Resonator and a method of manufacturing the same, and oscillator and electronic apparatus including the same

• US 8,264,291 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2010
• Issued: 09/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Morita, Shinya
• Primary Examiner(s): Gannon, Levi
• Application Number:
  US12/794,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20100321125A1
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• Field of Search: 331/50, 331/56, 331/107.DP, 331/116.M, 331/116.R, 331/154, 331/156, 333186-193, 333/197
• US Class Current: 331/154
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 2009/02488 Vibration modes
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 2009/02496 Horizontal, i.e. parallel to the substrate plane
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 2009/2442 Square resonators
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 3/0072 of microelectro-mechanical resonators or networks micromembranes or microbeams B81B2203/01; manufacture of microstructural devices in general B81C
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/02259 Driving or detection means
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/02338 Suspension means
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/02433 Means for compensation or elimination of undesired effects
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/2431 Ring resonators
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/2436 Disk resonators
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/2452 Free-free beam resonators
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a resonator including, a vibrating portion having a conductor portion, and three or more insulating portions provided so as to electrically separate the conductor portion into a plurality of blocks, wherein when a potential difference is caused across both ends in each of the three or more insulating portions, the vibrating portion carries out a resonance vibration based on a longitudinal vibration in accordance with a frequency of an A.C. signal inputted to each of corresponding ones of the plurality of blocks in the conductor portion.

Claims

1. A resonator comprising:

a vibrating portion having a conductor portion; and

three or more insulating portions embedded in the conductor portion so as to electrically separate the conductor portion into a plurality of blocks;

wherein when a potential difference is caused across both ends in each of said three or more insulating portions, said vibrating portion carries out a resonance vibration based on a longitudinal vibration in accordance with a frequency of an A.C. signal inputted to each of corresponding ones of said plurality of blocks in said conductor portion.

2. The resonator according to claim 1, further comprising a supporting portion for supporting said vibrating portion to one surface of a substrate through a gap.

3. The resonator according to claim 1, wherein the A.C. signal is inputted through a supporting portion.

4. The resonator according to claim 2, wherein said supporting portion is disposed either in a position corresponding to at least one of node portions in the longitudinal wave vibration, or in a vicinity of the position.

5. The resonator according to claim 1, wherein each of said three or more insulating portions is disposed either in a position corresponding to at least one of node portions in the longitudinal wave vibration, or in a vicinity of the position.

6. The resonator according to claim 1, wherein said conductor portion is separated into said plurality of blocks along a transmission direction of the A.C. signal.

7. The resonator according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of blocks in said conductor portion is composed of an input block to which an A.C. signal is inputted, and an output block from which an A.C. signal is outputted;

and a D.C. voltage for causing the potential difference is supplied to one of said input block and said output block.

8. The resonator according to claim 7, wherein the input blocks and the output blocks are alternately disposed along a transmission direction of the A.C. signal.

9. The resonator according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of blocks in said conductor portion is composed of an input block to which an A.C. signal is inputted, an output block from which an A.C. signal is outputted, and a voltage supply block to which a D.C. voltage for causing the potential difference is supplied.

10. The resonator according to claim 9, wherein said voltage supply block is disposed between said input block to which the A.C. signal is inputted, and said output block from which the A.C. signal is outputted along a transmission direction of the A.C. signal.

11. The resonator according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of blocks in said vibrating portion, and said three or more insulating portions are disposed along predetermined one direction so that in said vibrating portion, each of said three or more insulating portions vibrates in the predetermined one direction.

12. The resonator according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of blocks in said vibrating portion, and said three or more insulating portions are disposed so that each of said three or more insulating portions vibrates along two directions making at a right angle with each other within a vibrating surface of said vibrating portion.

13. The resonator according to claim 12, wherein said three or more insulating portions extend along the two directions within said vibrating surface by plural ones;

and said plurality of blocks in said conductor portion are disposed in a matrix within said vibrating surface.

14. The resonator according to claim 1, wherein in said plurality of blocks in said conductor portion, input blocks to each of which an A.C. signal is inputted, and output blocks from each of which an A.C. signal is outputted are alternately disposed along the two directions within said vibrating surface.

15. The resonator according to claim 1, wherein said three or more insulating portions are disposed concentrically within a vibrating surface of said vibrating portion;

and said three or more insulating portions vibrate radially from a center of a concentric circle toward an outer periphery within said three or more insulating portions.

16. The resonator according to claim 1, wherein said vibrating portion is constructed in an annular fashion within a vibrating surface;

and said three or more insulating portions are disposed side by side around along the annular structure, and vibrate along a round direction.

17. A method of manufacturing a resonator, comprising the step of forming a vibrating portion having a conductor portion, and three or more insulating portions embedded in the conductor portion for electrically separating said conductor portion into a plurality of blocks, and carrying out a resonance vibration based on a longitudinal vibration in accordance with a frequency of an A.C. signal inputted to each of corresponding ones of said plurality of blocks in said conductor portion when a potential difference is caused across both ends in each of said three or more insulating portions on a substrate.

18. The method of manufacturing a resonator according to claim 17, wherein the step of forming said vibrating portion comprises the steps of:

forming a conductor pattern layer having a plurality of conductor patterns disposed separately from one another on said substrate;

forming an insulating layer on a surface and a side surface of said conductor pattern layer;

forming a conductor layer on said insulating layer; and

planarizing surfaces of said conductor pattern layer, said insulating layer and said conductor layer, thereby forming said conductor portion and said three or more insulating portion.

19. An oscillator, comprising:

a resonator for carrying out a resonance vibration;

said resonator including, a vibrating portion having a conductor portion, and three or more insulating portions embedded in the conductor portion so as to electrically separate said conductor portion into a plurality of blocks;

wherein when a potential difference is caused across both ends in each of said three or more insulating portions, said vibrating portion carries out a resonance vibration based on a longitudinal vibration in accordance with a frequency of an A.C. signal inputted to each of corresponding ones of said plurality of blocks in said conductor portion.

20. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

a resonator for carrying out a resonance vibration;

said resonator including, a vibrating portion having a conductor portion, and three or more insulating portions embedded in the conductor portion so as to electrically separate said conductor portion into a plurality of blocks;

wherein when a potential difference is caused across both ends in each of said three or more insulating portions, said vibrating portion carries out a resonance vibration based on a longitudinal vibration in accordance with a frequency of an A.C. signal inputted to each of corresponding ones of said plurality of blocks in said conductor portion.