Electromechanical resonator and method of operating same
First Claim
1. An electromechanical resonator comprising:
- a substrate;
an anchor coupled to the substrate;
a beam coupled to the anchor and suspended over the substrate by the anchor, the beam comprising a first surface, a second surface, and a third surface; and
a drive electrode coupled to the substrate and separated from the beam by a gap, wherein;
the first surface defines a width and a height, the second surface defines the height and a length, and the third surface defines the length and the width; and
the beam resonates substantially only in a compression mode and substantially only along an axis defined by the length.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electromechanical resonator includes a substrate (150, 450), an anchor (110, 510, 810) coupled to the substrate, a beam (120, 620, 1020, 1120, 1220, 1420) coupled to the anchor and suspended over the substrate, and a drive electrode (130, 435, 630, 930, 933, 935, 1030, 1035, 1130, 1135, 1435) coupled to the substrate and separated from the beam by a gap (140, 445, 640, 1040, 1045, 1140, 1145, 1445). The beam has a first surface (321, 621, 1021, 1121), a second surface (322, 622), and a third surface (323, 623, 1023, 1123, 1223, 1423). The first surface defines a width and a height, the second surface defines the height and a length, and the third surface defines the length and the width. The width, height, and length are substantially mutually perpendicular, and the beam resonates substantially only in compression mode and substantially only along an axis defined by the length.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. An electromechanical resonator comprising:
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a substrate;
an anchor coupled to the substrate;
a beam coupled to the anchor and suspended over the substrate by the anchor, the beam comprising a first surface, a second surface, and a third surface; and
a drive electrode coupled to the substrate and separated from the beam by a gap, wherein;
the first surface defines a width and a height, the second surface defines the height and a length, and the third surface defines the length and the width; and
the beam resonates substantially only in a compression mode and substantially only along an axis defined by the length. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A MEMS resonator comprising:
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a semiconductor substrate having a substrate surface;
an anchor coupled to the substrate;
a beam coupled to the anchor and suspended over the substrate surface by the anchor, the beam comprising a first surface substantially perpendicular to the substrate surface, a second surface substantially perpendicular to the substrate surface, and a third surface substantially parallel to the substrate surface;
a first drive electrode coupled to the substrate and separated from the beam by a first gap; and
a second drive electrode coupled to the substrate and separated from the beam by a second gap, wherein;
the first drive electrode is adjacent to the first surface;
the second drive electrode is adjacent to a surface of the beam opposite the first surface;
the first surface defines a width and a height, the second surface defines the height and a length, and the third surface defines the length and the width;
the width, height, and length are substantially mutually perpendicular to each other; and
the beam resonates substantially only in a compression mode and substantially only along an axis defined by the length. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A method of operating an electromechanical resonator, the method comprising:
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providing a substrate;
providing an anchor coupled to the substrate;
providing a beam coupled to the anchor and suspended over the substrate by the anchor, the beam comprising a first surface, a second surface, and a third surface, wherein the first surface defines a width and a height, the second surface defines the height and a length, and the third surface defines the length and the width;
providing a drive electrode coupled to the substrate and separated from the beam by a gap; and
causing the beam to resonate substantially only in a compression mode and substantially only along an axis defined by the length.
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Specification