The Nearest Uniformity Producing Profile (NUPP): A Generalized Optimization Criterion for Thin-Film Processing Applications

摘要pi: Raymond A. Adomaitis and Gary W. Rubloff机构：马里兰大学提案号：0554045题目：最接近均匀性产生轮廓（NUPP）：薄膜加工应用的广义优化准则计划开发薄膜沉积工艺（例如用于半导体制造的化学气相沉积）中空间均匀性控制的新准则，适用于所有沉积系统的任何薄膜质量（厚度，成分，微观结构和电性能等），其中旋转衬底以提高均匀性。该方法是基于识别在旋转下产生均匀薄膜的固定基板（例如，停滞晶圆片）上所有沉积剖面的子空间，然后将要控制的沉积剖面投影到跨越该子空间的均匀生成基函数序列上，以确定最接近的均匀生成剖面（NUPP）。该数学准则仅取决于沉积系统的几何特征，并且可以开发控制和优化方法来减少与NUPP的偏差，从而提供普遍适用的薄膜控制方法。NUPP概念和基础理论的一个重要贡献是，后者揭示了均匀性和非均匀性产生子空间的新结构，提供了对薄膜工艺设计和控制原理的见解，并有机会在一系列反应器设计中统一这些原理。这项研究将开发出一种控制薄膜加工的全新方法，并在工业环境中证明其有效性。对这种新的分析和控制技术发展的初步研究揭示了框架在数学和计算方面的开放问题，PI与工业合作伙伴的长期关系为测试这种控制方法创造了理想的环境。更广泛的影响均匀性控制技术的独特之处在于它基于最少数量的物理假设，因此该技术适用于广泛的薄膜加工控制，优化和设计应用中的任何均匀性标准，包括所有CVD，蚀刻，PVD（物理气相沉积），原子层沉积（ALD）和任何其他具有旋转基板的薄膜工艺，使该技术具有非常广泛的工业影响。半导体、光电、光学涂层等行业的薄膜加工将受益于这种方法。大部分资金将用于在最先进的工业研究和生产设施中为本科生和研究生提供研究机会；要开发的计算工具将非常适合以MATLAB工具箱和相关短期课程的形式打包和广泛分发。

ABSTRACTPI: Raymond A. Adomaitis and Gary W. Rubloff Institution: University of MarylandProposal Number: 0554045Title: The Nearest Uniformity Producing Profile (NUPP): A Generalized OptimizationCriterion for Thin-Film Processing ApplicationsThe development of a new criterion for spatial uniformity control in thin film deposition processes (e.g., chemical vapor deposition for semiconductor manufacturing) is planned, applicable to any film quality (thickness, composition, microstructure, and electrical properties, among others) for all deposition systems where the substrate is rotated to improve uniformity. The approach is based on identifying the subspace of all deposition profiles on the stationary substrate (e.g., stalled wafer) that produce uniform films under rotation and then projecting a deposition profile to be controlled onto a sequence of uniformity-producing basis functions spanning that subspace to determine the Nearest Uniformity Producing Profile (NUPP). This mathematical criterion depends only on the geometrical characteristics of the deposition system, and control and optimization methods can be developed to reduce the deviation from the NUPP giving a universally applicable film control methodology. An important contribution of the NUPP concept and underlying theory is that the latter reveals new structure in the uniformity andnonuniformity producing subspaces, providing insight into thin-film process design and control principles and an opportunity to unify these principles across a range of reactor designs.Intellectual MeritThe research would develop a completely new approach to the control of thin film processing and demonstrate its effectiveness in an industrial setting. Preliminary research on the development of this new analysis and control technique has revealed open issues in terms of the mathematical and computational aspects of the framework, and the long standing relationship of the PI with the industrial partner creates an ideal situation for testing this control approach.Broader ImpactA unique aspect of the uniformity control technique is that it is based on a minimal number of physical assumptions, resulting in a technique applicable to any uniformity criterion in a wide range of thin film processing control, optimization, and design applications, including all CVD, etch, PVD (physical vapor deposition), atomic layer deposition (ALD), and any other thin film process with a rotating substrate, giving the technique very broad industrial impact. Thin film processing in semiconductor, optoelectronic, optical coatings, and other industries will benefit from this approach. The majority of funding will be dedicated to providing undergraduate and graduate research opportunities in a state-of-the-art industrial research and production facility; the computational tools to be developed will be ideally suited for packaging and broad distribution in the format of a MATLAB toolbox and an associated short course.