Optical microdevice with rotatable microactuator

• US 6,763,161 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2001
• Issued: 07/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Coherent Inc (Coherent Corp.)
• Original Assignee: iolon, Inc. (Coherent Corp.)
• Inventors: Heanue, John F., Jerman, John H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sanghavi, Hemang
• Application Number:
  US09/972,259
• Publication Number:
  US 20020012491A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• Field of Search: 385/16-20, 310/309, 359/196-226
• US Class Current: 385/18
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0833 the reflecting element being a micromechanical device, e.g. a MEMS mirror, DMD G02B26/0825 takes precedence; micromechanical devices in general B81B
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0841 the reflecting element being moved or deformed by electrostatic means
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/085 the reflecting means being moved or deformed by electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0866 the reflecting means being moved or deformed by thermal means
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/105 having optical polarisation effects
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/126 using polarisation effects G02B6/1226 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3512 the optical element being reflective, e.g. mirror
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3556 NxM switch, i.e. regular arrays of switches elements of matrix type constellation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3558 1xN switch, i.e. one input and a selectable single output of N possible outputs
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/357 Electrostatic force electrostatic forces controlling reflecting elements in general G02B26/0841
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4246 Bidirectionally operating package structures
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 11/10515 Reproducing compensating pit shift G11B11/1053
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 11/10532 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 11/10534 for recording by magnetising, demagnetising or transfer of magnetisation, by radiation, e.g. for thermomagnetic recording
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 11/10541 for reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 11/10543 using optical beam of radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 11/10554 the transducers being disposed on the same side of the carrier flying heads G11B11/1058
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 11/10563 Access of indexed parts
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 11/10569 Swing arm positioners
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 11/1058 Flying heads
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 11/10595 : Control of operating function
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/0037 : with discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/08564 : using galvanomirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/08576 : Swinging-arm positioners
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/0901 : for track following only G11B7/0925, G11B7/094, G11B7/0941, G11B7/0943, G11B7/0945, G11B7/0946, G11B7/0948 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/122 : Flying-type heads, e.g. analogous to Winchester type in magnetic recording
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/127 : Lasers; Multiple laser arrays lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/1362 : Mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/1365 : Separate or integrated refractive elements, e.g. wave plates
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/1372 : Lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/1384 : Fibre optics
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/14 : specially adapted to record on, or to reproduce from, more than one track simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/22 : Apparatus or processes for the manufacture of optical heads, e.g. assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 1/008 : Laterally driven motors, e.g. of the comb-drive type

Abstract

An optical microswitch comprising a support body and first and second output fibers carried by the body. A rotary electrostatic microactuator is carried by the body and extends in a plane. A micromirror is disposed out of the plane. The microactuator has a mirror holder coupled to the micromirror and at least one comb drive assembly coupled to the mirror holder for driving the micromirror about an axis of rotation extending perpendicular to the plane between a first position for reflecting a laser beam to the first output fiber and a second position for reflecting the laser beam to the second output fiber.

Claims

1. An optical microdevice comprising a support body, a rotatable microactuator carried by the body and extending in a plane and an optical element carried by the body and rotatable about an axis extending perpendicular to the plane, the microactuator being coupled to the optical element for driving the optical element about the axis.

2. The microdevice of claim 1 wherein the microactuator is an electromechanical microactuator.

3. The microdevice of claim 2 wherein the electromechanical microactuator is an electrostatic microactuator.

4. The microdevice of claim 3 wherein the electrostatic microactuator has at least one first comb drive assembly coupled to the optical element for driving the optical element in a first direction of travel about the axis and at least one second comb drive assembly coupled to the optical element for driving the optical element in an opposite second direction about the axis.

5. A microdevice comprising a substrate extending in a plane, a movable member overlying the substrate for rotation about an axis, a microactuator carried by the substrate for imparting translational motion in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of the substrate, at least one coupler coupling the movable member to the microactuator whereby translational motion imparted by the microactuator on the at least one coupler causes rotation of the movable member about the axis.

6. The microdevice of claim 5 wherein the microactuator is an electromechanical microactuator.

7. The microdevice of claim 6 wherein the electromechanical microactuator is an electrostatic microactuator.

8. The microdevice of claim 5 further comprising an optical element carried by the movable member.

9. An optical microdevice comprising a first optical member for providing a first beam of light and a second optical member for providing a second beam of light, an optical waveguide and an adjustable microelectromechanical optical element for selectively coupling one of the first and second beams of light into the optical waveguide.

