Scanning device having a semiconductor arrangement for emitting and / or detecting electromagnetic radiation

Abstract

The invention relates to a scanning device having a transmitting arrangement (20) for transmitting signals in the form of electromagnetic radiation and / or having a receiving arrangement (30) for receiving signals in the form of electromagnetic radiation, wherein the scanning device has a micromechanical device having a carrier plate (4), which is held on a frame (1) by means of spring elements (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d), and having a drive device (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d), which is configured to drive the carrier plate relative to the frame, wherein the carrier plate has a transmitting arrangement (20, 30) and / or a receiving arrangement (20, 30), and wherein the drive device (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d) has piezoelectric drive elements which are directly connected to one of the spring elements in each case, or are part of one of the spring elements.

Description

[0001] Scanning device with a semiconductor arrangement for the emission and / or detection of electromagnetic radiation

[0002] The invention lies in the fields of micromechanics, electrical engineering, and imaging techniques, and is particularly advantageous in the construction of fluorescence microscopes, but also applicable to other scanning methods such as lidar. Integrated assemblies of various functional elements are known in semiconductor technology and micromechanics, including integrated radiation sources, detectors for electromagnetic radiation, and, within the context of micromechanics, also precisely movable elements. This allows for the integrated fabrication of various functional elements that can be designed in the form of semiconductor structures.

[0003] Spatial resolution plays a crucial role in imaging techniques and the equipment used for them. This is particularly true, but not exclusively, for fluorescence microscopy, an imaging technique used, for example, in biological cell research. This technique uses fluorescent molecules or macromolecules, such as proteins, to visualize specific structures within cells or tissues.

[0004] Fluorescence microscopy is made possible by the fact that certain molecules, due to their fluorescence properties, absorb light and subsequently emit light of a longer wavelength. Fluorescent dyes can be used to label and visualize substances or tissue structures, even in living organisms. The entire structure to be visualized can be illuminated, and the resulting fluorescence pattern imaged in its entirety. However, scanning imaging is also possible and well-established. Lateral and axial resolution can be improved, for example, by confocal or two-photon microscopy.

[0005] Fluorescence microscopes and similar imaging devices are complex and often bulky instruments. In such devices, light sources and detectors are interconnected with filters and beam guidance elements, requiring precise alignment and adjustment. This often results in significant maintenance requirements.

[0006] Individual functional units that are integrated into micromechanical devices are already known from the prior art.

[0007] For example, document WO 2017 / 076861A2 discloses a lighting device in which a color conversion matrix is ​​activated at specific points with a laser beam to generate electromagnetic radiation of a specific wavelength, wherein the conversion matrix can be driven relative to the laser beam by means of a piezoelectric drive or an electromagnetic drive to excite different points of the conversion matrix.

[0008] Document US2014 / 0036536A1 discloses a matrix of so-called quantum dots, which serve as color conversion elements and can be illuminated for excitation. A micromechanical, driveable shutter grid makes the illumination of individual quantum dots controllable, so that the emitted radiation can be shaped. A similar solution is disclosed in document US2019 / 0086660A1.

[0009] European patent application EP2181358B1 discloses a lighting device for generating light of desired wavelengths, comprising a light source and a plate with a material for converting radiation with respect to its wavelength, wherein the plate is designed to be rotatable or oscillating in order to expose different areas of the plate to the light source.

[0010] US patent US5920417 discloses a 2-axis MEMS scanner which reveals a carrier plate for an emitter, wherein the carrier plate is movable by means of a piezo drive.

[0011] US patent US6084697 discloses a microscanner with a laser diode, wherein the scanner can have an emitter and a detector on a substrate. The substrate is formed in a MEMS arrangement and electrostatically driven.

[0012] US patent document US2009 / 0046474 Al discloses an emitter arrangement mounted on two beams in a cardan-like manner for forming a vehicle headlight.

[0013] European patent application EP 0774681 Al discloses a 2-axis MEMS scanner with a coil drive.

