SPECTROMETER AND APPARATUS FOR MEASURING BIOLOGICAL COMPONENT USING THE SAME

• US 20180217002A1
• Filed: 01/12/2018
• Published: 08/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Imec Vzm, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: IMEC International, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: CLAES, Tom, AHN, Sung Mo, LEE, Woo Chang
• Granted Patent: US 10,578,490 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0256 Compact construction
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/26 using multiple reflection, e.g. Fabry-Perot interferometer, variable interference filters
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/2803 using photoelectric array detector
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/44 Raman spectrometry; Scattering spectrometry ; Fluorescence spectrometry
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/45 Interferometric spectrometry

Abstract

A spectrometer is provided. The spectrometer may include an image sensor including a pixel array; and a photonics layer disposed on the pixel array and including a plurality of resonators and a plurality of couplers evanescently coupled to the plurality of resonators.

Claims

1. A spectrometer comprising:

an image sensor comprising a pixel array; and

a photonics layer disposed on the pixel array and comprising a plurality of resonators and a plurality of couplers evanescently coupled to the plurality of resonators.

2. The spectrometer of claim 1, wherein the plurality of couplers comprises:

an in-coupler to which light is input; and

an out-coupler which is connected to the in-coupler and outputs the light transmitted from the in-coupler to a pixel of the pixel array.

3. The spectrometer of claim 2, wherein the in-coupler and the out-coupler correspond to grating coupler, metal mirrors, or a grating coupler and a metal mirror.

4. The spectrometer of claim 1, wherein at least two couplers of the plurality of couplers are arranged in succession in each row of the pixel array, and out-couplers of the at least two couplers in each row of the pixel array are located at same column positions.

5. The spectrometer of claim 4, wherein each of the plurality of couplers is disposed separately from the plurality of resonators to generate an evanescent coupling between the plurality of couplers and the plurality of resonators.

6. The spectrometer of claim 1, wherein the plurality of resonators are Fabry-Perot resonators.

7. The spectrometer of claim 1, wherein the photonics layer comprises a plurality of detection areas,

the plurality of resonators disposed in one of the plurality of detection areas comprise at least two types of resonators having at least two different wavelength characteristics.

8. The spectrometer of claim 7, wherein the at least two types of resonators are alternately arranged in each row of the pixel array.

9. The spectrometer of claim 8, wherein the at least two types of resonators are arranged in-series on a boundary line of each row of the pixel array.

10. The spectrometer of claim 1, wherein the plurality of resonators comprise at least two types of resonators having two wavelength characteristics.

11. An apparatus for measuring a substance in body, the apparatus comprising:

a light source configured to emit light to an object; and

a spectrometer configured to sense the light returning from the object,

wherein the spectrometer comprises;

a pixel array; and

a photonics layer disposed on the pixel array and comprising a plurality of resonators and a plurality of couplers evanescently coupled to the plurality of resonators.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a signal processor configured to analyze a substance of the object using a signal sensed by the spectrometer.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the light source emits a near-infrared laser or a visible light laser.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the plurality of couplers comprises:

an in-coupler to which the light is input; and

an out-coupler which is connected to the in-coupler and outputs the light transmitted from the in-coupler to a pixel of the pixel array.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein at least two couplers of the plurality of couplers are arranged in each row of the pixel array so as to be aligned to a pixel pitch.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the plurality of resonators comprise at least two types of resonators having at least two wavelength characteristics.

17. A spectrometer comprising:

a pixel array; and

a phonics layer that is disposed on the pixel array and comprises;

an in-coupler that receives light;

an out-coupler that outputs the light transmitted from the in-coupler;

an evanescent coupler that is disposed between the in-coupler and the out-coupler to guide the light received from the in-coupler to the out-coupler; and

a resonator that extends in a direction from the in-coupler to the out-coupler, and is disposed apart from the in-coupler and the out-coupler to generate an evanescent coupling between the resonator and the evanescent coupler.

18. The spectrometer of claim 17, wherein the evanescent coupler extends from the in-coupler to the out-coupler and curves so that distance between the resonator and the evanescent coupler varies.

19. The spectrometer of claim 17, wherein the photonic layer comprises a first coupler set and a second coupler set within a illumination pitch of the spectrometer,

the first coupler set comprises a first in-coupler, a first out-coupler, and a first evanescent coupler that respectively correspond to the in-coupler, the out-coupler, and the evanescent coupler,

the second coupler set comprises a second in-coupler, a second out-coupler, and a second evanescent coupler, and

the first coupler set and the second coupler set are disposed in series.

20. The spectrometer of claim 17, wherein the resonator corresponds to a first resonator, and

the photonic layer comprises:

the first resonator that is aligned with the first coupler set; and

a second resonator that is aligned with the second coupler set and disposed in series with the first resonator, and

the second resonator has a wavelength characteristic different from a wavelength characteristic of the first resonator.