This paper presents a dispersive near-infrared spectrometer with features of miniaturization, portability and low cost. The application of a resonantly-driven scanning grating mirror (SGM) as a dispersive element in a crossed Czerny–Turner configuration enables the design of a miniaturized spectrometer that can detect the full spectra using only one single InGaAs diode. In addition, a high accuracy recalculation is realized, which can convert time-dependent measurements to spectrum information by utilizing the deflection position detector integrated on SGM and its associated closed-loop control circuit. Finally, the spectrometer prototype is subjected to a series of tests to characterize the instrument’s performance fully. The results of the experiment show that the spectrometer works in a spectral range of 800 nm–1800 nm with a resolution of less than 10 nm, a size of 9 × 7 × 7 cm³, a wavelength stability better than ±1 nm and a measuring time of less than 1 ms. Furthermore, the power consumption of the instrument is 3 W at 5 V DC, and the signal-to-noise ratio is 3267 at full scale. Therefore, this spectrometer could be a potential alternative to classical spectrometers in process control applications or could be used as a portable or airborne spectroscopic sensor.

Micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) blazed gratings are the critical optical elements in high resolution micro-spectrometer systems. The MEMS blazed gratings fabricated by conventional methods are not ideal saw-tooth profiles. After the photolithographic and anisotropic etching process, a tiny platform of silicon will be left on the top of the grating groove because of the silica mask, which will lead to amounts of stray light and reduce the diffraction efficiency of gratings. This paper presents a novel design and fabrication method for fabricating MEMS blazed grating, which utilizes off-cut silicon (111) wafers. The blazed angle of gratings is revised from 7.54° to 8.0° according to the tiny platform width on the top of grating grooves. In the procedure of grating fabrication, the oxidation sharpening method is used to cut down the width of the tiny platform. The experimental result shows that the platform width of the grating groove has sharpened from 1000 nm to 540 nm, and the fabricated blazed grating has high diffraction efficiency. The result indicates that the process to fabricate blazed gratings through the anisotropic etching and oxidation sharpening technology is quite effective.