Comparison of Measurements with Finite-Element Analysis of Silicon-Diaphragm-Based Fiber-Optic Fabry–Perot Temperature Sensors

Abstract

Silicon-diaphragm-based fiber-optic Fabry−Perot sensors with different intracavity pressures were fabricated by anodic bonding and microelectromechanical techniques. The thermal stress and thermal expansion of the Fabry−Perot (FP) sensor caused by high-temperature bonding and temperature change were simulated by finite-element analysis. The calculated thermal stress is largest in the center and edge regions of the resonance cavity, reaching from 2 to 6 MPa. The reflection spectra and temperature sensitivity of the sensors were simulated by using a two-dimensional wave-optic model in Comsol. Theoretical calculations were also made for the FP cavity without considering silicon-diaphragm deformation and thermal stress. Four sensors with intracavity pressures of 0.01, 0.03, 0.04, and 0.05 MPa were tested at low temperatures, showing a high degree of consistency with the simulation results rather than theoretical calculation, especially for high intracavity pressure. This method is expected to aid the analysis of thermal stress generated during the bonding process and to facilitate better design and control of the temperature sensitivity of the sensor.

Keywords

• fiber-optic fabry–perot sensor
• finite-element analysis
• temperature sensor