The trend in near‐infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is to go toward on‐site, in‐field, on‐the‐go applications with calibration‐free instruments and off‐the‐shelf chemometrics software. Micro‐electro‐mechanical systems (MEMS) and micro‐opto‐electro‐mechanical systems (MOEMS) represent manufacturing techniques and components, capable of enabling highly miniaturized, robust, and low‐cost sensors and actuators. This article presents common MEMS and MOEMS manufacturing techniques and gives an insight into the demands of NIR spectroscopic applications. The main instrument categories are covered by a short theory followed by examples. Most thoroughly handled topics are Fourier transform spectrometers (FTSs), Fabry–Perot interferometers (FPIs), and dispersive spectrometers. Two other categories are also separately presented, namely light modulator systems and tunable MEMS light sources. We give an overview on NIR spectroscopy and its special requirements regarding the realization of MEMS spectrometers.
We developed a tunable surface-micromachined Fabry–Pérot interferometer for the thermal infrared spectral region of wavelengths 7–11 µm. The device is controlled through capacitive actuation with the maximum applied voltage near 30 V. The transmission characteristics, as a function of the tuning actuation, were recorded for several samples with a Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer. Two different device designs are compared in terms of the transmission peak width and height evolution along the actuation. Numerical simulations and the established analytical Airy expression are exploited in order to bridge the gap between an ideal-model performance and the measurement results. Emphasis in the analysis is on the movable mirror unidealities and their implications in the performance. Finally, we present example data recorded with a laboratory setup of a gas spectrometer, based on the device under study.
We developed a surface-micromachined tunable Fabry-Pérot interferometer for the thermal infrared spectral range of wavelengths 7-12 μm. In this paper, we present the device performance in terms of the optical transmission and the tunability. The device represents the first layout that proved successful in terms of the manufacturing process yield (about 80%). The optical transmission over the wavelengths from 3 to 20 μm is presented with the emphasis on analysing the first-order transmission peak. The transmission band width and the peak height are compared using the existing theory for this type of an interferometer. The deviation from an ideal performance is resolved and partly explained through the known structural unidealities.
We present a MEMS-based distributed Bragg reflector for thermal infrared (TIR) wavelengths 7 µm < λ < 12 µm. Surface micro-machining process flow was developed for [poly-Si/air-gap/poly-Si] λ/4-mirror using low-pressure chemical-vapour deposited SiO2 as intra-mirror and mirror-to-substrate sacrificial layers. Circular 3 mm diameter mirrors with theoretical reflectance exceeding 99% were designed. Poly-Si layers of the mirror were anchored for retaining constant mutual distance. Anchoring density and mirror-to-substrate gap were varied among samples. We utilized scanning-electron microscope (SEM) imaging for qualitative estimation of processing result success as well as for layer-thickness measurements. We characterized the mirror topography and mechanical response under local point loading by scanning with a stylus profilometer. Fourier-transform IR (FT-IR) spectroscopy was utilized in studies of a reflectance spectrum. A one-dimensional computer simulation was allowed to fit model parameters to FT-IR data. Best-fit thicknesses of air gaps and poly-Si layers were compared with design parameters and with SEM measurements in order to verify the final structure corresponding to the design.
We studied how a micromachined Fabry-Pérot interferometer, realized with wide pointanchored Si/air-gap reflectors, performs at the middle-infrared. A computational analysis of the anchor mechanical behavior is also presented. Compared with solid-film reflectors, this technology features better index contrast, which enables a wider stop band and potentially higher resolution. In this work, we investigate whether the performance is improved according to the index-contrast benefit, or whether the mechanical differences play a role. For comparison, we manufactured and characterized another design that applies solid-film reflectors of Si/SiO 2 structure. This data is exploited as a reference for a middle-infrared interferometer and as a template for mapping the performance from the simulation results to the measured data. The novel Si/air-gap device was realized as a non-tunable proof-of-concept version. The measured data is mapped into an estimate of the achievable performance of a tunable version. We present the measured transmission and resolution data and compare the simulation models that reproduce the data. The prediction for the tunable middle-infrared Si/air-gap device is then presented. The results indicate that the interferometer's resolution is expected to have improved twofold and have a much wider stop band compared with the prior art.
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