Integrated optical micro-mechanical sensor for measuring physical or chemical parameters - has strip waveguide applied to etched membrane acting as integrated measuring path

摘要

The sensor uses at least one integrated optical strip waveguide forming an integral part of a thin etched membrane in a silicon substrate. The etched optical/micromechanical element provides an integrated measuring path with a channel or slit formed in the substrate underneath the micromechanical element. Pref. a pair of waveguides are applied to the micromechanical element on its top and bottom sides arranged in symmetry to provide differential measurement. An optical circuit of single and multi-mode optical fibres, Y-branching devices, directional couplers, Fabry-Perot or Mach-Zehnder circuits, may be included. USE/ADVANTAGE - For particle detector, resonator-based measuring device, mechanical-optical microswitch, optical A/D converter, Fabry-Perot resonator, flow sensor etc. CMOS compatible sensors e.g. for sensor arrays provide accurate measurement simply transmitted along relatively long path via optical fibre technique.