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Hybrid assembled MEMS scanner array with large aperture for fast scanning LIDAR systems

Hybrid-integriertes Mikroscannerarray mit großer Empfangsapertur für schnelle LIDAR-Systeme
  • Thilo Sandner

    Thilo Sandner studied electrical engineering at the Technical University of Dresden (Germany). He has been working as a scientist since his graduation in 1994 with 25 years’ experience in micro-system technology, sensors and optical measurement techniques over a wide field of application. He received his doctorate in 2003 at the Department of Solid-State Electronics of TU Dresden on a non-destructive laser induced characterization method of depth resolved polarization profiles of ferroelectric thin films. In 2003, he joined the Fraunhofer IPMS as a scientist. Since 2004 he builds up and heads the R&D group micro-scanners at IPMS for more than 11 years. His expertise involves the MEMS design, simulation, bulk micro-machiningg and characterization of MOEMS, as well as their system integration. Currently, he works as a R&D project manager and key scientist focusing on new MOEMS devices and application areas, like MEMS based LiDAR or miniaturized FTIR spectrometers. He is author/coauthor of more than 130 articles and 15 issued patents.

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    , Thomas Grasshoff

    Thomas Graßhoff studied microsystem technology at the University of Applied Sciences Berlin. He has been working as an MEMS designer at the Fraunhofer IPMS since his graduation in 2005. Parallel to his work he completed his education with a distance learning in “Computational Engineering”. In 2014 he received his Master of Science degree from the Beuth University of Applied Sciences, Berlin Germany. His field of work as scientist includes the component design of novel micro mechanical devices, first of all novel micro-scanning-mirrors with a focus on FEM simulation of mechanical and multi-physical domains.

    , Michael Wildenhain

    Michael Wildenhain received the Dipl.-Ing. (FH) degree from the University of Applied Sciences Zwickau, Germany in 1999 and a Master of Science degree from the University of Cottbus in 2012. In 2000 he joined Fraunhofer IPMS. He has more than 15 years experience in MEMS micro-mirror devices for several applications. Seven years he was concerned with development of micro-mirror arrays for Adaptive Optics. As a project manager he heads industrial projects focusing on product development and pre-series production of micro scanning devices.

    and Markus Schwarzenberg

    Markus Schwarzenberg studied information technology at the Technical University of Dresden. He has been working as a scientist at the Fraunhofer IPMS since his graduation in 1996. He received his doctorate in 2000 at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the Technical University Dresden. His work focuses on the area of software development, signal and image processing as well as on system design of electronic control systems for micromechanical devices. Currently, he heads the Electronics and Software Development Working Group within the IPMS Business Unit AMS.

From the journal tm - Technisches Messen

Abstract

This article presents a large aperture micro scanning mirror (MSM) array especially developed for the panoramic 3D-ToF camera Fovea-3D. The Fovea-3D system uses a fiber amplified pulsed laser ToF technique at λ=1550nm with 1 MVoxel distance measuring rate. It targets for real time 3D imaging with a panoramic optical field of view (FOV) of 360°×60° (horizontal × vertical) combined with a large distance measurement range of 100 m and a video-like frame rate of 10 Hz. For fast vertical scan axis a MEMS scanner module with large receiver aperture was especially developed. It increases the scanning rate to 3200 Hz which is four times faster in comparison to state-of-the-art fast macroscopic polygon scanning systems used for LIDAR systems. To guarantee at the same time a large reception aperture of Deff=23mm, large FOV of 60° and high vertical scanning rate of 3200 Hz, a hybrid assembled MSM array was developed consisting of 22 reception mirrors and a separate emitting mirror for laser scanning of the target. For Fovea3D hybrid assembly of frequency selected scanner elements was chosen instead of a monolithic MEMS scanner array to guaranty a high yield of MEMS fabrication. All MSM are driven in parametric resonance to enable a fully synchronized operation of all individual MEMS scanner elements. Therefore, piezo-resistive position sensors are integrated on each MEMS chip for position feedback of driving control. The paper discusses details of the MEMS system integration including the synchronized operation of multiple MEMS scanning elements.

Zusammenfassung

In diesem Artikel wird ein MEMS- Scannerspiegel Array vorgestellt, welches speziell für zur großen Empfangsapertur schnell scannendes die 3D-ToF Panoramakamera Fovea-3D entwickeltes zur Gewährleitung einer aus synchron scannenden identischen Mikroscannern besteht.

