Optical microspectrometer using a micro-instrumentation platform

MEMS are usually designed for measuring one parameter and on-chip co-integration of sensor (microstructure) and readout circuits is often pursued. In a multi-parameter measurement system, yield considerations and fabrication compatibility problems favor micro-instruments based on active Si-MCM techniques. The generic device is based on a stacked structure with a universally applicable active silicon MCM platform that contains all the infrastructural functions of a measurement system. Customizing the microsystem requires flip-chip attach of sensor dies and a commercially available microcontroller die, which is subsequently programmed for the intended application. The micro-instrument features a data pre processing capability to provide high-level data (e.g. spectral information rather than raw sensor data) and to communicate with a host processor intelligently.STW - project DEL 55.3733.TU Delft, Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) - Program Praxis XXI-BD/5181/95