Control of semiconductor manufacturing equipment: real-time feedback control of a reactive ion etcher

This paper describes the development of real-time control technology for the improvement of manufacturing characteristics of reactive ion etchers. A general control strategy is presented. The principal ideas are to sense key plasma parameters, develop a dynamic input - output model for the subsystem connecting the equipment inputs to the key plasma variables, and design and implement a multivariable control system to control these variables. Experimental results show that this approach to closed-loop control leads to a much more stable etch rate in the presence of a variety of disturbances as compared to current industrial practice.