Keynote: Modeling Nanoscale Gas Behavior in Wafer Fabrication Systems

In this keynote talk from the COMSOL Conference 2025 Boston, Hanna Paddubrouskaya of Tokyo Electron US discusses how TEL uses the COMSOL Multiphysics^® software to bridge the gap between theory and unmeasurable physical behavior in wafer fabrication equipment development.

Paddubrouskaya begins the presentation with a high-level overview of the semiconductor manufacturing process, addressing topics like the phases of chamber level simulation, physical scaling challenges, and the Knudsen diffusion regime — a critical consideration for designing nanoscale features and high-vacuum processes. Having established this foundational understanding, Paddubrouskaya then describes how her team uses COMSOL Multiphysics^® for simulating molecular gas dynamics where direct experimental characterization is impossible.

Hanna Paddubrouskaya is a senior research scientist in the Advanced Technology Group at Tokyo Electron US. She holds a PhD in spintronics from KU Leuven, Belgium, where she investigated spin transport phenomena.