3D numerical plasma notching computer simulation in the presence of conductors with complex geometry

Topography evolution during etching of semiconductor devices is critically important in the manufacture of large scale integrated circuits. The notching phenomenon describes the opening of a long narrow groove (the “notch”) in a conductive material at the interface with the underlying insulator. This problem has been investigated by many researches both theoretically and numerically. Numerical investigations were mostly two dimensional, for example [Gyeong S. Hwang and Konstantinos P. Giapis, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 15(1), 70 (1997)]. Though 2D models can explain the origin of the notching, 3D simulation is needed in order to describe real geometry. Current work is devoted to presenting a new 3D simulation code for notching process study.