Micro-electromechanical resonators having electrically-trimmed resonator bodies therein and methods of fabricating same using joule heating
US8061013B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 3, 2009 |
| Grant date | Nov 22, 2011 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 10, 2030 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T29/49002
- WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A micro-electromechanical resonator includes an electrically-trimmed resonator body having at least one stiffness-enhanced semiconductor region therein containing metal-semiconductor lattice bonds. These metal-semiconductor lattice bonds may be gold-silicon lattice bonds and/or aluminum-silicon lattice bonds. A surface of the resonator body is mass-loaded with the metal, which may be provided by a plurality of spaced-apart metal islands. These metal islands may be aligned along a longitudinal axis of the resonator body. A size of the at least one stiffness-enhanced polycrystalline semiconductor region may be sufficient to yield an increase in resonant frequency of the resonator body relative to an otherwise equivalent resonator having a single crystal resonator body that is free of mass-loading by the metal.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.