Reed- Or Fork-type Resonators Patents (Class 333/200)
  • Patent number: 11824509
    Abstract: When a thick frequency adjustment metal film of a tuning fork-type vibration piece is irradiated with a beam on a wafer for frequency coarse adjustment, projections are possibly formed on a roughened end of the frequency adjustment metal film. Such projections are pressurized and pushed down not to chip off under any impact, so that the risk of frequency fluctuations is suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: DAISHINKU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroaki Yamashita
  • Patent number: 11563413
    Abstract: When a thick frequency adjustment metal film of a tuning fork-type vibration piece is irradiated with a beam on a wafer for frequency coarse adjustment, projections are possibly formed on a roughened end of the frequency adjustment metal film. Such projections are pressurized and pushed down not to chip off under any impact, so that the risk of frequency fluctuations is suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: DAISHINKU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroaki Yamashita
  • Patent number: 11439005
    Abstract: An inductor bridge includes an inductor in a flexible, flat plate-shaped element body including resin bases that are laminated, and a wiring unit connected in series to the inductor. The inductor includes wound conductor patterns, each with a winding axis in a laminating direction of the resin bases and respectively provided on each of the resin bases, and an interlayer connection conductor interlayer-connecting the wound conductor patterns. The wiring unit includes a wiring pattern at a layer between a first surface of the wound conductor pattern and a layer farthest from the first surface and interlayer connection conductors conducted to the wiring pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Isamu Morita, Bunta Okamoto
  • Patent number: 11241268
    Abstract: A medical device including an energy generator, a proximal end, and a distal end. The proximal end may include a handle and one or more connectors coupled to the energy generator. The distal end may include a number of movable branch members connected to one or more movable filaments at the distal end to form at least one expandable snare. At least one of the one or more movable filaments may be coupled to the one or more connectors to transfer energy to the at least one of the one or more movable filaments. A portion of the at least one of the one or more movable filaments forming the at least one expandable snare may be insulated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed. Inc.
    Inventor: Michael S. H. Chu
  • Patent number: 11054259
    Abstract: An angular velocity sensor includes a piezoelectric body, a drive circuit, and a detection circuit. The piezoelectric body includes a frame, a pair of drive arms, and a detection arm. The frame is supported in a pair of supported parts which are spaced apart from each other in an x-axis direction. The pair of drive arms extend alongside each other from the frame in a y-axis direction between the pair of supported parts and spaced apart from each other in the x-axis direction. The detection arm extends from the frame in the y-axis direction and is between the pair of drive arms in the x-axis direction. The drive circuit applies voltages of mutually reverse phases to the pair of drive arms so that the drive arms vibrate bending toward mutually reverse sides in the x-axis direction. The detection circuit detects signals generated due to bending deformation of the detection arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: KYOCERA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Munetaka Soejima
  • Patent number: 10079590
    Abstract: A vibrator element includes drive vibrating arms extending from an end of a base section, the drive vibrating arms are each provided with an obverse surface, a reverse surface disposed on an opposite side to the obverse surface, and a side surface connecting the obverse surface and the reverse surface to each other, a tilted section facing toward the obverse surface is disposed at least a part of the side surface, and there are disposed a first drive electrode and a second drive electrode obtained by bisection with an electrode separation section disposed in the tilted section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Keiji Nakagawa, Ryuta Nishizawa, Atsushi Matsuo
  • Patent number: 9209383
