MINIATURE SPECTROMETER AND APPARATUS EMPLOYING SAME

• US 20160061660A1
• Filed: 04/13/2015
• Published: 03/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Dongho
• Granted Patent: US 9,631,976 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/028 Microscale sensors, e.g. electromechanical sensors [MEMS]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0205 Optical elements not provided otherwise, e.g. optical manifolds, diffusers, windows
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0259 Monolithic
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/44 Raman spectrometry; Scattering spectrometry ; Fluorescence spectrometry

Abstract

A miniature spectrometer and a miniature spectrometer module employing the same are disclosed. The disclosed miniature spectrometer includes: a band-pass filter which is configured to transmit input light in a surface plasmon mode and which has an array of waveguides which are configured to output a plurality of different transmission wavelength bands; an in-coupler configured to couple the transmitted input light to a first end of the array of waveguides; and an array of optical detectors configured to detect respective lights which are output from a second end of the array of waveguides.

Claims

1. A miniature spectrometer comprising:

a band-pass filter which is configured to transmit input light in a surface plasmon mode and which includes an array of waveguides which are configured to output a plurality of different transmission wavelength bands;

an in-coupler configured to couple the transmitted input light to a first end of the array of waveguides; and

an array of optical detectors configured to detect respective lights which are output from a second end of the array of waveguides.

2. The miniature spectrometer of claim 1, wherein the band-pass filter comprises:

a base layer formed of a first dielectric material;

a plurality of metal stripes formed on the base layer; and

an array of cover layers configured to respectively cover the plurality of metal stripes with a second dielectric material that is different from the first dielectric material,

wherein each respective waveguide included in the array of waveguides comprises the base layer, a corresponding metal stripe, and a corresponding cover layer.

3. The miniature spectrometer of claim 2, wherein each respective cover layer included in the array of cover layers is formed with a different respective refractive index which corresponds to a respective transmission wavelength band.

4. The miniature spectrometer of claim 3, wherein the cover layers included in the array of cover layers are spaced apart from each other.

5. The miniature spectrometer of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of metal stripes is buried in the base layer such that an upper surface thereof is exposed.

6. The miniature spectrometer of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of metal stripes is formed such that at least a portion thereof protrudes from the base layer.

7. The miniature spectrometer of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of metal stripes has a respective width which is less than or equal to about 10 μ

m.

8. The miniature spectrometer of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of metal stripes has a respective thickness which is less than or equal to about 100 nm.

9. The miniature spectrometer of claim 2, wherein the in-coupler is disposed so as to direct the input light to at least one of a boundary surface between a respective metal stripe and a respective cover layer and a boundary surface between a respective metal stripe and the base layer for each of the array of waveguides.

10. The miniature spectrometer of claim 1, wherein the in-coupler includes a grating in-coupler.

11. The miniature spectrometer of claim 10, wherein the grating in-coupler has a period which is less than or equal to about 10 μ

m.

12. The miniature spectrometer of claim 1, wherein the array of optical detectors are integrated with the second end of the array of waveguides.

13. A miniature spectrometer module comprising:

a light source configured to irradiate excited light upon an object; and

the miniature spectrometer of claim 1, which is configured to sense scattered light which is generated due to the irradiation of excited light upon the object.

14. The miniature spectrometer module of claim 13, further comprising a base,

wherein the light source is disposed on a first surface of the base, and the miniature spectrometer is disposed on any one of the first surface of the base and a second surface of the base which is different from the first surface.

15. The miniature spectrometer module of claim 14, wherein the base is formed of a flexible material.

16. The miniature spectrometer module of claim 13, wherein the miniature spectrometer module is configured to be wearable on the object.

17. The miniature spectrometer module of claim 13, wherein the miniature spectrometer is configured to sense at least one of scattered light which is reflected from the object and scattered light which has propagated through the object.

18. The miniature spectrometer module of claim 13, further comprising a signal processor configured to analyze at least one physical property of the object based on a signal sensed by the miniature spectrometer.

19. The miniature spectrometer module of claim 18, further comprising a display device configured to display a result based on the analyzing by the signal processor.

20. The miniature spectrometer module of claim 13, wherein the miniature spectrometer module is configured to analyze at least one physical property of the object based on at least one of a near-infrared (NIR) absorption spectral analysis method which includes irradiating light of an NIR band from the light source and a laser Raman spectroscopy method which includes irradiating a laser beam from the light source.