Adding Or Subtracting Mass Patents (Class 310/312)
  • Patent number: 8286330
    Abstract: Provided is a method of producing a vibrating body for a vibration wave drive device using a vibrator in which an electromechanical energy conversion element is joined to a vibrating body having a plurality of protruding portions, the method including a first step and a second step. In the first step, an elastic material having a plurality of protruding portions is produced. In the second step, a pressure in a direction opposite to a protruding direction of the protruding portions of the elastic material is applied to press at least parts of the protruding portions to reduce slits between the protruding portions adjacent to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Jun Tamai
  • Publication number: 20120248932
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method of adjusting the resonance frequency of a vibrating element, comprising measuring the resonance frequency of the vibrating element, determining, using abacuses and as a function of the resonance frequency measured, a dimension and a position of at least one area of modified thickness to be formed on the vibrating element so that the resonance frequency thereof corresponds to a setpoint frequency, and forming on the vibrating element, an area of modified thickness of the determined dimension and position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS SA
    Inventors: Jean-Francois Carpentier, Fabrice Casset, Yoan Civet, Skandar Basrour
  • Patent number: 8278798
    Abstract: An object is to provide a crystal device that uses a mesa-structure crystal piece in which frequency adjustment is possible. A configuration is such that in a crystal device having: a crystal piece having a thick portion and a thin portion, with an excitation electrode formed on both main faces of the thick portion, and a lead out electrode electrically connected to the excitation electrode, formed on an end portion; a container main body having a concavity for accommodating the crystal piece; and a cover that is connected to an open end face of the container main body and hermetically seals the crystal piece, a frequency adjustment metal film which is electrically isolated from the excitation electrode and made independent, is formed on the thin portion of the crystal piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Nihon Dempa Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ryoichi Ichikawa
  • Publication number: 20120224460
    Abstract: A piezoelectric vibrator, an oscillator, an electronic device and a ratio timepiece are provided which are capable of increasing a capacitance C0 while achieving miniaturization and cost reduction. The piezoelectric vibrator includes a base substrate, a lid substrate, a piezoelectric vibrating reed on which an excitation electrode is formed, and external electrodes. An electrode pattern for capacitance adjustment, which extends along a routing electrode, is provided extending from a routing electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2012
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Inventor: Kiyoshi Aratake
  • Publication number: 20120206211
    Abstract: A piezoelectric vibrating piece includes a pair of vibration arm portions that is placed in a row in a width direction; a base portion to which proximal end sides in the pair of vibration arm portions in an extending direction are connected; and weight metal films that are formed on outer surfaces of the vibration arm portions, wherein the weight metal films are formed in positions that avoid regions of tip portions in the vibration arm portions in a longitudinal direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2012
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Inventor: Takashi Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 8242666
    Abstract: A contour resonator is provided with a vibrating body formed from a flat plate in a square shape, excitation electrodes formed on both front and back surfaces of the vibrating body and regulating a resonance frequency, and temperature characteristic adjustment films formed on surfaces of the excitation electrodes and adjusting a temperature characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Akinori Yamada
  • Publication number: 20120200195
    Abstract: An acoustic wave device includes a main resonator and a sub resonator each having a substrate, a lower electrode provided on the substrate, a piezoelectric film provided on the lower electrode, and an upper electrode provided on an upper side of the piezoelectric film. The sub resonator has a mass addition film on the upper electrode in a resonance area in which the upper electrode and the lower electrode face each other. At least one of the main resonator and the sub resonator is provided with a frequency control film on an upper side of the resonance area, and the frequency control film has a weight per unit area smaller than a weight of the mass addition film per unit area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2012
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Applicant: TAIYO YUDEN CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi YOKOYAMA, Shinji TANIGUCHI, Tokihiro NISHIHARA, Masanori UEDA
  • Patent number: 8217554
    Abstract: An ultrasonic method for removing and/or avoiding unwanted build-up on structures is provided, wherein the term build-up refers to, but is not limited to, ice, dirt, mud, or other wanted debris or contamination. Deicing or anti-icing structures of interest can include, but are not limited to, helicopter rotor blades, other helicopter blade components, fixed wing aircraft components, windshields in aircraft, automobiles, and other vehicles, ship hulls or other ship components, heat exchangers and other tubing where frost or ice could form, air-conditioning components, head lamp and other light coverings, bridge structures and components, and any structure where anti-icing or deicing would be beneficial. One or more ultrasonic actuators permanently embedded or coupled to the structure may be used accomplish the removal. The technique presented herein could also be utilized for non-destructive evaluation and structural health monitoring applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: FBS, Inc.
