Low-Cost 3D-Printed Electromagnetically Driven Large-Area 1-DOF Optical Scanners

In this paper, we demonstrate 3D-printed 1-DOF (one torsional axis; 1 degree of freedom) optical scanners with large mirror areas (up to 20 × 20 mm2). Each device consists of an aluminum-coated square silicon substrate serving as the mirror, two miniature permanent magnets, an electromagnet, and a 3D-printed structure including the mirror frame, torsion springs, and base. One device can reach a static half optical scan angle of 14.8 deg., i.e., a full optical scan angle of 29.6 deg., at 12 VDC; this particular device exhibits a mechanical resonance frequency of 84 Hz. These scanners can be a potential, low-cost alternative to the expensive conventional galvanometer scanners.