Silicon Microring Sensors 71

λ1
λ1
λ1
λ1

λ1, …, λn
(a) (b)

FIGURE 5.8 (a) Add-drop microring sensor array and (b) cascaded microring sensor array.

The sensor arrays were first choice to deal with the selectivity, or specificity. For example,
multiplexed antibody was detected in complex samples with an array of three by four SOI
microring resonators [21]. Four microring sensors shared one input light from the same input
coupled waveguide in Figure 5.8a. Different bioprobes are bonded at each microring separately.
By utilizing the add-drop microring, there are four output waveguides. With different antibody
interactions with different sensors, the output ports indicated different sensing information. The
selected sensing was realized through the interaction between the bioprobe and the analyte at
different microrings.
Besides the add-drop microring arrays sensor, there is a cascaded microring array config-
uration in Figure 5.8b. Based on the WDM mechanism, different resonance wavelengths are
determined for the cascaded sensors [32]. Different bioprobes are bonded on each microring
separately. By monitoring the shift at each resonance, selective detection to multiple analytes can
be realized.
Both microring arrays consist of multimicroring sensors, where specific probe was bonded. Only
the unique analyte can interact with the probe and change the index of the microring, while others
remain unaffected. By monitoring the output intensity or resonance shift, the selective sensing is
demonstrated.

5.3.3 Dynamic Range
Dynamic range is defined as the ratio of the sensor’s largest detectable wavelength shift to its small-
est signal. In the conventional single resonance sensor, the largest detectable wavelength shift is
same as the FSR. In order to enlarge the dynamic range, multimicrorings are suggested.
An optical vernier effect was adopted in sensing based on the dual-microring MZI sensor shown
in Figure 5.9a [33]. The dramatic shift of the overlapping resonance within the multiresonance spec-
trum due to the presence of an analyte is found in Figure 5.9b, which can lead to high sensitivity of
the device compared to an otherwise comparable single-microring sensor. The overlay resonance
shift is larger than one FSR in the spectra, which enlarges the dynamic range significantly. To be
specific, when the rings were chosen to have radii R1 = 505 μm and R2 = 500 μm, the device was
predicted to have a detection limit 2 × 10 −6 RIU with 0.31 nm overlap resonance shift. Moreover,
the sensitivity is predicted to be 100 times that of the single-microring sensor. Since the overlay
resonance shift is measured as the difference between λ0 and λ0′ as shown in Figure 5.9b, there is
no limitation to the dynamic range of this sensor configuration. Meanwhile, the detection limit and
sensitivity of this configuration do not depend sensitively on the width of the resonance. That means
this sensor can, up to a point, circumvent conventional limits due to Q. Finally, this dual-microring
interference sensor is also suited for other sensing schemes, which rely on analyte-induced changes
of cavity resonances. Using this configuration, both high sensitive and large dynamic range may be
obtained simultaneously.
72 Smart Sensors for Industrial Applications

Sensor ring I
Output
3 dB coupler

3 dB coupler
Input
Reference ring II

(a)

λ0 λ0΄
1.0
0.5
(A) 0.0
1.0
0.5
(B) 0.0
Overlap resonance Absence of analyte
1.0
0.5
(C) 0.0
1.0
0.5
(D) 0.0
Overlap resonance Presence of analyte
1.0
0.5
(E) 0.0

1545 1550 1555 1560

(b) Wavelength (nm)

FIGURE 5.9 (a) Dual-microring MZI sensor and (b) overlapped spectrum in sensing. (From Yi, H. et al.,
Appl. Phys. Lett., 95, 191112, 2009. With permission.)

Also, the cascade two microring resonators with different dimensions can be used to achieve a
large dynamic range.
One microring has radius R1 with higher sensitivity s1 and smaller FSR1, while the other has
radius R2 with lower sensitivity s2 and larger FSR2, where s1 > s2 and FSR1 < FSR2. Assuming the
resonance shift induced by the analyte exceeds FSR1, then

λ shift = N × FSR1 + ∆λ1 (5.5)

where
N is the number of FSR
∆λ1 is the margin included in the wavelength shift

Therefore, the accuracy of the shift depends on the acquisition of N and ∆λ1.
Meanwhile, resonance shift of the other microring ∆λ1 is within the measurement range of
FSR 2. In the presence of analyte change a, the resonance shifts for both microrings are

s1a = N1 × FSR1 + ∆λ1

(5.6)
s2 a = ∆λ 2
Silicon Microring Sensors 73

According to the earlier equations, we could have

∆λ 2 s1 − ∆λ1s2
N1 = (5.7)
FSR1 × s2

In this equation, the number of FSR1, N1, can be specified through measurement of the variable ∆λ1
and ∆λ2. Thus, the measurement scale is determined by the FSR2, and the dynamic range can be
enlarged without the limit of the FSR1 of the R1.

5.3.4 Thermal Stability

The thermo-optical effect can make the microring resonance spectrum shifting, which typically
changes the intensity output at operation wavelength to distort the sensing single. However, the
flat-top resonance lineshape near the operation wavelength can provide the tolerance of shift for
the output intensity. Based on this mechanism, an athermal intensity sensor based on coupled
microring interference was presented in Figure 5.10a. The sensor provides a flat sensing zone
(shown in Figure 5.10b) where no change with thermal fluctuation within ±5 K (this result can be
optimized by designing a low Q factor of the microrings to broaden the sensing zone). Different
from athermal processing application, the 10 K temperature independence is sufficient for sensing
operation [34].
Moreover, the output intensity of the device is very sensitive to the difference between the sens-
ing and reference microrings originating from the shift of the cladding index due to the presence of
the analyte. The physical origin of this sensitivity is the interference between the outputs of the two
individual microrings comprising the device. A detection limit of 6.8 × 10 −7 RIU was predicted. The
sensor was based on the low Q microrings and is robust with respect to variations in the coupling
coefficients. Thus, a highly sensitive athermal optical intensity sensor may be realized by using
microrings based on a silicon platform.
Alternatively, sensor arrays can also be used to overcome the thermal effect [20]. In this scheme,
one idle microring was placed and covered with up-cladding, while the rest microrings were
exposed to the analyte for sensing on the same chip. All microrings will suffer from the same ther-
mal influence and have their spectrum shifted. By referring to the shift of the covered microring, the
thermal-induced resonance shift can be subtracted from the shift of the sensing microrings. Thus,
the athermal sensing is obtained.

Sensing zone
E1 E2
1.00
K1

P1 Reference 0.95
Intensity

E5 E5 2
K2
0.90

P2 Sensing T
0.85 T+5 K
E3 E4
K1
Coupled MRs Interference 1550 1555 1560
(a) (b) Wavelength (nm)

FIGURE 5.10 Athermal microring sensor. (a) Schematic of the coupled microring resonators and (b) spec-
trum change due to the temperature increased 5 K. (From Yi, H. et al., IEEE J. Quantum Electron., 47(3), 354,
2011. With permission.)