10. The optical microdevice of claim 9 wherein the adjustable microelectromechanical optical element is a mirror, a microelectromechanical actuator coupled to the mirror for tilting the mirror to selectively couple said one of the first and second beams of light into the optical waveguide.

11. The optical microdevice of claim 10 wherein the microelectromechanical actuator is disposed in a plane and the mirror is pivotable about an axis extending perpendicular to the plane.

12. An optical microdevice comprising a first optical member for providing a first beam of light and a second optical member for providing a second beam of light, a mirror, a collimating lens disposed between the first and second optical members and the mirror for collimating the first and second beams of light, an optical waveguide and a microelectromechanical actuator coupled to the mirror for tilting the mirror to selectively couple one of the first and second beams of light into the optical waveguide.

13. The optical microdevice of claim 12 wherein the microelectromechanical actuator includes an electrostatic actuator.

14. The optical microdevice of claim 12 further comprising a focusing lens disposed between the mirror and the optical waveguide for focusing said one of the first and second beams of light into the optical waveguide.

15. The optical microdevice of claim 12 wherein at least one of the first and second optical members is a laser.

16. An optical microdevice comprising first and second optical waveguides, a rotatable microactuator, a mirror coupled to the microactuator and pivotable about an axis and a lens having opposite first and second focal planes disposed between the first and second optical waveguides and the mirror, the first and second optical waveguides being positioned substantially at the first focal plane of the lens and the mirror being positioned substantially at the second focal plane of the lens whereby the mirror can be pivoted about the axis by the microactuator to direct optical energy from the first optical waveguide to the second optical waveguide.

17. The optical microdevice of claim 16 wherein at least one of the first and second optical members is an optical fiber.

18. An optical microdevice comprising at least one input optical waveguide for providing optical energy, a collimating lens for forming an optical laser beam from the optical energy, a mirror for receiving the optical laser beam, at least one microactuator coupled to the mirror for pivoting the mirror, at least one output optical waveguide and a focusing lens for focusing the optical laser beam from the mirror into the at least one output optical waveguide.

19. The optical microdevice of claim 18 wherein the at least one output optical waveguide includes at least one optical fiber.

20. The optical microdevice of claim 18 wherein the at least one microactuator includes an electrostatic microactuator.

21. An optical microdevice for directing optical energy comprising a support body, at least first and second optical waveguides carried by the body, a third optical waveguide, a rotatable electrostatic microactuator carried by the body and extending in a plane, a micromachined, planar mirror disposed out of the plane and pivotable about an axis, the microactuator having at least one comb drive assembly coupled to the mirror for driving the mirror about the axis between a first position for directing optical energy from the first waveguide to the third waveguide and a second position for directing optical energy from the second waveguide to the third waveguide.

22. The optical microdevice of claim 21 further comprising a first focusing lens disposed between the first and second waveguides and the mirror.

23. The optical microdevice of claim 22 further comprising a second focusing lens disposed between the mirror and the third waveguide.

24. The optical microdevice of claim 21 wherein the third waveguide is carried by the body.

25. An optical microdevice for directing optical energy comprising a support body, first and second optical waveguides and a rotatable electrostatic microactuator carried by the body, a third optical waveguide, a micromachined, planar mirror pivotable about an axis, the microactuator being coupled to the mirror for driving the mirror about the axis between a first position for directing optical energy from the first waveguide to the third waveguide and a second position for directing optical energy from the second waveguide to the third waveguide.

26. The optical microdevice of claim 25 further comprising a first focusing lens disposed between the first and second waveguides and the mirror.

27. The optical microdevice of claim 26 further comprising a second focusing lens disposed between the minor and the third waveguide.

28. An optical microdevice for selecting an optical signal comprising a first optical member for providing a first beam of light and a second optical member for providing a second beam of light, a mirror, a collimating lens disposed between the first and second optical members and the mirror for collimating the first and second beams of light, an optical waveguide, and a microelectromechanical actuator coupled to the mirror for tilting the mirror to selectively couple one of the first and second beams of light into the optical waveguide.

29. The optical microdevice of claim 28 wherein the microelectromechanical actuator includes at least one electrostatic actuator for tilting the mirror.

30. The optical microdevice of claim 28 further comprising a focusing lens disposed between the mirror and the optical waveguide for focusing said one of the first and second beams of light into the optical waveguide.