Search Results (28)

Electromagnetic micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) micromirrors are widely used in optical scanning systems but often encounter mechanical crosstalk due to the use of shared drive coils. This phenomenon leads to parasitic motion along the slow axis during fast-axis operation, resulting in undesirable elliptical scanning patterns that degrade image quality. To tackle this issue, a hybrid actuation scheme is proposed in which a piezoelectric actuator drives the fast axis through an S-shaped spring structure, achieving a resonance frequency of 792 Hz, while the slow axis is independently driven by an electromagnetic actuator operating in quasi-static mode. Finite element simulations and experimental measurements validate that the proposed decoupled design significantly suppresses mechanical crosstalk. When the fast axis is driven to a 40° optical scan angle, the hybrid system reduces the parasitic slow-axis deflection (typically around 1.43°) to a negligible level, thereby producing a clean single-line scan. The piezoelectric fast axis exhibits a quality factor of Q = 110, while the electromagnetic slow axis achieves a linear 20° deflection at 20 Hz. This hybrid design facilitates a distortion-free field of view measuring 40° × 20° with uniform line spacing, presenting a straightforward and effective solution for high-precision scanning applications such as LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) and structured light projection. Full article

Lidar has been extensively used in various applications, such as autonomous driving, robot navigation, and drone obstacle avoidance, due to its advantages of a high resolution, high-ranging accuracy, and strong anti-interference ability. The micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) lidar technology approach has gained popularity due to its miniaturization and semi-solid state. However, the small scanning angle of the MEMS scanning micromirror and the associated radar system cause issues, such as a limited scanning range and low spatial resolution, which hinder the wider use of MEMS lidar. To address the problems caused by the small scanning angle of the MEMS micromirror and the limitations of the current optical system, this study suggests a new MEMS lidar transmitting optical system that offers a wide scanning angle and high spatial resolution. It is based on an array reflector group and a Fresnel lens, which enables the large-angle scanning of the target area while maintaining high spatial resolution. The scanning range is 120° × 60°, the spatial resolution is 0.05° × 0.25°, and the beam-filling ratio reaches 90.63%. Full article

Laser beam scanning (LBS) projection systems based on MEMS micromirrors offer advantages such as compact size, low power consumption, and vivid color performance, making them well suited for applications like AR glasses and portable projectors. Among various scanning methods, raster scanning is widely adopted; however, it suffers from artifacts such as dark bands between adjacent scanning lines and non-uniform distribution of the scanning trajectory relative to the original image. These issues degrade the overall viewing experience. In this study, we address these problems by introducing random variations to the slow-axis driving signal to alter the vertical offset of the scanning trajectories between different scan cycles. The variation is defined as an integer multiple of 1/8 of the fast-axis scanning period ($1/{\mathrm{f}}_{\mathrm{h}}$) Due to the temporal integration effect of human vision, trajectories from different cycles overlap, thereby enhancing the scanning fill factor relative to the target image area. The simulation and experimental results demonstrate that the maximum ratio of non-uniform line spacing is reduced from 7:1 to 1:1, and the modulation of the scanned display image is reduced to 0.0006—below the human eye’s contrast threshold of 0.0039 under the given experimental conditions. This method effectively addresses scanning display artifacts without requiring additional hardware modifications. Full article

The MEMS scanning micromirror requires angle sensors to provide real-time angle feedback during operation, ensuring a stable and accurate deflection of the micromirror. This paper proposes a method for integrating piezoresistive sensors on the torsion axis of electrostatic MEMS micromirrors to detect the deflection angle. The design uses a multi-layer bonding process to realize a vertical comb-driven structure. The device structure is designed as a double-layer structure, in which the top layer is the ground layer and integrates with piezoresistive sensor. This approach avoids crosstalk between the applied drive voltage and the piezoresistive sensor. This design also optimizes the sensor’s size, improving sensitivity. A MEMS two-dimensional (2D) scanning micromirror with a 1 mm mirror diameter was designed and fabricated. The test results indicated that, in a vacuum environment, the torsional resonance frequencies of the micromirror’s fast axis and slow axis were 17.68 kHz and 2.225 kHz, respectively. When driving voltages of 33 V and 40 V were applied to the fast axis and slow axis of the micromirror, the corresponding optical scanning angles were 55° and 45°, respectively. The piezoresistive sensor effectively detects the micromirror’s deflection state, and optimizing the sensor’s size achieved a sensitivity of 13.87 mV/V/°. The output voltage of the piezoresistive sensor shows a good linear relationship with the micromirror’s deflection angle, enabling closed-loop feedback control of the electrostatic MEMS micromirror. Full article

