Reliability studies of microoptical components in NEMO

ABSTRACT We discuss on-going reliability studies of micro-optical components and assemblies as conducted in the EU FP6 Network of Excellence on Micro-Optics “NEMO”. We focus on three case studies including first biaxial fatigue testing of micro-optical components, second reliability testing and quality control of MEMS and third micro-interferometric tomography for measuring optical fibre refractive index changes. For each of these case studies we discuss the dedicated measurement and characterization methods as well as first results and the perspectives for future research. Keywords : micro-optic, reliability, fatigue, metal film, polymer, ME MS, interferometer, refractive index, optical fibre, radiation 1. INTRODUCTION The reliability of a product (device, modul e or system) can be defined as the prob ability that this product will perform a certain function within a set of pre-defined specifications for a given period in time. A manufacturer needs to guarantee the correct operation of his products for a certain time. It is therefore essential to know the reliability of these products since this has a fundamental influence on the competitiveness and on the acceptance of a technology. Extensive reliability studies have been conducted for many materials (metals, glasses, plastics, dielectrics, ceramics, adhesives, etc.) and for a large range of products (micro-electronics, opto-electronics, electrical devices, mechanical components, optical fibres, etc.). However, these studi es did not necessarily focu s on the issues that appear when the materials and products are processed and integrated in micro-optical func tional devices. In addition, new types of materials are being engineered and integrated in novel ways to yield paradigm shifting micro-optical devices, for which new or adapted reliability assessment methods need to be developed. Such devices, their manufacturing technologies and their applications form the centre of gravity of the activities conducted within the EU FP6 Network of Excellence on Micro-Optics – "NEMO"