Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100301703 | INTEGRATION OF PIEZOELECTRIC MATERIALS WITH SUBSTRATES - Devices having piezoelectric material structures integrated with substrates are described. Fabrication techniques for forming such devices are also described. The fabrication may include bonding a piezoelectric material wafer to a substrate of a differing material. A structure, such as a resonator, may then be formed from the piezoelectric material wafer. | 12-02-2010 |
20100314969 | MECHANICAL RESONATING STRUCTURES AND METHODS - Apparatus and methods of connecting mechanical resonating structures to a body are described. Multi-element anchors may include a flexible portion that flexes when the mechanical resonating structure vibrates. The flexible portion may have a length related to the resonance frequency of the mechanical resonating structures. Some of the multi-element anchors include elements that are oriented perpendicularly to each other. MEMS incorporating such structures are also described. | 12-16-2010 |
20100315170 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR TUNING DEVICES HAVING RESONATORS - Methods and apparatus for tuning devices having resonators are described. Phase shifters are included in the circuits and used to shift the phase of the output signal(s) of the resonators. In some implementations, the phase shifters are configured in a feedback loop with the resonators. One or more of the apparatus described herein may be implemented as part, or all, of a microelectromechanical system (MEMS). | 12-16-2010 |
20110181366 | OSCILLATORS HAVING ARBITRARY FREQUENCIES AND RELATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS - Systems and methods for operating with oscillators configured to produce an oscillating signal having an arbitrary frequency are described. The frequency of the oscillating signal may be shifted to remove its arbitrary nature by application of multiple tuning signals or values to the oscillator. Alternatively, the arbitrary frequency may be accommodated by adjusting operation one or more components of a circuit receiving the oscillating signal. | 07-28-2011 |
20110187227 | INTEGRATION OF PIEZOELECTRIC MATERIALS WITH SUBSTRATES - Devices having piezoelectric material structures integrated with substrates are described. Fabrication techniques for forming such devices are also described. The fabrication may include bonding a piezoelectric material wafer to a substrate of a differing material. A structure, such as a resonator, may then be formed from the piezoelectric material wafer. | 08-04-2011 |
20110212718 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR STABILIZING REFERENCE OSCILLATORS - Apparatus and methods for stabilizing reference oscillators are described. According to some embodiments, the reference oscillator of a device may be stabilized by synchronizing the reference oscillator to an external signal received by the device. The device may be a navigation device in some embodiments, and the external signal may represent or be synchronized to an atomic clock signal or other signal exhibiting sufficient stability. | 09-01-2011 |
20110273061 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING A RESONATING STRUCTURE - Mechanical resonating structures are described, as well as related devices and methods. The mechanical resonating structures may have a compensating structure for compensating environmental changes. | 11-10-2011 |
20110284995 | MICROMECHANICAL MEMBRANES AND RELATED STRUCTURES AND METHODS - Micromechanical membranes suitable for formation of mechanical resonating structures are described, as well as methods for making such membranes. The membranes may be formed by forming cavities in a substrate, and in some instances may be oxidized to provide desired mechanical properties. Mechanical resonating structures may be formed from the membrane and oxide structures. | 11-24-2011 |
20120006113 | Microelectromechanical Gyroscopes and Related Apparatus and Methods - In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a resonant structure having a plate, a drive electrode and a sense electrode. The resonant structure defines an axis substantially orthogonal to a plane defined by the plate when the resonant structure is not excited. The plate is formed from a piezoelectric material. The drive electrode is configured to excite the resonant structure, and the sense electrode is configured to sense a signal in response to rotation of the resonant structure about the axis. | 01-12-2012 |
20120013410 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR CALIBRATION AND TEMPERATURE COMPENSATION OF OSCILLATORS HAVING MECHANICAL RESONATORS - Methods and apparatus for calibration and temperature compensation of oscillators having mechanical resonators are described. The method(s) may involve measuring the frequency of the oscillator at multiple discrete temperatures and adjusting compensation circuitry of the oscillator at the various temperatures. The compensation circuitry may include multiple programmable elements which may independently adjust the frequency behavior of the oscillator at a respective temperature. Thus, adjustment of the frequency behavior of the oscillator at one temperature may not alter the frequency behavior at a second temperature. | 01-19-2012 |