In diesem Artikel wird der MEMS basierte Laserscanner Fovea-3D vorgestellt. Dieser zielt auf Echtzeit 3D-Bildgebung mit einem optischen Panorama-Sichtfeld (FOV) von 360°×60° (horizontal × vertikal) in Kombination mit einem großen Entfernungsmessbereich von mindestens 100 m und einer Bildfrequenz von 10 Hz. Die Entfernungsmessung beruht auf einem Pulslaufzeitverfahren mit faserverstärktem Pulslaser bei λ=1550nm und APD-Einzelelementdetektor, resultierend in einer Entfernungsmessrate von 1 MVoxel. Der schnelle vertikale Scan erfolgt über ein 1D-MEMS-Modul mit großer Empfangsapertur, welches die Scanrate auf 3200 Hz erhöht und somit viermal schneller als derzeit für echtzeitfähige Laserscanner verwendete makroskopische Polygon-Scansysteme ist. Um gleichzeitig eine große Empfangsapertur von Deff=23mm, ein großes FOV von 60° und eine Scanrate von 3200 Hz zu gewährleisten, wurde ein hybrid integriertes MSM-Array mit synchron scannenden identischen Mikroscannern entwickelt, das aus 22 Empfangsspiegeln und einem separaten Sendespiegel besteht. Eine Hybridintegration von einzelnen frequenzselektierten MEMS-Spiegeln anstelle eines monolithisch integrierten MEMS-Scannerarrays wurde gewählt, um eine hohe MEMS-Fertigungsausbeute zu gewährleisten. Alle MSM werden in parametrischer Resonanz betrieben, um einen vollständig synchronisierten Betrieb aller Einzelelemente zu gewährleisten. Zur Messung des aktuellen Ablenkwinkels sind piezoresistive Positionssensoren im MEMS-Scanner integriert. Im Artikel werden Details der MEMS-Systemintegration einschließlich des synchronisierten Betriebs mehrerer MEMS-Scannerelemente erörtert.

Funding statement: The authors would like to thank the Fraunhofer society for their financial support of the presented work within the project “WISA: Fovea-3D adaptive 3D recording” performed in cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute for Physical Measurement Techniques (IPM).

About the authors

Thilo Sandner

Thilo Sandner studied electrical engineering at the Technical University of Dresden (Germany). He has been working as a scientist since his graduation in 1994 with 25 years’ experience in micro-system technology, sensors and optical measurement techniques over a wide field of application. He received his doctorate in 2003 at the Department of Solid-State Electronics of TU Dresden on a non-destructive laser induced characterization method of depth resolved polarization profiles of ferroelectric thin films. In 2003, he joined the Fraunhofer IPMS as a scientist. Since 2004 he builds up and heads the R&D group micro-scanners at IPMS for more than 11 years. His expertise involves the MEMS design, simulation, bulk micro-machiningg and characterization of MOEMS, as well as their system integration. Currently, he works as a R&D project manager and key scientist focusing on new MOEMS devices and application areas, like MEMS based LiDAR or miniaturized FTIR spectrometers. He is author/coauthor of more than 130 articles and 15 issued patents.

Thomas Grasshoff

Thomas Graßhoff studied microsystem technology at the University of Applied Sciences Berlin. He has been working as an MEMS designer at the Fraunhofer IPMS since his graduation in 2005. Parallel to his work he completed his education with a distance learning in “Computational Engineering”. In 2014 he received his Master of Science degree from the Beuth University of Applied Sciences, Berlin Germany. His field of work as scientist includes the component design of novel micro mechanical devices, first of all novel micro-scanning-mirrors with a focus on FEM simulation of mechanical and multi-physical domains.

Michael Wildenhain

Michael Wildenhain received the Dipl.-Ing. (FH) degree from the University of Applied Sciences Zwickau, Germany in 1999 and a Master of Science degree from the University of Cottbus in 2012. In 2000 he joined Fraunhofer IPMS. He has more than 15 years experience in MEMS micro-mirror devices for several applications. Seven years he was concerned with development of micro-mirror arrays for Adaptive Optics. As a project manager he heads industrial projects focusing on product development and pre-series production of micro scanning devices.

Markus Schwarzenberg

Markus Schwarzenberg studied information technology at the Technical University of Dresden. He has been working as a scientist at the Fraunhofer IPMS since his graduation in 1996. He received his doctorate in 2000 at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the Technical University Dresden. His work focuses on the area of software development, signal and image processing as well as on system design of electronic control systems for micromechanical devices. Currently, he heads the Electronics and Software Development Working Group within the IPMS Business Unit AMS.

Acknowledgment

Here, we have especially to thank our colleagues Claudia Baulig and Stefan Schwarzer of Fraunhofer IPM. We also like to thank the IPMS colleagues Jan Grahmann and Harald Schenk for their support.

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Received: 2019-01-17
Accepted: 2019-02-03
Published Online: 2019-03-02
Published in Print: 2019-03-26

© 2019 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

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