High-resolution, low-cost microsensors for networked sensing systems: Optical nanospectrometers with nanoimprinted cavities of filter arrays

Microspectrometers are very important and reveal a high potential for networked sensing systems. They are widely implemented in both industrial and scientific applications. A novel Fabry-Pérot-based nanospectrometer with nanoimprinted cavities has been designed. The key parts of the nanospectrometer are Fabry-Pérot filter arrays with different cavity heights which have been fabricated and characterized in detail. All different filter cavities were fabricated in a single step using novel 3D nanoimprint technology with our high vertical resolution 3D nanoimprint templates. Potential combinations of nanoimprint methods and imprint resists were used and characterized. Plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) and ion beam deposition (IBD) were processed in parallel for depositing distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs). The filter arrays have been demonstrated to have an ultra-high filter transmittance up to 97%, small line width (FWHM) of less than 2.5 nm and a rather broad stop band over 200 nm.