Micromechanical resonator device and micromechanical device utilizing same

A micromechanical resonator device having at least one mode shape, the device comprising:

• a substrate;
• a disk-shaped resonator disposed above the substrate and having at least one nodal point;
• and
• a drive electrode structure formed on the substrate at a position to allow electrostatic excitation of the resonator so that the resonator is driven in the at least one mode shape wherein the resonator and the drive electrode structure define a capacitive gap therebetween and wherein the capacitive gap is a sub-micron, lateral, capacitive gap.

A micromechanical resonator device having at least one mode shape, the device comprising:

• a substrate;
• a disk-shaped resonator disposed above the substrate and having at least one nodal point wherein the at least one nodal point corresponds to a center of the resonator;
• and
• a support structure to support the resonator wherein the support structure is a single anchor positioned at the center of the resonator.

A micromechanical resonator device having at least one mode shape, the device comprising:

• a substrate
• a disk-shaped resonator disposed above the substrate and having at least one nodal point;
• and
• a drive electrode structure formed on the substrate at a position to allow electrostatic excitation of the resonator so that the resonator is driven in the at least one mode shape wherein the resonator and the drive electrode structure define a capacitive gap therebetween and wherein the drive electrode structure is positioned beneath the resonator and wherein the at least one mode shape includes a flexural mode shape.

A micromechanical device comprising:

• a substrate;
• a disk-shaped input resonator disposed above the substrate and having at least one nodal point;
• a disk-shaped output resonator disposed above the substrate and coupled to the input resonator and having at least one nodal point;
• and
• a coupling spring for mechanically coupling the resonators together.

A micromechanical device comprising:

• a substrate;
• a disk-shaped input resonator disposed above the substrate and having at least one nodal point;
• and
• a disk-shaped output resonator disposed above the substrate and coupled to the input resonator and having at least one nodal point, the device further comprising an intermediate resonator disposed above the substrate and coupled to the input and output resonators and having at least one nodal point, and further comprising a drive electrode structure formed on the substrate at a position to allow electrostatic excitation of the input resonator, a sense electrode structure formed on the substrate at a position to sense output current based on motion of the output resonator and an intermediate electrode structure formed on the substrate at a position for enhanced access to a response of the device.

A micromechanical device comprising:

• a substrate;
• a disk-shaped input resonator disposed above the substrate and having at least one nodal point;
• and
• a disk-shaped output resonator disposed above the substrate and coupled to the input resonator and having at least one nodal point, wherein the device is a mixer.