[0014] From the article “Large field of view MEMS-based confocal laser scanning microscope for fluorescence imaging”, Bechtel, Christin et al, Optik 125.2 (2014): 876-882, a fluorescence microscope arrangement with confocal laser scanning is known, in which a mirror is driven to deflect a beam. Against the background of the prior art, the present invention is based on the objective of creating a device for sending and / or receiving signals, for example for the emission and detection of radiation, which can be manufactured in a particularly space-saving manner and operates efficiently.

[0015] The problem is solved by a scanning device according to claim 1. The dependent claims present possible implementations of such a device. Furthermore, the problem is solved by an imaging device that includes such a scanning device.

[0016] Accordingly, the invention relates to a scanning device comprising a transmitting arrangement for transmitting signals in the form of electromagnetic radiation and / or a receiving arrangement for receiving signals in the form of electromagnetic radiation, wherein the scanning device has a micromechanical device with a carrier plate held on a frame and with a drive device configured to drive the carrier plate relative to the frame in one, two or three dimensions, wherein the carrier plate has a transmitting arrangement in the form of a semiconductor arrangement for transmitting signals in the form of electromagnetic radiation and / or a receiving arrangement for detecting electromagnetic radiation, wherein the carrier plate is held directly or indirectly on the frame by means of one or more spring elements, and wherein the drive device has one or more piezoelectric drive elements.which are directly connected to one of the spring elements or are part of one of the spring elements and are, in particular, formed as a layer on at least one section of each spring element. Because a transmitting arrangement and / or a receiving arrangement are integrated into the micromechanical device, they can be manufactured with very little space and minimal process effort, for example, individually or together in a combined deposition process, optionally combined with a subtractive process and other industrial processes. Furthermore, the transmitting arrangement and the receiving arrangement are precisely and reliably positioned and oriented relative to each other during the manufacturing process, so that necessary adjustment measures are minimized or completely eliminated. The entire micromechanical device can be manufactured on the basis of a handling wafer.

[0017] Furthermore, it is provided that the carrier plate is held to the frame by means of one or more spring elements.

[0018] This design allows the carrier plate to be dynamically aligned relative to the stationary frame in order to direct the emitted radiation or the detection beam—that is, the direction from which radiation can be detected. If this alignment of the carrier plate can be continuously and precisely controlled by a drive and drive control system, a target can be scanned and an image of the target generated. The drive system can be designed to drive the carrier plate in one dimension, in two dimensions, or in three dimensions.

[0019] The carrier plate, together with the spring elements and especially also with the frame, can be manufactured in one piece using a semiconductor manufacturing process, for example from a wafer.

[0020] To control the alignment, not only the drive that moves the carrier plate against the restoring force of the spring elements can be used, but also angle sensors that determine the information on how far the spring elements are deformed and the carrier plate is deflected.

[0021] The angle sensors can detect deflection angles in the plane of the carrier plate, but in one embodiment, they can also detect angles in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the carrier plate in order to detect a deflection of the carrier plate out of its plane. The angle sensors can also be directly coupled to the drive elements or connected as an additional semiconductor layer to detect the deflection directly at the point where it is generated by the drive elements. For example, the angle sensors can be designed as a semiconductor layer applied to a semiconductor layer that serves as the drive element. In some cases, the drive elements and the angle sensors can be superimposed as identical layers.A deflection of the carrier plate and its control by angle sensors can be used to move a light beam emitted through the semiconductor arrangement in a targeted manner to scan a target or to control the orientation of a semiconductor arrangement serving as a detection element.

[0022] For example, an angle sensor can be arranged on or around each spring element.

[0023] Another possible embodiment may provide that the drive device has one or more spring elements and one or more drive elements designed as piezoelectric drive elements, wherein in particular the piezoelectric drive elements may each contain a layer stack consisting at least partially of lead zirconate titanate, aluminum nitride or aluminum scandium nitride.

