Temperature compensation mechanism for a micromechanical ring resonator

US6859113B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Eta SA Fabriques d'Ebauches · CH

Inventors

• Metin Giousouf · Eßlingen, DE
• Heinz Kück · Stuttgart, DE
• Rainer Platz · Neuchâtel, CH

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 29, 2003
• Grant date: Feb 22, 2005
• Expiry date: Aug 29, 2023

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H03B5/30
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A time base including a resonator (4) and an integrated electronic circuit (3) for driving the resonator into oscillation and for producing, in response to the oscillation, a signal having a determined frequency. The resonator is an integrated micromechanical ring resonator supported above a substrate (2) and adapted to oscillate in a first oscillation mode. The ring resonator includes a free-standing oscillating structure (6). Electrodes (100, 120; 130, 150) are positioned under the free-standing oscillating structure in such a way as to drive and sense a second oscillation mode in a plane substantially perpendicular to the substrate and having a resonant frequency which is different from the resonant frequency of the first oscillation mode, a frequency difference between the resonant frequencies of both oscillation modes being used for compensating for the effect of temperature on the frequency of the signal produced by the time base.