    Abstract: A vibrator includes: a vibrating reed having a vibrating body, first and second support portions supporting the vibrating body, and four beams coupling the first and second support portions with the vibrating body; electrodes disposed at the vibrating body; and terminals disposed at the first and second support portions and electrically connected with the electrodes via wires disposed at the beams. Between the terminals next to each other, a plurality of grooves spaced apart in a predetermined direction and extending in a direction intersecting the predetermined direction are disposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Seiji Osawa, Keiichi Yamaguchi, Toshihiko Shiohara, Yuichi Isono, Takayuki Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 8928208
    Abstract: A tuning fork-type piezoelectric resonator plate has a resonator blank comprising a pair of vibrating leg portions and a base portion from which the leg portions protrude. The pair of leg portions are arranged in parallel protrudingly from one end face of the base portion, and a pronged portion is formed between the pair of leg portions in an intermediate position in a width direction of the one end face of the base portion. The base portion has a pair of through holes along the one end face of the base portion, and on another end face side opposite to the one end face of the base portion, a joining region that joins to an external portion. The pair of through holes are specially positioned and have special wall surface configurations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Daishinku Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshinobu Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 8907548
    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: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroki Kawai
  • Patent number: 8878633
    Abstract: A micromechanical device includes a substrate, a micromechanical structure supported by the substrate and configured for overtone resonant vibration relative to the substrate, and a plurality of electrodes supported by the substrate and spaced from the micromechanical structure by respective gaps. The plurality of electrodes include multiple drive electrodes configured relative to the micromechanical structure to excite the overtone resonant vibration with a differential excitation signal, or multiple sense electrodes configured relative to the micromechanical structure to generate a differential output from the overtone resonant vibration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Micrel, Incorporated
    Inventors: Wan-Thai Hsu, Guohong He, John Ryan Clark
  • Patent number: 8866567
    Abstract: A quartz crystal unit has a quartz crystal tuning fork resonator having a thickness within a range of 0.05 mm to 0.18 mm, and at least one groove formed in at least one of opposite main surfaces of each of first and second tuning fork tines so that a length of the at least one groove is within a range of 20% to 78% of an overall length of the resonator and less than 1.29 mm. An electrode is disposed on at least one of a base portion and a surface of the at least one groove so that the electrode of the first tuning fork tine has an electrical polarity opposite to an electrical polarity of the electrode of the second tuning fork tine. The capacitance ratio r2 of a second overtone mode of vibration of the quartz crystal tuning fork resonator is greater than 1500. The quartz crystal tuning fork resonator is housed in a case having an open end, and a lid is connected to the case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Piedek Technical Laboratory
    Inventor: Hirofumi Kawashima
  • Patent number: 8847708
    Abstract: A MEMS vibrator according to the invention includes: a first electrode fixed to a surface of a substrate; and a second electrode having a beam portion including a second face facing a first face of the first electrode, and a supporting portion supporting the beam portion and fixed to the surface of the substrate. The beam portion has a first portion whose length in a normal direction of the first face of the beam portion monotonically decreases toward a tip of the beam portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Ryuji Kihara
  • Patent number: 8847694
    Abstract: A quartz crystal vibrator element having the weight section is provided with the intermediate weight section formed to have an arm width W1 larger (thicker) than the arm width W of the vibrating arm section and smaller (thinner) than the arm width W2 of the tip weight section, thereby making the intermediate weight section follow the vibration (the amplitude) of the vibrating arm section. Further, the tip weight section formed to have an arm width W2 larger (thicker) than the arm width W1 of the intermediate weight section is provided, thereby making the tip weight section follow the vibration (the amplitude) of the vibrating arm section and the intermediate weight section. Therefore, the vibration characteristics of the vibrating arm section can be stabilized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hideo Tanaya
  • Patent number: 8813356