This paper presents the design, simulation, fabrication, and characterization of a novel large-scan-range electrothermal micromirror integrated with a pair of position sensors. Note that the micromirror and the sensors can be manufactured within a single MEMS process flow. Thanks to the precise control of the fabrication of the grid-based large-size Al/SiO₂ bimorph actuators, the maximum piston displacement and optical scan angle of the micromirror reach 370 μm and 36° at only 6 Vdc, respectively. Furthermore, the working principle of the sensors is deeply investigated, where the motion of the micromirror is reflected by monitoring the temperature variation-induced resistance change of the thermistors on the substrate during the synchronous movement of the mirror plate and the heaters. The results show that the full-range motion of the micromirror can be recognized by the sensors with sensitivities of 0.3 mV/μm in the piston displacement sensing and 2.1 mV/° in the tip-tilt sensing, respectively. The demonstrated large-scan-range micromirror that can be monitored by position sensors has a promising prospect for the MEMS Fourier transform spectrometers (FTS) systems. Full article

We demonstrate an experimental assessment of a high-Q, high-angle piezoelectric (2 µm PZT) MEMS scanning micromirror featuring distributed backside reinforcement, suitable for applications demanding energy-efficient and high-quality image projection. Frequency response measurements at 10 different vacuum levels ranging from atmospheric pressure to 10⁻⁶ mbar allow for the quantitative separation of damping mechanisms (air and structural). Stroboscopic digital holographic microscopy was used to assess the static and dynamic deformation of the mirror surface. The experimental results are in good agreement with simulations and models. Full article

With the development of space laser communication and the planned deployment of satellite Internet constellations, there is a growing demand for microminiature laser communication terminals. To meet the requirements of size, weight and power (SWaP), miniaturized terminals require smaller drive components to complete on-orbit scanning and capture, which must be fast and efficient to enable satellite laser communication networks. These miniaturized laser communication terminals are highly susceptible to the impact of the initial pointing accuracy of the laser beam and microvibrations of the satellite platform. Therefore, this paper proposes a laser scanning-capture model based on a Micro-electromechanical Systems (MEMS) micromirror that can provide a fast, large-scale scanning analysis. A scanning overlap factor is introduced to improve the capture probability under the influence of microvibrations. Finally, experimental analysis was carried out to verify the effectiveness of the proposed model, which can establish a theoretical basis for future ultra-long-distance microspace laser communication. Full article

Micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) scanning micromirrors are playing an increasingly important role in active structured light systems. However, the initial phase error of the structured light generated by a scanning micromirror seriously affects the accuracy of the corresponding system. This paper reports an optoelectronic integrated sensor with high irradiance responsivity and high linearity that can be used to correct the phase error of the micromirror. The optoelectronic integrated sensor consists of a large-area photodetector (PD) and a receiving circuit, including a post amplifier, an operational amplifier, a bandgap reference, and a reference current circuit. The optoelectronic sensor chip is fabricated in a 180 nm CMOS process. Experimental results show that with a 5 V power supply, the optoelectronic sensor has an irradiance responsivity of 100 mV/(μW/cm²) and a −3 dB bandwidth of 2 kHz. The minimal detectable light power is about 19.4 nW, which satisfies the requirements of many active structured light systems. Through testing, the application of the chip effectively reduces the phase error of the micromirror to 2.5%. Full article

MEMS mirrors have a wide range of applications, most of which require large field-of-view (FOV). Immersing MEMS mirrors in liquid is an effective way to improve the FOV. However, the increased viscosity, convective heat transfer and thermal conductivity in liquid greatly affect the dynamic behaviors of electrothermally actuated micromirrors. In this paper, the complex interactions among the multiple energy domains, including electrical, thermal, mechanical and fluidic, are studied in an immersed electrothermally actuated MEMS mirror. A damping model of the immersed MEMS mirror is built and dimensional analysis is applied to reduce the number of variables and thus significantly simplify the model. The solution of the fluid damping model is solved by using regression analysis. The dynamic response of the MEMS mirror can be calculated easily by using the damping model. The experimental results verify the effectiveness and accuracy of these models. The difference between the model prediction and the measurement is within 4%. The FOV scanned in a liquid is also increased by a factor of 1.6. The model developed in this work can be applied to study the dynamic behaviors of various immersed MEMS actuators. Full article

In a lidar system, replacing moving components with solid-state devices is highly anticipated to make a reliable and compact lidar system, provided that a substantially large beam area with a large angular extent as well as high angular resolution is assured for the lidar transmitter and receiver. A new quasi-solid-state lidar optical architecture employs a transmitter with a two-dimensional MEMS mirror for fine beam steering at a fraction of the degree of the angular resolution and is combined with a digital micromirror device for wide FOV scanning over 37 degree while sustaining a large aperture area of 140 mm squared. In the receiver, a second digital micromirror device is synchronized to the transmitter DMD, which enables a large FOV receiver. An angular resolution of $0.57°\left(H\right)$by $0.23°\left(V\right)$ was achieved with 0.588 fps for scanning 1344 points within the field of view. Full article

