Modeling the Early Stages of Thin Film Formation by Energetic Atom Deposition

The early stages of thin film formation are described by a simple hybrid model that couples a set of discrete kinetic rate equations to a Fokker-Planck (FP)-type continuum. Unique features of the atomic processes in energetic particle deposition are outlined and discussed. A thermal atom deposition process is benchmarked with Zinsmeister's analytical theory [~7] to demonstrate the simplicity and accuracy of the model. This simplicity allows extensions to the treatment of energetic particle effects and the growth of multilayers of atoms. It is shown that the model explains the major features of the early stages of atomic clustering.