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Today's high-technology applications integrate an increasing number of different functions and at the same time the system size decreases rapidly. Besides others, optical technologies, especially micro-optics, play a key role in this framework. A number of different technologies exist for the realization of the required highly innovative micro-optical components. The present article gives an overview of the origination of micro-optical surface profiles by lithographic techniques and related technologies. The flexibility of the different fabrication approaches is demonstrated by examples, to be applied for the realization of the huge variety of micro-optical elements like microlenses, refractive beam shapers, computer-generated holograms, photonic crystals and artificial refractive index structures.

Vibrating or micro-shock drive systems utilize the mechanical resonance of piezoelectric actuators. If two mechanical vibrations, acting at right angles to each other, are superimposed, an elliptical movement results which, through the fiction from a linear or rotary shaped part, has the ability to >repel

The article presents a concept for controlling the speed of a piezoelectric micro-percussion drive as depicted in [1 ]. Test results have revealed a synchronizing error of delta v/vo of a little as 0.0025 percent in the frequency range from 5 Hz to 500 Hz. As a consequence of the control function, the 3 dB frequency limit is raised from 2.5 Hz to 1 1 Hz. The drive system follows a set value jump of 80 mm/s with minimal errors.

Antiresonant reflecting optical waveguides (ARROWS) have been designed and fabricated in z-cut KTiOPO4 (KTP) by e-beam direct writing and double Rb K ion exchange. Strong diffusion anisotropy allows the realization of ARROW's in this electrooptical crystal. It was found, that argon-ion dry etching of the crystal surface prevents the ion exchange process totally. Using this as a new masking technique, antiresonant reflectors with lateral tolerances of less than 0.1 mu m could be realized. Typical quasi-single-mode waveguiding and attenuation of about 1.0 dB/cm were observed at lambda = 860 nm, which are in good agreement with our simulations made by the vectorial finite element method and effective index approach.

A monomode antiresonant reflecting optical strip waveguide has been realized in SiON/SiO2/Si. The lateral confinement is provided by strip-loaded reflectors fabricated by e-beam direct writing and reactive ion beam etching (RIBE).

A novel waveguide coupler consisting of two antiresonant reflecting optical waveguides in strip-configuration has been developed on Si-SiO2-SiON basis. Remote coupling over a distance of 93 mym has been demonstrated experimentally.