Simultaneous detection of translational and angular displacements of micromachined elements

An astigmatic detection system is constructed with a modified digital-versatile-disk optical head. This system, with a detecting spot of similar to 1 mu m, can simultaneously measure the vertical displacements and two-dimensional angular tilts of micromachined elements. It can detect thermal vibrations of microfabricated cantilevers with noise levels of 1.3 pm Hz(-1/2) for the linear displacement and of 3.2 nrad Hz(-1/2) for angular displacements over a frequency range from 1 to 800 kHz. The detecting frequency can even reach beyond 100 MHz if high-speed electronic devices are adopted. Further optimization of the system will broaden its applications in diverse technological fields. (C) 2007 American Institute of Physics.