Merging micro-optics with micromechanics: micro-opto-electro-mechanical (MOEM) devices

摘要

Microoptical devices (including diffractive and refractive microlenses) fabricated using integrated circuit technology have recently received considerable attention. This scientific achievement offers new options for optical system design and has the potential to create a revolution in optical technology. Microoptic devices have been used for infrared focal plane array efficiency enhancement, beam splitters, and miniature optical scanners. What makes this technology attractive to industry is its potential low cost owing to its compatibility with VLSI batch processing and volume production, and low-cost replication techniques. In parallel with this development in optics, researchers have been pursuing micro-electro-mechanical (MEM) technology. MEM technology enables the development of many applications for sensors and actuators in automotive, machine tools, robotics, and medical instrumentation. This paper discusses the potential for merging microoptics with micromechanics to create a new class of micro-opto-electromechanical (MOEM) devices, a few examples of which are laser scanners, optical shutters and dynamic micromirrors. Both key MOEM device technologies (microoptics and MEM) employ similar batch processing methods, making low-cost, commercial applications highly feasible. Recent developments and achievements in microoptics and MEM are discussed. Then several very attractive MOEM devices that have recently been proposed and are being developed at different laboratories are introduced.