title: Design and fabrication of a planar PDMS transmission grating microspectrometer.
abstract: We describe the monolithic integration of microfluidic channels, optical waveguides, a collimating lens and a curved focusing transmission grating in a single PDMS-based microsystem. All optical and fluidic components of the device were simultaneously formed in a single layer of high refractive index (n~1.43) PDMS by soft lithography. Outer layers of lower-index (n~1.41) PDMS were subsequently added to provide optical and fluidic confinement. Here, we focus on the design and characterization of the microspectrometer part, which employs a novel self-focusing strategy based on cylindrical facets, and exhibits resolution <10 nm in the visible wavelength range. The dispersive behavior of the grating was analyzed both experimentally and using numerical simulations, and the results are in good agreement with simplified analytical predictions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, ECERF Building, 9107 - 116 Street, NW, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G2V4.
authors.forename: Seyed M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Azmayesh-Fard
authors.forename: Lawrence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.forename: Aaron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Melnyk
authors.forename: Ray G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: DeCorby
mesh_terms: D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes / Q000737:chemistry*; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D007909:Lenses; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008904:Miniaturization; D012031:Refractometry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013057:Spectrum Analysis / Q000295:instrumentation*
chemical_list: D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes; C013830:baysilon