A microelectromechanical resonant switch (resoswitch) converts received radio frequency (RF) energy into a clock output. The resoswitch first accepts incoming amplitude- or frequency-shift keyed clock-modulated RF energy at a carrier frequency, filters it, provides power gain via resonant impact switching, and finally envelop detects impact impulses to demodulate and recover the carrier clock waveform. The resulting output derives from the clock signal that originally modulated the RF carrier, resulting in a local clock that shares its originator's accuracy. A bare push-pull 1-kHz RF-powered mechanical clock generator driving an on-chip inverter gate capacitance of 5 fF can potentially operate with only 5 pW of battery power, 200,000 times lower than a typical real-time clock. Using an off-chip inverter with 17.5 pF of effective capacitance, a 1-kHz push-pull resonator would consume 17.5 nW.

Integrated Microelectromechanical System (MEMS) devices and methods for making the same. The integrated MEMS device comprises a substrate (200) with first electronic circuitry (206) formed thereon, as well as a MEMS filter device (100). The MEMS filter device has a transition portion (118) configured to (a) electrically connect the MEMS filter device to second electronic circuitry and (b) suspend the MEMS filter device over the substrate such that a gas gap exists between the substrate and the MEMS filter device. The transition portion comprises a three dimensional hollow ground structure (120) in which an elongate center conductor (122) is suspended. The RF MEMS filter device also comprises at least two adjacent electronic elements (102/110) which are electrically isolated from each other via a ground structure of the transition portion, and placed in close proximity to each other.

A piezoelectrically transduced resonator device includes a wafer having a substrate, a buried oxide layer formed on the substrate, and a device layer formed on the buried oxide layer, and a resonator suspended within an air gap of the wafer above the substrate, the resonator including a portion of the device layer, a piezoelectric layer, and top and bottom electrodes contacting top and bottom sides of the piezoelectric layer, wherein the portion of the device layer is not directly connected to the wafer and wherein the resonator is configured to move relative to the substrate under electrostatic force to tune the frequency of the resonator device when a direct current voltage is applied between the substrate and the portion of the device layer of the resonator.

A tunable Q resonator using a capacitive-piezoelectric transducer provides a flexible top electrode above an AlN resonator. The top electrode can be pulled electrostatically towards the resonator and substrate, forming a frictional contact with either the resonator or the combined resonator-electrode structure to the substrate, allowing for electrical tuning the Q of the resonator. With a sufficient electrostatic bias voltage V.sub.b, the resonator may be completely turned OFF, allowing for an integrated switchable AlN resonator. Such switchable resonator may be integrated into a radio frequency (RF) front end as a digitally selectable band pass filter element, obviating the need for ancillary micromechanical switches in the signal path. The device has been demonstrated with a Q approaching 9,000, together with ON/OFF switchability and electromechanical coupling up to 0.63%. Flexible positioning of the top electrode allows for actively controlling the series resonant frequency of the resonator through changes in capacitive coupling.

A MEMS resonator array is provided with improved electrical characteristics and reduced motional impedance at high frequency applications. The MEMS resonator array includes a pair of first piezoelectric resonators that are opposed to each other with a space defined therebetween. Moreover, the MEMS resonator array includes a pair of second piezoelectric resonators that are opposed to each other and that are each coupled to respective corners of each of the first piezoelectric resonators. As such, each of the second piezoelectric resonators is partially disposed in the space defined between the pair of first piezoelectric resonators.

A signal processing apparatus, being configured for transmitting and receiving coherent parallel optical signals, comprises a transmitter apparatus including a first single soliton micro-resonator device and a modulator device, wherein the first single soliton micro-resonator device is adapted for creating a single soliton providing a first frequency comb, wherein the first frequency comb provides a plurality of equidistant optical carriers with a frequency spacing corresponding to a free spectral range of the first single soliton micro-resonator device, and the modulator device is adapted for modulating the optical carriers according to data to be transmitted, and a receiver apparatus including a coherent receiver device with a plurality of coherent receivers and a local oscillator device providing a plurality of reference optical signals, wherein the coherent receiver device and the local oscillator device are arranged for coherently detecting the transmitted modulated optical carriers, wherein the signal processing apparatus further includes at least one second single soliton micro-resonator device having a free spectral range being equal or approximated to the free spectral range of the first single soliton micro-resonator device and being adapted for creating at least one single soliton providing at least one second frequency comb, wherein the at least one second frequency comb provides at least one of additional optical carriers and the reference optical signals. Furthermore, a signal processing method, including transmitting and receiving coherent parallel optical signals via a communication channel is described.

A frequency divider apparatus includes a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) divider that is configured to be driven by an input signal. The MEMS divider includes a passive mechanical device that generates multiple output signals. Each of the output signals has a frequency less than a frequency of the input signal.

A MEMS (microelectromechanical system) resonator assembly (100), comprising a support structure (102), a resonator element (101) suspended to the support structure (102), and an actuator for exciting the resonator element (101) to a resonance mode. The resonator element (101) vibrates at resonance frequency f.sub.0 and comprises at least one bulk acoustic resonator (110a, 110b). The ESR*A*f.sub.0 values of the resonator assembly (100) are in the range from 12 mm.sup.2 MHz to 83 mm.sup.2 MHZ.

A MEMS (microelectromechanical system) resonator assembly (100), comprising a support structure (102), a resonator element (101) suspended to the support structure (102), and an actuator for exciting the resonator element (101) to a resonance mode. The resonator element (101) comprises two bulk acoustic resonators (110a, 110b) and a flexural mode resonator (120). The flexural mode resonator (120) mechanically connects the two bulk acoustic resonators (110a, 110b), and the MEMS resonator assembly (100) is configured to vibrate in a collective resonance mode in which motions of the two bulk acoustic resonators (110a, 110b) are substantially in the same or 180 degrees shifted phase with respect to each other.

System and methods for a hollow-disk radial-contour mode resonator structure. The hollow disk reduces the dynamic mass and stiffness of the structure. Since electromechanical coupling C.sub.x/C.sub.o goes as the reciprocal of mass and stiffness, the hollow disk structure has a considerably stronger electromechanical coupling than a solid one at the same frequency, and thus raises C.sub.x/C.sub.o without excessive gap-scaling. Several embodiments of hollow disk resonators are detailed, including asymmetric and symmetric disk configurations.