This paper presents a proof-of-concept for microelectromechanical system (MEMS)-based fixed cavity Fabry–Pérot interferometers (FPIs) operating in the long-wavelength infrared (LWIR, 8 to 12 μm) region. This work reports for the first time on the use of low-index BaF2 thin films in combination with Ge high-index thin films for such applications. Extremely flat and stress-free ∼3-μm-thick free-standing distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs) are also presented in this article, which were realized using thick lift-off of a trilayer structure fabricated using Ge and BaF2 optical layers. A peak-to-peak flatness was achieved for free-standing surface micromachined structures within the range of 10 to 20 nm across large spatial dimensions of several hundred micrometers. Finally, the optical characteristics of narrowband LWIR fixed cavity FPIs are also presented with a view toward the future realization of tunable wavelength MEMS-based spectrometers for spectral sensing. The measured optical characteristics of released FPIs agree with the modeled optical response after taking into consideration the fabrication-induced imperfections in the free-standing top DBR such as an average tilt of 15 nm and surface roughness of 25 nm. The fabricated FPIs are shown to have a linewidth of ∼110 nm and a suitable peak transmittance value of ∼50 % , which meets the requirements for their utilization in tunable MEMS-based LWIR spectroscopic sensing and imaging applications requiring spectral discrimination with narrow linewidth.
High performance distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs) are key elements to achieving high finesse MEMS-based Fabry–Pérot interferometers (FPIs). Suitable mechanical parameters combined with high contrast between the refractive indices of the constituent optical materials are the main requirements. In this paper, Germanium (Ge) and barium fluoride (BaF2) optical thin-films have been investigated for mid-wave infrared (MWIR) and long-wave infrared (LWIR) filter applications. Thin-film deposition and fabrication processes were optimised to achieve mechanical and optical properties that provide flat suspended structures with uniform thickness and maximum reflectivity. Ge-BaF2-Ge 3-layer solid-material DBRs have been fabricated that matched the predicted simulation performance, although a degradation in performance was observed for wavelengths beyond 10 μm that is associated with optical absorption in the BaF2 material. Ge-Air-Ge 3-layer air-gap DBRs, in which air rather than BaF2 served as the low refractive index layer, were realized to exhibit layer flatness at the level of 10 to 20 nm across lateral DBR dimensions of several hundred micrometers. Measured DBR reflectance was found to be ≳90 % over the entire wavelength range of the MWIR band and for the LWIR band up to a wavelength of 11 μm. Simulations based on the measured DBR reflectance indicates that MEMS-based FPIs are able to achieve a peak transmission of ≳90 % over the entire MWIR band and up to 10 μm in the LWIR band, with a corresponding spectral passband of ≲50 nm in the MWIR and <80 nm in the LWIR.
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