20120024058 | MICROELECTROMECHANICAL GYROSCOPES AND RELATED APPARATUS AND METHODS - In one embodiment, an apparatus comprises a micromechanical gyroscope and a circuit. The micromechanical gyroscope is configured to be excited in a first mode by a drive signal, and configured to be excited in a second mode by a gyroscopic effect. The circuit is coupled to the micromechanical gyroscope and configured to detect the gyroscopic effect when the micromechanical gyroscope is in the second mode. | 02-02-2012 |
20120056510 | INTEGRATION OF PIEZOELECTRIC MATERIALS WITH SUBSTRATES - Devices having piezoelectric material structures integrated with substrates are described. Fabrication techniques for forming such devices are also described. The fabrication may include bonding a piezoelectric material wafer to a substrate of a differing material. A structure, such as a resonator, may then be formed from the piezoelectric material wafer. | 03-08-2012 |
20120067124 | RESONANT SENSING USING EXTENSIONAL MODES OF A PLATE - A device or system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a resonant structure having a plate, a mass and a set of electrodes. The plate can have an extensional mode at a frequency when excited. The set of electrodes can be used to measure an acceleration of the mass when the acceleration of the mass changes the frequency of the plate. Other embodiments are disclosed. | 03-22-2012 |
20120074810 | MECHANICAL RESONATING STRUCTURES INCLUDING A TEMPERATURE COMPENSATION STRUCTURE - Mechanical resonating structures are described, as well as related devices and methods. The mechanical resonating structures may have a compensating structure for compensating temperature variations. | 03-29-2012 |
20120139647 | OSCILLATORS HAVING ARBITRARY FREQUENCIES AND RELATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS - Systems and methods for operating with oscillators configured to produce an oscillating signal having an arbitrary frequency are described. The frequency of the oscillating signal may be shifted to remove its arbitrary nature by application of multiple tuning signals or values to the oscillator. Alternatively, the arbitrary frequency may be accommodated by adjusting operation one or more components of a circuit receiving the oscillating signal. | 06-07-2012 |
20120163134 | OSCILLATORS HAVING ARBITRARY FREQUENCIES AND RELATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS - Systems and methods for operating with oscillators configured to produce an oscillating signal having an arbitrary frequency are described. The frequency of the oscillating signal may be shifted to remove its arbitrary nature by application of multiple tuning signals or values to the oscillator. Alternatively, the arbitrary frequency may be accommodated by adjusting operation one or more components of a circuit receiving the oscillating signal. | 06-28-2012 |
20120280594 | MICROELECTROMECHANICAL SYSTEMS (MEMS) RESONATORS AND RELATED APPARATUS AND METHODS - Devices having piezoelectric material structures integrated with substrates are described. Fabrication techniques for forming such devices are also described. The fabrication may include bonding a piezoelectric material wafer to a substrate of a differing material. A structure, such as a resonator, may then be formed from the piezoelectric material wafer. | 11-08-2012 |
20130130502 | MICROMECHANICAL MEMBRANES AND RELATED STRUCTURES AND METHODS - Micromechanical membranes suitable for formation of mechanical resonating structures are described, as well as methods for making such membranes. The membranes may be formed by forming cavities in a substrate, and in some instances may be oxidized to provide desired mechanical properties. Mechanical resonating structures may be formed from the membrane and oxide structures. | 05-23-2013 |
20130140651 | MICROELECTROMECHANICAL SYSTEMS (MEMS) RESONATORS AND RELATED APPARATUS AND METHODS - Devices having piezoelectric material structures integrated with substrates are described. Fabrication techniques for forming such devices are also described. The fabrication may include bonding a piezoelectric material wafer to a substrate of a differing material. A structure, such as a resonator, may then be formed from the piezoelectric material wafer. | 06-06-2013 |
20130140944 | MICROELECTROMECHANICAL SYSTEMS (MEMS) RESONATORS AND RELATED APPARATUS AND METHODS - Devices having piezoelectric material structures integrated with substrates are described. Fabrication techniques for forming such devices are also described. The fabrication may include bonding a piezoelectric material wafer to a substrate of a differing material. A structure, such as a resonator, may then be formed from the piezoelectric material wafer. | 06-06-2013 |
