Abstract:
There are many inventions described and illustrated herein. In one aspect, the present invention is directed to a temperature compensated microelectromechanical resonator as well as fabricating, manufacturing, providing and/or controlling microelectromechanical resonators having mechanical structures that include integrated heating and/or temperature sensing elements. In another aspect, the present invention is directed to fabricate, manufacture, provide and/or control microelectromechanical resonators having mechanical structures that are encapsulated using thin film or wafer level encapsulation techniques in a chamber, and including heating and/or temperature sensing elements disposed in the chamber, on the chamber and/or integrated within the mechanical structures. Other aspects of the inventions will be apparent from the detailed description and claims herein.
Abstract:
There are many inventions described and illustrated herein. In one aspect, the present invention is directed to a compensated microelectromechanical oscillator, having a microelectromechanical resonator that generates an output signal and frequency adjustment circuitry, coupled to the microelectromechanical resonator to receive the output signal of the microelectromechanical resonator and, in response to a set of values, to generate an output signal having second frequency. In one embodiment, the values may be determined using the frequency of the output signal of the microelectromechanical resonator, which depends on the operating temperature of the microelectromechanical resonator and/or manufacturing variations of the microelectromechanical resonator. In one embodiment, the frequency adjustment circuitry may include frequency multiplier circuitry, for example, PLLs, DLLs, digital/frequency synthesizers and/or FLLs, as well as any combinations and permutations thereof. The frequency adjustment circuitry, in addition or in lieu thereof, may include frequency divider circuitry, for example, DLLs, digital/frequency synthesizers (for example, DDS) and/or FLLs, as well as any combinations and permutations thereof.
Abstract:
There are many inventions described and illustrated herein. In one aspect, the present invention is directed to a compensated microelectromechanical oscillator, having a microelectromechanical resonator that generates an output signal and frequency adjustment circuitry, coupled to the microelectromechanical resonator to receive the output signal of the microelectromechanical resonator and, in response to a set of values, to generate an output signal having second frequency. In one embodiment, the values may be determined using the frequency of the output signal of the microelectromechanical resonator, which depends on the operating temperature of the microelectromechanical resonator and/or manufacturing variations of the microelectromechanical resonator. In one embodiment, the frequency adjustment circuitry may include frequency multiplier circuitry, for example, PLLs, DLLs, digital/frequency synthesizers and/or FLLs, as well as any combinations and permutations thereof. The frequency adjustment circuitry, in addition or in lieu thereof, may include frequency divider circuitry, for example, DLLs, digital/frequency synthesizers (for example, DDS) and/or FLLs, as well as any combinations and permutations thereof.
Abstract:
There are many inventions described and illustrated herein. In one aspect, present invention is directed to a thin film encapsulated MEMS, and technique of fabricating or manufacturing a thin film encapsulated MEMS including an integrated getter area and/or an increased chamber volume, which causes little to no increase in overall dimension(s) from the perspective of the mechanical structure and chamber. The integrated getter area is disposed within the chamber and is capable of (i) “capturing” impurities, atoms and/or molecules that are out-gassed from surrounding materials and/or (ii) reducing and/or minimizing the adverse impact of such impurities, atoms and/or molecules (for example, reducing the probability of adding mass to a resonator which would thereby change the resonator's frequency). In this way, the thin film wafer level packaged MEMS of the present invention includes a relatively stable, controlled pressure environment within the chamber to provide, for example, a more stable predetermined, desired and/or selected mechanical damping of the mechanical structure.
Abstract:
A stacked die package for an electromechanical resonator system includes a chip that contains an electromechanical resonator bonded onto the control chip for the electromechanical resonator by a thermally and/or electrically conductive epoxy. In various embodiments, the electromechanical resonator can be a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) resonator or a nano-electromechanical system (NEMS) resonator. Packaging configurations that may include the chip that contains the electromechanical resonator and the control chip include chip-on-lead (COL), chip-on-paddle (COP), and chip-on-tape (COT) packages. The stacked die package provides small package footprint and/or low package thickness, as well as low thermal resistance and a robust conductive path between the chip that contains the electromechanical resonator and the control chip.
Abstract:
A microelectromechanical resonator may include one or more resonator masses that oscillates in a bulk mode and that includes a first plurality of regions each having a density, and a second plurality of regions each having a density, the density of each of the second plurality of regions differing from the density of each of the first plurality of regions. The second plurality of regions may be disposed in a non-uniform arrangement. The oscillation may include a first state in which the resonator mass is contracted, at least in part, in a first and/or a second direction, and expanded, at least in part, in a third and/or a fourth direction, the second direction being opposite the first direction, the fourth direction being opposite the third direction.
Abstract:
A stacked die package for an electromechanical resonator system includes a chip that contains an electromechanical resonator bonded onto the control chip for the electromechanical resonator by a thermally and/or electrically conductive epoxy. In various embodiments, the electromechanical resonator can be a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) resonator or a nano-electromechanical system (NEMS) resonator. Packaging configurations that may include the chip that contains the electromechanical resonator and the control chip include chip-on-lead (COL), chip-on-paddle (COP), and chip-on-tape (COT) packages. The stacked die package provides small package footprint and/or low package thickness, as well as low thermal resistance and a robust conductive path between the chip that contains the electromechanical resonator and the control chip.
Abstract:
There are many inventions described and illustrated herein. In one aspect, the present invention is directed to a technique of fabricating or manufacturing MEMS having mechanical structures that operate in controlled or predetermined mechanical damping environments. In this regard, the present invention encapsulates the mechanical structures within a chamber, prior to final packaging and/or completion of the MEMS. The environment within the chamber containing and/or housing the mechanical structures provides the predetermined, desired and/or selected mechanical damping. The parameters of the encapsulated fluid (for example, the gas pressure) in which the mechanical structures are to operate are controlled, selected and/or designed to provide a desired and/or predetermined operating environment.
Abstract:
A MEMS array structure including a plurality of bulk mode resonators may include at least one resonator coupling section disposed between the plurality of bulk mode resonators. The plurality of resonators may oscillate by expansion and/or contraction in at least one direction/dimension. The MEMS array structure may include a plurality of sense electrodes and drive electrodes spaced apart from the plurality of bulk mode resonators by a gap. The MEMS array structure may further include at least one anchor coupling section disposed between the at least one resonator coupling section and a substrate anchor.
Abstract:
Many inventions are disclosed. Some aspects are directed to MEMS, and/or methods for use with and/or for fabricating MEMS, that supply, store, and/or trap charge on a mechanical structure disposed in a chamber. Various structures may be disposed in the chamber and employed in supplying, storing and/or trapping charge on the mechanical structure. In some aspects, a breakable link, a thermionic electron source and/or a movable mechanical structure are employed. The breakable link may comprise a fuse. In one embodiment, the movable mechanical structure is driven to resonate. In some aspects, the electrical charge enables a transducer to convert vibrational energy to electrical energy, which may be used to power circuit(s), device(s) and/or other purpose(s). In some aspects, the electrical charge is employed in changing the resonant frequency of a mechanical structure and/or generating an electrostatic force, which may be repulsive.