A 5-V operated MEMS variable optical attenuator by SOI bulk micromachining

Author

Isamoto, Keiji ; Kato, Kazuya ; Morosawa, Atsushi ; Chong, Changho ; Fujita, Hiroyuki ; Toshiyoshi, Hiroshi

Author_Institution

Santec Corp., Aichi, Japan

Volume

10

Issue

3

fYear

2004

Firstpage

570

Lastpage

578

Abstract

We report the design, fabrication, and successful demonstration of microelectromechanical variable optical attenuator (VOA) using an electrostatic microtorsion mirror (0.6 mm in diameter) combined with a fiber-optic collimator. The VOA operates at low voltages (dc 5 V or less) for large optical attenuation (40 dB, corresponding to mirror angle of 0.3°) and a fast response time (5 ms or faster). The mirror made of a bulk-micromachined silicon-on-insulator wafer has been designed to be shock resistant up to 500 G without any mechanical failure. We also have suppressed temperature dependence of optical performance to be less than ±0.5 dB at 10-dB attenuation in the range of -5°C-70°C by mechanically decoupling the parasitic bimorph effect from the electrostatic operation.

Keywords

electrostatic devices; micromachining; micromechanical devices; micromirrors; optical attenuators; optical collimators; optical fabrication; optical fibres; -5 to -70 degC; 0.6 mm; 10-dB attenuation; 5 V; 5 ms; 5-V operated MEMS variable optical attenuator; SOI bulk machining; bulk-micromachined silicon-on-insulator wafer; electrostatic microtorsion mirror; electrostatic operation; fiber-optic collimator; mechanical decoupling; mechanical failure; microelectromechanical variable optical attenuator; optical attenuation; parasitic bimorph effect; shock resistance; Delay; Electrostatics; Low voltage; Micromachining; Micromechanical devices; Mirrors; Optical attenuators; Optical collimators; Optical design; Optical device fabrication; MEMS; Microelectromechanical systems; VOA; optical MEMS; variable optical attenuator;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1077-260X

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/JSTQE.2004.828475

Filename

1323063