MEMS sensor array platform integrated with CMOS based optical readout

Abstract

This paper reports a micro electro-mechanical system (MEMS) based sensor array integrated with CMOS-based optical readout. The integrated architecture has several unique features and reported here for the first time. MEMS devices are passive and there are no electrical connections to the MEMS sensor array. Thus the architecture is scalable to large array formats for parallel measurement applications and can even be made as a disposable cartridge in the future using self-aligning features. A CMOS-based readout integrated circuit (ROIC) is integrated to the MEMS chip. Via holes are defined on ROIC by customized post-processing to enable integrated optical readout. A diffraction grating interferometer-based optical readout is realized by pixel-level illumination of the MEMS chip through the via holes and by capturing the reflected light using a photodetector array on the CMOS chip.