Mathematical Sciences: VIP/Thin Film Deposition: Atomic Level Simulations, Verification, and Implementation

该奖项将支持多学科合作开发数学和计算机仿真技术，这些技术足够复杂，灵活和强大，可以有意义地预测复杂的制造过程。 该计划的成功将代表着在真实的制造问题的复杂性方面向前迈出了重要的一步，这些问题可以通过模拟有效地解决。 该计划将涉及的具体过程是多层金属和介电薄膜的生长，这些薄膜需要以几分之一微米的精度进行图案化，以接触现代微电子电路中的数千万个单独的器件元件。 该计划将结合联合收割机的数学模型与原子级的计算机模拟预测模型的薄膜生长的长度尺度范围从原子的微观结构。 这些预测，然后将与原子尺度的表征（使用国家的最先进的电子和离子显微镜技术）的实验沉积进行比较，以完善我们的理解描述薄膜生长的确切物理过程，并验证和完善的预测模型。 实验沉积将与国家的最先进的研究系统，提供原子尺度的薄膜生长控制，并与真实的微电子处理设施在朗讯科技公司进行。 该计划将汇集国际公认的数学家，物理学家和材料科学家的团队。 该计划的目标是大大改善微电子接触层的沉积，这是2000亿美元微电子工业的核心挑战，并扩大目前在复杂制造过程的预测建模方面技术上“可能”的接受程度。 这项活动的资金将由数学科学部、MPS多学科活动办公室、NSF工程理事会和DARPA提供。

This award will support a multi-disciplinary collaboration on the development of mathematical and computer simulation techniques which are sufficiently sophisticated, flexible and robust to meaningfully predict a complex manufacturing process. Success in this program will represent a significant step forward in the complexity of real manufacturing issues which can be effectively addressed by simulation. The specific process which will be addressed in this program is the growth of multilayer metal and dielectric films, which need to be patterned with precision of a fraction of a micron for contacting the tens of millions of individual device elements within modern microelectronic circuits. The program will combine mathematical models with atomic-level computer simulations to predictively model the film growth over length scales ranging from the atomic to the microstructural. These predictions will then be compared with atomic-scale characterization (using state-of the-art electron and ion microscopy techniques) of experimental depositions, to refine our understanding of the exact physical processes describing film growth, and to verify and refine the predictive models. The experimental depositions will be performed both with state-of-the-art research systems which provide atomic-scale control of film growth, and with real microelectronics processing facilities at Lucent Technologies. This program will assemble a team of internationally recognized mathematicians, physicists and materials scientists. The program goals are to improve substantially the deposition of microelectronic contact layers, a central challenge to the two hundred billion dollar microelectronics industry, and to expand current acceptance of what is technically "possible" in terms of predictive modeling of complex manufacturing processes. Funding for this activity will be provided by the Division of Mathematical Sciences, the MPS Office of Multidisciplinary Activities, the NSF Engineering Directorate, and by DARPA .