Patent · US Expired

Microresonator packaging and tuning

US3969640A · kind A · utility

74Cited by
7References
3Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateAug 1, 1973
Grant dateJul 13, 1976
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 1, 1993

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10T29/49004
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A piezoelectric tuning fork microresonator advantageously is mounted in a package having a transparent region through which the microresonator can be tuned using a laser beam selectively to remove portions of weights provided on the tuning fork tine ends. The laser, located external to the package, may be controlled automatically in response to the output of an oscillator circuit using the microresonator as a frequency standard. The package also may house electronic microcircuitry and may include a capacitor using the package wall as a dielectric. When used with the microresonator in an oscillator circuit, the capacitor enables the frequency to be adjusted slightly by shorting together capacitor plate sections on the outside of the package. A batch fabrication technique is disclosed for automatically assembling many such packages on a single scored, optionally transparent substrate.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.