Microfabrication Platform for Guided-Wave Optics and Micro-electro-mechanical Systems Integration

微制造工艺的改进使电子电路设计者能够在降低成本的同时提高电子芯片的性能。研究人员利用先进的微制造工具，旨在维持电子行业的增长，以引入新的微系统。其中包括微电子机械系统(MEMS)，它已被用作许多商业产品的传感器，包括汽车和手机。微制造技术也可以用来制造芯片规模的光学设备和系统。这导致了快速增长的硅光子学领域的出现。 该研究项目的目标是开发一种将MEMS致动器的效率与集成光学的多功能性相结合的微制造平台。因此，该平台将是将复杂光学系统小型化和集成的理想平台，这将有助于降低它们的成本，从而增加它们的可及性。为了展示该平台的潜力，我们将开发一种光学通道选择系统，该系统将作为AEPONYX公司下一代可调收发器的基础。AEPONYX公司是一家提供构建具有成本效益的波分复用无源光网络的解决方案的公司。 然而，这项研究项目的好处预计将超出电信网络的改善，因为使用新平台构建的设备可以在许多其他领域找到应用，包括环境传感和医学成像。此外，在研究计划期间接受培训的人员将获得宝贵的先进设计和制造技能。拟议的项目将培养1名研究助理、1名博士后研究员、2名博士、4名硕士和3名本科生。

Improvements in micro-fabrication processes have enabled electronic circuit designers to increase the performance of electronic chips while also decreasing their cost. Researchers have leveraged the advanced micro-fabrication tools designed to sustain the growth of the electronic industry to introduce novel microsystems. These include micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), which have found applications as sensors in many commercial products, including cars and cell phones. Micro-fabrication technologies can also be used to create optical devices and systems on the chip scale. This has led to the emergence of the fast growing field of silicon photonics. The objective of this research project is to develop a micro-fabrication platform that will combine the efficiency of MEMS actuators with the versatility of integrated optics. As a result, the platform will be ideal to miniaturize and integrate complex optical systems, which will contribute to reduce their cost and hence increase their accessibility. To demonstrate the potential of the platform, we will develop an optical channel selection system that will be the basis for the next generation of tunable transceivers of AEPONYX inc., a company offering solutions to build cost-effective wavelength-division-multiplexed passive optical networks. However, the benefits of this research projects are expected to go beyond the improvement of telecommunication networks since devices built with the novel platform could find applications in many other areas, including environmental sensing and medical imaging. Moreover, the people trained during the research program will gain valuable advanced design and manufacturing skills. The proposed program will train 1 research assistant, 1 post-doctoral researcher, 2 PhDs, 4 Master's and 3 undergraduate students.