    Abstract: A common mode filter is manufactured to include a coil part including an insulation layer and a conductor pattern formed in the insulation layer; and a magnetic substrate coupled to one surface or both surfaces of the coil part. The magnetic substrate includes: an electrostatic absorbing layer made of an electrostatic absorbing material; a magnetic layer provided on one surface or both surfaces of the electrostatic absorbing layer and made of a magnetic material; and an electrode provided between the magnetic layer and the electrostatic absorbing layer and made of a conductive material. Therefore, common mode filter may maintain high efficiency characteristics while preventing an electrostatic discharge phenomenon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung Kwon Wi, Jeong Bok Kwak, Sang Moon Lee, Young Seuck Yoo, Yong Suk Kim
  • Patent number: 8760235
    Abstract: A resonator element includes: at least one resonating arm extending, wherein the resonating arm has a mechanical resonance frequency which is higher than a thermal relaxation frequency thereof, the resonating arm has a groove portion, the groove portion includes a bottom portion, a first side surface that extends along the longitudinal direction of the resonating arm and comes into contact with the opened principal surface and the bottom portion, and a second side surface that faces the first side surface with the bottom portion disposed therebetween and comes into contact with the opened principal surface and the bottom portion, and the groove portion has a non-electrode region which extends from a part of the first side surface close to the bottom portion to a part of the second side surface close to the bottom portion and in which no electrode is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Akinori Yamada
  • Patent number: 8742872
    Abstract: In a MEMS device having a substrate 1, a sealing membrane 7, and a movable portion 3 of beam and an electrode 5 which have a region wherein they overlap with a gap in perpendicular to a substrate 1 surface, a first cavity 9 is on the side of the movable portion 3 in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the substrate, and a second cavity is the other cavity, and an inner surface a of a side wall A in contact with the electrode 5, of the first cavity 9, is positioned more inside than an inner surface b of a side wall B in contact with the electrode 5, of the second cavity 10, in the direction parallel to the substrate surface, such that the movable portion 3 does not collide with the electrode 5 when mechanical stress is applied from outside to the sealing membrane 7.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiro Iwasaki, Keiji Onishi, Kunihiko Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8736152
    Abstract: An exemplary tuning-fork type piezoelectric vibrating piece has a rectangular base having upper and lower main surfaces and a pair of vibrating arms extending longitudinally from the base. The vibrating arms also have the upper and lower main surfaces. Each main surface of each vibrating arm defines a respective vibrating-arm groove extending longitudinally into the base. Each main surface of the base has at least one respective step-side surface situated outboard, in an X-axis direction, of each vibrating-arm groove. Each step-side surface is parallel with the respective vibrating-arm groove. A first electrode is situated on the vibrating-arm grooves of the first vibrating arm and on the at least one respective step-side surface on each main surface. A second electrode is situated on the vibrating-arm grooves of the second vibrating arm and on the at least one respective step-side surface on each main surface. The first and second electrodes are energized with different electrical polarities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Nihon Dempa Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroki Iwai
  • Patent number: 8732938
    Abstract: An improved method of packaging a sensor is provided. The method includes the step of affixing a tuning fork to a platform. The tuning fork includes tines comprising one or more surfaces, with each tine further comprising an electrode and a piezoelectric material. An application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) is affixed to the platform. Electrical communication between the ASIC and the electrode of each tine is established for providing stimulus to the tuning fork and for receiving a response signal from the tuning fork. A protective layer is applied to cover the platform and a portion of the tuning fork while maintaining a portion of a surface of each tine free from the protective layer such that the surface can displace the fluid in contact therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignees: MEAS France, Hella KGaA Hueck & Co.
