Lever mechanisms for anti-phase mode isolation in MEMS tuning-fork structures

Abstract

A MEMS resonator includes two resonating masses having an anti-phase and in-phase resonance mode, each mode having a resonance frequency, and an anti-phase resonance levering system coupled to the two resonating masses to stiffen and/or dampen the in-phase resonance mode while leaving the anti-phase resonance mode compliant. This effectively raises the in-phase resonance frequency above the anti-phase resonance frequency, and potentially creates a large frequency separation between the two resonance modes. This reduces the energy transfer between the two modes, allowing for robustness to external acceleration, because the in-phase mode is of a higher frequency. The anti-phase resonance levering system is disposed between the two resonating masses as an internal levering mechanism, or is disposed around the two resonating masses as an external levering mechanism.

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