Abstract: The development of micro-opto-electro-mechanicalsystems (MOEMS) and devices no longer focuses onfeasibility studies and expensive demonstrators. On thecontrary, fabrication of micro-optical components isalready feeding dynamic markets with a large variety ofproducts that are more or less on the verge ofinexpensive mass production. A major application areafor MOEMS is, without any doubt, tele- anddatacommunications, while miniature optical sensors(e.g. spectrometers and interferometers) have a growingpart in many kinds of biotechnological, chemical andpharmaceutical applications. In this presentationnumerous examples for optical microstructures are giventhat range from the field of low cost fiberopticcomponents to polymer waveguide elements, from fiberswitches to mass-producible microlenses made ofthermoplastics or glass, and from microstructuredphotonic bandgap materials to optical sensor tips forinvestigating nanostructures. It is emphasized that forrealizing MOEMS very different materials have to beprocessed while the necessary hybrid integrationdemands for specific automated assembly methods. Inparticular, the examples given show nowmicrotechnologies can be adapted and combined with eachother to take into account the special requirements ofthe product.!42
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