Design and Simulation of MEMS Based Electrothermal Micro Mirror for Optical Switching

Abstract

Micro mirror is a versatile MEMS device which is used in many application areas. Significant efforts have been made for the development of scanning micro mirror for optical switching applications. In this paper, an electrothermal driven micro mirror is designed that is capable of producing large deflections in all directions. The study and stimulation of electrical, thermal and most importantly the mechanical behavior of the mirror system are done using COMSOL Multiphysics. Micro mirror is made up of silicon so that micro mirror produces large deflections. Electro thermal actuator is made up of polysilicon, silicon dioxide and aluminum. When a voltage is applied, temperature will change yielding a bending of both angular rotation as well as a vertical displacement, which can be used for the tip tilt motion. The device has an average of 1.78 ?m deflection in either direction for an input voltage of 1V. The ability of controlled deflection of the micromirror in space is likely to have potential applications in optical switching