Optical mirror system with multi-axis rotational control

• US 6,598,985 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2002
• Issued: 07/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nanogear Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nanogear Incorporated
• Inventors: Fling, John J., Hagelin, Paul Merritt
• Primary Examiner(s): SIKDER, MOHAMMAD YUNUS
• Application Number:
  US10/122,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20020186483A1
• Time in Patent Office: 470 Days
• Field of Search: 359/876, 359/877, 359/878, 359/224, 359/225, 359/226, 359/298, 385/18, 385/16, 385/15-23
• US Class Current: 359/876
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0841 the reflecting element being moved or deformed by electrostatic means

Abstract

An optical mirror system with multi-axis rotational control is disclosed. The mirror system includes an optical surface assembly, and at least one leg assembly coupled to the optical surface assembly. The at least one leg assembly supports the optical surface above a substrate. A system and method in accordance with the present invention can operate with many different actuator mechanisms, including but not limited to, electrostatic, thermal, piezoelectric, and magnetic. An optical mirror system in accordance with the present invention accommodates large mirrors and rotation angles. Scanning mirrors can be made with this technique using standard surface-micromachining processes, or a deep RIE etch process. A device in accordance with the present invention meets the requirements for a directly scalable, high port count optical switch, utilizing a two mirror per optical I/O port configuration. An optical mirror in accordance with the present invention can be utilized in, but is not limited to, the following applications: optical add-drop multiplexers, wavelength routers, free-space optical interconnects, chip-level optical I/O, optical scanning displays, optical scanner (bar-codes, micro cameras), optical storage read/write heads, laser printers, medical replacement for glasses (incorporated with adaptive optics), medical diagnostic equipment, optical scanning for security applications.

Claims

1. An optical mirror system for directing a beam of light, comprising:

an optical surface assembly;

at least one support leg coupled to the optical surface assembly; and

at least one actuator mechanism coupled to the at least one support leg;

wherein the optical surface assembly is positioned above a substrate by the at least one support leg when the at least one actuator mechanism is actuated wherein the optical surface assembly comprises a reflective layer coupled to a support plate through a via.

2. The optical mirror system of claim 1 wherein the reflective layer comprises a layer of metal.

3. The optical mirror system of claim 1 wherein the at least one actuator mechanism comprises an actuator selected from the group consisting of an electrostatic drive, a parallel-plate electrostatic drive, an electrostatically driven comb drive, a vertical comb drive, an interdigitated electrostatic actuator, a rotatable electrostatic drive, a torsional electrostatic drive, a rotatable interdigitated electrostatic drive, a bi-directional actuator, a thermal actuator, a magnetic actuator, and a piezoelectric actuator.

4. The optical mirror system of claim 1 wherein the optical mirror system comprises an optical scanner.

5. An optical mirror system for directing a beam of light, comprising:

an optical surface assembly;

at least one support leg coupled to the optical surface assembly; and

at least one actuator mechanism coupled to the at least one support leg;

wherein the optical surface assembly is positioned above a substrate by the at least one support leg when the at least one actuator mechanism is actuated wherein the at least one support leg is connected tangentially to an edge of the optical surface assembly.

6. An optical mirror system for directing a beam of light, comprising:

an optical surface assembly;

at least one support leg coupled to the optical surface assembly; and

at least one actuator mechanism coupled to the at least one support leg;

wherein the optical surface assembly is positioned above a substrate by the at least one support leg when the at least one actuator mechanism is actuated wherein the at least one support leg is connected radially to an edge of the optical surface assembly.

7. An optical mirror system for directing a beam of light, comprising:

an optical surface assembly;

at least one support leg coupled to the optical surface assembly; and

at least one actuator mechanism coupled to the at least one support leg;

wherein the optical surface assembly is positioned above a substrate by the at least one support leg when the at least one actuator mechanism is actuated wherein the at least one support leg is flexible.

8. An optical mirror system for directing a beam of light, comprising:

an optical surface assembly;

at least one support leg coupled to the optical surface assembly; and

at least one actuator mechanism coupled to the at least one support leg;

wherein the optical surface assembly is positioned above a substrate by the at least one support leg when the at least one actuator mechanism is actuated wherein the at least one support leg is nominally rigid.

9. An optical mirror system for directing a beam of light, comprising:

an optical surface assembly;

at least one support leg coupled to the optical surface assembly; and

at least one actuator mechanism coupled to the at least one support leg;

wherein the optical surface assembly is positioned above a substrate by the at least one support leg when the at least one actuator mechanism is actuated wherein the at least one support leg when the at least one actuator mechanism is actuated wherein the at least one support leg is coupled to the substrate with at least one anchor attached to the substrate and at least one flexible beam connected between the at least one anchor and the at least one support leg.

