PROMPT II: Process optimization in multiple dimensions for semiconductor technology II

• Research unit: EU RFP
• Project number: 96.0278-2

Key words (English)

3D semiconductor process simulation; 3D mesh generation; moving boundary value problems

Alternative project number (English)

EU project number: EP 24.038

Research programs (English)

EU-programme: 4. Frame Research Programme - 1.3 Telematic systems

Short description (English)

See abstract

Partners and International Organizations (English)

AMS (A), FhG-l IS-B (D), FhG-ISiT(D), ISE AG (CH), ISEN (F), SGS Thomson (F), SIGMA-C (D), TU Vienna (A)

Abstract (English)

The PROMPT-Il project is the attempt to simulate the different steps in the manufacturing semiconductor devices. So far models working on two dimensional cuts of the real device were sufficient, but the ongoing miniaturization of modern devices demands the implementation of the full three dimensional models. ETH/IIS' part in this project is provide reliable software for mesh generation.
In process simulation the task of mesh generation has to be fulfilled within in stronger constraints than in device simulation and in other engineering fields: since the geometry changes during simulation a mesh has to be computed a hundred times during a simulation. Certain quality criteria to the mesh have to be met to resolve features of the geometry and of the solution, but on the other hand the mesh shall contain as few elements as possible for an efficient computation.
Two approaches are employed in this project, that work hand in hand. Firstly, the complete re-meshing of the device according to the computed solution. The hybrid algorithm (using an axis oriented refinement tree together with conforming Delaunay methods) has been improved to handle arbitrarily shaped geometries and to guarantee a smooth transition from regions of a coarse mesh to a fine mesh.
The second approach tackles the moving boundary problem: to avoid the computationally expensive complete re-meshing, this algorithms deforms the current mesh to fit the new geometry. This can be applied when simulating, e.g. deposition of silicon oxide or polycrystalline silicon.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 96.0278-2