Process Optimization and Modeling of the Silicon Growth in Trichlorosilane-Hydrogen Gas Mixture in a Planetary CVD Reactor

In this study, the effect of operating conditions of the chemical vapor deposition process on the silicon growth rate in a trichlorosilane-hydrogen (TCS-H ₂ ) system was evaluated. The influence of five parameters, including wafer rotation, TCS fraction, pressure, temperature, and mass flow rate was investigated. Response surface methodology (RSM) based on three-dimensional CFD simulations were used to analyze the coupled effect of the process parameters. A second-order polynomial model was used to predict the response. Analysis of variance showed that the model is statistically significant and only 1.22% of the total variations are not explained by the regression model. According to the RSM results, the growth rate increases as a function of the TCS fraction, pressure, and temperature. Additionally, the coupled effect of the TCS fraction and pressure has a significant effect on the growth rate while the coupled effect of wafer rotation speed and mass flow rate had the lowest effect. Finally, four confirmation tests were executed for a random combination of factors to verify the accuracy of the regression model. The maximum deviation between the CFD and regression model values of the silicon growth rate was found to be 4.4 %.