ALD Growth Per Cycle Calculator
Divide the total ALD film thickness (final minus initial) by the number of cycles to get the average growth per cycle.
Description
Calculate average atomic layer deposition growth per cycle from total film thickness and completed cycle count.
Growth per cycle normalizes an ALD thickness measurement by the number of completed cycles. It is useful for recipe comparison, but the average does not by itself prove self-limiting or saturated surface reactions.
When to use ALD Growth Per Cycle Calculator
- Convert total ALD thickness into nm/cycle
- Compare cycle efficiency across pulse and purge settings
- Estimate a first-pass cycle count after growth per cycle has been characterized
How the calculation works
The deposited film thickness is divided by an integer cycle count. For example, 50 nm after 500 cycles corresponds to 0.1 nm/cycle, or 1 Å/cycle.
average growth per cycle = total deposited thickness / completed cycles Interpreting the result
The result averages nucleation and steady-cycle behavior. Early cycles on a new substrate can differ substantially from later cycles even when the final quotient looks stable.
Assumptions and limitations
- Cycle count must be a positive safe integer; total deposited thickness may be zero.
- The calculation does not verify precursor saturation, purge completeness, film density, composition, or uniformity.
- Use net deposited thickness after subtracting any starting film or metrology offset.