Ultra wide band MIR MEMS FTIR spectrometer

Infrared portable spectral sensors are greatly required for rapid and simultaneous analysis of material composition; triggering new applications in the domain of on-site spectroscopy. At the same time, miniaturization of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometers based on the silicon technology has been proven to be one of the most promising approaches for wide spectral range applications. In this work, we present a fiber-free MEMS FTIR spectrometer working in the wavelength range of 1.8 μm to 6.8 μm (5500-1470 cm^-1). The spectrometer is based on the use of a monolithically integrated scanning Michelson interferometer, assembled with external reflecting micro-optical part, which is responsible for light coupling to and from the MEMS chip. The measured signal-to-noise ratio of the spectrometer is larger than 5000:1 with a spectral resolution of 66 cm^-1. The experimental results of measuring the transmission of a polystyrene reference calibration film show four absorption peaks in the Mid Infra-Red (MIR) range at 3.27, 3.5, 5.15, 6.24 μm in close agreement with theoretical predictions.