This PDF file contains the front matter associated with SPIE Proceedings Volume 7594, including the Title Page, Copyright information, Table of Contents, and the Conference Committee listing.

The mostly cause of blindness in the developed countries is a degeneration of the retina. For restoring this loss of vision one possible approach is the substitution of the lost functions by means of an electronic implant. This approach is based on MEMS technologies. It has been shown that electrical stimulation of retinal ganglion cells yield visual sensations¹. Therefore, an artificial retina for blind humans based on this concept seems to be feasible. Besides electrical stimulation of retinal ganglion cells also the direct electrical stimulation of the optic nerve² and the visual cortex³ have been under investigation. This paper wants to give an overview about the activities on the retinal ganglion cell stimulation.

In 2007 IPMS and MVIS presented the results of a full colour scanned beam imaging system. In this paper we will in addition give an update on the technological development on die level since the last paper. The already small die size of 3000 μm × 2300 μm was further reduced to less than 2000 μm × 2000 μm. The new devices consist of a moveable frame oscillating at frequencies in the range of 700 Hz - 900 Hz and 1400 Hz - 1800 Hz carrying a mirror of 350 μm diameter in a gimbal mounting. The mirrors oscillate at frequencies in the range of 13-15 kHz. The characteristic mechanical amplitudes are 21° MSA (mechanical scan angle) for the frame and 28° MSA for the mirror respectively. Voltages of less than 50 V for the frame and 100 V for the mirror were necessary to accomplish this. The improved MEMS device design is presented as well as the related measurement results. The images of various objects taken with an optical system using the former devices are presented revealing the excellent resolution of such a system and enabling an outlook on the possibilities of the new device.

Most cancers occur inside human body, so endoscopic high-resolution imaging modalities are required for early cancer detection and surgical removal. This paper reports in vivo endoscopic 3D imaging based on optical coherence tomography (OCT). Endoscopic imaging is enabled by integrating rapid-scanning MEMS mirror into a miniature imaging probe. The MEMS mirror has an aperture size of 1 mm by 1 mm and a chip size of 2 mm by 2 mm. The optical scan angle exceeds ±25 V at 6 Vdc, and thus large, constant-velocity, linear scan can be realized. The outer diameter of the probe is only 5 mm. The axial resolution is about 10 μm and the imaging speed is 2.5 frames per second. Doppler OCT imaging has also been demonstrated.

This paper describes deformable membrane mirrors designed for focus control and aberration compensation in vital microscopy and shows microscope images obtained using these mirrors. The mirrors are metalized polymer membranes ranging from 1-3 mm in diameter using the photo-cured epoxy SU-8 2002, constructed using a die-bonding process. They are electrostatically actuated using three concentric electrodes to provide large displacement while minimizing spherical aberration.

A liquid lens structure with a step response time of 2 ms, a refractive power range of 52 D, and a root-meansquare (RMS) wavefront error of 80.3 nm is reported. This lens uses a liquid-liquid interface with a pinned contact line as a variable refractive surface, and its shape is controlled by a piezo stack actuator via a built-in hydraulic amplifier. The potential applications of this device include axial focus scanning of microscopes and focusing/zooming of camera lenses and machine vision systems.

The Pixtronix display technology eliminates the traditional power consumption / performance trade-off, delivering 145% NTSC color gamut (CIE 1976), 24-bit color, 1,000:1 contrast ratio and 170° view angles, all at one quarter the power consumption of competing TFT-LCDs. At the heart of this technology is a MEMS-based Digital Micro Shutter device that enables the low power, high speed light modulation in the Pixtronix displays. The Digital Micro Shutter is a laterally translating element, which is supported on a patented dual compliant actuator. Each pixel has one shutter, which is used to show all colors in a Field Sequential Color, Time Division Multiplexed driving scheme. The pixel has been demonstrated over a density range of 100 PPI to 300 PPI. The Digital Micro Shutter also supports an optical recycling approach through which 60% of the light from the backlight becomes available to the viewer - compared to less than 8% efficiency in liquid crystal based displays. This paper highlights some of the design innovations and corresponding display results achieved in the Pixtronix Digital Micro Shutter technology.

