Product Code: ICAL07_M501

Laser Assisted Maskless Microdeposition for Conformal Direct Writing of Optical Fibers
Authors:
Hamidreza Alemohammad, University of Waterloo; Waterloo ON Canada
Ehsan Toyserkani, University of Waterloo; Waterloo ON Canada
Presented at ICALEO 2007

Metallic coatings can improve both sensitivity and mechanical strength of optical fiber sensors (e.g., fiber Bragg grating sensors). Fiber Bragg grating is a periodic modulation in the index of refraction in the core of optical fiber, which can be used for monitoring of physical parameters like strain, temperature and pressure. Deposition of metallic layers on FBGs with specific patterns can improve their sensitivity for measurement of physical parameters. Selective coating of FBG with two or three distinct materials enables continuous and simultaneous measurement of two distinct physical parameters (e.g., pressure and temperature). The present work presents the challenges and features of laser-assisted maskless micro-deposition (LAMM) for selective coating of desired nano-particles followed by laser sintering. LAMM, as a low temperature process, is used to deposit silver nano-particles on non-planar surface of FBG with specific patterns. The process is performed by atomization of nano-particle ink in an ultrasonic atomizer and deposition from a nozzle. An erbium fiber laser is used to sinter nano-particles and causes them to agglomerate. The process is characterized to reach proper deposition quality (i.e. mechanical bonding, surface morphology, and etc.). Characterization parameters and FBG sensitivity analysis will be presented in this paper.