    Inventors: Oleg Kolosov, Leonid Matsiev, John F. Varni, G. Cameron Dales, Olaf Ludtke, Dirk Wullner, Andreas Buhrdorf, Heiko Dobrinski
  • Patent number: 8717046
    Abstract: A fully-functional radio receiver fabricated from a single nanotube is being disclosed. Simultaneously, a single nanotube can perform the functions of all major components of a radio: antenna, tunable band-pass filter, amplifier, and demodulator. A DC voltage source, as supplied by a battery, can power the radio. Using carrier waves in the commercially relevant 40-400 MHz range and both frequency and amplitude modulation techniques, successful music and voice reception has been demonstrated. Also disclosed are a radio transmitter and a mass sensor using a nanotube resonator device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Kenneth J. Jensen, Alexander K. Zettl, Jeffrey A. Weldon
  • Patent number: 8692632
    Abstract: A resonator element includes a base portion in which a pair of notches is formed, a pair of resonating arms which is extended in parallel from one end side of a first portion of the base portion. The resonating arm is provided with a bottomed elongated groove which has an opening along at least one principal surface of both principal surfaces and a weight portion which is formed at the tip end side of the resonating arm on the opposite side of a root of the resonating arm attached to the base portion and which has a larger width than on the root side. The weight portion is formed so that the proportion of the length of the weight portion to the length from the root to the tip end side in a longitudinal direction of the resonating arm is within a range of 35% to 41%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Akinori Yamada
  • Patent number: 8669831
    Abstract: MEMS resonators containing a first material and a second material to tailor the resonator's temperature coefficient of frequency (TCF). The first material has a different Young's modulus temperature coefficient than the second material. In one embodiment, the first material has a negative Young's modulus temperature coefficient and the second material has a positive Young's modulus temperature coefficient. In one such embodiment, the first material is a semiconductor and the second material is a dielectric. In a further embodiment, the quantity and location of the second material in the resonator is tailored to meet the resonator TCF specifications for a particular application. In an embodiment, the second material is isolated to a region of the resonator proximate to a point of maximum stress within the resonator. In a particular embodiment, the resonator includes a first material with a trench containing the second material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Emmanuel P. Quevy, David H. Bernstein
  • Patent number: 8665032
    Abstract: A flexural mode resonator element includes: a vibration arm extending from a base end toward a tip; a base joined to the vibration arm at the base end; and supporting arms arranged on both sides of the base in a width direction perpendicular to an extending direction of the vibration arm and joined to the base, wherein the base has a reduced cross-section portion disposed along the extending direction of the vibration arm between a joint portion with the vibration arm and a joint portion with the supporting arms, and the reduced cross-section portion is disposed so as to satisfy a relationship 2×W1?L?6×W1 where L is the length of the reduced cross-section portion in the extending direction of the vibration arm, and W1 is the arm width of the vibration arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hideo Tanaya, Yoshiyuki Yamada
  • Patent number: 8663487
    Abstract: The invention is directed to the provision of a method for manufacturing a crystal oscillator manufacturing method that can achieve a highly precise fine adjustment without applying unnecessary external force to a crystal oscillator, and that can adjust a plurality of crystal oscillators in a collective manner. More specifically, the invention provides a method for manufacturing a crystal oscillator includes a first etching step for forming a prescribed external shape, an electrode forming step for forming an electrode at least in a portion of a surface of the external shape, a leakage amount measuring step for measuring leakage amount associated with leakage vibration of the external shape, and a second etching step for etching the external shape by an amount that is determined based on a measurement result of the leakage amount measuring step so as to adjust balance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Citizen Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akiko Katoh, Tohru Yanagisawa
  • Patent number: 8638178
    Abstract: Methods of testing packaged thin-film piezoelectric-on-semiconductor (TPoS) microelectromechanical resonators having hermetic seals include measuring a quality factor (Q) of resonance of the packaged resonator at at least two unequal temperatures to determine whether a ?Q/?T is significantly different (e.g, by at least 50%) over a temperature range (?T) spanning a smallest and largest of the at least two temperatures. These measurements are performed for a packaged resonator having a QAIR<QTED, where QAIR is the quality factor of resonance of the packaged resonator due to air damping and QTED is the quality factor of resonance of the packaged resonator due to thermoelastic damping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Integrated Device Technology inc.
