Modeling and Model Reduction for Control and Optimization of Epitaxial Growth in a Commercial Rapid Thermal Chemical Vapor Deposition Reactor

: In December 1996, a project was initiated at the Institute for Systems Research (ISR), under an agreement between Northrop Grumman Electronic Sensors and Systems Division (ESSD) and the ISR, to investigate the epitaxial growth of silicon{germanium (Si{Ge) heterostructures in a commercial rapid thermal chemical vapor deposition (RTCVD) reactor. This report provides a detailed account of the objectives and results of work done on this project as of September 1997. The report covers two main topics - modeling and model reduction. Physics{based models are developed for thermal, fluid, and chemical mechanisms involved in epitaxial growth. Experimental work for model validation and determination of growth parameters is described. Due to the complexity and high computational demands of the models, we investigate the use of model reduction techniques to reduce the model complexity, leading to faster simulation and facilitating the use of standard control and optimization strategies.