Model-based examination of dust particle contamination in plasma coating processes

This work describes the foundation to the microparticle simulation code PALADIN (PlasmA LAttice Dust INtegrator), mainly designed for studying microparticle contamination in arbitrary geometries. The theoretical foundation for PALADIN is derived in a detailed way by calculating various moments of the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution in a plasma, leading to expressions for forces and currents acting on the microparticles. Then, the general functionality of PALADIN is discussed, with some specific examples presented to show the functionality of PALADIN, ranging from a simple box to more complicated geometries. Finally, the EOSS, a magnetron sputter coater, is used as a specific scenario to study the influence of microparticles on optical coatings.