Spectrophotometric analysis of input light
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorsJingkuang Chen, Joel A. Kubby
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A micro spectrophotometer is monolithically constructed on a silicon substrate. The spectrophotometer includes a concave grating, which is used for dispersing optical waves as well as focusing reflected light onto a photodiode array sited on a silicon bridge. The silicon bridge is bent 90° from the surface of the silicon substrate in order to orthogonally intersect the output light from the grating. A precision notch is defined in the silicon substrate for coupling to an optical input fiber. Signal processing circuitry is etched on the substrate using conventional CMOS processes for initial processing of information received from the photodiode array.
Claims20
A method for spectrophotometric analysis of input light comprising
- dispersing input optical waves with a grating defined in a monolithic substrate,
- receiving dispersed optical waves from the grating with a photodiode array defined in a movable support structure on the monolithic substrate, and
- processing signal received from the photodiode array with signal processing circuitry formed on the monolithic substrate and connected to the photodiode array.
A method for spectrophotometric analysis of input light comprising dispersing input optical waves with a grating defined in a monolithic substrate, and directing the dispersed input optical waves at a suspended bridge defined over a cavity in the monolithic substrate, the suspended bridge having a photodiode array to receive dispersed optical waves from the grating.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.