10. An optical mirror system for directing a beam of light, comprising:

an optical surface assembly;

at least one support leg coupled to the optical surface assembly; and

at least one actuator mechanism coupled to the at least one support leg;

wherein the optical surface assembly is positioned above a substrate by the at least one support leg when the at least one actuator mechanism is actuated, wherein the at least one actuator mechanism comprises an actuator selected from the group consisting of an electrostatic drive, a parallel-plate electrostatic drive, an electrostatically driven comb drive, a vertical comb drive, an interdigitated electrostatic actuator, a rotatable electrostatic drive, a torsional electrostatic drive, a rotatable interdigitated electrostatic drive, a bi-directional actuator, a thermal actuator, a magnetic actuator, and a piezoelectric actuator and wherein the thermal actuator comprises a resistive heater on the at least one support leg.

11. An optical mirror system for directing a beam of light, comprising:

an optical surface assembly;

at least one support leg coupled to the optical surface assembly; and

at least one actuator mechanism coupled to the at least one support leg;

wherein the optical surface assembly is positioned above a substrate by the at least one support leg when the at least one actuator mechanism is actuated wherein the at least one support leg is rotated to position an attached edge of the optical surface assembly above the substrate when at least one actuator mechanism is actuated.

12. An optical mirror system for directing a beam of light, comprising:

an optical surface assembly;

at least one support leg coupled to the optical surface assembly; and

at least one actuator mechanism coupled to the at least one support leg;

wherein the optical surface assembly is positioned above a substrate by the at least one support leg when the at least one actuator mechanism is actuated wherein the at least one support leg is rotated to position an attached edge of the optical surface assembly above the substrate when at least one actuator mechanism raises a portion of the at least one support leg.

13. An optical mirror system for directing a beam of light, comprising:

an optical surface assembly;

at least one support leg coupled to the optical surface assembly; and

at least one actuator mechanism coupled to the at least one support leg;

wherein the optical surface assembly is positioned above a substrate by the at least one support leg when the at least one actuator mechanism is actuated, wherein the at least one support leg is rotated to position an attached edge of the optical surface assembly above the substrate when the at least one actuator mechanism raises a portion of the support leg and another actuator mechanism lowers a portion of the support leg.

14. An optical mirror system for directing a beam of light, comprising:

an optical surface assembly;

at least one support leg coupled to the optical surface assembly; and

at least one actuator mechanism coupled to the at least one support leg;

wherein the optical surface assembly is positioned above a substrate by the at least one support leg when the at least one actuator mechanism is actuated wherein the at least one actuator mechanism comprises a bi-directional actuator, wherein a portion of the at least one support leg is raised when the bi-directional actuator is pulled away from the substrate and the portion of the at least one support leg is lowered when the bi-directional actuator is pulled towards the substrate.

15. An optical mirror system for directing a beam of light, comprising:

an optical surface assembly;

at least one support leg coupled to the optical surface assembly; and

at least one actuator mechanism coupled to the at least one support leg;

wherein the optical surface assembly is positioned above a substrate by the at least one support leg when the at least one actuator mechanism is actuated wherein the actuator mechanism comprises at least two bi-directional actuators, wherein the at least one support leg is rotated when at least one actuator is pulled away from the substrate while another actuator is pulled toward the substrate.

16. An optical mirror system for directing a beam of light, comprising:

an optical surface assembly;

at least one support leg coupled to the optical surface assembly; and

at least one actuator mechanism coupled to the at least one support leg;

wherein the optical surface assembly is positioned above a substrate by the at least one support leg when the at least one actuator mechanism is actuated wherein the at least one actuator mechanism and the at least one support leg comprise a layer of single crystal silicon.

17. An optical mirror system for directing a beam of light, comprising:

an optical surface assembly;

at least one support leg coupled to the optical surface assembly; and

at least one actuator mechanism coupled to the at least one support leg;

wherein the optical surface assembly is positioned above a substrate by the at least one support leg when the at least one actuator mechanism is actuated wherein the at least one actuator mechanism and the at least one support leg comprise a layer of polycrystalline silicon.

18. An optical mirror system for directing a beam of light, comprising:

an optical surface assembly;

at least one support leg coupled to the optical surface assembly; and

at least one actuator mechanism coupled to the at least one support leg;

wherein the optical surface assembly is positioned above a substrate by the at least one support leg when the at least one actuator mechanism is actuated wherein at least one actuator mechanism further comprises;

means for sensing to determine the position of the actuator mechanism.

