Disturbance-free, recipe-controlled plasma processing system and method

A plasma processing control system comprising:

• a plasma processor for performing plasma processing operation over a sample accommodated within a vacuum processing chamber;
• optimum-recipe calculation model providing means for calculating an optimum recipe on the basis of a measured result of a processed result measuring instrument and a target value;
• usable recipe selecting means for judging validity of the optimum recipe calculated by said optimum recipe calculation model and selecting a usable recipe;
• and
• a controller for controlling said plasma processor on the basis of the recipe selected by said usable recipe selecting means.

A plasma processing control method for controlling a plasma processing apparatus performing plasma processing to a sample accommodated within a vacuum processing chamber of the processing apparatus, comprising the steps of:

• monitoring process parameters during the processing operation for the sample;
• estimating a processed result on the basis of a result of said monitoring step;
• calculating correction values of processing conditions and generating an optimum recipe on the basis of an estimated result of said estimating step such that the processed result becomes a target value;
• and
• controlling the plasma processing apparatus on the basis of said generated optimum recipe.

A plasma processing control method for controlling plasma processing operation performed to a sample accommodated within a vacuum processing chamber, comprising the steps of:

• generating an optimum recipe on the basis of a measured result of a processed result measuring instrument;
• judging validity of said optimum recipe;
• and
• controlling the plasma processing operation on the basis of the recipe judged as having the validity.