Abstract: Electrostatic devices, systems and methods are presented. One embodiment is an electrostatic device including a substrate, a first electrode disposed on the substrate, a movable element having a second electrode and a control electrode. The control electrode is disposed in electrostatic communication with the movable element. The control electrode includes a protection layer having resistivity in a range of from about 1 ohm-cm to about 10 kohm-cm.

Abstract: Optical detection systems and optical spectrometric systems are presented. One embodiment is a parallelized optical detection system. The detection system includes collector optics configured to receive an input optical signal, a plurality of optical filters and a plurality of tunable cavities. The collector optics includes at least one collector lens and at least one fiber multiplexer. The plurality of optical filters are configured to receive the input optical signal from the fiber multiplexer, and have serially varying pass band configured to filter the input optical signal at respective bandwidths. Each of the plurality of tunable cavities is optically coupled to each filter of the respective plurality of optical filters to receive a respective filtered output signal. The plurality of tunable cavities have band-pass frequencies with center frequencies staggered.

Abstract: An electrical through-connection, or via, that passes through a substrate to a bus on a first surface of the substrate. The via may be configured with an interlock such that the electrically conductive core of the via is constrained to thermally expand towards the second surface, away from the bus, thus preventing damage to the bus. The interlock may be a local constriction or enlargement of the via near the first surface of the substrate. The via may be greater in length along the bus than a unit spacing of beams in a parallel microswitch array actuated in unison along the bus. The via may be narrower in width than in length, and may form a trapezoidal geometry that is larger at the second surface of the substrate than at the first surface.

Abstract: Electrostatic devices, systems and methods are presented. One embodiment is an electrostatic device including a substrate, a first electrode disposed on the substrate, a movable element having a second electrode and a control electrode. The control electrode is disposed in electrostatic communication with the movable element. The control electrode includes a protection layer having resistivity in a range of from about 1 ohm-cm to about 10 kohm-cm.

Abstract: A piezoelectric planar composite apparatus to provide health monitoring of a structure and associated methods are provided. The piezoelectric planar composite apparatus includes a piezoelectric electric material layer, multiple electrodes positioned in electrical contact with the piezoelectric material layer, and multiple sets of electrode interconnect conductors each positioned in electrical contact with a different subset of the electrodes and positioned to form multiple complementary electrode patterns. Each of the complementary electrode patterns is positioned to form an electric field having an electric field axis oriented along a different physical axis from that of an electric field formed by at least one other of the complementary electrode patterns. The interconnect conductors can be distributed over several electrode interconnect conductor carrying layers to enhance formation of the different complementary electrode patterns.

Abstract: A system and method for managing optical power for controlling thermal alteration of a sample undergoing spectroscopic analysis is provided. The system includes a moveable laser beam generator for irradiating the sample and a beam shaping device for moving and shaping the laser beam to prevent thermal overload or build up in the sample. The moveable laser beam generator includes at least one beam shaping device selected from the group consisting of at least one optical lens, at least one optical diffractor, at least one optical path difference modulator, at least one moveable mirror, at least one Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) integrated circuit (IC), and/or a liquid droplet. The system also includes an at least two degree of freedom (2 DOF) moveable substrate platform and a controller for controlling the laser beam generator and the substrate platform, and for analyzing light reflected from the sample.

Abstract: Multiple microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) on a substrate are capped with a cover using a layer that may function as a bonding agent, separation layer, and hermetic seal. A substrate has a first side with multiple MEMS devices. A cover is formed with through-holes for vias, and with standoff posts for layer registration and separation. An adhesive sheet is patterned with cutouts for the MEMS devices, vias, and standoff posts. The adhesive sheet is tacked to the cover, then placed on the MEMS substrate and heated to bond the layers. The via holes may be metalized with leads for circuit board connection. The MEMS units may be diced from the substrate after sealing, thus protecting them from contaminants.

Abstract: An electrical through-connection, or via, that passes through a substrate to a bus on a first surface of the substrate. The via may be configured with an interlock such that the electrically conductive core of the via is constrained to thermally expand towards the second surface, away from the bus, thus preventing damage to the bus. The interlock may be a local constriction or enlargement of the via near the first surface of the substrate. The via may be greater in length along the bus than a unit spacing of beams in a parallel microswitch array actuated in unison along the bus. The via may be narrower in width than in length, and may form a trapezoidal geometry that is larger at the second surface of the substrate than at the first surface.

Abstract: Multiple microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) on a substrate are capped with a cover using a layer that may function as a bonding agent, separation layer, and hermetic seal. A substrate has a first side with multiple MEMS devices. A cover is formed with through-holes for vias, and with standoff posts for layer registration and separation. An adhesive sheet is patterned with cutouts for the MEMS devices, vias, and standoff posts. The adhesive sheet is tacked to the cover, then placed on the MEMS substrate and heated to bond the layers. The via holes may be metalized with leads for circuit board connection. The MEMS units may be diced from the substrate after sealing, thus protecting them from contaminants.

Abstract: An integrated spectrometer instrument, including an optical source formed on a chip, the optical source configured to generate an incident optical beam upon a sample to be measured. Collection optics formed on the chip are configured to receive a scattered optical beam from the sample, and filtering optics formed on the chip are configured to remove elastically scattered light from the scattered optical beam at a wavelength corresponding to the optical source. A tunable filter formed on the chip is configured to pass selected wavelengths of the scattered optical beam, and a photo detector device formed on the chip is configured to generate an output signal corresponding to the intensity of photons passed through the tunable filter.

Abstract: A system and method for managing optical power for controlling thermal alteration of a sample undergoing spectroscopic analysis is provided. The system includes a moveable laser beam generator for irradiating the sample and a beam shaping device for moving and shaping the laser beam to prevent thermal overload or build up in the sample. The moveable laser beam generator includes at least one beam shaping device selected from the group consisting of at least one optical lens, at least one optical diffractor, at least one optical path difference modulator, at least one moveable mirror, at least one Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) integrated circuit (IC), and/or a liquid droplet. The system also includes an at least two degree of freedom (2 DOF) moveable substrate platform and a controller for controlling the laser beam generator and the substrate platform, and for analyzing light reflected from the sample.

Abstract: A photonic crystal based collection probe is provided. The probe includes a photonic crystal configured to guide and condition a beam of Raman scattered photons. Further, the device includes a spectrograph in optical communication with the photonic crystal and configured to receive Raman scattering from the photonic crystal. The device may be employed in a Raman spectrometer system.

Abstract: An interferometer includes a resonant cavity having a movable mirror and at least one fiber optic component acting as a fixed mirror. A surface of the fiber optic component is coated with a reflective film. An actuator is coupled to the movable mirror, such that when a scattered optical beam is coupled to the cavity, interference occurs between the surface of the fiber optic component coated with reflective film and a surface of the movable mirror facing the surface of the fiber optic component coated with reflective film. The reflective film on the surface of the fiber optic component causes closely spaced spectral lines within the scattered optical beam to be suitably resolved.

Abstract: A piezoelectric planar composite apparatus to provide health monitoring of a structure and associated methods are provided. The piezoelectric planar composite apparatus includes a piezoelectric electric material layer, multiple electrodes positioned in electrical contact with the piezoelectric material layer, and multiple sets of electrode interconnect conductors each positioned in electrical contact with a different subset of the of the electrodes and positioned to form multiple complementary electrode patterns. Each of the complementary electrode patterns is positioned to form an electric field having an electric field axis oriented along a different physical axis from that of an electric field formed by at least one other of the complementary electrode patterns. The interconnect conductors can be distributed over several electrode interconnect conductor carrying layers to enhance formation of the different complementary electrode patterns.