\(\mathrm{BaF}_2\) for microlithography applications: modeling, simulation and optimization of the crystal growth process (Q880185)

The authors model and simulate numerically the crystal growth process of \(\text{BaF}_2\) in a specific industrial process called Vertical Gradient Freeze (VGF). At the beginning of the paper the authors discuss the main industrial motivation which is to decrease the size of integrated circuits. This applications requires lenses with specific optical properties and one method to obtain this is VGF. The main mathematical model is discussed by reviewing the governing equations. Then an adaptive FEM approach is described. The authors then describe the interface to a commercial software package and apply an external optimization algorithm to process the model. Finally the authors use a modified quasi-Newton method to propose an improvement of an industrial VGF growth process of \(\text{BaF}_2\).