Resonance MEMS mirrors are widely used today for many applications such as barcode scanners and personalprojectors. bTendo manufactures Personal Projection Engines on two types of mirrors: 1. Resonance mirrors for horizontal scanning 2. Linear mirrors for vertical scanning In this lecture we will discuss the "Energy Balance" and start-up conditions for resonance mirrors. We will derive the conditions for start-up as well as the predicted curve of θ(v): (see manuscript for equation) We will show simulation results in the time domain that prove the validity of the last equation. Finite element simulation could be used to calculate the comb capacitance and to predict the performance of a new structure.

The applicability of MOEMS scanning mirrors towards the creation of "flying spot" scanned laser displays is well established. The extension of this concept towards compact embedded pico-projectors has required an evolution of scanners and packaging to accommodate the needs of the consumer electronics space. This paper describes the progression of the biaxial MOEMS scanning mirrors developed by Microvision over recent years. Various aspects of the individual designs are compared. Early devices used a combination of magnetic quasistatic actuation and resonant electrostatic operation in an evacuated atmosphere to create a projection engine for retinal scanned displays. Subsequent designs realized the elimination of both the high voltage electrostatic drive and the vacuum package, and a simplification of the actuation scheme through proprietary technical advances. Additional advances have doubled the scan angle capability and greatly miniaturized the MOEMS component while not incurring significant increase in power consumption, making it an excellent fit for the consumer pico-projector application. The simplicity of the scanned laser-based pico-projector optical design enables high resolution and a large effective image size in a thin projection engine, all of which become critical both to the viability of the technology and adoption by consumers. Microvision's first scanned laser pico-projector is built around a MOEMS scanning mirror capable of projecting 16:9 aspect ratio, WVGA display within a 6.6 mm high package. Further evolution on this path promises continued improvement in resolution, size, and power.

In this paper, a nonlinear mathematic model for Microvision's MOEMS scanning mirror is presented. The pixel placement accuracy requirement for scanned laser spot displays translates into a roughly 80dB signal to noise ratio, noise being a departure from the ideal trajectory. To provide a tool for understanding subtle nonidealities, a detailed nonlinear mathematical model is derived, using coefficients derived from physics, finite element analysis, and experiments. Twelve degrees of freedom parameterize the motion of a gimbal plate and a suspended micromirror; a thirteenth is the device temperature. Illustrations of the application of the model to capture subtleties about the device dynamics and transfer functions are presented.

Traditional laser scanners for 3D distance measurement involve expensive, heavy, (potentially) slow rotating mirrors for light deflection of the scanning TOF (time of flight) distance measurement, not suitable for compact, robust and highly portable LIDAR system. On the other hand MEMS scanners are limited to small apertures not suitable for a precise TOF measurement. To overcome this problem Fraunhofer IPMS presents a large aperture 1D-MEMS scanner array especially designed for LIDAR applications. It is composed of 2 × 7 silicon mirror elements each having an identical design with comparatively large aperture of 2.51 × 9.51mm² and ±30° optical scan range. All mirrors are driven electrostatically resonant with identical frequency close to design frequency of 250 Hz. By driving control all single scanner elements are synchronized to identical phase and amplitude in respect to a master scanner. This results in a large effective scanner aperture of 334 mm² for the receiver optics and a filling factor of 80 %. To guarantee the synchronized operation the paper discusses in detail the scanner design to enable a sufficiently large frequency bandwidth of all scanner elements to the compensate frequency tolerances caused by fabrication and packaging. In comparison to LIDAR systems with conventional scanner components, the large aperture 1D-MEMS scanner array enables 3D-LIDAR systems to become significantly smaller, more robust and (potentially) less expensive, also higher scan rates can be realized without additional efforts (e.g. no air bearings are needed).

