Practice Problems

(Instructor: Monica Katiyar)

k = 1.38 x 10-23 J/K; 1 eV = 1.6 x 10-19 J; 1amu =1.66 x 10-27 Kg

Gas kinetic Theory

1. Al film is being deposited at 5 µm/h in a background of 1x10-7 Torr of O2. What will be the
maximum atomic percent oxygen in the deposit?

2. Single crystal Si is being deposited at 1.0 µm/h onto one face of a 4” diameter heated
substrate in CVD process by pyrolysis (thermal decomposition) of the reactant dichlorosilane
(SiH2Cl2) flowing at 10 sccm. What fraction of the reactant is being utilized in the
deposition?

3. For (111) Si epitaxial growth rate of one monolayer per sec, we require purity of 100 ppm for
the deposited films. What should be the required vacuum level in the chamber? (Assume
residual gas is mainly N2 at 300K; and sticking coefficient is one for Si and N2). (Si :a= 0.543
nm.)

4. Estimate the impinging flux of air at 10-6 torr and 298 K. Assume only N2 (28gm/mole) in
ambient? What is the residence time for molecular nitrogen if desorption energy is 0.5 eV?
What will be steady state coverage of N2 on Si (100) surface. (νs = 1013/sec) (k = 1.38 x 10-23
J/K)

5. Si(100) epitaxy by LPCVD is being done in nitrogen partial pressure of 10 -6 torr. If it takes 1
sec to deposit one monolayer of Si, what will be the impurity level of N in Si?

Surface

6. Draw the atomic structure of a (100) surface of Si which was cut at 1o angle. Give the height
of steps and length of of terrace if vicinal angle is 1o from <010> and (<011> direction. What
has changed in the two cases?
7. On (100) Si, what is the surface density of atoms and what is the miscut angle ɵ to produce a
monolayer high step h every 50 nm? What would be the angle if the structure were a face
centered cubic or simple cubic. (Si :a= 0.543 nm.)

Adsorption and desorption

8. With the help of an atomic potential (between a surface atom and an incident atom, energy vs
distance)diagram show the processes of thermal accommodation and absorption. Properly
label the diagram.

9. Draw a schematic of all possible surface processes during thin film deposition.
10. In order to grow ZnS using atomic layer epitaxy, Zn and S2 vapours will be introduced in the
chamber alternately. Following processing conditions are used:
PZn = PS2 = 10-5Torr
T sub = 550 K
a) Describe one cycle
b) Write down conditions necessary for ALE growth in terms of vapour pressure from
effusion cells, surface coverage, residence time and cycle time
c) Calculate Zn and S coverage obtained during the exposure. How many layers per cycle
will be deposited
d) Sketch and explain processing temperature window for ALE
e) Is it possible to get condensation of Zn ans S instead of ZnS? If yes, what should be done
to avoid this?

Desorption energy for Zn on sulfur surface of ZnS = 2.27 eV

Desorption energy for” two S” on zinc surface of ZnS = 3.31 eV (Sulfur is diatomic and
exhibits dissociative adsorption with bimolecular desorption)
Assume surface site density to be 1019 cm-2
11. Solution to the four scenarios of the Adsorption isotherms:

k 
(a) and (b) P d

Zk a
(1   ) 2

(c) P  k  d
2

2 k (1   )
a
2


(d) P  2k d

Z k (1   )
a
2

Note:
What will be the shape of coverage vs. P plot in each case?
Can you distinguish different adsorption mechanism from coverage vs. P information?

12. (Smith-Ch 5) Assuming that the pre-exponential factor for surface diffusion is given by
kBT/h, (a) how low must the diffusion activation energy be to give a diffusion length, ᴧ, of
roughly 100 nm between successive collisions with impinging vapor, for deposition of Si at 1
µm/h and Ts = 400° C? (b) How much of a decrease in Ts would correspond to a x10 decrease
in ᴧ?

