The present disclosure provides a super-regenerative transceiver with a feedback element having a controllable gain. The super-regenerative transceiver utilizes the controllable gain to improve RF signal data sensitivity and improve RF signal data capture rates. Super-regenerative transceivers described herein permit signal data capture over a broad range of frequencies and for a range of communication protocols. Super-regenerative transceivers described herein are tunable, consume very little power for operation and maintenance, and permit long term operation even when powered by very small power sources (e.g., coin batteries).

Provided are a resonator, a method of manufacturing the resonator, and a strain sensor and a sensor array including the resonator. The resonator is provided to extend in a lengthwise direction from a support. The resonator includes a single crystal material and is provided to extend in a crystal orientation that satisfies at least one from among a Young's modulus and a Poisson's ratio, from among crystal orientations of the single crystal material.

Described herein is using an array of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) oscillators to produce unique identifiers. At least some of the MEMS oscillators will “couple” or influence each other when exposed to an external stimulus, such that the frequency of the device is not equal to the combination of individual MEMS oscillator frequencies. The frequency of the device provides a unique “fingerprint” that allows the device to be identified with accuracy but is incredibly difficult to copy, meaning the response may be a physical unclonable function (PUF).

Switchable and/or tunable filters, methods of manufacture and design structures are disclosed herein. The method of forming the filters includes forming at least one piezoelectric filter structure comprising a plurality of electrodes formed to be in contact with at least one piezoelectric substrate. The method further includes forming a micro-electro-mechanical structure (MEMS) comprising a MEMS beam in which, upon actuation, the MEMS beam will turn on the at least one piezoelectric filter structure by interleaving electrodes in contact with the piezoelectric substrate or sandwiching the at least one piezoelectric substrate between the electrodes.

A continuous or distributed resonator geometry is defined such that the fabrication process used to form a spring mechanism also forms an effective mass of the resonator structure. Proportional design of the spring mechanism and/or mass element geometries in relation to the fabrication process allows for compensation of process-tolerance-induced fabrication variances. As a result, a resonator having increased frequency accuracy is achieved.

A bulk-acoustic-mode MEMS resonator has a first portion with a first physical layout, and a layout modification feature. The resonant frequency is a function of the physical layout, which is designed such that the frequency variation is less than 150 ppm for a variation in edge position of the resonator shape edges of 50 nm. This design combines at least two different layout features in such a way that small edge position variations (resulting from uncontrollable process variation) have negligible effect on the resonant frequency.

In an embodiment, a tunable stiffness mechanical filter is provided including an input coupler to a negative stiffness structure with a negative stiffness characteristic, and further including a tuner for tuning the negative stiffness structure. An output sensor is located along the negative stiffness structure. The filter may include an amplifier and/or a driver coupled between the output sensor and the negative stiffness structure.

A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) resonator includes a substrate having a substantially planar surface and a resonant member having sidewalls disposed in a nominally perpendicular orientation with respect to the planar surface. Impurity dopant is introduced via the sidewalls of the resonant member such that a non-uniform dopant concentration profile is established along axis extending between the sidewalls parallel to the substrate surface and exhibits a relative minimum concentration in a middle region of the axis.

A resonator is provided that includes a base, and three or more vibrating arms each including a first and second electrodes and a piezoelectric film disposed therebetween and having a top surface facing the first electrode. The piezoelectric film vibrates in a predetermined vibration mode when a voltage is applied between the first and second electrodes. Moreover, the three or more vibrating arms include two first arms each located on an outermost side in a direction in which the three or more vibrating arms are arranged and that vibrate in a same phase, and one or more second arms disposed between the two first arms. Each first arm is greater in mass than each second arm.

In examples, a device comprises a semiconductor die, a thin-film layer, and an air cavity positioned between the semiconductor die and the thin-film layer. The air cavity comprises a resonator positioned on the semiconductor die. A rib couples to a surface of the thin-film layer opposite the air cavity.