Advantages of plasma etch modeling using neural networks over statistical techniques

Due to the inherent complexity of the plasma etch process, approaches to modeling this critical integrated circuit fabrication step have met with varying degrees of success. Recently, a new adaptive learning approach involving neural networks has been applied to the modeling of polysilicon film growth by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD). In this paper, neural network modeling is applied to the removal of polysilicon films by plasma etching. The plasma etch process under investigation was previously modeled using the empirical response surface approach. However, in comparing neural network methods with the statistical techniques, it is shown that the neural network models exhibit superior accuracy and require fewer training experiments. Furthermore, the results of this study indicate that the predictive capabilities of the neural models are superior to that of their statistical counterparts for the same experimental data. >