[0024] Advantageously, each of the spring elements connecting the carrier plate to the frame can be assigned a drive element. These drive elements can move the carrier plate and any semiconductor arrangement mounted on it within the plane of the carrier plate. In conjunction with, for example, a stationary beam-shaping optic, this allows for the targeted modification of a beam or detection angle. The drive elements can also cause the carrier plate to move in directions perpendicular to its plane, such as tilting or pivoting, to control a beam or detection angle.

[0025] The drive elements can each be coupled to or directly connected to angle sensors to effectively control a scanning movement or to establish a control loop for controlling a scanning movement. The angle sensors can be arranged as a layer or stack of layers on or beneath the drive elements, particularly directly on or beneath them, which can also be designed as a layer or stack of layers. This results in direct and interference-free detection of the deflection of the carrier plate by the angle sensors.

[0026] By combining or integrating the drive elements and spring elements, manufacturing can be simplified, for example, using thin-film processes. Furthermore, the piezoelectric drive elements on the spring elements enable highly efficient drive of the carrier plate, resulting in a highly precise, controllable, and reproducible deflection of the carrier plate. The piezoelectric elements can extend along a section of the spring element between its connection to the carrier plate and its connection to the frame or a stress reduction element. The piezoelectric elements can also extend to the carrier plate and / or the frame or stress reduction element, and may even partially run along the surface of these components. The piezoelectric elements can be embedded within or superimposed on the surface of the spring elements.

[0027] The transmitting and receiving arrangements are both designed as semiconductor devices and are configured for transmitting or receiving electromagnetic radiation, such as visible or ultraviolet light. Because both the emitting and detecting semiconductor devices are integrated into a single micromechanical unit, they can be manufactured with minimal space requirements and process complexity, for example, using a combined deposition process, possibly combined with subtractive manufacturing. Furthermore, the two semiconductor devices are precisely and reliably positioned and oriented relative to each other, minimizing or completely eliminating the need for adjustments. The entire micromechanical unit can be fabricated on a handling wafer.The semiconductor array for emitting electromagnetic radiation is designed to direct radiation, for example, onto an object to be imaged. This object may contain fluorescent substances / molecules. For instance, certain structures in biological tissue may be labeled using fluorescent markers or contrast agents. These substances, which mark the structure to be visualized, emit fluorescence radiation with a specific wavelength after excitation by the emitted radiation. This radiation can be selectively detected by the semiconductor array for electromagnetic radiation detection. This array can be configured, for example, to detect only the wavelength range of the fluorescence radiation, thus minimizing interference from the excitation radiation and other sources of radiation.Spatial resolution is achieved by ensuring that either the semiconductor array for emitting electromagnetic radiation, or the semiconductor array for detecting electromagnetic radiation, or both semiconductor arrays, have a spatially precisely alignable emission or detection characteristic. This can be achieved through beam-shaping optics.

[0028] For example, the intensity of the radiation can be modulated during emission, and the modulation frequency can be selected during detection by a lock-in amplifier to minimize interference from further radiation.

[0029] As already indicated, it can also be provided that the carrier plate is held in a stress reduction element, which is held to the frame by means of spring elements and can be driven by means of the drive device with piezoelectric drive elements, which are directly connected to one of the spring elements or are part of one of the spring elements.

[0030] For example, the stress reduction element can surround the support plate on all sides within a recess in the frame, with a gap between the plates. The support plate can be held by at least one, in particular at least two, at least four, or exactly four bridges, each connecting the stress reduction element to the support plate. The support plate and the stress reduction element can be manufactured from a single blank by etching. For example, the support plate can be designed as a circular disk and the stress reduction element as a circular ring surrounding it.

[0031] The stress reduction element can take the form of a flat plate lying in the same plane as the support plate. In such a design, a direct force from the drive elements on the support plate is avoided, as the latter moves together with the driven stress reduction element.