Blazed gratings are the critical dispersion elements in spectral analysis instruments, whose performance depends on structural parameters and topography of the grating groove. In this paper, high diffraction efficiency silicon-blazed grating working at 800–2500 nm has been designed and fabricated. By diffraction theory analysis and simulation optimization based on the accurate boundary integral equation method, the blaze angle and grating constant are determined to be 8.8° and 4 μm, respectively. The diffraction efficiency is greater than 33.23% in the spectral range of 800–2500 nm and reach the maximum value of 85.62% at the blaze wavelength of 1180 nm. The effect of platform and fillet on diffraction efficiency is analyzed, and the formation rule and elimination method of the platform are studied. The blazed gratings are fabricated by anisotropic wet etching process using tilted (111) silicon substrate. The platform is minished by controlling etching time and oxidation sharpening process. The fillet radius of the fabricated grating is 50 nm, the blaze angle is 7.4°, and the surface roughness is 0.477 nm. Finally, the blazed grating is integrated in scanning micromirror to form scanning grating micromirror by MEMS fabrication technology, which can realize both optical splitting and scanning. The testing results show that the scanning grating micromirror has high diffraction efficiency in the spectral range of 810–2500 nm for the potential near-infrared spectrometer application. Full article

To analyze the distortion problem of two-dimensional micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) micromirror in-plane scanning, this paper makes a full theoretical analysis of the distortion causes from many aspects. Firstly, the mathematical relations among the deflection angle, laser incidence angle, and plane scanning distance of the micromirror are constructed, and the types of projection distortion of the micromirror scanning are discussed. Then the simulation results of reflection angle distribution and point cloud distribution are verified by MATLAB software under different working conditions. Finally, a two-dimensional MEMS micromirror scanning projection system is built. The predetermined waveform can be scanned and projected successfully. The distortion theory is proved to be correct by analyzing the distortion of the projection images, which lays a foundation for practical engineering application. Full article

Micromirrors based on micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) technology are widely employed in different areas, such as optical switching and medical scan imaging. As the key component of MEMS LiDAR, electromagnetic MEMS torsional micromirrors have the advantages of small size, a simple structure, and low energy consumption. However, MEMS micromirrors face severe disturbances due to vehicular vibrations in realistic use situations. The paper deals with the precise motion control of MEMS micromirrors, considering external vibration. A dynamic model of MEMS micromirrors, considering the coupling between vibration and torsion, is proposed. The coefficients in the dynamic model were identified using the experimental method. A feedforward sliding mode control method (FSMC) is proposed in this paper. By establishing the dynamic coupling model of electromagnetic MEMS torsional micromirrors, the proposed FSMC is evaluated considering external vibrations, and compared with conventional proportion-integral-derivative (PID) controls in terms of robustness and accuracy. The simulation experiment results indicate that the FSMC controller has certain advantages over a PID controller. This paper revealed the coupling dynamic of MEMS micromirrors, which could be used for a dynamic analysis and a control algorithm design for MEMS micromirrors. Full article

This contribution presents an overview of advances in scanning micromirrors based on MEMS (Micro-electro-mechanical systems) technologies to achieve beam scanning for OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography). The use of MEMS scanners for miniaturized OCT probes requires appropriate optical architectures. Their design involves a suitable actuation mechanism and an adapted imaging scheme in terms of achievable scan range, scan speed, low power consumption, and acceptable size of the OCT probe. The electrostatic, electromagnetic, and electrothermal actuation techniques are discussed here as well as the requirements that drive the design and fabrication of functional OCT probes. Each actuation mechanism is illustrated by examples of miniature OCT probes demonstrating the effectiveness of in vivo bioimaging. Finally, the design issues are discussed to permit users to select an OCT scanner that is adapted to their specific imaging needs. Full article

In recent years, Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) has been drawing extensive attention both in academia and industry because of the increasing demand for autonomous vehicles. LiDAR is believed to be the crucial sensor for autonomous driving and flying, as it can provide high-density point clouds with accurate three-dimensional information. This review presents an extensive overview of Microelectronechanical Systems (MEMS) scanning mirrors specifically for applications in LiDAR systems. MEMS mirror-based laser scanners have unrivalled advantages in terms of size, speed and cost over other types of laser scanners, making them ideal for LiDAR in a wide range of applications. A figure of merit (FoM) is defined for MEMS mirrors in LiDAR scanners in terms of aperture size, field of view (FoV) and resonant frequency. Various MEMS mirrors based on different actuation mechanisms are compared using the FoM. Finally, a preliminary assessment of off-the-shelf MEMS scanned LiDAR systems is given. Full article