A new simulator for the oxidation process in integrated circuit fabrication based on cellular automata

A new two-dimensional oxidation simulator based on cellular automata is presented. The advancement of the Si-SiO₂ and SiO₂-air fronts during oxidation has been successfully simulated. The simulator reproduced satisfactorily the oxidation profiles in the case of a Gaussian temperature distribution over the Si surface, as well as in the case of the presence of contamination on the Si surface. Oxidation of non-planar Si surfaces, as well as oxidation through a mask, and oxidation through a mask of non-planar Si surfaces have also been successfully simulated. The simulation results are in good qualitative agreement with experimental data.