Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is a well-established technique for the chemical analysis of organic and inorganic matter. Accordingly, spectroscopic instrumentation of different complexity has been developed and is currently commercially available. However, there are an increasing number of new mobile applications that have come into focus and that cannot be addressed by the existing technology due to size and cost. Therefore, a new miniaturized scanning grating spectrometer for NIR spectroscopy has been developed at Fraunhofer IPMS. It is based on micro–electro–mechanical systems (MEMS) technology, and has been designed to meet the requirements for mobile application, regarding spectral range, resolution, overall size, robustness, and cost. The MEMS spectrometer covers a spectral range from 950 nm to 1900 nm at a resolution of 10 nm. The instrument is extremely small and has a volume of only 2.1 cm3. Therefore, it is well suited for integration, even into a mobile phone. A first sample of the new spectrometer has been manufactured and put into operation. The results of a series of test measurements are in good agreement with the requirements and specifications.

No abstract

Spectrometers and Spectrographs based on scanning grating monochromators are well-established tools for various applications. As new applications came into focus in the last few years, there is a demand for more sophisticated and miniaturized systems. The next generation spectroscopic devices should exhibit very small dimensions and low power consumption, respectively. We have developed a spectroscopic system with a volume of only (15 × 10 × 14) mm3 and a few milliwatts of power consumption that has the potential to fulfill the demands of the upcoming applications. Our approach is based on two dierent strategies. First, we apply resonantly driven MEMS (micro electro mechanical systems). The latest generation of our MEMS scanning grating device has two integrated optical slits and piezoresistive position detection in addition to the already existing miniaturized 1-d scanning grating plate and the electrostatic driving mechanism. Our second strategy is to take advantage of the hybrid integration of optical components by highly sophisticated manufacturing technologies. One objective is the combination of MEMS technology and a planar mounting approach, which potentially facilitate the mass production of spectroscopic systems and a signicant reduction of cost per unit. We present the optical system design as well as the realization of a miniaturized scanning grating spectrometer for the near infrared (NIR) range between 950 nm and 1900 nm with a spectral resolution of 10 nm. The MEMS devices as well as the optical components have been manufactured and rst samples of the spectroscopic measurement device have been mounted by an automated die bonder

There is an increasing need for reliable authentication for a number of applications such as e commerce. Common authentication methods based on ownership (ID card) or knowledge factors (password, PIN) are often prone to manipulations and may therefore be not safe enough. Various inherence factor based methods like fingerprint, retinal pattern or voice identifications are considered more secure. Retina scanning in particular offers both low false rejection rate (FRR) and low false acceptance rate (FAR) with about one in a million. Images of the retina with its characteristic pattern of blood vessels can be made with either a fundus camera or laser scanning methods. The present work describes the optical design of a new compact retina laser scanner which is based on MEMS (Micro Electric Mechanical System) technology. The use of a dual axis micro scanning mirror for laser beam deflection enables a more compact and robust design compared to classical systems. The scanner exhibits a full field of view of 10° which corresponds to an area of 4 mm2 on the retinal surface surrounding the optical disc. The system works in the near infrared and is designed for use under ambient light conditions, which implies a pupil diameter of 1.5 mm. Furthermore it features a long eye relief of 30 mm so that it can be conveniently used by persons wearing glasses. The optical design requirements and the optical performance are discussed in terms of spot diagrams and ray fan plots. There is an increasing need for reliable authentication for a number of applications such as e commerce. Common authentication methods based on ownership (ID card) or knowledge factors (password, PIN) are often prone to manipulations and may therefore be not safe enough. Various inherence factor based methods like fingerprint, retinal pattern or voice identifications are considered more secure. Retina scanning in particular offers both low false rejection rate (FRR) and low false acceptance rate (FAR) with about one in a million. Images of the retina with its characteristic pattern of blood vessels can be made with either a fundus camera or laser scanning methods. The present work describes the optical design of a new compact retina laser scanner which is based on MEMS (Micro Electric Mechanical System) technology. The use of a dual axis micro scanning mirror for laser beam deflection enables a more compact and robust design compared to classical systems. The scanner exhibits a full field of view of 10° which corresponds to an area of 4 mm2 on the retinal surface surrounding the optical disc. The system works in the near infrared and is designed for use under ambient light conditions, which implies a pupil diameter of 1.5 mm. Furthermore it features a long eye relief of 30 mm so that it can be conveniently used by persons wearing glasses. The optical design requirements and the optical performance are discussed in terms of spot diagrams and ray fan plots

We present a hybrid MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems) based spectrometer of the size of a sugar cube, fabricated at the clean room facilities of Fraunhofer IPMS, Dresden. This SGS (scanning grating spectrometer) is designed for integrated spectroscopic applications in the field of food quality analysis and food processing technology. Using another, larger, MEMS-based scanning grating spectrometer, we perform a series of test measurements of the absorption of different types of oil. Thereby, we demonstrate the suitability of this larger MEMS-based SGS for food quality analysis and establish a set of reference measurements. The optical parameters of the sugar cube-sized SGS are then evaluated against the requirements established in the above reference measurements. The spectral resolution of this device is still not sufficient for application in the near infrared, owing to the inaccuracy of one particular production step. Once these changes are in place, we are confident to achieve resolutions below 20 nm. In conclusion, we propose the miniaturised SGS as a mobile spectrometer for insitu analysis integrated with a data processing system.