    Inventors: Roger L. Royer, Jr., Joseph L. Rose, Edward C. Smith, Jose L. Palacios
  • Publication number: 20120146744
    Abstract: An acoustic wave device includes piezoelectric thin-film resonators, each of which includes: a substrate; a piezoelectric thin-film on the substrate; an lower electrode provided on a first surface of the piezoelectric film; an upper electrode provided on a second surface of the piezoelectric film opposite to the first surface; and a first addition film that is provided in a resonance portion in which the lower electrode and the upper electrode face each other through the piezoelectric film and is located between the piezoelectric thin-film and the upper electrode, the first addition film having a shape different from that of the resonance portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2012
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Applicant: TAIYO YUDEN CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tokihiro NISHIHARA, Shinji TANIGUCHI, Tsuyoshi YOKOYAMA, Masanori UEDA
  • Publication number: 20120126664
    Abstract: A vibration gyro device has a base part and a pair of drive vibrating arms and a pair of detection vibrating arms respectively extended from both ends in a Y-axis direction of the base part. Further, adjustment vibrating arms extended from respective ends of connecting parts respectively extended from both ends in an X-axis direction of the base part in parallel to the drive vibrating arms are provided. At the end sides of the respective adjustment vibrating arms, spindle parts as wider parts are provided. On principal surfaces of the respective adjustment vibrating arms, adjustment electrodes as membranes for adjustment of leakage output of the vibration gyro device are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2011
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Seiichiro OGURA, Takayuki KIKUCHI
  • Patent number: 8176606
    Abstract: To carry out frequency adjustment easily, accurately and efficiently and achieve low cost formation and promotion of maintenance performance without being influenced by a size of a piezoelectric vibrating piece, there is provided a method of fabricating a piezoelectric vibrating piece which is a method of fabricating a piezoelectric vibrating pieces having a piezoelectric plate 11, a pair of exciting electrodes 12, 13, and a pair of mount electrodes electrodes 15, 16 by utilizing a wafer S, the method including an outer shape forming step of forming a frame portion S1 at the wafer and forming a plurality of piezoelectric plates to be connected to the frame portion by way of a connecting portion 11a, an electrode forming step of respectively forming pairs of exciting electrodes and pairs of mount electrodes to the plurality of piezoelectric plates and forming a plurality of pairs of extended electrodes S2, S3 to be respectively electrically connected to the pairs of mount electrodes by way of the connecting po
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventor: Takashi Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 8179021
    Abstract: Provided are: a piezoelectric oscillation piece which has a pair of oscillation arms disposed in parallel with each other with base ends of the oscillation arms fixed to a base of the piezoelectric oscillation piece and with weight metal films formed at the tips of the oscillation arms; a base substrate on the upper surface of which the piezoelectric oscillation piece is mounted; a lid substrate joined with the base substrate such that the mounted piezoelectric oscillation piece can be accommodated in a cavity; and a control film disposed in the vicinity of the pair of the oscillation arms as viewed in the plan view and formed at least on either of the substrates in such a manner as to extend from the base end side to the tip side in the longitudinal direction of the oscillation arms for increasing the degree of vacuum inside the cavity by heating. The control film is locally deposited on the side surfaces of the oscillation arms in the vicinity of the control film by heating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventor: Junya Fukuda
  • Patent number: 8169124
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a physical/biochemical sensor using a multisized piezoelectric microcantilever resonator array which enables to quantitatively and simultaneously analyze a mass loading effect and a surface stress change effect and a manufacturing method thereof. In the physical/biochemical sensor using the multisized piezoelectric microcantilever resonator array, a plurality of piezoelectric micro-cantilever resonators having different sizes is arrayed so as to quantitatively and discriminately analyze a surface stress change as well as a sensor surface mass change induced by an adsorbed sensing-target material occurring in a sensing process. Thus, the mass loading effect and the surface stress change effect can be quantitatively and simultaneously analyzed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Sungkyunkwan University Foundation for Corporate Collaboration
    Inventors: Jai Chan Lee, Sang Hun Shin
  • Patent number: 8164398
    Abstract: A resonator includes a substrate, a lower electrode, a piezoelectric film provided on the lower electrode, and an upper electrode provided on the piezoelectric film. The lower electrode includes a first film provided on the substrate, and a second film that is provided on the first film and has a specific gravity greater than that of the first film. The piezoelectric film is provided on the second film. The upper electrode includes a third film provided on the piezoelectric film, and a fourth film provided on the third film, the third film having a specific gravity greater than that of the fourth film. The third film is thicker than the second film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Taiyo Yuden Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinji Taniguchi, Tokihiro Nishihara, Masufumi Iwaki, Masanori Ueda, Go Endo, Tsuyoshi Yokoyama, Takeshi Sakashita, Motoaki Hara
