Development of a micro-opto-mechanical pressure sensor based on the Mach-Zehnder interferometer

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Abstract

In this paper shows the possibility of creating sensitive elements based on integrated optical technology and MEMS structures. A prototype of a pressure sensor operating on the principle of optical interference is presented. The sensor’s sensing element is based on a Mach-Zehnder interferometer, one of the arms of which is located on a deformable membrane. The optical scheme of the interferometer is implemented on Si3N4 integrated waveguides. In the course of the study, a theoretical assessment of the effect of membrane deformation on waveguide geometry was performed. The calculations performed were tested during experimental studies of models of a micro-opto-mechanical pressure sensor with different configurations of the interferometer arms. As a result of the research, a technological basis for integrated optical sensors based on silicon nitride waveguides and MEMS technology for the formation of membranes on silicon substrates has been developed.

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About the authors

M. A. Saurov

Scientific-Manufacturing Complex "Technological Centre"; National Research University of Electronic Technology (MIET)

Email: D.Gorelov@tcen.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-2632-898X

Junior Researcher

Russian Federation, Moscow; Moscow

D. V. Gorelov

Scientific-Manufacturing Complex "Technological Centre"

Author for correspondence.
Email: D.Gorelov@tcen.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-0887-9406

Senior Researcher

Russian Federation, Moscow

A. S. Kadochkin

Scientific-Manufacturing Complex "Technological Centre"

Email: D.Gorelov@tcen.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-7960-1583

Cand. of Sci. (Physics and Mathematics), Senior Researcher

Russian Federation, Moscow

V. V. Svetukhin

Scientific-Manufacturing Complex "Technological Centre"

Email: D.Gorelov@tcen.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-0831-9254

Doct. of Sci. (Physics and Mathematics), Director, Corresponding Member of RAS

Russian Federation, Moscow

References

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Supplementary files

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2. Fig.1. MEMS sensor scheme based on the Mach-Zehnder interferometer

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3. Fig.2. Scheme of membrane deformation in cross-section: a – in normal state; b – under applied differential pressure

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4. Fig.3. Schematic of membrane deformation to estimate increasing the length ΔL of the waveguide

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5. Fig.4. Elongation of one coil of a spiral waveguide from its location on a membrane with a radius of 800 µm

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6. Fig.5. Brief process flow diagram for manufacturing a pressure sensor

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7. Fig.6. Micrograph of a 2 µm cross-sectional spiral waveguide 2 × 0,45 µm (neff = 1.72 for the fundamental TE mode) with 8 turns on a 12 µm thick silicon membrane. Thickness of the SiO2 top shell is 2 µm

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8. Fig.7. Photograph of the fabricated experimental specimen with the optical fibre docking performed

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9. Fig.8. Pressure sensor measurement diagram

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10. Fig.9. Dependence of the optical signal intensity at the output on the applied pressure for the pressure sensor: a – with 4 turns of the waveguide helix; b – with 6 turns of the waveguide helix. Dots – experimental data, solid line – model (15). The best match between theoretical and experimental data is observed at the values of material parameters: E = 220 GPa and ν = 0.1

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Copyright (c) 2025 Saurov M.A., Gorelov D.V., Kadochkin A.S., Svetukhin V.V.