Nucleation and Growth

13. Read case study on Nucleation and Growth: 5.5.2 and 5.5.3 (Ohring)

14. The quaternary GaxIn 1 –x AsyP1 -y alloy semiconductors have an energy gap and lattice
parameter given, respectively, by Eg(eV) = 1.35 - 0.72y+ 0.12y2 and a0(x, y)Å= 0.1894y -
0.4184x + 0.0130xy + 5.869. If it is desired to produce light-wave devices operating at 1.32
and 1.55 µm, calculate the values for x and y, assuming perfect lattice matching to InP

15. Fe thin films grown on single-crystal Al substrates were found to be essentially

dislocation-free to a thickness of 1400 Å, whereas misfit dislocations appeared with thicker
films. If the lattice parameters of Fe and Al are 2.867 Å and 4.050 Å, respectively, what are
the probable indices describing the epitaxial interface crystallography?

Physical Vapour Deposition (Chapter 3)– Milton Ohring

 Additional reference –Smith (Ch4 , 8 and 9)

16. At 3230 oC, the saturation pressure of tungsten (mp = 3380 oC) is 0.01 torr. Calculate the
mass rate of evaporation. Assume the source area to be 1 cm2 and the evaporation chamber
pressure to be 10-4 torr. Also calculate the maximum rate of deposition on a substrate placed
directly above and 2 cm away from the metal source. Determine the maximum deposition
rate for a substrate 5 cm away from the center of the substrate plane.

17. Meyerson et al. (1986) used a low-pressure (10-3 torr) CVD to deposit epitaxial silicon film
on a silicon wafer at temperatures ranging from 750 to 850 oC. The average growth rate was
reported to be 6 nm/min. Noting that the temperature range is similar to that for the MBE
(similar to thermal evap.) of silicon and that the growth rate can be used as that sustainable in
the MBE, calculate the maximum pressure that can be allowed for film growth by MBE.
Assume the gas temperature to be at 800 oC.

18. For a new application it is desired to continuously coat a 1-m-wide steel strip with a 2 micron
thick coating of Al. The x-y configuration of the steel is such that an array of electron-beam
gun evaporation lies along the y-direction and maintains a uniform coating thickness across
the strip width. How fast should the steel be fed in the x-direction past the surface source,
which can evaporate 20g Al per second? The source-strip distance is 30 cm, and that the
steel sheet is essentially a horizontal substrate 40 cm long on either side of the source before
it is coiled. (From Ohring)

19. Derive an expression for the time it takes a positive ion to transverse the cathode sheath
assuming collision less motion in a uniform electric field. Calculate this time for an Ar+ ion
if the sheath thickness is 0.5 mm and the target voltage is 800V.

20. When sputtering a target of composition A2B with sputtering yield YA and YB, what will be
the steady state composition (CA/CB) of the film and target?
21. Consider a system containing an ionisable gas that surrounds parallel electrodes with the
cathode at x=0 and anode at x=d, where d>x>0. A discharge is initiated and the following is
assumed:
a) The total current i=i_(x)+i+(x), a sum of electron and ion components, is
constant, i.e., independent of x and time.
b) At the cathode i-(0)=i0+γei+(0), with i0 constant.
c) d[ i-(x)]/dx=αi-(x), i-(x)=i-(0)exp(αx)
d) At the anode i+(d)=0.

From this information derive the Townsend equation.

22. (Ohring Ch 6) An Ar primary ion beam of 1 keV energy is used to sputter-etch Cu during
AES depth profiling. The ion current is 10-8 A, and the area sputtered is 0.5 cm x 0.5 cm.
a. Predict the sputter rate of Cu in units of monolayers/min. Assume the (100) surface is
exposed, and the lattice parameter of Cu = 3.61 A.
b. The beam energy is raised to 10 keV where the sputter yield is 6.25. Estimate the rate of
Cu removal at a current of 10-6 A.

Chemical Vapour Deposition

23. (a) Calculated values of equilibrium partial pressure (in atm) of vapour species in the Si-Cl-H
system are given as: H2 = 0.998, HCl = 1.67x10-3, SiCl4 = =1.55x10-5, SiHCl3 = =6.58x10-5,
SiH2Cl2 = 3.22 x 10-5, SiH3Cl = 8.78 x 10-6, SiH4 = =6.45 x 10-7, SiCl2 = 1.5 x 10-6. Total
system pressure is 1 atm, temperature 1000K and Cl/H = 10-3 in the incoming mixture of
SiCl4 and H2. Show that Cl/H ration is maintained in the system at equilibrium. (5)

(b)What is happening in the sytem –deposition or etching? (5) (Hint: look at Siin/Sieq. ratio)

Problems 4, 8 and 11 from Ohring –Chapter 4