基于厚硅片的MEMS碱金属原子气室的制备研究

Research on the Fabrication of MEMS Alkali Metal Atomic Vapor Cell Based on Thick Silicon Chip

  • 摘要: 碱金属原子气室是原子钟、原子磁力计和原子陀螺仪等量子传感器的核心部件。利用微机电系统(MEMS)技术实现气室的片上化和微型化,是当前原子气室发展的重要方向。为实现原子气室微型化与光路长度扩展的协同优化,设计了玻璃/硅/玻璃三层双腔结构,采用激光切割技术加工 3 mm 厚带通孔的硅片,并结合阳极键合工艺与高功率激光解吸释放剂技术,成功制备了填充 7 kPa 氮气缓冲气体的 MEMS 芯片级铷原子气室。单个原子气室尺寸为6 mm×6 mm×5 mm,光路长度为3 mm,经氦质谱检漏,键合界面漏率不高于5×10−10 Pa·m3·s−1。通过光学实验平台测试,能够测量到铷原子的吸收谱线,说明了该工艺方案的可行性。

     

    Abstract: Alkali metal atomic vapor cell is the core component of quantum sensors, such as atomic clocks, atomic magnetometers, and atomic gyroscopes, which play an important role in quantum precision measurement and aerospace fields. Among them, atomic clocks based on Coherent Population Trapping(CPT) principle, compared with traditional microwave clocks, are an important development direction for atomic clock miniaturization due to their small size, low power consumption, and ease of integration, as the physical part does not require a microwave resonant cavity. Using micro electromechanical systems (MEMS) technology to achieve on-chip miniaturized vapor cells is an important direction for the development of atomic vapor cells. In order to achieve miniaturization of atomic vapor cells while increasing the optical path length, a glass-silicon-glass three-layer structure with two chambers is designed. A 3 mm thick silicon chip with two chambers and a micro-channel was processed using laser cutting technology, and a chip-level MEMS rubidium atomic vapor cell containing 7 kPa N2 as buffer gas was fabricated using anodic bonding technology and high power laser releasing method. The size of a single atomic vapor cell is 6 mm×6 mm×5 mm, and the optical path length is 3 mm. Through baking accelerated aging tests on an atomic vapor cell with a size of 10 mm× 10 mm× 5 mm, it can be observed that rubidium atoms are not significantly lost during the baking process, and there is a significant quantity of residual rubidium atoms after being left at room temperature for six months. Using helium mass spectrometry leak detection, the bonding interface leakage rate is not higher than 5×10−10 Pa·m3·s−1. Through optical experimental platform testing, four different absorption spectra of 85Rb and 87Rb can be measured, demonstrating the feasibility of this fabrication method and the possibility of wafer processing.

     

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