  • Patent number: 8148875
    Abstract: A piezoelectric vibrator which can be manufactured efficiently and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. The piezoelectric vibrator includes: a tuning-fork-type piezoelectric vibrating piece which has a pair of vibration arm portions, excitation electrodes formed on base end portions of the vibration arm portions, and weight metal films formed on distal end portions of the vibration arm portions; and a package which houses the piezoelectric vibrating piece therein. A gettering film on which a laser radiation flaw is formed is formed on intermediate portions between the base end portions and the distal end portions of the vibration arm portions. A first metal film included in the excitation electrode, a second metal film included in the weight metal film and the gettering film are formed using the same material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventor: Kiyoshi Aratake
  • Publication number: 20120026103
    Abstract: Disclosed are a vibration generator, which can increase the vibration force of a vibration plate by additionally applying the mass of a mass body to the vibration plate, and an electronic device including the same. The vibration generator includes at least one piezoelectric element mounted inside the case and subjected to compression and expansion in response to input power, a vibration plate including a body elongated in a preset lengthwise direction and having the at least one piezoelectric element mounted thereon, and generating vibrations by the compression and expansion of the at least one piezoelectric element, and at least one mass part adding a preset magnitude of mass to the vibration plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2011
    Publication date: February 2, 2012
    Applicant: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ki Suk Woo, Yeon Ho Son, Jae Kyung Kim, Dong Sun Park, Ji Yeoun Jang, Kum Kyung Lee
  • Patent number: 8104154
    Abstract: To efficiently fabricate a high quality piezoelectric vibrating piece regardless of an accuracy of an outer shape of a wafer, there is provided a method of fabricating a plurality of piezoelectric vibrating pieces at a time utilizing a wafer S, the method including a step of forming two or more of through holes 40 and forming outer shapes of a plurality of piezoelectric plates 10 simultaneously with the through holes by constituting reference points G by centers of the through holes by etching the wafer by a photolithography technology, a step of preparing a jig for a wafer having inserting pins formed to project by a number the same as a number of the through holes from above a flat plate portion, thereafter, mounting the wafer on the flat plate portion in a state of inserting the inserting pin into the through hole, a step of forming an electrode on outer surfaces of the plurality of piezoelectric plates, and a step of cutting to separate the plurality of piezoelectric plates from the wafer to fragment, and
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Mitsuo Tomiyama, Takashi Kobayashi, Kazuyoshi Sugama
  • Patent number: 8087135
    Abstract: A piezoelectric vibrator manufacturing method includes a cavity forming step for forming depressions for a cavities on at least one of two wafers; a bonding electrode film forming step for forming bonding electrode films on bonded surfaces of the both wafers; a mount pattern forming step for forming a pair of mount patterns in the cavity; a through hole forming step for forming a pair of through holes in the cavity; a through electrode forming step for forming a pair of through electrodes electrically connected with the pattern in the cavity; a mount step for electrically connecting the pattern and a piezoelectric vibrating strip, a superimposing step for superimposing the both wafers and storing getter materials; a bonding step for anodically bonding the both wafers to fabricating a wafer member; a gettering step for adjusting the degree of vacuum in the interior of the cavity while measuring a series resonance resistance value; and a cutting step for cutting the wafer member into individual pieces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Keiichi Ouchi, Yuki Hoshi
  • Patent number: 8082641
    Abstract: Provided are free-standing ductile composites and methods of making free-standing ductile composites. The method of making a free-standing ductile composite can include providing a substrate and releasably bonding one or more piezoelectric elements to the substrate. The method can also include kerfing the piezoelectric elements in a predetermined pattern to form a kerfed pattern, filling the kerfed pattern with a polymer to form a polymer-piezoelectric composite, and lapping the polymer-piezoelectric composite. The method can further include releasing the polymer-piezoelectric composite from the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Pinyen Lin, John Richard Andrews
  • Publication number: 20110291524
