Accurate angular deflection of laser beams with high possible frequencies is required in many applications, especially also for pointing, acquisition and tracking, active (re-) alignment and fiber coupling purposes in optical free- space communication systems. For application in future satellite payloads, monolithic micro-machined devices as introduced here offer the advantages of low mass, volume and power consumption and they may be very well suited for space application. A variety of performance parameters like resonance frequency or deflection characteristics can be adjusted by simply varying the lithographic masks and certain processing parameters, so that the technology promises very high flexibility. However, the potential in terms of deflection angles, frequency response and aperture still has to be investigated and optimized in detail. Battelle has fabricated a first series of monolithic scanners in order to show the technical feasibility and to prove that similar devices are promising candidates for such an application in space. The paper reports on the design, fabrication and test results of the first samples of micro-machined scanners. The test results are discussed and an outlook on the application potential is presented.
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