MEMS TECHNOLOGY DESIGN BY SERCALO
FIBER OPTIC MEMS
The acronym MEMS stands for Micro Electromechanical Systems. Fiber Optic MEMS, or micro electromechanical devices, are devices that allow a photonic signal, travelling at the speed of light through a fiber optic to be redirected, routed, or filtered.
MEMS are produced with high precision tools of the microelectronics industry, ideally suited for parallel manufacturing of 100s of chips on a single wafer.
The MEMS chips are the principal building block of Sercalo’s fiber optic products.
Fiber-Optic MEMS allow an extraordinary combination of optics, electronics, and micro mechanics, resulting in precise control of optical signals with the lowest losses.
The outstanding stability of Sercalo switches over time is critical in optical Test and Measurement to avoid test set up recalibration.
ON THE TECHNOLOGY
The Fiber Optic switch technology is based on the silicon technology that made the fame of the Silicon Valley in the late 60s. What is so complex about Fiber optic MEMS is that you must achieve mirrors of one micron wide and 100-micron high, remaining totally flat.
ON THE NEEDS OF THE INDUSTRY
The first need of the industry is to avoid and reduce the degradation of the signal to have the most minimal modal loss after each reflection in the mirror. This is a result Sercalo achieves in house thanks to unique production processes.
We have achieved such a level of quality and expertise through the 20 years focusing on this field and integrating vertically all the production processes.
There is a growing demand for fiber optical switches, and we observe an increased in interest in high port counts optical switching solutions. Sercalo currently offers fiber optic switches with ports count configurations of up to 16 inputs and 16 outputs, based on the highly reliable and proven Sercalo MEMS switches.
SERCALO & COMPETITIVENESS
Since 1999, Sercalo is a worldwide leading provider of fiber optic MEMS technology and products for telecommunications or test and measurement applications.
Sercalo is recognized for its High-Quality Swiss manufacturing and development.
It’s the combination of Swiss quality, with High productivity that enables us to make very Competitive products even in the light of what could produce other companies. For producing low volume Optical MEMS most of our competitors rely on an external foundry. We at Sercalo go the opposite road. To guarantee performance and quality, we do have our own foundry in house. Only this way we can have total control of our processes. Our location in Switzerland provides us with a unique culture and know-how in micro mechanics.
We are a very responsive engineering team, with a fast decision-making and development capability. Typically, we complete the proof of concept of a new product in less than 9 months and a time to market below 12 months.
For producing low volume Optical MEMS most of our competitors rely on an external foundry. We at Sercalo go the opposite road. To guarantee performance and quality, we do have our own foundry in house. Only this way we can have total control of our processes. Our location in Switzerland provides us with a unique culture and know-how in micro mechanics.
ADVANTAGES OF SERCALO’S TECHNOLOGY
Our skills span the entire production process, from in-house MEMS chip design and qualification to manufacturing and assembly. All products are designed, manufactured, and certified "Swiss Made".
Sercalo’s products are leader in the market of Fiber Optical Components thanks to their:
- Reliability
- Wide wavelength range covering the full range of the used fibers
- Solid state like repeatability
- Resistance to wear
OPTICAL MEMS TECHNOLOGY
The MEMS technology uses integrated circuit processing techniques to create precise and moveable structures on silicon substrates. MEMS are the union of microelectronics and micro machining technologies. It is MEMS technology and the design expertise in electronics driver designs that makes Sercalo's products stand out in the market. Sercalo's patented MEMS technology is based on micro mirrors fabricated in single crystal silicon.
Optical MEMS and MOEMS have had the greatest success to date in Telecom, 3D Print, LiDAR, Ophthalmology, Laser writer and Lab use.
SERCALO OPTICAL MEMS
MEMS are used in telecommunication networks at different levels such as in tunable lasers, tunable filters, optical switches, dynamic gain equalizers, attenuators.
Sercalo has an in house design expertise and manufacturing capabilities in:
- MEMS design and manufacture based on deep reactive ion etching
- Electronics design
- Precision MEMS micro assembly
- Fiber Optic MEMS packaging
- Test and Measurement of critical optical and mechanical parameters
SERCALO FACILITY
Sercalo’s products are highly reliable due to mature MEMS technology. There is no sticking, no friction, no wear out, nor fatigue. This is why a MEMS switch can operate billions of cycles, maintaining the same output results.
Sercalo qualifies its fiber optic components according to the Telcordia 1221 standard (mechanical shocks, vibration, high number of thermal cycles, damp heat etc.)
STEP BY STEP
| Wet Processing | Dry Processing | Assembly Line | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photolithography | DRIE Etching | Wafer Probing | Mechanical shock |
| Wet Etching | O2 Plasma cleaning | Automated Pick place | Vibration |
| HF Vapor release | PVD | Wire Bonding | Thermal cycles |
| Dry Wet oxidation | Pigtail assembly | Damp heat | |
| Package sealing | |||
| Laser Welding | |||
| Fiber optic Test and Measurement |