    Abstract: Piezoelectric devices are disclosed that allow outside-in adjustment of vibration frequency produced by the devices. I.e., the vibration frequency can be increased or reduced. An exemplary piezoelectric device includes a tuning-fork type piezoelectric vibrating piece mounted inside a package. The vibrating piece has a base fabricated of a piezoelectric material, a pair of vibrating arms extending parallel from the base in a predetermined direction, and a frequency-adjustment unit situated on the distal ends of the vibrating arms. The package includes first metal films disposed on the inner main surface of the package at a location where a beam from an external laser can be irradiated. The frequency adjustment unit includes a transparent region that extends in a predetermined direction for allowing the laser beam, passing through the lid of the package, to be incident on second metal films by passing through the transparent regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2011
    Publication date: December 1, 2011
    Inventors: Yuichi Kawase, Toshiaki Motegi
  • Patent number: 8061013
    Abstract: A micro-electromechanical resonator includes an electrically-trimmed resonator body having at least one stiffness-enhanced semiconductor region therein containing metal-semiconductor lattice bonds. These metal-semiconductor lattice bonds may be gold-silicon lattice bonds and/or aluminum-silicon lattice bonds. A surface of the resonator body is mass-loaded with the metal, which may be provided by a plurality of spaced-apart metal islands. These metal islands may be aligned along a longitudinal axis of the resonator body. A size of the at least one stiffness-enhanced polycrystalline semiconductor region may be sufficient to yield an increase in resonant frequency of the resonator body relative to an otherwise equivalent resonator having a single crystal resonator body that is free of mass-loading by the metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Georgia Tech Research Corporation
    Inventors: Farrokh Ayazi, Ashwin Samarao
  • Patent number: 8053952
    Abstract: To provide a piezoelectric resonator in which a casing houses a tuning-fork piezoelectric resonator element and whose failure occurrence caused when shavings of adjustment films scatter and adhere to excitation electrodes is prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Nihon Dempa Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takehiro Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8049581
    Abstract: A piezoelectric filter of the present invention is provided with first and second piezoelectric vibrators, each having a substrate, a lower load film formed on the substrate, a lower electrode formed on the lower load film, a piezoelectric element formed on the lower electrode, an upper electrode formed on the piezoelectric element and an upper load film formed on the upper electrode, and the piezoelectric filter is configured by electrically connecting the first and second piezoelectric vibrators to each other, and the piezoelectric element of the first piezoelectric vibrator and the piezoelectric element of the second piezoelectric vibrator correspond to respectively different areas of the same piezoelectric element; thus, the resonance frequencies of the first and second piezoelectric vibrators are adjusted by the respective lower load films and upper load films of the first piezoelectric vibrator and the second piezoelectric vibrator so that the resonance frequencies of the first and second piezoelectric
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiro Iwasaki, Hiroshi Nakatsuka, Keiji Onishi
  • Patent number: 8008993
    Abstract: A thin-film bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonator, such as SBAR or FBAR, for use in RF selectivity filters operating at frequencies of the order of 1 GHz. The BAW resonator comprises a piezoelectric layer (14) having first and second surfaces on opposing sides, a first electrode (16) extending over the first surface, and a second electrode (12) extending over the second surface, the extent of the area of overlap (R1) of the first and second electrodes determining the region of excitation of the fundamental thickness extensional (TE) mode of the resonator. The insertion loss to the resonator is reduced by providing a dielectric material (18) in the same layer as the first electrode (16) and surrounding that electrode. The material constituting the dielectric material (18) has a different mass, typically between 5% and 15%, from the material comprising the first electrode (16) it surrounds. The mass of the dielectric material (18) can be lower or higher than the mass of the first electrode (16).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Robert Frederick Milsom, Frederik Willem Maurits Vanhelmont, Andreas Bernardus Maria Jansman, Jaap Ruigrok, Hans-Peter Loebl
  • Patent number: 7984536
    Abstract: To provide a piezoelectric resonator in which a casing houses a tuning-fork piezoelectric resonator element and whose failure occurrence caused when shavings of adjustment films scatter and adhere to excitation electrodes is prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Nihon Dempa Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takehiro Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20110169584
    Abstract: To provide a piezoelectric vibrator manufacturing method that curbs a dispersion of a bonding film at a time of a gettering step and with which good electrical characteristics can be obtained, and an oscillator, electronic device, and atomic timepiece, in which is mounted a piezoelectric vibrator with which good electrical characteristics can be obtained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2011
    Publication date: July 14, 2011
    Inventor: Junya Fukuda