In this article we present a new large aperture 1D-MEMS scanner module especially designed for laser radar systems. The scanner module has a resonance frequency of 250 Hz and optical scan range of 60°. It comprises of two separate scanning channels: (a) a single scanning mirror of the collimated transmitted beam oscillates parallel to (b) a scanning mirror array of the receiver optics. The receiver optics use a synchronized array of 2 × 7 identical mirror elements, each with 2.51× 9.51 mm² per single mirror element, resulting in a total aperture of 334 mm² and filling factor of 80 %. We discuss in detail the system integration of the MEMS components including packaging and synchronized operation of all scanner elements to guaranty a large aperture of the LIDAR receiver optics. In addition the paper includes a conceptual discussion of optical design and expected S/N ratio and measurement range of final LIDAR system. It will be shown that the presented new concept of MEMS based LIDAR system can realize also high accuracy of the distance measurement similar to state of the art TOF-LIDAR scanners enabling a new generation of miniaturized, robust and potentially costefficient LIDAR systems due to the MEMS technology.

We have built 1 mm circular and 1 mm × 1.4 mm elliptical surface micro-machined SU-8 2002 deformable mirrors for focus control. The SU-8 2002 membrane layers are 2.25 μm thick with gold as the reflective coating on their surfaces. Three annular electrodes were used for electrostatic actuation. Stable deflection was observed up to 6.8 μm for a 1 mm × 1.4 mm elliptical mirror with an air gap of 14 μm. The frequency response of the membrane exhibited a 3 dB frequency larger than 10 kHz.

We present a dynamic laser beam shaper based on MEMS technology. We show a prototype of a dynamic diffuser made of single crystal silicon. A linearly deformable silicon micromembrane is used to diffuse a laser beam in one dimension. Resonance frequencies of the membrane can range from 1 kHz to 20 kHz. Mode shapes of the deformable mirror are excited using magnetic actuation. Diffusing angle can be tuned by adjusting the driving current in the membrane. We measured a diffusing angle of 1° for an applied current of 40 mA. The aluminum coated mirror can handle 140 W/cm² of visible to infrared optical power. Application to smooth out interference pattern generated by a static diffuser is shown.

This paper presents a novel, micro-actuated system for beam steering or optical multiplexing applications. The system consists of polysilicon micromirror which is held at ~45° angle on a gear which has a rotational freedom of 360°. In this work, we use serpentine springs attached to a mirror with position specific "catch blocks" to hold the mirror at a desired angle on top of a rotating gear. Out-of-plane assembly is achieved using a simple, postprocessing procedure. The mirror platform is driven by an electrostatically actuated rotary drive. The mirror was tested for robustness and optical performance. Good correlation was found between experiment and various simulations.

Geiger-mode avalanche photodiode detectors are produced using standard CMOS fabrication methods. We have produced integrated circuits that include the Geiger-mode photodetector and digital signal processing circuits. Our current design includes sixteen photon counting detector elements, with bias control, active quenching circuits, and integrated counters at each pixel. The detectors are used to measure chemiluminescence from horseradish peroxidase conjugated antibodies in sub-microliter samples using an optical waveguide. The detector array has been coupled with an external field programmable gate array (FPGA) to perform multi-channel, all digital, time resolved fluorescence measurements of quantum dot nanoparticles and the pH dependence of the fluorescence lifetime of fluorescein dye.

We show the first results of a linear 100-micromirror array capable of modulating the phase and amplitude of the spectral components of femtosecond lasers. Using MEMS-based reflective systems has the advantage of utilizing coatings tailored to the laser wavelength range. The innovative features of our device include a novel rotational, vertical comb-drive actuator and an X-shaped, laterally reinforced spring that prevents lateral snap-in while providing flexibility in the two degrees of freedom of each mirror, namely piston and tilt. The packaging utilizes high-density fine-pitch wire-bonding for on-chip and chip-to-PCB connectivity. For the first deployment, UV-shaped pulses will be produced to coherently control the dynamics of biomolecules.

Resonantly driven oscillating MOEMS mirrors are used in various fields in optics, telecommunications and spectroscopy. One of the important challenges in this context is to assure stable resonant oscillation with well controlled amplitude under varying environmental conditions. For this reason, we developed a compact device comprising a resonant MOEMS micro-mirror, optical position sensing, and driver electronics, with closed loop control, which ensures operation close to the mirror resonance. In this contribution we present this device and show experimental results with a 23 kHz MOEMS mirror, which demonstrate its capabilities and limitations.

