Method of manufacturing a semiconductor device and manufacturing system

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of:

• connecting a plurality of fabrication equipments, including an etching equipment, used in a manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, through a communication network to at least one computer;
• recording on said at least one computer a deposition condition and mask information of other production steps performed prior to one production step of production steps in said manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, wherein said one production step includes an etching step for subjecting semiconductor wafers to a dry etching by plasma;
• and
• determining automatically processing conditions in said one production step based on said deposition condition and mask information recorded in said at least one computer,
• wherein conditions for the dry etching are determined based on a surface area to be etched, and
• wherein the method further includes the step of measuring a surface area to be etched to provide a measured surface area, said measured surface area being used in determining the conditions for the dry etching.

A manufacturing system of a semiconductor device, comprising:

• a plasma processing equipment for subjecting a semiconductor wafer to a dry etching by plasma in a processing chamber held in a vacuum state by generating plasma from a feeding gas introduced into said processing chamber;
• and
• a first computer associated with said plasma processing equipment, operatively connected to a second computer associated with other processing equipment through a communication network, for recording a deposition condition and mask information of other production steps performed prior to one production step of production steps in a manufacturing process of semiconductor devices,
• wherein conditions for the dry etching are determined based on a surface area to be etched, and
• wherein the system further includes a device that measures a surface area to be etched to provide a measured surface area, said measured surface area being used in determining the conditions for dry etching.