Atomic scale grid for modeling semiconductor structures and fabrication processes

A system for simulating a temporal process in a body, the body comprising particles of a plurality of different particle types each having a different value for at least a first material property, the system comprising:

• a processor;
• a memory configured to provide computer program instructions to the processor;
• a meshing module to assign exactly one particle of the body to each of a plurality of nodes in a uniform grid of nodes imposed on the body, the grid having three independent dimensions and having a uniform node spacing;
• and
• an iterating module for use with a provided system of discrete time probability node equations, at least one of the node equations for each of the plurality of nodes of the grid, each of the node equations describing probability of a predetermined physical event type occurring at the respective node of the grid during a predetermined time period, in dependence upon the value for the first material property of the particle assigned to the respective node,
• the iterating module to iterate through a first plurality of time steps in a simulation period, at each time step determining a physical quantity of the body at each of the nodes in the plurality of nodes at the end of the particular time step in dependence upon the node equations and values of the physical quantity at the beginning of the particular time step, to determine values for the physical quantity of the body at the end of the simulation period.

A system for simulating a temporal process in a body having a plurality of different particle types, each particle type having different values for at least a first material property, the system comprising:

• a processor;
• a memory configured to provide computer program instructions to the processor;
• a meshing module to impose a uniform grid of nodes on the body, including assigning exactly one particle of the body to each of the nodes, the grid having three independent dimensions and having a uniform node spacing;
• and
• an iterating module for use with a provided system of node equations, including at least one node equation for each of a plurality of nodes of the grid, the node equation or equations for each particular one of the nodes describing behavior of at least one physical quantity of the body at the particular node in dependence upon the value for the first material property at the particular node through each of a first plurality of time steps of the process;
• and
• the iterating module to iterate through the first plurality of the time steps to determine values for at least a subset of the physical quantities of the body at the end of the first plurality of time steps.

A method for simulating a temporal process in a body comprising:

• in a computer system, imposing a uniform grid of nodes on the body, the grid having three independent dimensions and having a uniform node spacing which is less than the quantum separation distance in silicon;
• providing a system of node equations, including at least one node equation for each of a plurality of nodes of the grid, the node equation or equations for each particular one of the nodes describing behavior of at least one physical quantity of the body at the particular node through each of a first plurality of time steps of the process;
• and
• the computer system iterating through the first plurality of the time steps to determine values for at least a subset of the physical quantities of the body at the end of the first plurality of time steps.

A method for simulating a temporal process in a body, the body comprising particles of a plurality of different particle types each having a different value for at least a first material property, comprising:

• in a computer system, assigning exactly one particle of the body to each of a plurality of nodes in a uniform grid of nodes imposed on the body, the grid having three independent dimensions and having a uniform node spacing;
• providing a system of discrete time probability node equations, at least one of the node equations for each of the plurality of nodes of the grid, each of the node equations describing probability of a predetermined physical event type occurring at the respective node of the grid during a predetermined time period, in dependence upon the value for the first material property of the particle assigned to the respective node;
• and
• the computer system iterating through a first plurality of time steps in a simulation period, at each time step determining a physical quantity of the body at each of the nodes in the plurality of nodes at the end of the particular time step in dependence upon the node equations and values of the physical quantity at the beginning of the particular time step, to determine values for the physical quantity of the body at the end of the simulation period.

A method for simulating a temporal process in a body having a plurality of different particle types, each particle type having different values for at least a first material property, comprising:

• in a computer system, imposing a uniform grid of nodes on the body, including assigning exactly one particle of the body to each of the nodes, the grid having three independent dimensions and having a uniform node spacing;
• providing a system of node equations, including at least one node equation for each of a plurality of nodes of the grid, the node equation or equations for each particular one of the nodes describing behavior of at least one physical quantity of the body at the particular node in dependence upon the value for the first material property at the particular node through each of a first plurality of time steps of the process;
• and
• the computer system iterating through the first plurality of the time steps to determine values for at least a subset of the physical quantities of the body at the end of the first plurality of time steps.