  • Publication number: 20110156826
    Abstract: A resonator element includes: a base portion provided on a plane including a first axis and a second axis orthogonal to the first axis; a vibrating arm extending from the base portion in the first axis direction; and a first mass portion for adjusting a resonance frequency of the vibrating arm, wherein the vibrating arm performs flexural vibration in a direction perpendicular to the plane and has a first surface which contracts or expands with the flexural vibration and a second surface which expands when the first surface contracts and contracts when the first surface expands, and wherein the first mass portion is provided on at least one of the first and second surfaces and approximately at the center of the length of the vibrating arm from a base-side end to a tip end thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Publication date: June 30, 2011
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroki KAWAI
  • Publication number: 20110156827
    Abstract: A resonator element includes: a base portion provided on a plane including a first axis and a second axis orthogonal to the first axis; a vibrating arm extending from the base portion in the first axis direction; an excitation electrode provided on the vibrating arm so as to excite the vibrating arm; and a first mass portion provided on the vibrating arm so as to adjust the frequency of the vibrating arm, wherein the vibrating arm performs flexural vibration in a direction perpendicular to the plane and wherein the first mass portion is provided in a region exceeding ½ of the entire length in the first axis direction of the vibrating arm from the end of the vibrating arm close to the base portion and is formed from a material whose density D (in units of 103 kg/m3) is in the range of 2.20?D?8.92.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Publication date: June 30, 2011
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroki KAWAI
  • Publication number: 20110148249
    Abstract: Provided is method of manufacturing a piezoelectric vibrator, which includes a tuning fork type piezoelectric vibrating reed that includes a pair of vibration arm portions, a package that accommodates the piezoelectric vibrating reed, and a pair of regulation films that is formed along a longitudinal direction of the vibration arm portions corresponding to the pair of vibration arm portions, the piezoelectric vibrator being capable of improving a degree of vacuum in the package by irradiating the regulation films with a laser to evaporate a part of the regulation films.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2011
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Inventors: Yumi Yamaguchi, Kazuyoshi Sugama
  • Publication number: 20110140572
    Abstract: An object is to provide a crystal device that uses a mesa-structure crystal piece in which frequency adjustment is possible. A configuration is such that in a crystal device having: a crystal piece having a thick portion and a thin portion, with an excitation electrode formed on both main faces of the thick portion, and a lead out electrode electrically connected to the excitation electrode, formed on an end portion; a container main body having a concavity for accommodating the crystal piece; and a cover that is connected to an open end face of the container main body and hermetically seals the crystal piece, a frequency adjustment metal film which is electrically isolated from the excitation electrode and made independent, is formed on the thin portion of the crystal piece.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2010
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Applicant: NIHON DEMPA KOGYO CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Ryoichi Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 7950120
    Abstract: To provide a method for manufacturing a piezoelectric resonator which can conduct frequency matching with high reliability when performing rough adjustment of the frequency by adjusting the shape of a piezoelectric oscillating piece before forming an electrode film, and thereby it becomes possible to avoid reduction of the yield. Etching for forming the shape of a piezoelectric oscillating piece, and etching for forming grooves are conducted simultaneously, and after forming the grooves, the shape formation of the piezoelectric oscillating piece is started again from the same depth as the groove in a state of covering the groove with a metal film, and after the shape formation, matching of frequency is conducted by etching the side surface of the piezoelectric oscillating piece in succession. By composing such a structure, it is possible to conduct rough adjustment of frequency at a low etching rate so that the frequency matching can be performed with no due difficulty and with high accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Nihon Dempa Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takehiro Takahashi
  • Patent number: 7948157
    Abstract: A piezoelectric oscillator which can conduct fine trimming adjustment and adjust frequencies highly precisely, particularly with no use of an expensive laser trimming apparatus with a small spot diameter, and a method of the same are provided. The method includes: a first step wherein a first spot train is formed on a mass adjustment film at a pitch smaller than the diameter of a film removal spot matched with the spot diameter of laser, and a second step wherein a train space to the first spot train is adjusted in accordance with the target frequency of a tuning fork crystal vibrating piece to form a second train and after, and these steps are in turn conducted, whereby fine trimming adjustment is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: Mitsuo Iwatate, Yoshifumi Nishino
