This paper presents an overview of research works on the utilizing of soft computing in the optimization of process parameters and in the prediction of thin film properties in sputtering processes. The papers from this review were obtained from relevant databases and from various scientific journals. The papers collected were published from 2008 to 2012. The focus of the review is to provide an outlook on the utilization of soft computing techniques in sputtering processes. Based on the review, the soft computing techniques which have been applied so far are ANN, GA and Fuzzy Logic. The first finding of this review is that soft computing technique is a promising and more reliable approach to optimize and predict process parameters compared to the traditional methods. The second finding is that the utilizing of soft computing techniques in sputtering processes are still limited and still in exploratory phase as they have not yet been extensively and stably applied. The techniques applied are also limited to ANN, GA and Fuzzy, whereas the exploration into other techniques is also necessary to be conducted in order to seek the most reliable technique and so as to expand the application of soft computing approach. Future research could focus on the exploration of other soft computing techniques for optimization in order to find the best optimization techniques based on the specific processes.
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