A piezoelectric two-dimensional mode resonator suited for high frequency filtering applications, with the ability to simultaneously excite lateral and vertical acoustic waves.

Systems and methods to amplify the response of a MEMS micro-oscillator by driving the MEMS device at its electrical and mechanical resonance frequencies, simultaneously. This enhances the MEMS mechanical sensitivity to electrical excitation and increases the voltage across the MEMS capacitor. Moreover, using a combination of two input signals at different frequencies (beat signal) may be used to achieve double resonance in any MEMS device, even if its natural frequency is far from its electrical resonance.

A resonant member of a MEMS resonator oscillates in a mechanical resonance mode that produces non-uniform regional stresses such that a first level of mechanical stress in a first region of the resonant member is higher than a second level of mechanical stress in a second region of the resonant member. A plurality of openings within a surface of the resonant member are disposed more densely within the first region than the second region and at least partly filled with a compensating material that reduces temperature dependence of the resonant frequency corresponding to the mechanical resonance mode.

A micro-mechanical resonator die includes: micro-mechanical resonator die layers; a cavity formed in at least one of the micro-mechanical resonator die layers; and a micro-mechanical resonator suspended in the cavity. The micro-mechanical resonator includes: a base; a first resonator portion extending from the base along a first plane; and a second resonator portion extending from the base along a second plane. The first resonator portion is configured to operate in an out-of-plane flexural mode that displaces at least part of the first resonator portion out of the first plane. The second resonator portion is configured to operate in an out-of-plane flexural mode that displaces at least part of the second resonator portion out of the second plane and out-of-phase relative to the first resonator portion.

A dual-mode resonator, devices employing the dual-mode resonator, and the methods of making the resonator and the devices are disclosed. Embodiments include a dual-mode resonator including a semiconductor substrate; a material on the semiconductor substrate, having a cavity formed therein; a seed layer over the cavity in a V-shape, wherein sides of the V-shape form an angle of 15 to 25 degrees with a horizontal line; a bottom electrode on the seed layer; an acoustic layer on the bottom electrode; a top electrode on the acoustic layer; and a mass loading layer on the top electrode; and a cap over the dual-mode resonator.

The invention relates to a mechanical oscillator device comprising an unsupported membrane with a multitude of discrete mass elements distributed to form Phononic crystal cells in the form of regions of additional mass each comprising a plurality of mass elements. The phononic crystal structure has a defect for confining a mechanical oscillation mode having a resonance frequency, f, with the mass elements have a smallest lateral dimension of less than 1/10 of a wavelength of the mechanical oscillation mode. The invention is based on a distribution of tiny additional mass elements providing a periodic density contrast pattern to create the bandgap. This approach keeps the tensile stress uniform which ensures perfect overlap between the tensile stress distribution and mode-shape. This again reduces the damping and thus allows for very high quality factors, Q.

Systems and methods to amplify the response of a MEMS micro-oscillator by driving the MEMS device at its electrical and mechanical resonance frequencies, simultaneously. This enhances the MEMS mechanical sensitivity to electrical excitation and increases the voltage across the MEMS capacitor. Moreover, using a combination of two input signals at different frequencies (beat signal) may be used to achieve double resonance in any MEMS device, even if its natural frequency is far from its electrical resonance.

A resonant member of a MEMS resonator oscillates in a mechanical resonance mode that produces non-uniform regional stresses such that a first level of mechanical stress in a first region of the resonant member is higher than a second level of mechanical stress in a second region of the resonant member. A plurality of openings within a surface of the resonant member are disposed more densely within the first region than the second region and at least partly filled with a compensating material that reduces temperature dependence of the resonant frequency corresponding to the mechanical resonance mode.

A piezoelectric two-dimensional mode resonator suited for high frequency filtering applications, with the ability to simultaneously excite lateral and vertical acoustic waves.

A compound spring MEMS resonator includes a resonator body constructed using one or more spring unit cells forming a compound spring block and one or more compound spring blocks forming the resonator body. Each compound spring block is anchored at nodal points to ensure a high quality factor. The resonator body further includes masses attached to the open ends of the compound spring block and capacitively coupled to drive/sense electrodes. The dimensions of the spring unit cells, the number of spring unit cells for a compound spring block, the size and weight of the masses, and the length and width of the support beams are selected to realize a desired resonant frequency. Meanwhile, the number of compound spring blocks is selected to tune the desired electrical characteristics, such as impedance, of the MEMS resonator.