A new viscosity sensor enabling non-contact measurement at high speed, with less sample volume and high stability is required in a broad field. For example, in the industrial field, process control by real time monitoring of viscosity can enhance the quality of coating films and the process yield such as conductive films and optical films. Therefore, we have developed a new miniaturized optical viscosity sensor, namely MOVS (Miniaturized Optical Viscosity Sensor), based on a laser-induced capillary wave (LiCW) method which can meet the requirements above. In the MOVS, viscosity is estimated by observing the damping oscillation of LiCW, which is generated by an interference of two excitation laser beams on a liquid surface. By irradiating a probing laser on LiCW, a first order diffracted beam containing information of sample viscosity, is generated. The intensity of the reflected beam is utilized to control the distance between liquid-level and the sensor. The newly integrated optical surface tracking system makes possible the stable viscosity measurement in the presence of disturbance such as evaporation and external vibration. MOVS consists of five U-grooves fabricated by MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) process to possess the optical fibers (photonic crystal fibers and fusion-spliced lensed fibers). In this study, by integrating the optical surface tracking system on the chip, nanosecond order damping oscillation of LiCW is successfully observed in the presence of external forced vibration, high speed evaporation (speed of 1 micrometer per second) and drying process of a liquid film (thickness of hundreds micrometer order).

We present a pressured mediated tunable optofluidic dye laser with novel cavity. The dye laser chip was fabricated with Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) via replica molding and has none nano-features. It comprises a liquid waveguide and micro-scale air-gap chambers which function as mirrors to provide feedback. The lasing wavelength was determined by the interference of the reflected beams from the two PDMS-air interfaces of the air-gap chamber acting as Fabry-Perot etalon, while the tuning was realized by varying the width of the air-gap by applying air pressure. The lasing with linewidth of 3 nm and tuning range of 14 nm was demonstrated.

We have developed the Microshutter Array (MSA) system at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) as a multi-object aperture array for the Near Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) instrument on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The MSA system will enable NIRSpec to simultaneously obtain spectra from more than 100 targets, which, in turn, increases instrument efficiency one-hundred fold. Consequently, this system represents one of the three major innovations on the JWST, which has been selected by the National Research Council's 2001 decadal survey as the top-ranked space-based mission and is scheduled to be the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope. Furthermore, the MSA system will be one of the first MEMS devices serving observation missions in space. Microshutters are designed for the selective transmission of light with high efficiency and contrast and feature torsion hinges, light shields, deep-reactive ion-etched silicon windows, magnetic actuation, and electrostatic latching and addressing. Complete MSA quadrant assemblies consisting of 365 x 181 microshutters have been successfully fabricated. The assemblies have passed a series of critical reviews, which include programmable 2-D addressing, life tests, optical contrast tests, and environmental tests, required by the design specifications of JWST. Both the MSA and NIRSpec will be delivered to ESA for final assembly, and JWST is scheduled to launch in 2014. During final assembly and testing of the MSA system, we have begun to develop the Next Generation Microshutter Arrays (NGMSA) for future telescopes. These telescopes will require a much larger field of view than JWST's, and we discuss strategies for fabrication of a proof-of-concept NGMSA which will be modular in design and electrostatically actuated.

A silicon micromirror with 3x3 mm² surface area and a thickness of 100 μm has been designed and realized for the future space mission LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna). The mirror is electrostatically actuated. The tilt movement of the mirror is provided by torsional load of the mirror suspension. 3D FEM simulations have been used for optimization of the layout of the mirror device. A torsion angle of ± 1.9 mrad is achieved at a driving voltage of U=200V. The demanding requirements on the laser interferometer in the mission LISA in respect to mechanical stability, noise performance and especially piston effect, (i.e. the requirement that under rotation of the mirror no significant z-movement of the reflection surface occurs) are fulfilled with a new design and fabrication concept for the micromechanical device. The piston-effect is avoided by a rotational axis of the micromirror which coincides exactly with the surface of the mirror. This is achieved by using a symmetric SOI-wafer (Silicon on Insulator) with handle and device wafer having exactly the same thickness. The mirror plane is formed by the handle wafer. The suspending beams are realized from both, the handle and the device wafer of SOI-wafer. Thus the central axis of the beams coincides with the reflecting plane. In addition, the z-displacement of the mirror under rotation due to the attracting electrostatic force is minimized by optimization of the beams and the counter electrode using FEM simulation. Fabricated devices are characterized by special interferometric optical measurements.

