Integrated silicon optomechanical transducers and their application in atomic force microscopy

TL;DR

This paper discusses the design, simulation, and fabrication of fully silicon-integrated optomechanical sensors for high-precision atomic force microscopy, enabling independent optimization of optical and mechanical components.

Contribution

It introduces a fully silicon-integrated approach combining waveguide-coupled optomechanical sensors with potential for integrated actuators, advancing MEMS and NEMS sensing technology.

Findings

Successful design and fabrication of integrated sensors

Potential for high bandwidth and small footprint applications

Enables independent engineering of optical and mechanical parts

Abstract

This chapter describes the basic design, simulation, and fabrication for fully Si integrated, waveguide coupled, optomechanical force and displacement sensors. The approach of full Si integration of all stationary nanophotonic components with mechanically separated movable components creates the opportunity to independently engineer these two parts for a variety of MEMS and NEMS sensing applications that require high precision, high bandwidth, and small footprint. Further integration of actuators for static and dynamic actuation is also possible.