Paper
24 January 2004 An SOS MEMS interferometer
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Abstract
The function of a large number of MEMS and NEMS devices relies critically on the transduction method employed to convert the mechanical displacement into electrical signal. Optical transduction techniques have distinct advantages over more traditional capacitive and piezoelectric transduction methods. Optical interferometers can provide a much higher sensitivity, about 3 orders of magnitude, but are hardly compatible with standard MEMS and microelectronics processing. In this paper, we present a scalable architecture based in silicon on sapphire (SOS) CMOS 1 for building an interferometric optical detection system. This new detection system is currently being applied to the sense the motion of a resonating MEMS device, but can be used to detect the motion of any object to which the system is packaged. In the current hybrid approach the SOS CMOS device is packaged with both vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) and MEMS devices. The optical transparency of the sapphire substrate together with the ultra thin silicon PIN photodiodes available in this SOS process allows for the design of both a Michelson type and Fabry Perot type interferometer. The detectors, signal processing electronics and VCSEL drivers are built on the SOS CMOS for a complete system. We present experimental data demonstrating interferometric detection of a vibrating device.
© (2004) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Francisco Tejada, Danielle M. Wesolek, John Lehtonen, Joseph A. Miragliotta, Andreas G Andreou, and Robert Osiander "An SOS MEMS interferometer", Proc. SPIE 5346, MOEMS and Miniaturized Systems IV, (24 January 2004); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.530909
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Cited by 5 scholarly publications.
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KEYWORDS
Microelectromechanical systems

Vertical cavity surface emitting lasers

Photodiodes

Sapphire

Interferometers

CMOS sensors

Optical amplifiers

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