[0032] It can further be provided that the spring elements each have the shape of a circular segment or spiral segment, either entirely or partially, and / or that at least one, in particular each, of the piezoelectric drive elements is arranged as a material layer, especially as a thin film, on at least a partial section of at least one of the spring elements. If the longitudinal direction of the spring elements extends at least partially circumferentially around the carrier plate, this shape allows for a greater length of the spring elements than if the longitudinal directions of the spring elements were to extend directly from the frame in a radial direction towards the center of the carrier plate. This makes it possible to achieve a deflection of the spring elements and also of the carrier plate with less deformation of the piezoelectric drive elements.

[0033] It may further be provided that the carrier plate has a deformation device which may be configured to at least partially compensate for drive movements caused by the drive device and / or to influence the focusing of emitted or detected radiation.

[0034] The deformation device can be designed as an actuator layer, for example, as one or more piezoelectric layers, which can be arranged directly on the top and / or bottom of the carrier plate and connected to it. A force applied to the carrier plate can deform it due to the resulting stresses. Such deformations can complement or compensate for other deformations caused by a force during deflection of the carrier plate. Deformation of the carrier plate by a deformation element can also improve the focusing of emitted or detected radiation.

[0035] Another possible embodiment can provide that the drive device has a fourfold symmetry with four drive elements and / or with one drive element each on four spring elements.

[0036] Such an arrangement of drive elements is particularly easy to control, and the movement can be planned and implemented in a simple coordinate system, for example a polar coordinate system.

[0037] Furthermore, it may be provided that the carrier plate is circular.

[0038] Such a design of the carrier plate creates simple drive conditions and is easy to implement in manufacturing, especially with annular or crescent-shaped spring elements. It can also be provided that the frame is designed as a flat plate and has a recess in which the carrier plate is arranged.

[0039] Thus, the frame and the support plate, and in a special embodiment also the stress reduction element, can be manufactured from a single plate using a subtractive machining process.

[0040] Another possible embodiment may provide that the carrier plate and / or the frame and / or the spring elements and / or a stress reduction element arranged between the carrier plate and the frame has one or more emitters in the form of semiconductor arrangements for the emission of electromagnetic radiation, in particular in the form of laser elements or first quantum dots, and / or one or more detectors in the form of semiconductor arrangements for the detection of light, in particular in the form of second quantum dots.

[0041] If the substrate has one or more emitters configured as semiconductor arrays, the available surface area can be efficiently utilized to illuminate a target. For this purpose, initial quantum dots can be integrated into a semiconductor array on the substrate to emit radiation suitable for exciting a predetermined fluorescent dye to fluoresce. The quantum dots can emit radiation, such as visible or ultraviolet light, within a specific wavelength range. By controlling the orientation of the substrate, the emitter can be sequentially directed at different areas of the target to capture image elements.On the frame, the spring elements, and in some cases also on a stress reduction element surrounding the support plate, one or more sensors / detectors formed by a semiconductor array can be arranged. These sensors / detectors sequentially detect the reflected or fluorescence-excited radiation from different areas of the target, corresponding to the illumination. If fluorescence light is detected, the detector can be wavelength-selective, for example, using second quantum dots as detection elements or other, broadband sensors in conjunction with wavelength filters. If first quantum dots are used for the emission of excitation radiation and second quantum dots for the detection of the fluorescence radiation reflected from the target, these can be matched to each other and to the fluorescent material used in the target.

[0042] On the frame, the spring elements, and in some cases alternatively or additionally on the stress reduction element, one or more semiconductor arrays for emitting radiation and illuminating a target and / or for detecting radiation can be provided. A sensor / detector formed by a semiconductor array can then be arranged on the carrier plate, which, by orienting the carrier plate, can be successively directed at different areas of the target to capture image elements.

[0043] In a further embodiment, it may be provided that one or more detectors are designed as broadband radiation-sensitive elements connected with a wavelength filter device or as wavelength-sensitive sensors, in particular as second quantum dots.

[0044] When quantum dots, i.e., nanostructures with quantum mechanical effects, are used, they can consist of materials such as semiconductors, metals, and organic molecules; in the case of semiconductors, these could be InGaAs, CdSe, or GalnP / lnP. The quantum dots can be provided and processed in the form of small particles.

