Locating sensitivity minimizing process inputs in the plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) of silicon nitride thin films: a neural network based approach

We consider the problem of locating a process recipe that produces outputs which are least sensitive to small fluctuations in the process condition. A sensitivity functional describing the relationship between the inputs and outputs and their localized variability is defined using feedforward artificial neural network response surfaces. The most robust process recipe is formulated as a minimization problem. Numerical findings are presented for the problem of finding the most robust process recipe for the plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition of silicon nitride thin films having a specified refractive index.