First application close measurements applying the new hybrid integrated MEMS spectrometer

Grating spectrometers have been designed in many different configurations. Now potential high volume applications ask for extremely miniaturized and low cost systems. By the use of integrated MEMS (micro electro mechanical systems) scanning grating devices a less expensive single detector can be used in the NIR instead of the array detectors required for fixed grating systems. Meanwhile the design of a hybrid integrated MEMS scanning grating spectrometer has been drawn. The MEMS device was fabricated in the Fraunhofer IPMS own clean room facility. This chip is mounted on a small circuit board together with the detector and then stacked with spacer and mirror substrate. The spectrometer has been realized by stacking several planar substrates by sophisticated mounting technologies. The spectrometer has been designed for the 950nm - 1900nm spectral range and 9nm spectral resolution with organic matter analysis in mind. First applications are considered in the food quality analysis and food processing technology. As example for the use of a spectrometer with this performance the grill process of steak was analyzed. Similar measurement would be possible on dairy products, vegetables or fruit. The idea is a mobile spectrometer for in situ and on site analysis applications in or attached to a host system providing processing, data access and input-output capabilities, disregarding this would be a laptop, tablet, smart phone or embedded platform.