Silicon Nanomembrane Miniaturized Spectrometer with Wedge‐Shaped Structures via CMOS‐Compatible Fabrication

Abstract

Miniaturized reconstructive spectrometers are of critical significance as they enable the acquisition of incident spectra for analysis with a compact footprint by utilizing reconstruction techniques. However, the typical miniaturized reconstructive spectrometers are not readily adaptable to large‐scale production due to their lack of compatibility with complementary metal‐oxide‐semiconductor (CMOS) manufacturing. Here a silicon nanomembrane miniaturized spectrometer with wedge‐shaped structures based on the silicon‐on‐insulator wafer is demonstrated. The fabrication technique is straightforward and CMOS‐compatible, suggesting the potential of wafer‐scale manufacturing. The atomic‐level thickness variation of the structure enables our spectrometer to theoretically achieve a high level of integration. The spectrometer achieves a resolution of ≈1.85 nm and a spectral wavelength accuracy of up to ≈0.1 nm in a broad bandwidth (from 400 to 1 000 nm) with micron‐scale footprint. Furthermore, the spectrometer's spectrum imaging capabilities are also showcased. This research will introduce a feasible paradigm for miniaturized reconstructive spectrometers with a high performance and the potential for commercial application.