AVS 45th International Symposium
    Thin Films Division Wednesday Sessions
       Session TF-WeA

Paper TF-WeA10
Atomistic Simulations of the Sputter Deposition of Copper

Wednesday, November 4, 1998, 5:00 pm, Room 310

Session: Advances in Sputtering
Presenter: W. Zou, University of Virginia
Authors: W. Zou, University of Virginia
J.F. Groves, University of Virginia
X.W. Zhou, University of Virginia
H.N.G. Wadley, University of Virginia
Correspondent: Click to Email
RF Diode sputter deposition is being explored for synthesizing metal and magnetic multilayer films. A discrete simulation Monte Carlo binary collision model has been developed to analyze the spatial uniformity and impact velocity of individual vapor atom with a substrate. The analysis began with the calculation of ion-impact with a metal target using Molecular Dynamics simulations. This provided both the initial energy distribution of vapor atom and its angular distribution immediately upon their sputter emission from the target. The model then used input conditions such as background pressure, temperature, gas type, and reactor geometry in combination with a discrete simulation Monte Carlo method to analyze vapor atom transport to the substrate. Results are shown of vapor atom deposition efficiency, the spatial distribution of the film thickness, the impacting atom energy and the impact angle distribution of the vapor atoms. These vapor transport model results provide a link between the microstructure of thin films and the deposition process conditions, and can be used for reactor design and control.