[0045] It can also be provided that the semiconductor arrangement for emitting electromagnetic radiation is designed as an LED or OLED, or as a semiconductor arrangement with first quantum dots. The LED or OLED can be broadband or, for example in the form of semiconductor lasers, also as narrowband emitters.

[0046] In the case of broadband emitters, these can also be combined with wavelength filters. When using first quantum dots, suitable wavelength ranges can be selected by choosing the specific quantum dots used.

[0047] It may also be provided that a beam shaping optic is integrated into the device, which is provided directly on or under a semiconductor arrangement for the emission and / or detection of electromagnetic radiation or at a distance from such a semiconductor arrangement.

[0048] If the beam-shaping optics are directly connected to the substrate and the semiconductor array for emission and / or detection, they can be moved along with the semiconductor array on the substrate. If the beam-shaping optics are positioned at a distance from the substrate or the semiconductor array for emission and / or detection, they can also be mechanically decoupled from it. A relative movement of the respective semiconductor array with respect to the beam-shaping optics can then also steer the emitted light beam or the detection lobe, that is, the solid angle region from which radiation is detected.

[0049] Beam shaping optics can, in principle, have the shape of a lens or a diffraction element, or, for example, the shape of a Bragg resonator.

[0050] In this case, a grating arranged below a semiconductor array can also influence the direction of propagation of the light by interacting with a generated standing optical wave, thus enabling the alignment of a beam.

[0051] Furthermore, it can be provided that one, more, or all semiconductor arrangements for the emission and / or detection of electromagnetic radiation are each designed as thin-film stacks of semiconductor elements. Thin-film technology allows for the integrated and space-saving fabrication of a large number of functional elements, positioned reliably and precisely relative to one another.

[0052] Another possible embodiment provides for a shielding layer between at least two adjacent thin films to counteract crosstalk between the adjacent layers. In particular, at least one shielding layer is provided between a layer carrying a supply voltage for a drive element and a layer forming a sensor or carrying electrical signals to be detected. Shielding layers can thus be used to reduce interference without significantly increasing the space required.

[0053] The invention relates not only to a micromechanical device of the type described above, but also to an imaging device, in particular a fluorescence microscope, with a micromechanical device of the type described above, wherein the drive of the carrier plate forms a scanning device for directing the emitted radiation and / or the detected radiation.

[0054] For example, if a microscope is to be built, a laser element with a readily focusable beam can be advantageously chosen as the radiation source. The beam-shaping optics can include collimation and focusing elements. The micromechanical device, including or excluding the beam-shaping optics, can be manufactured in an integrated form using a deposition process, optionally combined with etching or another subtractive machining process. It can also include a data processing unit for the acquired data, as well as a control unit. This allows for the simple and cost-effective production of a fully functional unit.

[0055] The invention is shown in various embodiments in figures of a drawing and explained below.

[0056] This shows

[0057] Figures 1 and 2: a substrate with a semiconductor arrangement for

[0058] Radiation emission in a frame,

[0059] Figures 3 and 4: a carrier plate in a frame with a semiconductor arrangement for beam emission on the carrier plate and a semiconductor arrangement for beam detection on the spring elements and the frame,

[0060] Figures 5 and 6: a carrier plate in a frame with a semiconductor arrangement for beam emission and a semiconductor arrangement for beam detection on the carrier plate; Figures 7 and 8: a carrier plate in a frame, wherein between

[0061] A stress compensation element in the form of a circular ring is inserted into the support plate and frame.

[0062] Figures 9 and 10: a carrier plate in a frame, wherein thin-film stacks are shown on the spring elements as drive elements,

[0063] Figure 11: cross-section of a carrier plate in a frame, wherein a piezoelectric layer is arranged on the underside of the carrier plate,

[0064] Figure 12: cross-section of a carrier plate in a frame, wherein a piezoelectric layer is arranged on the top side of the carrier plate,

[0065] Figure 13: cross-section of a carrier plate in a frame, wherein a beam-shaping optic is arranged on the carrier plate,

[0066] Figure 14: cross-section of a carrier plate in a frame, wherein a beam-shaping optic is arranged above the carrier plate at a distance from it, as well as

[0067] Figure 15: cross-section of a carrier plate in a frame, wherein a beam shaping optic is arranged on the carrier plate below an optical layer stack.

