Bistable micromechanical fiber-optic switches on silicon with thermal actuators

A new bistable moving-fiber switch for applications in optical communication systems is developed by employing advanced bulk silicon micromachining. The bistable switch utilizes actuators based on thermal expansion and the bimetal effect. Switches and switch arrays are successfully fabricated and tested. Due to the low number of process steps and the high yield and reliability, the process technology is suitable for low-cost single- and multi-mode fiber optic switches. A typical fiber-to-fiber insertion loss of 2 +/- 0.5 dB (single-mode fibers at 1300 nm wavelength, including MT-connector losses of typically 0.5-1.5 dB) is achieved in an array of 12 switches. The cross talk is below the detection Limit (< -60 dB). The switching power of approx. 700 mW is needed during switching only. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.