Raman Microprobe Spectroscopy has been used in research laboratories to model the growth of thin film silicide layers and the re-crystallization of α-silicon, however little progress has been made towards using these techniques as either at line or on line tools.

At line and on line instrumental techniques such as ellipsometry and X-Ray Fluorescence have been used to characterize the physical properties of thin films in the semiconductor industry, which has lead to improvements in device yields. These techniques, however, do not provide the specificity to determine thin film phase changes which result in improved device performance, whereas Raman Microprobe Spectroscopy can monitor these changes.

In order to perform at line or on line measurements, the spectrometer must be moved to the process line floor. The recent improvements in spectrometer design which has produced systems robust enough to endure high technology manufacturing environments will be briefly discussed. Two case studies of semiconductor process monitoring via Raman Microprobe analysis will be presented.