[0068] Figure 1 shows a support plate 4 in the form of a flat circular disk, which, together with other elements of the micromechanical device, is made of a semiconductor material. The support plate can be manufactured in one piece with a frame 1 and spring elements 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d. The spring elements connect the frame 1 to the support plate 4, which is arranged in a recess 1a of the frame at a distance from it.

[0069] Both the frame and the carrier plate can be designed as flat plates and manufactured, for example, from a single, continuous plate by subtractive machining and the creation of a circumferential recess, or from a semiconductor material using a deposition process. The spring elements form arms, each connected at one end to the frame and at the opposite end to the carrier plate. The connection points 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d of the spring elements 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d to the carrier plate are each designed as thin, radially extending connecting webs that exhibit increased compliance and allow the spring travel required for scanning movement of the carrier plate. For this purpose, crescent-shaped recesses are provided between the carrier plate and the drive elements, which increase the mobility of the drive elements.The spring elements 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d themselves can each, at least partially, and in particular over most of their length, have the shape of a segment of a circular ring that concentrically surrounds the support plate. This allows for a relatively large length of the spring elements. The spring elements can also be spirally shaped in sections.

[0070] Angle sensors 21 can be provided either in the area of ​​the connection points 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d or in the areas where the spring elements are connected to the frame 1, or also along the spring elements. These sensors detect the deflection of the spring elements and / or indirectly the deflection of the support plate. The angle sensors, like the drive elements, can also be provided as a layer on the spring elements and at least partially overlap with the layered drive elements.

[0071] One, more, or all of the spring elements can each have a drive element at least partially or along their entire length, for example, also at the end that is connected to the frame or the support plate. The drive elements can be designed as semiconductor elements, for example, in layer form, and can be configured as piezoelectric elements. In this case, they can be configured as a layered structure with a layer stack consisting at least partially of lead zirconate titanate, aluminum nitride, or aluminum scandium nitride.

[0072] The drive elements can also be based on a different drive principle that can cause deformation of the spring elements.

[0073] In general, all the semiconductor elements mentioned can be designed as space-saving layer stacks within the micromechanical setup using thin-film technology. A shielding layer can also be provided between each pair of layers to reduce unwanted electrical interference between adjacent layers.

[0074] In the example shown in Figure 1, an optical thin-film stack 5 is arranged on the centrally positioned support plate 4. This stack forms a semiconductor arrangement 20 for the emission of electromagnetic radiation 22, in particular visible or UV light. Reference numeral 8 denotes an electrical supply line for powering the thin-film stack 5, and reference numeral 9 denotes a contact electrode.

[0075] The lead 8 and the contact electrode 9 are typically designed as thin metal layers and can, for example, be vapor-deposited onto a semiconductor arrangement.

[0076] Figure 2 shows the arrangement from Figure 1 in cross-section. Reference numeral 14 denotes a so-called handle wafer, which serves as the base of the micromechanical device and allows its handling, and reference numeral 13 denotes an electrically insulating oxide layer.

[0077] Figure 3 shows an arrangement in which the mechanical elements are constructed in the same way as in the arrangement shown in Figures 1 and 2. In addition to the thin-film stack 5 on the carrier plate 4, which forms a semiconductor arrangement 20 for the emission of radiation 22, semiconductor arrangements 30 in the form of thin-film stacks are arranged on the spring elements 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d and on the frame 1. These arrangements serve to detect radiation 23 emitted from an illuminated target (not shown) as a result of illumination by the semiconductor arrangement 20.

[0078] Figure 4 shows the arrangement from Figure 3 in a cross-section, with arrows 40 indicating the pivot directions of the support plate below the support plate 4.

