Method for making micromechanical structures having at least one lateral, small gap therebetween and micromechanical device produced thereby
US6846691B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 24, 2003 |
| Grant date | Jan 25, 2005 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 24, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH03H2009/02496
- WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and resulting formed device are disclosed wherein the method combines polysilicon surface-micromachining with metal electroplating technology to achieve a capacitively-driven, lateral micromechanical resonator with submicron electrode-to-resonator capacitor gaps. Briefly, surface-micromachining is used to achieve the structural material for a resonator, while conformal metal-plating is used to implement capacitive transducer electrodes. This technology makes possible a variety of new resonator configurations, including disk resonators and lateral clamped-clamped and free-free flexural resonators, all with significant frequency and Q advantages over vertical resonators. In addition, this technology introduces metal electrodes, which greatly reduces the series resistance in electrode interconnects, thus, minimizing Q-loading effects while increasing the power handling ability of micromechanical resonators.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.