Numerical Simulation of Etching and Deposition Processes

Accurate numerical simulation of microscopic surface topography evolution can facilitate the development of various etching and deposition processes for microelectronics applications. We have used numerical simulator SHADE, which is based on the shock-tracking method for surface evolution, to simulate processes that involve simultaneous etching and deposition. Examples are taken from two applications: conformal metal liner formation by the ionized magnetron sputter deposition process and Pt etching by ion beam and reactive ion etching processes. The numerical methods used for simulation and comparison between the simulation results and experimental observations are presented.