Multi-object spectroscopy (MOS) is a powerful tool for space and ground-based telescopes for studying the formation of galaxies. This technique requires a programmable slit mask for astronomical object selection. A first sample of MEMS-based programmable reflective slit masks with elements of size 200×100 μm² has been successfully tested in cryogenic conditions at 92 K. Devices of larger size were microfabricated, the largest chip measures 25×22 mm² and is composed of 200×100 electrostatic actuated micromirrors. These devices are composed of two chips: the electrode chip and the mirror chip, which are processed separately and assembled consecutively. The mirror chip is bonded on top of the electrode chip and microfabricated pillars on the electrode chip provide the necessary spacing between the two parts. A process flow utilizing refilling techniques based on borophosphosilicate glass (BPSG) deposition and reflow was developed. Programmable reflective slit masks based on this fabrication process were microfabricated and characterized. These devices exhibit a micromirror deformation of 11 nm peak-to-valley and an actuation voltage of 145 V for a tilt angle of 9°. Preparation of samples for MOS experiments are underway.

JPL has developed high performance cold cathodes using arrays of carbon nanotube bundles that produce > 15 A/cm² at applied fields of 5 to 8 V/μm without any beam focusing. They have exhibited robust operation in poor vacuums of 10^-6 to 10^-4 Torr- a typically achievable range inside hermetically sealed microcavities. Using these CNT cathodes JPL has developed miniature X-ray tubes capable of delivering sufficient photon flux at acceleration voltages of <20kV to perform definitive mineralogy on planetary surfaces; mass ionizers that offer two orders of magnitude power savings, and S/N ratio better by a factor of five over conventional ionizers. JPL has also developed a new class of programmable logic gates using CNT vacuum electronics potentially for Venus in situ missions and defense applications. These "digital" vacuum electronic devices are inherently high-temperature tolerant and radiation insensitive. Device design, fabrication and DC switching operation at temperatures up to 700° C are presented in this paper.

We present development of a compact, robust, waveguide Fourier-transform microspectrometer for high-resolution and high-throughput spectroscopy in space-based applications. The prototype device is being developed to monitor water vapor in the atmosphere from a micro-satellite platform. The instrument is based on a unique slab waveguide spatial heterodyne spectrometer (SHS) chip fabricated at the National Research Council Canada in silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology.

Miniaturisation of scientific instrumentation for space applications leads to better use of the available resources (e.g. volume, mass and power) which can create the potential to integrate more complex functionality. MEMS and in particular MOEMS devices have already a wide range of applications in terrestrial industries (beamers, telecom switching, etc). MOEMS are, of course, very promising for future space applications because of their potential to reduce mass, size and consequently launch costs. However, ESA interest in MOEMS is above all generated by their mission enabling capabilities such as for example MEMS shutters or micro-mirrors for MOS (Multi-Object Spectrometers). The primary objective of this paper is to demonstrate the potential of Micro-Opto-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MOEMS), and to illustrate the available European sources of MOEMS components for applications in space. The paper will also give a general overview of the ESA strategy for Photonics components with space applications in mind. This strategy is documented in the Photonics dossier currently being drafted to capture future technology needs related to European space activities for the forthcoming 5 years.