  • Publication number: 20110063040
    Abstract: To provide a piezoelectric resonator in which a casing houses a tuning-fork piezoelectric resonator element and whose failure occurrence caused when shavings of adjustment films scatter and adhere to excitation electrodes is prevented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2010
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Applicant: NIHON DEMPA KOGYO CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takehiro Takahashi
  • Patent number: 7902721
    Abstract: A crystal resonator comprises an AT-cut crystal vibrating element that is driven by a thickness-shear mode and is in the shape of a rectangular plate. A pair of excitation electrodes is formed, facing front and rear surfaces of the crystal vibrating element. Each of the excitation electrodes is formed in the shape of a quadrangle as viewed from the top, and mass adjustment portions are formed at least two opposite sides of each of the excitation electrodes formed on the front and rear surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Daishinku Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Maeda
  • Patent number: 7893793
    Abstract: A film bulk acoustic wave resonator including a piezoelectric body 1, and a first electrode 2 and a second electrode 3 that are provided respectively on the main surfaces of the piezoelectric body, the piezoelectric body being applied an electric field through the first and the second electrodes so as to generate a resonant vibration. A first mass load material portion 4 having an annular shape is provided outside the planar region of the first electrode on the main surface of the piezoelectric body, a mass load effect thereof being larger than that of the first electrode. The outer periphery of the first electrode and the inner periphery of the first mass load material portion are spaced apart from each other, whereby the first electrode and the first mass load material portion are electrically insulated from each other. The first mass load material portion has a laminated structure including a first auxiliary electrode layer 2a and a load material layer 4a formed on the auxiliary electrode layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiro Iwasaki, Keiji Onishi, Hiroshi Nakatsuka, Takehiko Yamakawa, Tomohide Kamiyama
  • Patent number: 7893642
    Abstract: A driving apparatus (100p, 100s) is provided with: a base portion (110); a stage portion (130) on which a driven object (12) is mounted and which can be displaced; an elastic portion (120) which has elasticity to displace the stage portion in one direction (Y axis); a first applying device (151-2, 152-2, 22) for applying an excitation force for displacing the stage portion such that the stage portion is resonated in the one direction at a resonance frequency determined by the stage portion and the elastic portion; and a second applying device (151-1, 152-1, 22) for applying a driving force for displacing, in a stepwise manner or in a continuous manner, the stage portion or the driven object mounted on the stage portion in other direction (X axis), wherein the stage portion or another stage portion mounted on the stage portion as the driven object is divided into a plurality of stage fractions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
    Inventor: Jun Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7888843
    Abstract: A micro-electromechanical resonator self-compensates for process-induced dimensional variations by using a resonator body having a plurality of perforations therein. These perforations may be spaced along a longitudinal axis of the resonator body, which extends orthogonal to a nodal line of the resonator body. These perforations, which may be square or similarly-shaped polygonal slots, may extend partially or entirely though the resonator body and may be defined by the same processes that are used to define the outer dimensions (e.g., length, width) of the resonator body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Georgia Tech Research Corporation
    Inventors: Farrokh Ayazi, Logan D. Sorenson
  • Patent number: 7888849
    Abstract: TO reduce frequency variations caused by a change in frequency constant and suppress unnecessary vibrations in the case where the frequency constant of apiezoelectric substrate has a gradient. A piezoelectric resonator has vibrating electrodes 4 and 5 facing each other, which are formed on two major surfaces of apiezoelectric substrate Ia, and trapped vibrations are generated between the two vibrating electrodes. The piezoelectric substrate Ia has a constant thickness. The frequency constant of the piezoelectric substrate Ia has a gradient in a surface direction. The vibrating electrodes 4 and 5 are formed to have a gradient thickness so that the thickness gradually increases as the frequency constant of the piezoelectric substrate increases. By forming the vibrating electrodes to have a gradient thickness, unnecessary in-band vibrations are suppressed, and frequency variations are reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masakazu Yoshio, Koichi Yamasaki
  • Publication number: 20110025166