[0079] Because relatively large areas of the spring elements and the frame 1 can be used for detection, a high sensitivity in the detection of radiation can be achieved. The semiconductor arrangements 30 can, for example, have quantum dots that can detect wavelength-sensitive radiation, or additional layers can be provided on the semiconductor arrangements that act as wavelength filters.The figures show that the entire surface of the carrier plate, the spring elements and the frame can also be covered with optical thin-film stacks, wherein in the illustrated example semiconductor arrangements 7 for the detection of radiation are provided on the spring elements 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, while the carrier plate 4 has both a semiconductor arrangement designed as a thin-film stack 6 for the detection of radiation and - for example in the central area, a semiconductor arrangement designed as a thin-film stack 5 for the emission of radiation.

[0080] According to the embodiment shown in Figures 7 and 8, a stress reduction element 10 in the form of a stress compensation ring is provided to reduce mechanical stresses that can act on the carrier plate 4 through the drive. This element is connected to the spring elements 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d by means of connecting arms 10a, and the carrier plate 4 is in turn connected to it via four connecting arms 10b.

[0081] The stress reduction element 10 can also carry optical thin-film stacks that can be used for the detection of radiation.

[0082] Figures 9 and 10 show a micromechanical arrangement in which the thin-film stacks 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d are shown in more detail, including cross-sectional views. These stacks are designed as piezoelectric elements and each forms the drive elements of the spring elements 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d. In this case as well, the carrier plate carries a semiconductor arrangement designed as a thin-film stack 5 for emitting radiation, and the spring arms carry a semiconductor arrangement designed as a thin-film stack 6 on the piezoelectric layers for detecting radiation. Both semiconductor arrangements are designed as optical thin-film stacks, in each of which wavelength-selective filter layers may also be provided. Layer-shaped elements, for example strain gauges or piezoelectric elements, which serve as angle sensors 21, can be arranged on one, several, or all of the thin-film stacks 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d of the drive elements, as can also be seen, for example, in Figure 13.

[0083] Figure 11 shows a cross-sectional view of a micromechanical arrangement in which a layer stack Ile is arranged on the underside of the carrier plate 4, opposite the thin-film stack 5. This layer stack is equipped, for example, with one or more piezoelectric elements to generate a force that deforms the carrier plate. This deformation counteracts distortions of the carrier plate caused by its deflection by the drive unit. In some cases, the combined action of layer Ile and the drive elements can achieve a desired deformation and deflection of the carrier plate, thereby optimizing the alignment and focusing of radiation generated by a semiconductor arrangement 5 located on the carrier plate 4.

[0084] In a similar embodiment of a micromechanical device, shown in Figure 12, the force-generating layer Ile is provided between the substrate and the semiconductor arrangement 5. In the examples shown in Figures 11 and 12, the layer Ile can be configured as a piezoelectric layer or as a piezoelectric layer stack.

[0085] In Figures 13, 14, and 15, a beam shaping element 15 is shown in each of the micromechanical devices depicted therein. In these examples, the semiconductor arrangement is configured as an optical thin-film stack 5 that emits light or, more generally, radiation.

[0086] Figure 13 shows a beam shaping element 15, which is formed above the thin-film stack 5, directly resting on it.

[0087] According to Figure 14, the beam shaping element 15 is arranged at a distance above the carrier plate and the thin-film stack 5 and can be attached independently of these, for example to the frame 1. In this case, the angle of the emitted radiation can also be controlled by a purely lateral movement of the carrier plate, by shifting it relative to an optical axis of the beam shaping element 15.

[0088] According to the example of Figure 15, the beam shaping element 15 is arranged as a layer between the carrier plate 4 and the thin-film stack 5.

[0089] The beam shaping element 15 can be formed in the examples shown as a lens, for example a Fresnel lens, or as a planar or curved layer, wherein the layer can, for example, have a gradient of the refractive index in the radial direction with respect to the support plate. The described scanning device with the micromechanical unit and an imaging device formed with it, for example a fluorescence microscope or a lidar device, enables space-saving and cost-effective high-resolution imaging.

