Integrated micro-displacement sensor that can be incorporated into mini 3-dimensional actuator stage

An integrated optical micro-displacement sensor has been developed that uses the beam diverging from a laser diode. It can measure the distance traveled relative to an external reflective mirror. The measurement resolution is as low as of the order of 0.01 /spl mu/m It is 0.5 by 0.5 mm. Three of these sensors can be incorporated into the 7-mm-cubic space of a 3-dimensional actuator stage to obtain the displacements in the x, y, and z directions. This sensor basically consists of a laser diode, monolithically fabricated photodiodes, and a fluorinated polyimide waveguide for converging the light beam.