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US 7,750,759 B1Granted
Multi-mode MEMS resonator array
AssigneeRF Micro Devices, Inc.
InventorsSeungbae Lee, Kushal Bhattacharjee
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a multi-mode micro-electromechanicalsystems (MEMS) resonator system that may provide low motional resistance and a high quality factor by using a resonating structure that includes multiple parallel-coupled longitudinally resonating bodies, each of which has multiple resonating segments adjacent to one another along an axis. The multi-mode MEMS resonator system may provide high acoustic velocity by using the micro-structure of MEMS technology. The multi-mode MEMS resonator system may include electrostatic transducers, piezoelectric transducers, or both. The present invention includes multiple embodiments that may include different configurations of the resonating structure.
Claims25
A multi-mode micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) resonator system comprising:
- a supporting structure;
- and
- a plurality of longitudinally resonating bodies coupled in parallel with one another along a first axis to form a resonating structure, which is suspended from the supporting structure, each of the plurality of longitudinally resonating bodies having a plurality of resonating segments adjacent to one another along a second axis, which is approximately perpendicular to the first axis, and each of the plurality of resonating segments having and resonating longitudinally about a null axis, such that the resonating structure comprises:
- a resonating device layer;
- a first conducting layer;
- and
- a first insulating layer between the resonating device layer and the first conducting layer.
4 more elements
A multi-mode micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) resonator system comprising:
- a supporting structure comprising a first drive connection node, a second sense connection node, and a third direct current (DC) connection node adapted to receive a DC input signal, and a sense signal based on the DC input signal;
- a plurality of longitudinally resonating bodies coupled in parallel with one another along a first axis to form a resonating structure, which is suspended from the supporting structure, each of the plurality of longitudinally resonating bodies having a plurality of resonating segments adjacent to one another along a second axis, which is approximately perpendicular to the first axis, and each of the plurality of resonating segments having and resonating longitudinally about a null axis, such that:
- a first driven resonating segment in one of the plurality of longitudinally resonating bodies comprises a conducting area, which is electrically coupled to the drive connection node;
- and
- a first sensed resonating segment in the one of the plurality of longitudinally resonating bodies comprises a conducting area, which is electrically coupled to the sense connection node;
- and
- drive circuitry adapted to provide an alternating current (AC) drive signal to the drive connection node, wherein the sense connection node is adapted to provide the sense signal based on the AC drive signal and resonance characteristics of the resonating structure.
4 more elements
A multi-mode micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) resonator system comprising:
- a supporting structure comprising a drive connection node and a sense connection node;
- and
- a plurality of longitudinally resonating bodies coupled in parallel with one another along a first axis to form a resonating structure, which is suspended from the supporting structure, each of the plurality of longitudinally resonating bodies having a plurality of resonating segments adjacent to one another along a second axis, which is approximately perpendicular to the first axis, and each of the plurality of resonating segments having and resonating longitudinally about a null axis, such that the resonating structure comprises:
- a resonating device layer;
- a first conducting layer;
- a first insulating layer between the resonating device layer and the first conducting layer;
- a first driven resonating segment in one of the plurality of longitudinally resonating bodies comprises a conducting area, which is electrically coupled to the drive connection node;
- a first sensed resonating segment in the one of the plurality of longitudinally resonating bodies comprises a conducting area, which is electrically coupled to the sense connection node;
- a second driven resonating segment in another of the plurality of longitudinally resonating bodies comprises a conducting area, which is electrically coupled to the drive connection node;
- a second sensed resonating segment in the another of the plurality of longitudinally resonating bodies comprises a conducting area, which is electrically coupled to the sense connection node;
- a first intra-array coupler couples the first sensed resonating segment to the second sensed resonating segment;
- and
- a second intra-array coupler couples the first driven resonating segment to the second driven resonating segment.
10 more elements
A multi-mode micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) resonator system comprising:
- a supporting structure comprising a drive connection node and a sense connection node;
- and
- a plurality of longitudinally resonating bodies coupled in parallel with one another along a first axis to form a resonating structure, which is suspended from the supporting structure, each of the plurality of longitudinally resonating bodies having a plurality of resonating segments adjacent to one another along a second axis, which is approximately perpendicular to the first axis, and each of the plurality of resonating segments having and resonating longitudinally about a null axis, such that the resonating structure comprises:
- a resonating device layer;
- a first conducting layer;
- a first insulating layer between the resonating device layer and the first conducting layer;
- a first driven resonating segment in one of the plurality of longitudinally resonating bodies comprises a conducting area, which is electrically coupled to the drive connection node;
- a first sensed resonating segment in the one of the plurality of longitudinally resonating bodies comprises a conducting area, which is electrically coupled to the sense connection node;
- a second driven resonating segment in another of the plurality of longitudinally resonating bodies comprises a conducting area, which is electrically coupled to the drive connection node;
- a second sensed resonating segment in the another of the plurality of longitudinally resonating bodies comprises a conducting area, which is electrically coupled to the sense connection node;
- a first intra-array coupler couples the first sensed resonating segment to the first driven resonating segment;
- and
- a second intra-array coupler couples the second driven resonating segment to the second sensed resonating segment.
10 more elements
A multi-mode micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) resonator system comprising:
- a supporting structure comprising a drive connection node and a sense connection node;
- and
- a plurality of longitudinally resonating bodies coupled in parallel with one another along a first axis to form a resonating structure, which is suspended from the supporting structure, each of the plurality of longitudinally resonating bodies having a plurality of resonating segments adjacent to one another along a second axis, which is approximately perpendicular to the first axis, and each of the plurality of resonating segments having and resonating longitudinally about a null axis, such that the resonating structure comprises:
- a resonating device layer;
- a first conducting layer;
- a first insulating layer between the resonating device layer and the first conducting layer;
- a first driven resonating segment in a first of the plurality of longitudinally resonating bodies comprises a conducting area, which is electrically coupled to the drive connection node;
- a first sensed resonating segment in the first of the plurality of longitudinally resonating bodies comprises a conducting area, which is electrically coupled to the sense connection node;
- a second of the plurality of longitudinally resonating bodies comprises a first resonating segment and a second resonating segment;
- a second driven resonating segment in a third of the plurality of longitudinally resonating bodies comprises a conducting area, which is electrically coupled to the drive connection node;
- a second sensed resonating segment in the third of the plurality of longitudinally resonating bodies comprises a conducting area, which is electrically coupled to the sense connection node;
- a first intra-array coupler couples the first sensed resonating segment to the first resonating segment;
- a second intra-array coupler couples the first resonating segment to the second sensed resonating segment;
- a third intra-array coupler couples the first driven resonating segment to the second resonating segment;
- and
- a fourth intra-array coupler couples the second resonating segment to the second driven resonating segment.
13 more elements
A multi-mode micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) resonator system comprising:
- a supporting structure;
- a plurality of longitudinally resonating bodies coupled in parallel with one another along a first axis to form a resonating structure, which is suspended from the supporting structure, each of the plurality of longitudinally resonating bodies having a plurality of resonating segments adjacent to one another along a second axis, which is approximately perpendicular to the first axis, and each of the plurality of resonating segments having and resonating longitudinally about a null axis, such that the resonating structure comprises:
- a resonating device layer;
- a first conducting layer;
- a first insulating layer between the resonating device layer and the first conducting layer;
- a plurality of anchors that couple the resonating structure at null axes to the supporting structure;
- and
- a plurality of intra-array couplers that couple adjacent pairs of the plurality of longitudinally resonating bodies to one another at null axes.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.