19. An optical mirror system for directing a beam of light, comprising:

an optical surface assembly;

at least one support leg coupled to the optical surface assembly; and

at least one actuator mechanism coupled to the at least one support leg;

wherein the optical surface assembly is positioned above a substrate by the at least one support leg when the at least one actuator mechanism is actuated wherein the optical mirror system comprises an optical scanner.

20. An optical mirror system for directing a beam of light, comprising:

an optical surface assembly coupled to a substrate; and

at least one actuator mechanism coupled to the optical surface assembly, wherein the optical surface assembly is positioned when the at least one actuator mechanism is actuated, wherein the optical surface assembly comprises a reflective layer coupled to a support plate through a via.

21. The optical mirror system of claim 20 wherein the reflective layer comprises a layer of metal.

22. The optical mirror system of claim 20 wherein the at least one actuator mechanism comprises an actuator selected from the group consisting of an electrostatic drive, a parallel-plate electrostatic drive, an electrostatically driven comb drive, a vertical comb drive, an interdigitated electrostatic actuator, a rotatable electrostatic drive, a torsional electrostatic drive, a rotatable interdigitated electrostatic drive, a bi-directional actuator, a thermal actuator, a magnetic actuator, and a piezoelectric actuator.

23. The optical mirror system of claim 20 wherein the optical mirror system comprises an optical scanner.

24. An optical mirror system for directing a beam of light, comprising:

an optical surface assembly coupled to a substrate; and

at least one actuator mechanism coupled to the optical surface assembly, wherein the optical surface assembly is positioned when the at least one actuator mechanism is actuated, wherein the at least one actuator mechanism further comprises;

means for sensing to determine the position of the actuator mechanism.

25. An optical mirror system for directing a beam of light, comprising:

an optical surface assembly coupled to a substrate;

at least one support leg coupling the optical surface assembly to the substrate; and

at least one actuator mechanism coupled to the optical surface assembly, wherein the optical surface assembly is positioned when the at least one actuator mechanism is actuated wherein the at least one support leg is connected tangentially to an edge of the optical surface assembly.

26. An optical mirror system for directing a beam of light, comprising:

an optical surface assembly coupled to a substrate;

at least one support leg coupling the optical surface assembly to the substrate; and

at least one actuator mechanism coupled to the optical surface assembly, wherein the optical surface assembly is positioned when the at least one actuator mechanism is actuated wherein the at least one support leg is connected radially to an edge of the optical surface assembly.

27. An optical mirror system for directing a beam of light, comprising:

an optical surface assembly coupled to a substrate;

at least one support leg coupling the optical surface assembly to the substrate; and

at least one actuator mechanism coupled to the optical surface assembly, wherein the optical surface assembly is positioned when the at least one actuator mechanism is actuated wherein the at least one support leg is flexible.

28. An optical mirror system for directing a beam of light, comprising:

an optical surface assembly coupled to a substrate;

at least one support leg coupling the optical surface assembly to the substrate; and

at least one actuator mechanism coupled to the optical surface assembly, wherein the optical surface assembly is positioned when the at least one actuator mechanism is actuated wherein the at least one support leg is coupled to the substrate with at least one anchor attached to the substrate and at least one flexible beam connected between the at least one anchor and the at least one support leg.

29. An optical mirror system for directing a beam of light, comprising:

an optical surface assembly coupled to a substrate;

at least one support leg coupling the optical surface assembly to the substrate; and

at least one actuator mechanism coupled to the optical surface assembly, wherein the optical surface assembly is positioned when the at least one actuator mechanism is actuated wherein the at least one actuator mechanism and the at least one support leg comprise a layer of single crystal silicon.

30. An optical mirror system for directing a beam of light, comprising:

an optical surface assembly coupled to a substrate;

at least one support leg coupling the optical surface assembly to the substrate; and

at least one actuator mechanism coupled to the optical surface assembly, wherein the optical surface assembly is positioned when the at least one actuator mechanism is actuated wherein the at least one actuator mechanism and the at least one support leg comprise a layer of polycrystalline silicon.

31. An optical mirror system for directing a beam of light, comprising:

an optical surface assembly coupled to a substrate;

at least one support leg coupling the optical surface assembly to the substrate; and

at least one actuator mechanism coupled to the optical surface assembly, wherein the optical surface assembly is positioned when the at least one actuator mechanism is actuated wherein the optical mirror system comprises an optical scanner.