From data to process insights: Hybrid modeling strategies for chemical vapor deposition processes

The optimization of complex manufacturing processes, such as Chemical Vapor Deposition, requires integrated approaches that combine physical modeling with advanced data-driven methodologies. This review synthesizes recent advances in hybrid modeling frameworks that merge equation-based computational fluid dynamics, machine learning, and natural language processing models to enhance process understanding, prediction, optimization and control. In particular, natural language processing techniques are leveraged to generate embedding-based predictors that inform learning tasks. The proposed framework integrates data acquisition, dimensionality reduction, and feature engineering with contextual language processing embeddings, surrogate modeling, and sensitivity analysis. This results in improved forecasting accuracy and interpretability. Key applications include coating thickness prediction, process regime classification, and critical parameter identification using SHAP analysis and Sobol’ indices. Nevertheless, significant challenges remain, including limitations in sensor infrastructure, assessment of dataset sufficiency for specific industrial objectives, and restricted generalizability across reactor designs. This work highlights how hybrid frameworks, together with natural language processing models applied to industrial process datasets, can bridge the gap between data availability in industrial environments and the actionable insights required for practical implementation, while identifying necessary future directions for robust, scalable, and interpretable modeling systems in advanced manufacturing. • Hybrid framework that unifies CFD, machine learning, and NLP for industrial CVD. • Dimensionality reduction and surrogate models accelerate predictive CVD analytics. • Clustering and feature-importance analysis reveal dominant process mechanisms. • NLP-based encoding enhances predictive modeling of categorical industrial variables.