A 2-D translational pinhole formed by two orthogonally moving micro-slits

Pinhole alignment is a tedious procedure that strongly affects the overall performance of an optical system. In order to address this critical issue, we developed a 2D translational pinhole, which is formed by two orthogonally moving micro-slits. The MEMS pinhole, fabricated by a modified SUMMIT-V process, can be positioned within a range of 30/spl times/30 microns in the XY plane. Alternatively, it can be used in a scanning mode at driving frequencies up to /spl sim/200Hz without any noticeable amplitude decrease. Typical applications include confocal scanning opthalmoscopes, laser beam profilers, and MEMS confocal microscopes.