Cascaded 2D Micromirror with Application to LiDAR

This paper introduced a novel approach to enhance the vertical scanning angle of a large aperture 2D electromagnetic micromirror through the utilization of a cascaded torsional beam design. The primary objective was to increase the vertical scanning angle without compromising the robustness, which was achieved by optimizing the trade-off between the rotation angle and the first mode of resonant frequency. The cascaded design provides flexibility to either increase the outer frame’s rotation angle without sacrificing torsional stiffness or enhance the torsion beam’s stiffness while maintaining the same rotation angle, thus elevating the first-mode resonant frequency and overall robustness. The effectiveness of the cascaded design was demonstrated through a comparative study with a non-cascaded 2D micromirror possessing the same aperture size, torque, and mass moment of inertia. Theoretical analysis and finite-element simulation are employed to determine critical parameters such as the stiffness ratio between the cascaded torsion beams, and to predict improvements in the scanning angle and primary resonant frequency brought by the cascaded design. Prototypes of both cascaded and non-cascaded designs are fabricated using a flexible printed circuit board combined with Computer numerical control (CNC) machining of a Ti-alloy thin film, confirming the superior performance of the cascaded 2D micromirror. The cascaded design achieved vertical scanning angles up to 26% higher than the traditional design when both were actuated at close resonance frequencies. Additionally, the micromirror was successfully integrated into a 3D LiDAR system. The light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system was modelled in Zemax OpticStudio to find the optimized design and assembly positions.