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US 12,623,900 B1Granted
MEMS with over-voltage protection
AssigneeSiTime Corporation
InventorsNicholas Miller, Ginel C. Hill, Charles I. Grosjean, Michael Julian Daneman, Paul M. Hagelin, Aaron Partridge
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A semiconductor device includes first and second exposed electrical contacts and a cavity having a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) structure therein. A conductive path extends from the first exposed electrical contact to the cavity and an over-voltage protection element electrically is coupled between the first and second exposed electrical contacts.
Claims22
A semiconductor device comprising:
- a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) resonator having a body adapted to vibrate, the body being hermetically sealed within a cavity of the semiconductor device;
- first and second electrical contacts disposed on an exterior surface of the semiconductor device;
- an electrode within the cavity of the semiconductor device, the electrode being electrically coupled to the first electrical contact to receive drive impetus therefrom, the drive impetus to cause the body to vibrate;
- an over-voltage protection device electrically coupled between the first and second electrical contacts.
1 more element
A semiconductor device comprising:
- a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) resonator having a body adapted to vibrate, the body being hermetically sealed within a cavity of the semiconductor device;
- first and second electrical contacts disposed on an exterior surface of the semiconductor device;
- wherein the body has a layer of degenerately-doped silicon and a piezoelectric layer, the layer of degenerately-doped silicon to serve as an electrode within the cavity of the semiconductor device, and being electrically coupled to the first electrical contact to receive drive impetus therefrom, the drive impetus to cause the body to vibrate;
- an over-voltage protection device electrically coupled between the first and second electrical contacts.
1 more element
A semiconductor device comprising:
- a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) resonator having a body adapted to vibrate, the body being hermetically sealed within a cavity of the semiconductor device;
- first and second electrical contacts disposed on an exterior surface of the semiconductor device;
- wherein the body is separated within the cavity from a drive electrode by a gap, and is also separated from a sense electrode within the cavity by a gap, the body having a layer of degenerately-doped silicon, the drive electrode being electrically coupled to the first electrical contact to receive drive impetus therefrom, the drive impetus to cause the body to vibrate;
- an over-voltage protection device electrically coupled between the first and second electrical contacts.
1 more element
A semiconductor device comprising:
- a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) resonator having a body, the body adapted to vibrate and being hermetically sealed within a cavity of the semiconductor device, the body being at least partially formed from degenerately-doped silicon;
- first and second electrical contacts disposed on an exterior surface of the semiconductor device;
- an electrode within the cavity of the semiconductor device, the electrode being electrically coupled to the first electrical contact to receive drive impetus therefrom, the drive impetus to cause the body to vibrate;
- an over-voltage protection device electrically coupled between the first and second electrical contacts;
- wherein the over-voltage protection device comprises first and second polar regions, the first polar region being formed from the degenerately-doped silicon.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.