INTEGRATED REAL-TIME AND RUN-TO-RUN CONTROL OF ETCH DEPTH IN REACTIVEION ETCHING

Reactive Ion Etching (RIE) is a common process step in semiconductor m anufacturing, Set the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood, Our goal is to reduce the variance of etch characteristics by integrat ing real-time and run-to-run control of plasma and process variables, The run to run controller suggests plasma variable set-points based on the wafer characteristics of the previous run, The real-time controll er maintains the suggested plasma variables by manipulating the proces s inputs during the etch, We have demonstrated the integrated control architecture for rejecting oxygen and loading disturbances in an Appli ed 8300 Hexode Reactor during a polysilicon etch.