Bagolini Alvise, Sitar Anze, Porcelli Luca, Boscardin Maurizio, Dell'Agnello Simone, Delle Monache Giovanni
Center for Sensors and Devices (SD), Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK), Via Sommarive 18, 38123 Trento, Italy.
Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare-Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati (INFN-LNF), Via E. Fermi 40, 00044 Frascati, Italy.
Micromachines (Basel). 2023 Jan 8;14(1):158. doi: 10.3390/mi14010158.
Free space optics laser communication using modulating retroreflectors (MR) is a challenging application for an active mirror, due to the high frequencies (>100 kHz) required to enable sufficient data transfer. Micro Electromechanical (MEMS) mirrors are a promising option for high-frequency applications, given the very small moving mass typical of such devices. Capacitive MEMS mirrors are presented here for free space communications, based on a novel fabrication sequence that introduces a single-layer thin film aluminum mirror structure with an underlying silicon oxide sacrificial layer. The use of aluminum instead of gold as a mirror layer diminishes the heating generated by the absorption of the sun’s radiation once the mirrors exit the earth’s atmosphere. Thanks to the novel fabrication sequence, the presented mirror devices have a full range actuation voltage of less than 40 V, and a high operational frequency with an eigenfrequency above 2 MHz. The devices were manufactured and characterized, and their main parameters were obtained from experimental data combined with finite element analysis, thus enabling future design optimization of the reported MEMS technology. By optical characterization of the far field diffraction pattern, good mirror performance was demonstrated.
使用调制后向反射器(MR)的自由空间光学激光通信对于有源镜来说是一项具有挑战性的应用,因为要实现足够的数据传输需要高频(>100 kHz)。鉴于此类器件典型的极小移动质量,微机电(MEMS)镜是高频应用的一个有前景的选择。本文介绍了用于自由空间通信的电容式MEMS镜,其基于一种新颖的制造工艺,该工艺引入了具有底层氧化硅牺牲层的单层薄膜铝镜结构。使用铝而非金作为镜层,可减少镜子离开地球大气层后因吸收太阳辐射而产生的热量。得益于这种新颖的制造工艺,所展示的镜器件的全范围驱动电压小于40 V,且具有高于2 MHz的本征频率的高工作频率。制造并表征了这些器件,并通过将实验数据与有限元分析相结合获得了它们的主要参数,从而实现了对所报道的MEMS技术未来的设计优化。通过对远场衍射图案的光学表征,证明了良好的镜性能。