The etching of silicon wafers using gaseous plasmas underpins the rapid advance in computer technology that has powered the global economy, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Currently, experimental testing is used to establish the relevant plasma mixes to generate the desired etch. Such testing is an expensive and time-consuming process even for relatively minor improvements in the processes. With Quantemol-P much of this process can be done outside of the reactor at reduced cost and improved efficiency.
One of the key fundamental processes in etch plasmas are collisions of low-energy electrons with molecules. But for many years the associated molecular data has been missing from the plasma researchers toolkit. Measurements of these collisions are both expensive and difficult to perform, and their theoretical determination requires the use of sophisticated procedures based on the application of quantum mechanics.
What does Quantemol-P do?
Quantemol-P assists in the research for new plasma recipes and optimizes given processes by simulating etch machines. The simulation inputs used by Quantemol-P match those of the plasma processing tools: e.g. power, pressure, gas flow rate, time, volume.
Quantemol-P couples molecular data with models of the plasma, providing full information of what is happening, giving the process engineers an insight into the problem.
A variety of technical plasmas can be simulated including plasma etch reactors, plug-flow reactors and well-mixed reactors and atmospheric pressure plasma reactors.
Quantemol-P can become a part of the Quantemol-D software package as an extra module, which can help to optimise a plasma recipe prior to running a 2D model.
What are the key advantages of Quantemol-P?
- Contains a large database of molecular data.
- Utilises Quantemol-N to obtain missing molecular data.
- Given a recipe it constructs the chemistry of the plasma for you.
- Automated chemistry generation.
- Pressure range can go up to atmospheric pressure plasma and above .
- Requires only basic input, equivalent to the definition of a plasma recipe.
- Easy to use graphical interface.
- Results presented in a flexible, user friendly form.