[0090] The device can be manufactured reliably and cost-effectively using known semiconductor manufacturing processes.

Claims

Patent claims 1. Scanning device comprising a transmitting arrangement (20) for transmitting signals in the form of electromagnetic radiation and / or a receiving arrangement (30) for receiving signals in the form of electromagnetic radiation, wherein the scanning device comprises a micromechanical device with a carrier plate (4) held on a frame (1) and with a drive device (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d) configured to drive the carrier plate relative to the frame in one, two or three dimensions, wherein the carrier plate comprises a transmitting arrangement (20, 30) in the form of a semiconductor arrangement for transmitting signals in the form of electromagnetic radiation and / or a receiving arrangement (20, 30) for detecting electromagnetic radiation, wherein the carrier plate (4) is held directly or indirectly on the frame (1) by means of one or more spring elements (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d), and wherein the drive device (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 11a, 11b,11c, 11d) comprises one or more piezoelectric drive elements, which are directly connected to one of the spring elements or are part of one of the spring elements and are in particular designed as a layer on at least one section of each spring element.

2. Scanning device according to claim 1, characterized in that the carrier plate (4) is held in a stress reduction element (10) which is held on the frame by means of spring elements (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d) and can be driven by means of the drive device (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d) with piezoelectric drive elements which are directly connected to one of the spring elements or are part of one of the spring elements.

3. Scanning device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the spring elements each have the shape of a circular ring section or spiral section entirely or partially and / or at least one, in particular each, of the piezoelectric drive elements is arranged as a material layer, in particular as a thin film, on at least one partial section of at least one of the spring elements.

4. Scanning device according to one of claims 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the carrier plate (4) has a deformation device (Ile) which is in particular configured to at least partially compensate for drive movements caused by the drive device (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 11a, 11b, 11c, 1lld) and / or to influence the focusing of emitted or detected radiation.

5. Scanning device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the drive device (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d) has a fourfold symmetry with one drive element (11a, 11b, 11c, 11d) on each of four spring elements and / or that the carrier plate (4) is circular.

6. Scanning device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the frame (1) is designed as a flat plate and has a recess (1a) in which the carrier plate (4) is arranged.

7. Scanning device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the carrier plate (4) and / or the frame (1) and / or the spring elements (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d) and / or a stress reduction element (10) arranged between the carrier plate and the frame comprises one or more emitters in the form of semiconductor arrangements (20) for the emission of electromagnetic radiation, in particular in the form of laser elements or first quantum dots, and / or one or more detectors in the form of semiconductor arrangements (30) for the detection of light, in particular in the form of second quantum dots.

8. Scanning device according to claim 7, characterized in that one or more detectors are configured as broadband radiation-sensitive elements connected with a wavelength filter device or as wavelength-sensitive sensors, in particular as second quantum dots, and / or that the semiconductor arrangement (20) for emission of electromagnetic radiation is configured as an LED or OLED or as a semiconductor arrangement with first quantum dots.

9. Scanning device according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that a beam shaping optic (15) is integrated into the scanning device, which is provided directly on or under a semiconductor arrangement (20, 30) for the emission and / or detection of electromagnetic radiation or at a distance from such a semiconductor arrangement.

10. Scanning device according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that one or more or all semiconductor arrangements (20, 30) for emission and / or detection of electromagnetic radiation are each designed as thin-film stacks of semiconductor elements.

11. Scanning device according to claim 10, characterized in that a shielding layer is provided between at least two adjacent thin layers, which counteracts crosstalk between the adjacent layers, wherein in particular at least one shielding layer is provided between a layer that carries a supply voltage for a drive element (11a, 11b, 11c, 11d) and a layer that forms a sensor or carries electrical signals to be detected.

12. Imaging device, in particular a fluorescence microscope with a scanning device according to one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the drive (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d) of the carrier plate (4) forms a scanning device for directing the emitted radiation and / or the detected radiation.

Images