Scanning laser projection using resonant actuated MEMS scanning mirrors is expected to overcome the current limitation of small display size of mobile devices like cell phones, digital cameras and PDAs. Recent progress in the development of compact modulated RGB laser sources enables to set up very small laser projection systems that become attractive not only for consumer products but also for automotive applications like head-up and dash-board displays. Within the last years continuous progress was made in increasing MEMS scanner performance. However, only little is reported on how mass-produceability of these devices and stable functionality even under harsh environmental conditions can be guaranteed. Automotive application requires stable MEMS scanner operation over a wide temperature range from -40° to +85°Celsius. Therefore, hermetic packaging of electrostatically actuated MEMS scanning mirrors becomes essential to protect the sensitive device against particle contamination and condensing moisture. This paper reports on design, fabrication and test of a resonant actuated two-dimensional micro scanning mirror that is hermetically sealed on wafer level. With resonant frequencies of 30kHz and 1kHz, an achievable Theta-D-product of 13mm.deg and low dynamic deformation <20nm RMS it targets Lissajous projection with SVGA-resolution. Inevitable reflexes at the vacuum package surface can be seperated from the projection field by permanent inclination of the micromirror

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Small size, low power consumption and the capability to produce sharp images without need of an objective make MEMS scanning laser based pico-projectors an attractive solution for embedded cell-phone projection displays. To fulfil the high image resolution demands the MEMS scanning mirror has to show large scan angles, a large mirror aperture size and a high scan frequency. An additional important requirement in pico-projector applications is to minimize power consumption of the MEMS scanner to enable a long video projection time. Typically high losses in power are caused by gas damping. For that reason Fraunhofer ISIT has established a fabrication process for 2D-MEMS mirrors that includes vacuum encapsulation on 8-inch wafers. Quality factors as high as 145,000 require dedicated closed loop phase control electronics to enable stable image projection even at rapidly changing laser intensities. A capacitive feedback signal is the basis for controlling the 2D MEMS oscilla tion and for synchronising the laser sources. This paper reports on fabrication of two-axis wafer level vacuum packaged scanning micromirrors and its use in a compact laser projection display. The paper presents different approaches of overcoming the well-known reflex problem of packaged MEMS scanning mirrors

MEMS based laser projection is of high interest for automotive head-up displays and dashboard displays, as well as for an increasing number of personal mobile projection applications. These applications require scanning mirrors that offer high scan frequencies and wide scan angles while showing low power consumption. This paper presents a novel low-power high-Q scanning mirror that is vacuum encapsulated on wafer level and thereby exhibits Q-factors exceeding 145,000. A new glass forming process enables fabrication of glass wafers with inclined 3D-shaped windows needed to spatially separate the direct reflex from the projected image

Biaxial resonant MEMS-scanners are considered as promising core-device in state-of-the-art imaging and projection systems due to their compactness, the large field-of-view, high speed, and comparably low power consumption. However, the usage in three-dimensional LIDAR modules or projectors for industrial applications is often limited by non-optimal Lissajous-scanning patterns. To achieve dense and spatially uniform Lissajous-trajectories, a suitable frequency ratio of the two oscillation modes is essential. In previous works, the frequency ratio was either maximized or minimized, which often led either to mechanical fragility or undesirable coupling of the two normal modes. For solving the abovementioned problems, a piezoelectrically-driven biaxial MEMS-scanner exhibiting large design flexibility, enabling the individual tailoring of the two orthogonal rotational oscillation-modes and Lissajous-patterns with large fill factor, was developed. This design freedom and decoupling of two axes motions are achieved by a gimbal-less design with individual actuator systems for the two oscillatory axes. Driven by the CMOS-compatible piezoelectric Al(Sc)N, the Q-factor of the resonant mirror with large optical aperture of 5 mm is enhanced by hermetic wafer-level glass-encapsulation. A projection module, which combines the biaxial MEMS-scanner, an RGB-laser-beam combiner, and the electronics for both read-out and control, was developed in the frame of a funded research project (”MEMS-scanner-based laser projection system for maritime augmented reality”). The target of the project was the development of a smart window, in the sense of a MEMS-scanner-based laser projection system for maritime augmented reality, which offers the possibility to fade in safety-relevant information of navigation and ship sensors into the field-of-view of the bridge personnel on the ship’s bridge. Such projector is promising also for further applications in industry, for instance in 3D cameras.