Date: 29/01/2012

Egypt based fables semiconductor firm launches MEMS based optical chip platform

Egypt based fables Semiconductor Company Si-Ware Systems (SWS) has announced a platform to create single-chip optical systems called Silicon integrated Micro Optical System (SiMOST).

Multiple optical MEMS structures can be patterned and etched on SOI wafers using Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE). The structures are then wafer level packaged and diced to create a one-chip optical system. Optical components include flat, cylindrical and spherical collimating mirrors; wide bandwidth beamsplitters; optical filters; and moving corner cube reflectors. MEMS components include long travel range micro-actuators and micro-motors. The products developed by this device include a fully monolithic FT-IR spectrometer and a swept laser source.

SWS says SiMOST optical components are lithographically aligned on-chip, eliminating the need for time consuming and costly alignment.

"For the first time an optical designer has the freedom to design very complex systems with as many components as necessary with no impact on cost of assembly and bill of materials", said Bassam Saadany, Division Manager for MEMS at SWS. "With SiMOST, optical systems can achieve economies of scale that are similar to the micro-electronics industry in terms of size and cost, which opens up a range of applications and market opportunities".

SWS also offers interface and control ASICs to handle the MEMS control, current, voltage and capacitive sensing, data conversion via ADC/DAC, and data processing.

SWS is presenting more details on its SiMOST set of solutions at Photonics West 2012 in San Francisco being held this week January 24th through 26th.

Si-Ware Systems is also to exhibit its ASIC solutions for MEMS interfacing at IEEE MEMS 2012, Paris, France.

The SiMOST solution is available today. For more info visit http://www.si-ware.com.