Electromagnetic biaxial microscanner with mechanical amplification at resonance

Area of Science:

• MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems)
• Optics and Photonics
• Electromagnetics

Background:

• Biaxial microscanners are crucial components in various optical systems, requiring precise and wide-angle scanning capabilities.
• Existing designs often face limitations in scan range and integration complexity.
• Mechanical amplification offers a potential pathway to enhance scanning performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design, fabricate, and characterize an electromagnetic biaxial microscanner incorporating a mechanical amplification mechanism.
• To investigate the performance of a novel gimbaled scanner architecture with integrated coils and magnetic actuation.
• To achieve wide scan angles for both horizontal and vertical axes.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication using a combination of surface and bulk micromachining processes on single-crystal silicon.
• Integration of copper coils and a multi-magnet assembly for lateral magnetic field generation.
• Implementation of an additional gimbal to support the micromirror and introduce mechanical amplification.
• Actuation and measurement of scan angles at different frequencies.

Main Results:

• Fabrication of a 1.2mm-diameter mirror microscanner with distinct silicon layer thicknesses.
• Achieved maximum horizontal scan angle of 36.12° at 21.19kHz.
• Obtained maximum vertical scan angle of 17.62° at 60Hz.
• Demonstrated successful operation with a high-strength lateral magnetic field.

Conclusions:

• The developed electromagnetic biaxial microscanner with mechanical amplification demonstrates significant scanning capabilities.
• The combination of micromachining, electromagnetic actuation, and mechanical amplification is effective for enhancing performance.
• This technology holds promise for applications requiring precise and wide-angle optical beam steering.