Refine
Document Type
Institute
Has Fulltext
- yes (15)
Is part of the Bibliography
- yes (15)
Keywords
- 3D measurement (2)
- endoscope (2)
- in vivo imaging (2)
- optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy (2)
- Bragg reflector (1)
- Fabry-Perot ultrasound sensor (1)
- Kalman filter (1)
- accelerometer (1)
- backward-mode imaging (1)
- bending loss (1)
Through Silicon Via (TSV) technology is a key feature of new 3D integration of circuits by creation of interconnections using vias, which go through the silicon wafer. Typically, the highly-selective Bosch Si etch process, characterized by a high etch rate and high aspect ratio and forming of scallops on the sidewalls is used. As presented in this paper, we have developed an experimental setup and a respective evaluation algorithm for the control and monitoring of very high aspect ratio TSV profiles by spectroscopic reflectometry. For this purpose square via arrays with lateral dimension from 3 to 10 μm were fabricated by a Bosch etch process and analyzed by our setup. By exploiting interference and diffraction effects of waves reflected from the top and bottom surfaces as well as from the side walls of the TSV patterns, the measurements provided etch depths, CD values and scallop periods. The results were compared with data obtained by a commercial wafer metrology tool. Aspect ratios of up to 35:1 were safely evaluable by our setup.
Development of tuneable Fabry-Pérot sensors for parallelised photoacoustic signal acquisition
(2019)
Fabry-Pérot (FP) sensors have enabled high resolution 3D photoacoustic (PA) imaging in backward mode. However, raster-scanning of the interrogation laser beam across the sensor can result in slow 3D image acquisition. To overcome this limitation, parallelized PA signal acquisition can be used for which FP sensors with uniform optical thickness are required. In this work, the optical thickness is tuned a) irreversibly through the use of a photopolymer host matrix and b) actively using embedded electro-optic (EO) chromophores. Polymer spacers (5 μm) were deposited using spin coating and sandwiched between two dielectric mirrors and transparent ITO electrodes. The employed polymer guest-host system consists of an EO chromophore (2-methyl-4-nitroaniline) and poly(vinyl cinnamate). EO tuneability was induced using contact poling and a tuneability of 68 pm was demonstrated. The optical thickness was homogenised by raster scanning a UV beam whilst varying the exposure time across a 4 mm2 detection aperture.
This work presents experimental and simulation results of a 3D measurement concept based on fiber-optic interference pattern generation. A demonstrator system which is able to adjust different optical and mechanical parameters is described. The results of parameter variation studies are discussed along with possible applications in the field of micro-optical 3D measurement systems like endoscopes. The experiments were prepared with different structures with various scattering properties. To implement that approach into a micro-optical 3D measurement system, the combination of distance variation between the fibers and a controlled phase shift introduced by a retarder can be used to design the system versatile.
To improve the feasibility of endoscopic inspection processes we developed a system that provides online information about position, orientation and viewing direction of endoscopes, to support the analysis of endoscopic images and to ease the operational handling of the equipment. The setup is based on an industrial endoscope consisting of a camera, various MEMS and multimodal data fusion. The software contains algorithms for feature and geometric structure recognition as well as Kalman filters. To track the distal end of the endoscope and to generate 3D point cloud data in real time the optical and photometrical characteristics of the system are registered and the movement of the endoscope is reconstructed by using image processing techniques.
In this work, a measurement concept based on triangulation was developed for borescopic 3D-surveying of surface defects. The integration of such measurement system into a borescope environment requires excellent space utilization. The triangulation angle, the projected pattern, the numerical apertures of the optical system, and the viewing angle were calculated using partial coherence imaging and geometric optical raytracing methods. Additionally, optical aberrations and defocus were considered by the integration of Zernike polynomial coefficients. The measurement system is able to measure objects with a size of 50 μm in all dimensions with an accuracy of ± 5 μm. To manage the issue of a low depth of field while using an optical high resolution system, a wavelength dependent aperture was integrated. Thereby, we are able to control depth of field and resolution of the optical system and can use the borescope in measurement mode with high resolution and low depth of field or in inspection mode with low resolution and higher depth of field. First measurements of a demonstrator system are in good agreement with our simulations.
Optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy (PAM) has been shown to enable the acquisition of high resolution (μm) functional and anatomical images. For backward-mode operation, conventional piezoelectric ultrasound transducers need to be placed far away from the signal source due to their opacity and size. This can result in reduced acoustic sensitivity. Planar Fabry-Perot polymer film interferometer (FPI) sensors have the potential to overcome this limitation since they are transparent to the excitation wavelength, can be placed immediately adjacent to the signal source for high acoustic sensitivity, and offer a broadband frequency response (0 –50 MHz). In this study, we present a high frame rate, backward-mode OR-PAM system based on a planar FPI ultrasound sensor. A ns-pulsed laser provides excitation pulses (<200 nJ, maximum pulse repetition frequency = 200 kHz, 532 nm) to generate photoacoustic waves that are detected using a planar FPI sensor interrogated at 765-781 nm. For backwardmode operation and highest acoustic sensitivity, the excitation and interrogation beams are coaxially aligned and rasterscanned. The optical transfer function of the sensor, the spatial resolution and the detection sensitivity were determined to characterise the set-up. Images of a leaf phantom and first in vivo images of zebrafish larvae were acquired. This approach will enable fast 3D OR-PAM with high resolution and high sensitivity for functional and molecular imaging applications. FPI-based ultrasound detection also has the potential to enable dual-mode optical- and acousticresolution PAM and the integration of photoacoustic imaging with purely optical modalities such as multi-photon microscopy.
Integrated photonic devices have gained increasing research interests. Especially silicon photonics have become very attractive for various optical applications. Using silicon-on-insulator as a material platform provides the ability to fabricate photonic devices with electronic devices on a single chip. Driven by substantial research investments, the integration of photonic devices on silicon-on-insulator substrates has reached a degree of maturity that already permits industrial adoption. However, silicon has the disadvantage of linear electro-optical effects, and, therefore, advanced modulation formats are difficult to realize when using silicon-based high-speed modulators. Hence, a new approach was proposed: the silicon-organic hybrid technology. This technology is a viable extension of the silicon-on-insulator material system for efficient high-speed modulation. We herewith present our theoretical and experimental investigations of the silicon-organic hybrid slot-waveguide ring resonator. The advanced device design is described in detail, which allows using both, the efficient silicon-on-insulator strip-waveguides and the silicon-organic hybrid slot-waveguides in single ring resonator. For the first time, we report the transmission spectra of such a resonator covered with an electro-optical polymer.
This Letter reports on the quadratic electro-optic effect of polymers, observed in a silicon slot-waveguide at low voltages. We demonstrate that in narrow slots, the electro-optic response with respect to refractive index change is strong enough for on-chip wavelength tuning and intensity modulation using voltages as low as 1 V. A silicon slot-waveguide embedded by a nonlinear optical polymer, consisting of the dye Disperse Red 1 in poly(methyl methacrylate), serves as the phase shifter in a racetrack ring resonator. As deduced from the experimental data, the third-order susceptibility of the utilized electro-optic polymer is about 2·10−19 m2/V2. The demonstrated low-voltage operation and inherently thermal stability show the potential for silicon-organic hybrid devices using the quadratic electro-optic effect.
In recent decades, much research effort has been invested in the development of photonic integrated circuits, and silicon-on-insulator technology has been established as a reliable platform for highly scalable silicon-based electro-optical modulators. However, the performance of such devices is restricted by the inherent material properties of silicon. An approach to overcoming these deficiencies is to integrate organic materials with exceptionally high optical nonlinearities into a silicon-on-insulator photonic platform. Silicon–organic hybrid photonics has been shown to overcome the drawbacks of silicon-based modulators in terms of operating speed, bandwidth, and energy consumption. This work reviews recent advances in silicon–organic hybrid photonics and covers the latest improvements to single components and device concepts. Special emphasis is given to the in-device performance of novel electro-optical polymers and the use of different electro-optical effects, such as the linear and quadratic electro-optical effect, as well as the electric-field-induced linear electro-optical effect. Finally, the inherent challenges of implementing non-linear optical polymers on a silicon photonic platform are discussed and a perspective for future directions is given.
In this work, we present for the first time a partially slotted silicon ring resonator (PSRR) covered with an electro-optical polymer (Poly[(methyl methacrylate)-co-(Disperse Red 1 acrylate)]). The PSRR takes advantage of both a highly efficient vertical slot waveguide based phase shifter and a low loss strip waveguide in a single ring. The device is realized on 200 mm silicon-on-insulator wafers using 248 nm DUV lithography and covered with the electro-optic polymer in a post process. This silicon-organic hybrid ring resonator has a small footprint, high optical quality factor, and high DC device tunability. A quality factor of up to 105 and a DC device tunability of about 700 pm/V is experimentally demonstrated in the wavelength range of 1540 nm to 1590 nm. Further, we compare our results with state-of-the-art silicon-organic hybrid devices by determining the poling efficiency. It is demonstrated that the active PSRR is a promising candidate for efficient optical switches and tunable filters.