Monte Carlo hydrodynamic simulation of neutral radical transport in low pressure remote plasma activated chemical vapor deposition

In electron cyclotron resonance plasma sources for semiconductor processing (1–10 s mTorr), the mean free paths of neutral radical species are commensurate with the dimensions of the reactor. To address these conditions, a hybrid hydrodynamic Monte Carlo simulation has been developed to model the transport of neutral excited state and radical species. The continuity and momentum equations are solved to obtain an average advective flow field. Monte Carlo techniques are then employed to model the trajectories of the neutral particles, while allowing for momentum transfer collisions with the background gas, and chemical reactions. Results are presented for Ar/SiH4 plasmas where the uniformity of the radical flux and hot atom effects are investigated.