    Abstract: A piezoelectric vibrator which can be manufactured efficiently and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. The piezoelectric vibrator includes: a tuning-fork-type piezoelectric vibrating piece which has a pair of vibration arm portions, excitation electrodes formed on base end portions of the vibration arm portions, and weight metal films formed on distal end portions of the vibration arm portions; and a package which houses the piezoelectric vibrating piece therein. A gettering film on which a laser radiation flaw is formed is formed on intermediate portions between the base end portions and the distal end portions of the vibration arm portions. A first metal film included in the excitation electrode, a second metal film included in the weight metal film and the gettering film are formed using the same material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2010
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Inventor: Kiyoshi Aratake
  • Publication number: 20110018388
    Abstract: Provide a highly efficient manufacturing method of a piezoelectric vibrator and to provide a piezoelectric vibrator manufactured by this manufacturing method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2010
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Inventor: Junya Fukuda
  • Patent number: 7874211
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is that any of mass load, viscous load and viscoelasticity load is measured separately from other load whereby properties of the substance to be measured are able to be measured correctly. The characteristic feature of the present invention is that, in a method where property of a substance contacting to a quartz oscillator equipped with electrodes on both sides of a quartz plate is measured on the basis of the changes in frequency of the above quartz oscillator, the property of the above substance is measured using at least two frequencies among the n-th overtone mode frequency (n=1, 3, 5, . . . (n=2k+1)) of quartz oscillator when voltage is applied between the above electrodes and using frequencies F1, F2 (F1<F2) giving one half of the maximum value of conductance near the resonant point by each frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: ULVAC, Inc.
    Inventors: Atsushi Itoh, Motoko Ichihashi
  • Patent number: 7868522
    Abstract: A temperature compensated pair of resonators. The temperature compensated pair of resonators comprises a first resonator configured to resonate at a first frequency and having a first frequency temperature coefficient and a second resonator configured to resonate at a second frequency and having a second frequency temperature coefficient. The second frequency is greater than the first frequency; the second frequency temperature coefficient is less than the first frequency temperature coefficient; and the first and the second resonators are fabricated on a common substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Avago Technologies Wireless IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventor: Richard C. Ruby
  • Patent number: 7861387
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a piezoelectric resonator element from a substrate made of piezoelectric material is provided. The method includes forming a first dry etching mask in a first masking region of a first surface of the substrate in a first mask forming process and performing a first dry etching process to remove a portion of the substrate in areas between the first dry etching mask after the first mask forming process. The method further includes maintaining a first un-etched portion of the substrate between the first dry etching mask after the first dry etching process and removing the first dry etching mask in a mask removing process after the first dry etching process. A wet etching process is performed to remove the first un-etched portion of the substrate after the mask removing process, thereby forming the piezoelectric resonator element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Epson Toyocom Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Hokibara, Sachi Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7854049
    Abstract: In a piezoelectric thin film device of the present invention, the degree of flexibility is enhanced in selection of a piezoelectric material constituting a piezoelectric thin film and the crystal orientation in the piezoelectric thin film. A piezoelectric thin film filter, including four film bulk acoustic resonators, has a configuration where a filter section for providing a filter function of the piezoelectric thin film filter is bonded with a flat base substrate mechanically supporting the filter section via an adhesive layer. In manufacturing of the piezoelectric thin film filter, a piezoelectric thin film is obtained by performing removal processing on a piezoelectric substrate, but the piezoelectric thin film obtained by removal processing cannot independently stand up under its own weight. For this reason, a prescribed member including the piezoelectric substrate is previously bonded to the base substrate as a support prior to the removal processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignees: NGK Insulators, Ltd., NGK Optoceramics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Yoshino, Shoichiro Yamaguchi, Yuichi Iwata, Akira Hamajima, Kengo Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20100301958
    Abstract: A unit comprising a quartz crystal resonator vibratable in a flexural mode and having a base portion including a length less than 0.5 mm, and first and second vibrational arms connected to the base portion, at least one groove being formed in each of two of opposite main surfaces of each of the first and second vibrational arms, and an electrode being disposed on a surface of the at least one groove formed in each of the two of the opposite main surfaces of each of the first and second vibrational arms so that the electrode disposed on the surface of the at least one groove formed in each of the two of the opposite main surfaces of the first vibrational arm has an electrical polarity opposite to an electrical polarity of the electrode disposed on the surface of the at least one groove formed in each of the two of the opposite main surfaces of the second vibrational arm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2010
