CMOS-compatible LVOF-based visible microspectrometer

This paper reports on a CMOS-Compatible Linear Variable Optical Filter (LVOF) visible micro-spectrometer. The CMOS-compatible post process for fabrication of the LVOF has been used for integration of the LVOF with a CMOS chip containing a 128-element photodiode array and readout circuitry. Fabrication of LVOF involves a process for fabrication of very small taper angles, ranging from 0.001° to 0.1°, in SiO2. These layers can be fabricated flexibly in a resist layer by just one lithography step and a subsequent reflow process. The 3D pattern of the resist structures is subsequently transferred into SiO2 by appropriate etching. Complete LVOF fabrication involves CMOS-compatible deposition of a lower dielectric mirror using a stack of dielectrics on the wafer, tapered layer formation and deposition of the top dielectric mirror. The LVOF has been optimized for 580 nm - 720 nm spectral operating range and has also been mounted on a CCD camera for characterization. The design of LVOF micro-spectrometer, the fabrication and characterization results are presented.