LIGA microstructures on top of micromachined silicon wafers used to fabricate a micro-optical switch

The UGA process applied on micromachined silicon substrates offers new possibilities in microsystem technology, especially in micro-optic. UGA microstructures used as fixing elements for passive micro-optical components and optical fibres are precisely adjusted to microstructures etched into silicon wafers. In this way, optical fibres and passive micro-optical components, e.g., ball lenses having different diameters can be precisely positioned at the same optical axis, In addition, other functional elements like microactuators can be integrated on the same substrate to build advanced microsystem, e.g. a switch for use with single-mode fibres.