Direct-laser writing of silicon microstructures: Raman microprobe diagnostics and modeling of the nucleation phase of deposition

Two topics vital to the analysis and applications of direct-laser writing of silicon microstructures are addressed here: optical diagnostics and modeling. The use of real-time and postprocessing Raman microprobe analysis of laser-written doped polysilicon microstructures on CMOS gate arrays is shown to be a useful diagnostic tool. Also, the results of a Monte Carlo simulation of adatom migration and desorption are applied to the study of nucleation effects in direct-laser writing, with specific reference to the deposition of silicon