Optical Micro Electromechanical Scanner Systems

Abstract

The MEMS Scanner, or Microscanner, is a component of Micro-Opto-Electro-Mechanical systems (MOEMS).They are basically small mirrors (in the range of few μm to few mm) actuated by a MEMS actuator, to reflect a laser beam into a certain point in space. The movement of such mirrors is modulated as the application requires. Indeed, microscanners have a large market in today's industry, as they serve many applications. From complex display systems, to simple barcode scanners; MEMS scanners offer numerous solutions to several technological challenges. Additionally, they are a key component in many biomedical imaging devices, like the Optical coherence tomography (OCT). However to reach industrial specifications, the fabrication methods must be simplified enough for the final product to become economically feasible. It also must become integrated with other optical components. The work of this thesis is to design, implement, and test a MEMS based microscanner that meets certain specifications. Moreover, it features a cheap fabrication methodology that is compliant with the Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE) technology. The final device needs also to be integrated with any other optical module, including the OCT system. This would further reduce the cost due to its simple fabrication and the corresponding simple alignment-free assembly.