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Phoenix666 writes:

a diverse team of scientists centered at Bilkent University and Middle East Technical University (both in Ankara, Turkey) have found a way to pack laser-written structures deep inside silicon chips. In the latest issue of Nature Photonics, the researchers describe their novel approach, which uses a focused infrared laser beam to create 1-μm-resolution building blocks in a sliver of silicon. For the first time, the researchers demonstrate arbitrary 3-D fabrication inside silicon, without structures above or below.

Then, the researchers converted these complex 3-D architectures into functional optical devices such as lenses, waveguides, holograms and other optical elements. "We achieved this by exploiting dynamics arising from nonlinear laser-material interactions, leading to controllable building blocks," says Dr. Onur Tokel of the Department of Physics at Bilkent, who is the lead author of the paper. "In any 3-D fabrication method, there is a trade-off between speed, resolution, and complexity. With our approach, we are hitting the sweet spot. The critical realization is noticing that most practical components can be made out of rod- or needle-like building blocks. Our method enables creating precisely such blocks, while also preserving a width of about 1 micrometer for each block. Better yet, the rods can be combined to create a 2-D layer, or even more complex 3-D shapes, which can simply be created by scanning the laser beam over the chip."

A further outcome of the method is related to 3-D printing or sculpting. The researchers found that by exposing the laser-modified areas to a specific chemical etchant, it is possible to realize 3-D sculpturing of the entire wafer. They demonstrated various microscopic components, such as microchannels, thru-Si vias, cantilevers and micropillars. Creation of some of these is prohibitively difficult with other methods.

We're so close now.

Original Submission