Method for frequency tuning of a micro-mechanical resonator
US7170369B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 2, 2005 |
| Grant date | Jan 30, 2007 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 2, 2025 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T29/42
- WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method for modifying the resonance frequency of a micro-mechanical resonator, and resonators on which the method is practiced. A packaged resonator is trimmed by directing electromagnetic energy to the resonator through a transparent portion of the package. The removal of mass (by the energy) affects the resonance frequency of the resonator in a predictable manner. In some embodiments, the energy is sourced from a femtosecond laser. In some variations of the illustrative embodiment, the amount of mass to be removed is determined as a function of its location on the resonator. A mass-trimming map is developed that identifies a plurality of potential mass-trimming sites on the resonator. A site can be classified as a fine-tuning site or a coarse-tuning site as a function of the degree to which mass removal at those sites affects the resonance frequency. The sites can also be characterized as a function of their position relative to features of the resonator (e.g., nodal lines, etc.). Based on a differential between the measured and desired resonance frequency of the resonator, and expressions that relate resonance frequency to location-dependent mass, actual sites for mass removal …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.