Table 1.

Comparison between conventional silicon processing and laser micromachining.

Criteria	Wet-Etching with KOH	Dry-Etching Using BOSCH Method	Laser Micromachining
Required equipment	mask writer, oven for growth of SiO2, O2 plasma oven, spinner, hotplate, mask aligner, wet-bench, drilling tool	mask writer, spinner, hotplate, mask aligner, wet-bench, dry-etcher, drilling tool	laser marking system
Equipment cost	+++	+++	++
Hazardous chemicals	photoresist, HF, KOH	photoresist	none
Design possibilities	restricted by the Si crystal planes	free	free
Time	+++	++	+