Surface- and bulk-micromachined two-dimensional scanner driven by angular vertical comb actuators

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Piyawattanametha W., Patterson P., Hah D., Toshiyoshi H., Wu M.

JOURNAL OF MICROELECTROMECHANICAL SYSTEMS, vol.14, no.6, pp.1329-1338, 2005 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 14 Issue: 6
  • Publication Date: 2005
  • Doi Number: 10.1109/jmems.2005.859073
  • Journal Name: JOURNAL OF MICROELECTROMECHANICAL SYSTEMS
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.1329-1338
  • Keywords: angular vertical comb (AVC) actuators, confocal microscopy two-dimensional (2-D) scanner, electrostatic force actuators, laser beam steering, micromirror, optical coherence tomography (OCT), scanner, MICROMIRROR, RATIO
  • Abdullah Gül University Affiliated: No

Abstract

In this paper, we present the design, fabrication, and measurements of a two-dimensional (2-D) optical scanner with electrostatic angular vertical comb (AVC) actuators. The scanner is realized by combining a foundry-based surface-micromachining process (Multi-User MEMS Processes-MUMPs) with a three-mask deep-reactive ion-etching (DRIE) postfabrication process. The surface-micromachining provides versatile mechanical design and electrical interconnect while the bulk micromachining offers high-aspect ratio structures leading to flat mirrors and high-force, large-displacement actuators. The scanner achieves dc mechanical scanning ranges of +/- 6.2 degrees (at 55 Vdc) and +/- 4.1 degrees (at 50 Vdc) for the inner and outer gimbals, respectively. The resonant frequencies are 315 and 144 Hz for the inner and the outer axes, respectively. The 1-mm-diameter mirror has a radius of curvature of over 50 cm.