In this work a novel miniaturized Mach-Zehnder MZ interferometer fabricated by Deep Reactive Ion Etching DRIE technology on an SOI wafer is presented. The new structure is based on the use of two Si/Air beam splitters, and two metallic mirrors fabricated monolithically in a small footprint measuring 1 mm × 2 mm on the die. By moving the mirrors using an integrated comb drive actuator, the structure is tested as an FTIR spectrometer and the two wavelengths 1550 nm and 1575 nm have been successfully identified using it. The successful implementation of this 4 elements interferometer in an integrated form opens the door for more complicated optical structures self aligned and fabricated in a one step lithography process

With MEMS, it became possible to build pocket-sized spectrometers for various spectral ranges, including the near-IR or mid-IR. These systems are highly rugged and can measure spectral changes at ms time resolution or co-add several hundreds of scans to one spectrum achieving adequate signal-to-noise ratios. Two spectrometer systems a scanning grating based spectrometer and a FT-IR spectrometer both based on a micromechanical scanning mirror technology are presented. Furthermore, the focus of this work is on the development of an analyzer for dissolved CO₂ showing the methodology and also first implementation steps towards a sensor solution. CO₂(aq) calibration samples were prepared by different NaHCO₃ concentrations in solution. Spectra and calibration data acquired with both MEMS based spectrometer prototypes are presented.

First results of a MEMS Fabry-Perot filter (FPF) for the spectral range of 8-11 μm are presented. Broad bandwidth and a low phase dispersion could be achieved by using new dielectric materials with an enhanced refractive index contrast and relatively simple reflector designs with a low number of layers. Different designs of the Bragg reflectors and complete FPF devices have been developed and samples have been fabricated and tested. Especially tilting and in certain cases bowing of the reflectors lowers the finesse of the fabricated filters. The bandwidth of the FPF is in the range of 170- 250 nm and the peak transmittance has been determined to be up to 60 %. Simulation and measurements agree very well if the effect of the defective finesse is taken into considerations.

In the past decades, there have been several attempts to create a tunable optical detector with operation in the infrared. The drive for creating such a filter is its wide range of applications, from passive night vision to biological and chemical sensors. Such a device would combine a tunable optical filter with a wide-range detector. In this work, we propose using a Fabry-Perot interferometer centered in the mid-wave infrared (MWIR) spectrum with an HgCdTe detector. Using a MEMS-based interferometer with an integrated Bragg stack will allow in-plane operation over a wide range. Because such devices have a tendency to warp, creating less-than-perfect optical surfaces, the Fabry-Perot interferometer is prototyped using the SOI-MUMPS process to ensure desirable operation. The mechanical design is aimed at optimal optical flatness of the moving membranes and a low operating voltage. The prototype is tested for these requirements. An HgCdTe detector provides greater performance than a pyroelectic detector used in some previous work, allowing for lower noise, greater detection speed and higher sensitivity. Both a custom HgCdTe detector and commercially available pyroelectric detector are tested with commercial optical filter. In previous work, monolithic integration of HgCdTe detectors with optical filters proved to be problematic. Part of this work investigates the best approach to combining these two components, either monolithically in HgCdTe or using a hybrid packaging approach where a silicon MEMS Fabry-Perot filter is bonded at low temperature to a HgCdTe detector.

A wide variety of MEMS micro-mirrors are being developed for various optical applications. One such application is Fourier Transform Spectrometry (FTS). The design, process optimization and fabrication of a micro-mirror for this application is presented. Large, non-tilting displacements of mirrors are required to achieve high FTS resolution. In order to obtain this without using Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE), the micro-mirrors were fabricated on silicon using bulk micromachining techniques. This paper will present the process developed for fabrication of the mirror with the required specifications. In addition, results of the FTS experiments conducted with the micro-mirror will also be presented.

There are many features expected by printer users, which include high resolution, low price, compact size, color, high speed printing and so on. Laser printers generally utilize a polygon mirror as a reflector in their optical configurations, but the usual size of the polygon mirror prevents laser scanning unit from being made much smaller. We have been conducting research on techniques which can contribute to reducing the optical unit size. Although oscillating mirror made with MEMS technology enables the system to be compact, it requires a sophisticated optical design having an increased number of constraints due to the change in angular velocity which varies depending on the orientation of the mirror, while the polygon mirror allows the scanning with constant speed. Using a small MEMS mirror is one of the critical issues concerning the reduction of cost. We have successfully resolved all the challenges listed above by using high-precision free-form optical surfaces and an optical layout making efficient use of 3D space. Our techniques can make the unit size much smaller and reduce the price. The optical path is designed to have a ray passing through a lens twice. We report both theoretical and experimental results for this system.

