Integrated manufacturing of optical MEMS via direct laser writing

Three-dimensional (3D) nano-printing via two-photon polymerization offers unparalleled design flexibility and precision, thereby enabling rapid prototyping of advanced micro-optical elements and systems that have found important applications in endomicroscopy and biomedical imaging. The potential of this versatile tool for monolithic manufacturing of dynamic micro-opto-electro-mechanical systems (MOEMS), however, has not yet been sufficiently explored. This approach offers unparalleled miniaturization, design flexibility, and alignment precision of micro-optics and actuators. However, the material systems available for the 3D nano-printing process are polymeric with less-than-ideal mechanical characteristics. In this paper, we discuss the monolithic manufacturing, characterization and testing of two novel functional optical microsystems, report on out investigation of the static and dynamic mechanical response of the relevant material systems to explain experimentally observed behavior.