Model of PE-CVD apparatus: Verification and Simulations

Juergen Geiser , V. Buck, M. Arab

Preprint series: Institut für Mathematik, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (ISSN 0863-0976), 45 pp.

MSC 2000

35K25 General theory of higher-order, parabolic equations

35K20 Boundary value problems for second-order, parabolic equations

Abstract
In this paper we present the simulation of a chemical vapor deposition for metallic bipolar plates. For chemical vapor deposition, the delicate optimization between temperature, pressure and plasma power is important to obtain a homogeneous deposition, see \cite{hlava95}. The aim is to reduce real-life experiments of a given CVD plasma reactor, based on a large physical parameter space we have a hugh amount of experiments. A detail study of the physical experiments on a CVD plasma reactor allows to reduce to an approximated mathematical model, which is the underlying transport-reaction model. Significant region of the CVD apparatus are approximated and physical parameters are transferred to the mathematical parameters. Such approximation reduced the mathematical parameter space to a realistic amount of numerical experiments. Based on interpolation and regression functions we fit to the physical parameter space and can give first prediction to deposition rates with the simulation model. Here numerical experiments help to understand the deposition process and the control the positions of the sources for the deposition and precursor gases. For the simulations we apply analytical as well as numerical methods to obtain results to predict the growth of thin layers. The results are discussed with physical experiments to give a valid model for the assumed growth. Here an important transfer of engineering research on modelling real-life processes to achieve a simulatable mathematical model. Such a model can be solved by numerical solvers and discretisation schemes. The results can be used to obtain a new understanding of the technical processes in engineering research.