ARI MEMS technology, developed and improved through research projects at ARI, has resulted in successful implementations of a variety of micro-optical scanning devices. Many such devices are designed, fabricated, and tested for research purposes and 'demonstration of concept.' Furthermore, due to our many successful generations of designs and continually improving yields, a large excess of devices has become available to ARI researchers. Thus, for several years we have made fully functional devices available to outside research and development projects and groups, such as the Berkeley Sensor and Actuator Center at UC Berkeley, University of Nevada at Reno, UC Davis, as well as interested companies.

Below is a list of several device categories that have been developed at ARI and are being made available to the public for R&D demonstration and education purposes. In some cases devices may be readily available ("in stock.") In all cases, providing adequate time, devices will be available.

Monolithic single-crystal silicon devices with one-axis rotation, capable of either single- or bi-directional mechanical rotation to a static angle position.  Devices can also be operated in dynamic, resonant mode, which gives significantly more angle at lower operating voltages.

Flat, smooth mirror surface can be coated with a thin film of metal with desired reflectivity.

Larger mirrors can be bonded onto actuators for custom aperture size.

Monolithic single-crystal silicon devices with two-axes of rotation, capable of uni-directional mechanical rotation to an angle of up to 10 degrees or more in both axes.  Both axes operate equally fast due to gimbal-less design, with <100 us settling times demonstrated.  Devices can also operate in the dynamic, resonant mode, which gives significantly more angle at lower operating voltages. Resonant frequencies are in the range of several kHz. Devices have 0.6 mm diameter reflectors and 0.7 mm diameter reflectors.

Flat, smooth mirror surface can be coated with a thin film of metal with desired reflectivity.

Larger mirrors can be bonded onto actuators for custom aperture size (see below.)

Tip-tilt-piston actuators, two-axes of rotation and independently controllable piston actuation, in tightly spaced arrays are currently under development.  Each individual actuator is capable of bi-directional mechanical rotation to a static angle position in both axes, as well as static vertical pistoning.  Both axes operate equally fast due to gimbal-less design.  Small, sub-millimeter size of the actuators allows very fast scanning, while the array gives large overall aperture size. 

Flat, smooth mirror surfaces can be coated with a thin film of metal with desired reflectivity.

Mirrors are bonded onto actuators for high fill-factor array coverage >96%.

Low inertia monolithic single-crystal silicon micromirrors are fabricated from SOI wafers to provide thin, low-mass mirror surfaces supported by mechanically stiff trusses giving overall excellent flatness and smoothness.  In the center of each micromirror is a tall pedestal which is utilized to bond the structure onto a desired actuator and also provides the needed stand-off height allowing a full range of motion for the final device.

Flat, smooth mirror surface can be coated with a thin film of metal with desired reflectivity.

Mirrors can be made in any sizes, shapes, and height ratios (pedestal, trusses, thin mirror.)

Most of the scanners fabricated in our lab can be packaged with a specially and separately fabricated low inertia reflectors with Au or Al reflective coating. We regularly fabricate low-inertia round reflectors of several diameter sizes: 0.8 mm, 1.2 mm, 1.6 mm, 2.0 mm, and 2.4mm. In addition, custom size could be fabricated upon demand.

The adjacent image shows the 2.0 mm reflectors with Al metal coating assembled into our gimbal-less two-axis scanners and sealed with a anti-reflection (AR) coated quartz lid.