Processing nanostructured materials: the need to integrate experimental data with multiscale continuum/non-continuum simulations

The purpose of this presentation is to provide a selective overview of science and engineering aspects of morphology evolution, and to suggest areas where strategic advances will benefit a broad range of specific technologies. Recent advances in experimental and computational approaches for both continuum and non-continuum regions of behavior are presented for the study of additive effects on copper morphology evolution during electrodeposition. In microelectronic applications, deposit quality is determined on the molecular scale by the action of additives. Emphasis is therefore placed on integration of experimental data and qualitative hypotheses with computational strategies in order to understand behavior at the non-continuum level. In addition, emphasis is also given to the linkage of non-continuum simulations with traditional electrochemical engineering tools that use continuum methods to compute potential and current distribution phenomena in macroscopic systems. The use of multiscale, multi-phenomena numerical simulation offers promise for speeding innovation as well as design of advanced technological applications.