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A novel design for an all-reflective unobscured optical-power zoom (OPZ) objective with a zoom factor of 3 is presented. In contrast to OPZ objectives based on liquid lenses, all-reflective objectives use only reflective elements and are therefore free of chromatic aberrations. Thus, they can be used for a wide spectral range or in combination with image sensors that differ in their spectral characteristics. To avoid a decrease in image contrast encountered in on-axis designs with central obscuration, an unobscured off-axis or "Schiefspiegler" approach is adopted. The effective focal length of the objective is changed by two deformable mirrors, each with one actuator only. The simulated final design shows adequate image quality over the whole zooming range. Before starting the complex and cost-intensive development of deformable mirrors with the size, curvature, and dynamic range needed, the optical design should be evaluated first with respect to the practical achievable optical performance. Therefore, optomechanical setups with ultraprecision-manufactured solid mirrors were realized for three different focal lengths.

Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is a well-established technique for the chemical analysis of organic and inorganic matter. Accordingly, spectroscopic instrumentation of different complexity has been developed and is currently commercially available. However, there are an increasing number of new mobile applications that have come into focus and that cannot be addressed by the existing technology due to size and cost. Therefore, a new miniaturized scanning grating spectrometer for NIR spectroscopy has been developed at Fraunhofer IPMS. It is based on micro–electro–mechanical systems (MEMS) technology, and has been designed to meet the requirements for mobile application, regarding spectral range, resolution, overall size, robustness, and cost. The MEMS spectrometer covers a spectral range from 950 nm to 1900 nm at a resolution of 10 nm. The instrument is extremely small and has a volume of only 2.1 cm3. Therefore, it is well suited for integration, even into a mobile phone. A first sample of the new spectrometer has been manufactured and put into operation. The results of a series of test measurements are in good agreement with the requirements and specifications.

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The production of amorphous silicon, e.g. for solar cells, requires large area, high-deposition rate plasma reactors. Increasing the radio frequency from the conventional 13.56MHz up to VHF has demonstrated higher deposition and etch rates and lower particle generation, a reduced ion bombardement and lower breakdown, process and bias voltages.But otherwise the use of VHF leads to some problems. The non-uniformity of deposition rate increase due to the generation of standing waves (TEM wave) and evanescent waveguide modes (TE waves) at the electrode surface.Increasing the frequency and/or the deposition area the plasma impedance, the capacitic stray impedance of the RF electrode and other parasitic capacitive impedances decrease. Increasing the frequency and/or the RF power, the phase angle of the discharge and of the impedance at every point at the lines between the RF matching network an the RF electrode tends more and more towards -90°. This results in increasing currents and standing waves with extremly high local current maximas. Increasing resistances of lines and contacts due to the skin effect and loss-caused heating up of the lines the power losses increase extremely, up to 90% and more. In spite of the increasing of the coupled power, the plasma power does not increase. Thermal destructions of the lines due to extreme expansion or melting are possible.Some solutions to reduce the non-uniformity of the deposition rate like multipower feeding, central backside power feeding, electrode segmentation, use of load impedances, published in former publications, will be discussed in connection with several reactor types (coaxial, large area, long plasma source) in view of the efficiency of power coupling and the practical realization. Solutions to minimize the power losses at the lines will be presented.

We present investigations of a new miniaturized NIR spectrometer with a size of only 10×8×8 cm3, and a MOEMS-scanning-grating chip as a main element. It works currently in a spectral range of 1200 to 1900 nm with a resolution of less than 10 nm using only one single InGaAs diode as a detector. One entire spectral measurement is done within 6 msec, calculated by a digital signal processor, which is included in the spectrometer. The MOEMS-scanning-grating chip is resonantly driven by a pulsed voltage of up to 36 V, has a grating plate 3×3 mm2, and reaches deflection angles of ±8 deg at 25 V. Control and investigation of the deflection angle, the static deformation, the spectral efficiency, and the mechanical shock resistance are key parameters to reach the spectrometer specifications. Results of these measurements and their influence on the spectrometer are discussed. Special etch control structures to monitor the fabrication process of the grating structure in the nanometer range, which can be easily done by microscopic inspection, are also presented