steady state dynamics and chemistry that is established, typically on a millisecond or longer time scale. An integrated CVD model requires modules that simulate the electromagnetic field development, plasma physics including the nonthermal electron energy distribution, nonequilibrium gas chemistry, diffusion/convection, heat transport, and surface chemistry. The plasma physics and chemistry are essentially local phenomena at these pressures. In the case of etch reactors there are different classes. For those that operate at pressures {approximately} 1 Torr (eg. chemical downstream etch reactor) the assumption of locality is still reasonable. At mTorr pressures the effects of external magnetic fields and sheaths are important and must be modeled. The authors describe their progress in modeling these different plasma processes emphasizing the techniques required to put together an integrated and practical model that simulates the non-equilibrium steady state. The codes being integrated are discussed.

• OSTI ID: 153900
• Report Number(s): CONF-950612--; ISBN 0-7803-2669-5
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
CHEMICAL REACTORS
CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION
COMPUTER CODES
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
ETCHING
MATERIALS
PLASMA SHEATH
PLASMA SIMULATION
PRESSURE DEPENDENCE