20130140958 | MICROELECTROMECHANICAL SYSTEMS (MEMS) RESONATORS AND RELATED APPARATUS AND METHODS - Devices having piezoelectric material structures integrated with substrates are described. Fabrication techniques for forming such devices are also described. The fabrication may include bonding a piezoelectric material wafer to a substrate of a differing material. A structure, such as a resonator, may then be formed from the piezoelectric material wafer. | 06-06-2013 |
20130200752 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR MECHANICAL RESONATING STRUCTURES - Mechanical resonating structures and related methods are described. The mechanical resonating structures may provide improved efficiency over conventional resonating structures. Some of the structures have lengths and widths and are designed to vibrate in a direction approximately parallel to either the length or width. They may have boundaries bounding the length and width dimensions, which may substantially align with nodes or anti-nodes of vibration. | 08-08-2013 |
20130278343 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR TUNING DEVICES HAVING RESONATORS - Methods and apparatus for tuning devices having resonators are described. Phase shifters are included in the circuits and used to shift the phase of the output signal(s) of the resonators. In some implementations, the phase shifters are configured in a feedback loop with the resonators. One or more of the apparatus described herein may be implemented as part, or all, of a microelectromechanical system (MEMS). | 10-24-2013 |
20130307154 | INTEGRATED CIRCUIT WIRING FABRICATION AND RELATED METHODS AND APPARATUS - Integrated circuits having electrically conductive traces are described. The electrically conductive traces may be formed of multiple electrically conductive layers. One or more of the multiple electrically conductive layers may have a cut formed therein to form a gap in that electrically conductive layer. One or more electrical conductive layers of the electrical conductive traces may bridge the gap. | 11-21-2013 |
20130313947 | INTEGRATION OF PIEZOELECTRIC MATERIALS WITH SUBSTRATES - Devices having piezoelectric material structures integrated with substrates are described. Fabrication techniques for forming such devices are also described. The fabrication may include bonding a piezoelectric material wafer to a substrate of a differing material. A structure, such as a resonator, may then be formed from the piezoelectric material wafer. | 11-28-2013 |
20130334929 | RESONATOR ELECTRODES AND RELATED METHODS AND APPARATUS - Resonator structures and electrodes are described, as well as methods for manufacturing the same. Resonator electrodes may be formed using two or more photolithographic steps and masks, with different masks being used to define different features of the electrodes. The masks may create self-aligned electrodes, which can be aligned with one or more anchors of the resonator. | 12-19-2013 |
20140077316 | WAFER BONDING AND RELATED METHODS AND APPARATUS - Techniques for bonding wafers together are described. The wafers may be bonded via a eutectic bond. In some instances, one wafer has an integrated circuit and a second wafer has a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) feature. The wafer with an integrated circuit may have a metal formed thereon for bonding purposes and the wafer with the MEMS feature may have a semiconductor formed thereon for bonding purposes. | 03-20-2014 |
20140085013 | OSCILLATORS HAVING ARBITRARY FREQUENCIES AND RELATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS - Systems and methods for operating with oscillators configured to produce an oscillating signal having an arbitrary frequency are described. The frequency of the oscillating signal may be shifted to remove its arbitrary nature by application of multiple tuning signals or values to the oscillator. Alternatively, the arbitrary frequency may be accommodated by adjusting operation one or more components of a circuit receiving the oscillating signal. | 03-27-2014 |
20140137648 | MICROELECTROMECHANICAL GYROSCOPES AND RELATED APPARATUS AND METHODS - In one embodiment, an apparatus comprises a micromechanical gyroscope and a circuit. The micromechanical gyroscope is configured to be excited in a first mode by a drive signal, and configured to be excited in a second mode by a gyroscopic effect. The circuit is coupled to the micromechanical gyroscope and configured to detect the gyroscopic effect when the micromechanical gyroscope is in the second mode. | 05-22-2014 |
20140306580 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING A RESONATING STRUCTURE - Aspects of the subject disclosure include, for example, constructing a mechanical resonating structure by applying an active layer on a surface of a compensating structure, wherein the compensating structure comprises one or more materials having an adaptive resistance to deform that reduces a variance in a resonating frequency of the mechanical resonating structure, wherein at least the active layer and the compensating structure form a mechanical resonating structure having a plurality of layers of materials, and wherein a thickness of each of the plurality of layers of materials results in a plurality of thickness ratios therebetween. Other embodiments are disclosed. | 10-16-2014 |