A MEMS-based interferometric sensor is produced using the multi-user MEMS processing standard (MUMPS) micromirrors, movable by thermal actuation. The interferometer is comprised of gold reflection surfaces, polysilicon thermal actuators, hinges, latches and thin film polarization beam splitters. A polysilicon film of 3.5 microns reflects and transmits incident polarized light from an external laser source coupled to a multi-mode optical fiber. The input beam is shaped to a diameter of 10 to 20 microns for incidence upon the 100 micron mirrors. Losses in the optical path include diffraction effects from etch holes created in the manufacturing process, surface roughness of both gold and polysilicon layers, and misalignment of micro-scale optical components. Numerous optical paths on the chip vary by length, number of reflections, and mirror subsystems employed. Subsystems include thermal actuator batteries producing lateral position displacement, angularly tunable mirrors, double reflection surfaces, and static vertical mirrors. All mirror systems are raised via manual stimulation using two micron, residue-free probe tips and some may be aligned using electrical signals causing resistive heating in thermal actuators. The characterization of thermal actuator batteries includes maximum displacement, deflection, and frequency response that coincides with theoretical thermodynamic simulations using finite-element analysis. Maximum deflection of 35 microns at 400 mW input electrical power is shown for three types of actuator batteries as is deflection dependent frequency response data for electrical input signals up to 10 kHz.

This paper describes a novel design for a variable optical delay line (ODL) based on modified version of a recently developed MEMS-based 3-D rotating inclined micromirror (3DRIM). The 3DRIM is created by assembling a micromirror onto the top of a rotary comb-drive motor. The comb-drive motor is able to achieve a few degrees of rotation. The new ODL architecture uses two such 3DRIMs located inside a rectangular cavity with mirrored walls. Light from an input fiber is redirected by the 3DRIMs, and caused to reflect within the cavity a number of times, depending on the rotational angle of the 3DRIMs. In this way, the ODL can achieve variable optical delays of up to 3.7 nsec.

Optical microspectrometers have huge potential for application in industry, science, medicine, agriculture and biology. The actuallity is towards fully integrated optical microsystems. Complete silicon IC compatible MEMS-based optoelectrical microsystems on a single chip. This systems however, impose limitations. The required process compatibility and limited choice of acceptable materials does not necessarily give high optimal optical performance. This work study the best characteristics of micromirrors fabricated with anisotropic etching and used in spectrophotometers and endedended systems. The trends, the potential, the limitations and approaches to obtain a sufficient optical performance, in terms of spectral resolution and throughput, for serving the majority of applications.

Contactless measurement of temperatures has gained enormous significance in many application fields, ranging from climate protection over quality control to object recognition in public places or military objects. Thereby measurement of linear or spatially temperature distribution is often necessary. For this purposes mostly thermographic cameras or motor driven temperature scanners are used today. Both are relatively expensive and the motor drive devices are limited regarding to the scanning rate additionally. An economic alternative are temperature scanner devices based on micro mirrors. The micro mirror, attached in a simple optical setup, reflects the emitted radiation from the observed heat onto an adapted detector. A line scan of the target object is obtained by periodic deflection of the micro scanner. Planar temperature distribution will be achieved by perpendicularly moving the target object or the scanner device. Using Planck radiation law the temperature of the object is calculated. The device can be adapted to different temperature ranges and resolution by using different detectors - cooled or uncooled - and parameterized scanner parameters. With the basic configuration 40 spatially distributed measuring points can be determined with temperatures in a range from 350°C - 1000°C. The achieved miniaturization of such scanners permits the employment in complex plants with high building density or in direct proximity to the measuring point. The price advantage enables a lot of applications, especially new application in the low-price market segment This paper shows principle, setup and application of a temperature measurement system based on micro scanners working in the near infrared range. Packaging issues and measurement results will be discussed as well.