Chemical vapor deposition of thin films and coatings: Evaluation and process modeling

Abstract The macroscopic modeling of CVD reactors is aimed at paving the way towards linking the film properties to process parameters. The models used are based on thermodynamic, kinetic and transport data bases and they involve thermodynamic, kinetic and heat and mass transfer calculations which can be interlinked. This presentation describes specific examples of the application of data bases and software packages to solve CVD modeling problems arising in the growth of apparently well-known materials, like SiC single crystals or SrTiO 3 thin layers with high dielectric permittivity. The benefits of this kind of approach will be emphasized. At the same time, the dangers related to the use of incorrect data (even in good data bases), inaccurate phase diagrams or MOCVD precursors of unknown thermal decomposition are illustrated, showing that without high-quality data even the most advanced model cannot be of any value.