Process simulator for plasma enhanced sputter deposition system

“NEPTUNE/Sputter”, a new process simulator for a plasma enhanced sputter deposition system has been developed which includes simulation modules for plasma behavior, the sputtering process, the transport of sputtered particles and the deposition processes. The particle-in-cell (PIC) and the Monte Carlo collision (MCC) approaches have been combined into a PIC-MCC module for self-consistent simulations of low-temperature collisional plasmas and the background gas. This approach is based on the weighting collision simulation scheme allowing for disparate number densities and time scales of different species. The sputtering process induced by energetic ions which incident on the target surface is simulated by the dynamic Monte Carlo module (SASA-sp: the sputtering version of dynamic-SASAMAL code). The transport of sputtered particles is simulated by the direct simulation Monte Carlo module (DSMC) considering sputtered particles as neutrals. Some results obtained for a DC magnetron sputter deposition system such as plasma behavior, time evolution of sputtered particle distribution in the plasma, the thickness fluctuation of the deposited film, etc. are presented