Microresonator packaging and tuning

• US 3,969,640 A
• Filed: 08/01/1973
• Issued: 07/13/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Statek Corp. (Technicorp International II, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Statek Corp. (Technicorp International II, Inc.)
• Inventors: Staudte, Juergen H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Budd, Mark O.
• Application Number:
  US05/384,402
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• Field of Search: 310/8, 310/8.2, 310/8.9, 310/9.1, 310/9.3, 310/9.4, 310/9.8, 58/23 TF, 331/116 R, 317/249 R
• US Class Current: 310/312
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/351 for trimming or tuning of electrical components
• CPC Class Codes: G04D 3/0035 for components of the regulating mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: G04D 3/0069 for working with non-mechanical means, e.g. chemical, electrochemical, metallising, vapourising; with electron beams, laser beams
• CPC Class Codes: G04F 5/063 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 3/04 for obtaining desired frequency or temperature coefficient
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/42 Piezoelectric device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49004 including measuring or testing of device or component part

Abstract

A piezoelectric tuning fork microresonator advantageously is mounted in a package having a transparent region through which the microresonator can be tuned using a laser beam selectively to remove portions of weights provided on the tuning fork tine ends. The laser, located external to the package, may be controlled automatically in response to the output of an oscillator circuit using the microresonator as a frequency standard. The package also may house electronic microcircuitry and may include a capacitor using the package wall as a dielectric. When used with the microresonator in an oscillator circuit, the capacitor enables the frequency to be adjusted slightly by shorting together capacitor plate sections on the outside of the package. A batch fabrication technique is disclosed for automatically assembling many such packages on a single scored, optionally transparent substrate.

Claims

1. A package containing a microresonator having a tuning fork configuration including a base portion and two tines extending therefrom, said tuning fork configuration having no dimension greater than 500 mils, each of said tines having metal weights thereon, each of said weights having a first region of one thickness and a second region of lesser thickness, at least a portion of said package being transparent to permit the beam from a laser external to said package to pass therethrough for selective removal of portions of said weights to alter the oscillation frequency of said microresonator, removal of material from said first or second regions, respectively, effecting coarse or fine tuning of said microresonator, said package also containing electronic microcircuitry interconnected to said microresonator, said microcircuitry comprising an oscillator using said microresonator as a frequency source, said package also containing an adjustable capacitor electrically interconnected to affect the frequency of said oscillator, said capacitor including spaced parallel plates, some of said plates being electrically connected within said package and others of said plates being outside of said package, said capacitor utilizing a wall portion of said package as the plate separating dielectric.

2. A package containing a microresonator having a tuning fork configuration including a base portion and two tines extending therefrom, said tuning fork configuration having no dimension greater than 500 mils, each of said tines having metal weights thereon, each of said weights having a first region of one thickness and a second region of lesser thickness, at least a portion of said package being transparent to permit the beam from a laser external to said package to pass therethrough for selective removal of portions of said weights to alter the oscillation frequency of said microresonator, removal of material from said first or second regions, respectively, effecting coarse or fine tuning of said microresonator, one wall of said package having a recess on the inside surface thereof, the stem of said microresonator being mounted to said one wall with the tines cantilevered above said recess.

3. A package according to claim 2, wherein said miroresonator includes thin film electrodes on the undersurface thereof in direct contact with corresponding thin film pads on the inside surface of said one wall adjacent said recess.