Virtual Pivot Point MEMS Rotary Comb Actuator with Externally Mounted Mirror for Optical Applications

摘要

In this paper, we present the design, fabrication, and characterization of a virtual pivot point micro electromechanical systems (MEMS) electrostatic actuator with externally mounted mirror. The point of rotation of the actuator’s movable arm is distant from the physical actuator, which is a requirement for certain applications, such as an external cavity laser in Littman configuration. The dynamic characterization of the device with a finite element analysis simulation shows that the resonance frequency of the in-plane rotational mode is well separated from that of the out-of-plane bending mode, confirming high in-plane stability. The devices were fabricated on a silicon-on-insulator wafer with device layer thickness of 100 μm. Thin mirrors were fabricated by dicing a 100 μm thick silicon wafer. A resonance frequency of about 5.9×102 Hz for the maximum sized mirror (1.7 mm x 100 μm x 1.0 mm) was determined by optical characterization.