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2.3 Optimizations for the Cellular Approach

This section deals with methods how the basic principle of the structuring element can be improved and optimized with regard to computational costs. As already outlined in Section 1.3.1 the reduction of CPU time and memory consumption without loss of accuracy is of significant importance for any three-dimensional simulation. It has a major influence when three-dimensional arrays are used to represent cellular information, as is the case for the present algorithm.

Fig. 2.1 already gives a hint that the morphological operations for the surface propagation cause unnecessary and redundant operations. The efforts to reduce such unnecessary and redundant operations and thus to increase the simulation speed for several etching and deposition processes are described in the next sections.

Figure 2.3: Reduction of spheres used as structuring elements for isotropic deposition to spherical segments leading to one and the same final geometry.

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