A multiscale systems approach to microelectronic processes

This paper describes applications of molecular simulation to microelectronics processes and the subsequent development of techniques for ultiscale simulation and multiscale systems engineering. The progression of the applications of simulation in the semiconductor industry from acroscopic to molecular to multiscale is reviewed. Multiscale systems are presented as an approach that incorporates molecular and multiscale imulation to design processes that control events at the molecular scale while simultaneously optimizing all length scales from the molecular to the acroscopic. It is discussed how design and control problems in microelectronics and nanotechnology, including the targeted design of processes nd products at the molecular scale, can be addressed using the multiscale systems tools. This provides a framework for addressing the “grand hallenge” of nanotechnology: how to move nanoscale science and technology from art to an engineering discipline. 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.