Modeling and stability analysis of the nonlinear reactive sputtering process

Abstract

The model of the reactive sputtering process has been determined from the dynamic equilibrium of the reactive gas inside the chamber and the dynamic equilibrium of the sputtered metal atoms which form the compound with the reactive gas atoms on the surface of the substrate. The analytically obtained dynamical model is a system of nonlinear differential equations which can result in a histeresis-type input/output nonlinearity. The reactive sputtering process has been simulated by integrating these differential equations. Linearization has been applied for classical analysis of the sputtering process and control system design.

Keywords

• reactive sputtering process
• dynamical modeling
• linearization
• steady state operating point
• stability