FREQUENCY COMPENSATED OSCILLATOR DESIGN FOR PROCESS TOLERANCES
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Abstract
A continuous or distributed resonator geometry is defined such that the fabrication process used to form a spring mechanism also forms an effective mass of the resonator structure. Proportional design of the spring mechanism and/or mass element geometries in relation to the fabrication process allows for compensation of process-tolerance-induced fabrication variances. As a result, a resonator having increased frequency accuracy is achieved.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1-26. -26. (canceled)
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27. A resonator comprising:
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a spring mechanism having an actual width defining an effective mechanical stiffness; a mass element having an effective mass; wherein; the actual width is defined by a fabrication process used to form the spring mechanism from a constituent material; and the mass element comprises a plurality of beams structures having a geometry defined such that formation of the actual width by the fabrication process results in little change to a ratio defined by a change in the effective mechanical stiffness and a change in the effective mass. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A resonator comprising:
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a spring mechanism of predetermined length having an actual width defining an effective mechanical stiffness, a defined geometry, and an effective mass; wherein the actual width and the effective mass of the spring mechanism are simultaneously defined by application of a fabrication process to a constituent material; and
,wherein the geometry is defined such that application of the fabrication process to the constituent material results in little change to a ratio defined by a change in the effective mechanical stiffness and a change in the effective mass. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A resonator comprising:
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a spring-mass mechanism having an effective mechanical stiffness, an effective mechanical mass, and a geometry that defines the effective mechanical stiffness and mass; wherein; the geometry includes at least one of a void and a plurality of indentations in a first portion of the spring-mass mechanism, the at least one of the void and plurality of indentations being dimensioned so that, when the spring-mass mechanism, after it is formed, is subjected to a process that removes material from the spring-mass mechanism, a greater surface area of first portion is exposed to the process than a remaining portion of the spring-mass mechanism, the difference in exposure resulting in a change in at least one of the effective mechanical stiffness and the effective mechanical mass produced in the first portion by the removal of the material that offsets a change in at least one of the effective mechanical stiffness and the effective mechanical mass produced in the remaining portion by the removal of the material, thereby providing a predetermined ratio between the effective mechanical stiffness and the effective mechanical mass upon completion of the process; the spring-mass mechanism includes a spring beam and a mass formed by a plurality of stacked beams; a width of the spring is greater than a width of each of the stacked beams; and the void is formed by an interconnection of at least two of the stacked beams.
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Specification