Atomistic modeling of large-scale metal film growth fronts

We present simulations of metallization morphologies under ionized Sputter- deposition conditions. By means of molecular-dynamics simulations using a c arefully designed interaction potential, we analyze the surface adsorption, reflection, and etching reactions taking place during Al physical vapor de position, and calculate their relative probabilities. These probabilities a re then employed in a feature-scale cellular-automaton simulator, which pro duces calculated film morphologies in excellent agreement with scanning-ele ctron-microscopy data on ionized sputter deposition. [S0163-1829(99)51612-3 ].