    Publication date: December 2, 2010
    Inventor: Hirofumi Kawashima
  • Publication number: 20100301954
    Abstract: Provided are: a piezoelectric oscillation piece which has a pair of oscillation arms disposed in parallel with each other with base ends of the oscillation arms fixed to a base of the piezoelectric oscillation piece and with weight metal films formed at the tips of the oscillation arms; a base substrate on the upper surface of which the piezoelectric oscillation piece is mounted; a lid substrate joined with the base substrate such that the mounted piezoelectric oscillation piece can be accommodated in a cavity; and a control film disposed in the vicinity of the pair of the oscillation arms as viewed in the plan view and formed at least on either of the substrates in such a manner as to extend from the base end side to the tip side in the longitudinal direction of the oscillation arms for increasing the degree of vacuum inside the cavity by heating. The control film is locally deposited on the side surfaces of the oscillation arms in the vicinity of the control film by heating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2010
    Publication date: December 2, 2010
    Inventor: Junya Fukuda
  • Publication number: 20100277034
    Abstract: Methods that create an array of BAW resonators by patterning a mass load layer to control the resonant frequency of the resonators and resonators formed thereby, are disclosed. Patterning the surface of a mass load layer and introducing apertures with dimensions smaller than the acoustic wavelength, or dimpling the mass load layer, modifies the acoustic path length of the resonator, thereby changing the resonant frequency of the device. Patterns of variable density allow for further tuning the resonators and for individualized tuning of a resonator in an array of resonators. Patterning a reflowable material for the mass load layer, thereby providing a variable pattern density and distribution followed by elevating the temperature of the mass load layer above its melting point causes the material to liquefy and fill into the apertures to redistribute the mass load layer, thereby, upon subsequent cooling, providing resonators with a predetermined desired resonant frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2010
    Publication date: November 4, 2010
    Inventors: Rajarishi Sinha, L. Richard Carley, Deok-Yang Kim
  • Patent number: 7816998
    Abstract: A film bulk acoustic resonator includes a lower electrode that is formed on a void of a substrate or is formed so that a void is formed between the lower electrode and the substrate, a piezoelectric film that is formed on the lower electrode, an upper electrode that is formed on the piezoelectric film so as to have a resonance region facing the lower electrode through the piezoelectric film, a support region that is provided around the resonance region, has a width of 0.35 times to 0.65 times a wavelength of a wave propagating in a lateral direction, and transmits the wave passes, and an adjacent region that is provided around the support region and blocks the wave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignees: Fujitsu Media Devices Limited, Taiyo Yuden Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Motoaki Hara, Tokihiro Nishihara, Masanori Ueda, Go Endo
  • Patent number: 7804382
    Abstract: A tunable resonator is provided. The tunable resonator includes a film bulk acoustic resonator (FBAR) for performing a resonance, and at least one driver which is arranged at a side of the FBAR and is deformed and brought into contact with the FBAR by an external signal, thereby changing a resonance frequency of the FBAR. Accordingly, a multiband integration and a one-chip manufacture can be implemented simply using a micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) technology and a mass production is possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jea-Shik Shin, Yun-Kwon Park, In-Sang Song, Duck-Hwan Kim, Chul-Soo Kim
  • Publication number: 20100237739
    Abstract: A piezoelectric vibrator manufacturing method includes a cavity forming step for forming depressions for a cavities on at least one of two wafers; a bonding electrode film forming step for forming bonding electrode films on bonded surfaces of the both wafers; a mount pattern forming step for forming a pair of mount patterns in the cavity; a through hole forming step for forming a pair of through holes in the cavity; a through electrode forming step for forming a pair of through electrodes electrically connected with the pattern in the cavity; a mount step for electrically connecting the pattern and a piezoelectric vibrating strip, a superimposing step for superimposing the both wafers and storing getter materials; a bonding step for anodically bonding the both wafers to fabricating a wafer member; a gettering step for adjusting the degree of vacuum in the interior of the cavity while measuring a series resonance resistance value; and a cutting step for cutting the wafer member into individual pieces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2010
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Inventors: Keiichi Ouchi, Yuki Hoshi