Tunable MEMS resonators
First Claim
1. A micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) resonator, comprising:
- a first part comprising a cavity and a post; and
a second part mated to the first part and comprising a movable plate located under the post and a biasing electrode disposed on the opposite side of the movable plate as the post, the movable plate being electrostatically displaced by a DC voltage applied to the biasing electrode to vary a resonance frequency of the MEMS resonator, the movable plate being offset from a plane of an electrically conductive layer coupled to the movable plate.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Tunable MEMS resonators having adjustable resonance frequency and capable of handling large signals are described. In one exemplary design, a tunable MEMS resonator includes (i) a first part having a cavity and a post and (ii) a second part mated to the first part and including a movable plate located under the post. Each part may be covered with a metal layer on the surface facing the other part. The movable plate may be mechanically moved by a DC voltage to vary the resonance frequency of the MEMS resonator. The cavity may have a rectangular or circular shape and may be empty or filled with a dielectric material. The post may be positioned in the middle of the cavity. The movable plate may be attached to the second part (i) via an anchor and operated as a cantilever or (ii) via two anchors and operated as a bridge.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) resonator, comprising:
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a first part comprising a cavity and a post; and a second part mated to the first part and comprising a movable plate located under the post and a biasing electrode disposed on the opposite side of the movable plate as the post, the movable plate being electrostatically displaced by a DC voltage applied to the biasing electrode to vary a resonance frequency of the MEMS resonator, the movable plate being offset from a plane of an electrically conductive layer coupled to the movable plate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An apparatus comprising:
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a filter to receive an input signal and provide an output signal, the filter comprising at least one micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) resonator, each MEMS resonator having; a first part comprising a post; and a second part spaced apart from the first part by a cavity, the second part comprising a movable plate for adjusting a resonance frequency of the MEMS resonator, and a biasing electrode disposed on the opposite side of the movable plate as the post, the movable plate being electrostatically displaced by a DC voltage applied to the biasing electrode to vary a resonance frequency of the MEMS resonator, the filter having a tunable frequency response determined based on the resonance frequency of each MEMS resonator, the movable plate being offset from a plane of an electrically conductive layer coupled to the movable plate. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. An apparatus comprising:
an oscillator comprising an amplifier to provide amplification for an oscillator signal, and at least one micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) resonator coupled to the amplifier, each MEMS resonator having; a first part comprising a post; and a second part spaced apart from the first part by a cavity, the second part comprising a movable plate for adjusting a resonance frequency of the MEMS resonator, and a biasing electrode disposed on the opposite side of the movable plate as the post, the movable plate being electrostatically displaced by a DC voltage applied to the biasing electrode to vary a resonance frequency of the MEMS resonator, the oscillator having a tunable oscillation frequency determined based on the resonance frequency of each MEMS resonator, the movable plate being offset from a plane of an electrically conductive layer coupled to the movable plate. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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26. A method comprising:
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applying a DC voltage to an electrode of a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) resonator comprising a post and a movable plate separated from the post by a cavity, the movable plate being offset from a plane of an electrically conductive layer coupled to the movable plate, wherein the electrode is disposed on the opposite side of the movable plate as the post; varying the DC voltage to electrostatically displace the movable plate of the MEMS resonator and vary a resonance frequency of the MEMS resonator; and receiving a radio frequency (RF) signal from the cavity of the MEMS resonator. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
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Specification