A model-based, Bayesian approach to the CF4/Ar etch of SiO2

The design and optimization of highly nonlinear and complex processes like plasma etching is challenging and timeconsuming. Significant effort has been devoted to creating plasma profile simulators to facilitate the development of etch recipes. Nevertheless, these simulators are often difficult to use in practice due to the large number of unknown parameters in the plasma discharge and surface kinetics of the etch material, the dependency of the etch rate on the evolving front profile, and the disparate length scales of the system. Here, we expand on the development of a previously published, data informed, Bayesian approach embodied in the platform RODEo ( R ecipe O ptimization for D eposition and E tching). RODEo is used to predict etch rates and etch profiles over a range of powers, pressures, gas flow rates, and gas mixing ratios of an CF4/Ar gas chemistry. Three examples are shown: (1) etch rate predictions of an unknown material “X” using simulated experiments for a CF 4 /Ar chemistry, (2) etch rate predictions of SiO 2 in a Plasma-Therm 790 RIE reactor for a CF 4 /Ar chemistry, and (3) profile prediction using level set methods.