    Inventor: Ye Wang
  • Patent number: 8633788
    Abstract: A piezoelectric vibration piece includes a base made of a piezoelectric material; a plurality of vibration arms which is integrally formed with the base and extends in parallel; elongate grooves which are formed along longitudinal directions of the vibration arms; and excitation electrodes which include inner electrodes disposed in the elongate grooves and side electrodes disposed in side surfaces facing the inner electrodes, wherein widening portions in which the widths of the vibration arms are widened toward the base at a joint between the vibration arms of the base are formed, and the side electrodes are led to principal surfaces and side surfaces of the widening portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshiyuki Yamada
  • Patent number: 8629739
    Abstract: A method of forming a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device includes forming an electrode on a substrate. The method includes forming a structural layer on the substrate. The structural layer is disposed about a perimeter of the electrode and has a residual film stress gradient. The method includes releasing the structural layer to form a resonator coupled to the substrate. The residual film stress gradient deflects a first portion of the resonator out of a plane defined by a surface of the electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Emmanuel P. Quevy, David H. Bernstein, Mehrnaz Motiee
  • Patent number: 8587390
    Abstract: A MEMS resonator according to the invention includes: a substrate; a first electrode formed above the substrate; and a second electrode having a supporting portion which is formed above the substrate and a beam portion which is supported by the supporting portion and arranged above the first electrode, wherein the beam portion has, in plan view, a shape in which the width monotonically decreases in a direction from the supporting portion toward a tip of the beam portion in a region overlapping the first electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Ryuji Kihara
  • Patent number: 8558645
    Abstract: An apparatus for improving transmission bandwidth is provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure, which includes: a signal transmission line, side grounds located at two sides of the signal transmission line, and a capacitor disposed between the signal transmission line and the side grounds. The signal transmission line comprises a microstrip line, and the signal transmission line and the side grounds form a coplanar waveguide transmission line together. On a transmission channel connected through a bonding wire, a capacitor is disposed between a signal transmission line and side grounds. An inductor-capacitor (LC) resonance circuit is formed by using inductance characteristics presented by the bonding wire and the capacitor connected in parallel with the bonding wire, and a resonance point is formed within a frequency band in a frequency domain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Lihui Hu, Rui Yang, Shiping Cheng
  • Patent number: 8558643
    Abstract: The invention relates to a micromechanical device comprising a semiconductor element capable of deflecting or resonating and comprising at least two regions having different material properties and drive or sense means functionally coupled to said semiconductor element. According to the invention, at least one of said regions comprises one or more n-type doping agents, and the relative volumes, doping concentrations, doping agents and/or crystal orientations of the regions being configured so that the temperature sensitivities of the generalized stiffness are opposite in sign at least at one temperature for the regions, and the overall temperature drift of the generalized stiffness of the semiconductor element is 50 ppm or less on a temperature range of 100° C. The device can be a resonator. Also a method of designing the device is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Teknologian Tutkimuskeskus VTT
    Inventors: Mika Prunnila, Antti Jaakkola, Tuomas Pensala
  • Patent number: 8525606
    Abstract: A vibrator element includes: a base portion; and three vibrating arms that extend from the base portion in the Y axis direction. The vibrating arms are arranged in the X axis direction, include excitation electrodes on a principal face, and vibrate in the Z axis direction. When an arm width of the vibrating arm, which is located at the center of the arrangement, in the X axis direction is W1, each arm width of the other vibrating arms in the X axis direction is W, an electrode width of the excitation electrode of the vibrating arm, which is located at the center of the arrangement, in the X axis direction is A1, and each electrode width of the excitation electrodes of the other vibrating arms in the X axis direction is A, 1.35<W1/W<1.90 and 1.35<A1/A<1.90.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Takashi Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 8514029
    Abstract: A piezoelectric vibrator includes a base substrate and a lid substrate which are bonded to each other with a cavity formed therebetween; an external electrode that is formed on a lower surface of the base substrate; an internal electrode that is formed on an upper surface of the base substrate so as to be accommodated in the cavity; a through electrode which is formed so as to pass through the base substrate and electrically connect the external electrode with the internal electrode; a piezoelectric vibrating reed which is accommodated in the cavity in a state of being electrically connected to the internal electrode; and a getter material that is formed in the cavity, the getter material being formed of chromium or a metallic material consisting of chromium as a main ingredient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventor: Junya Fukuda
  • Patent number: 8505192
    Abstract: A manufacturing method of common mode filters and a structure of the same are revealed. A common mode choke layer is disposed over a composite substrate and a second magnetic material layer is coated on an upper surface of the common mode choke layer. The common mode choke layer is produced by a wafer-level electrode leading out method and having leading-out terminals on sides thereof. External electrodes are formed on sides of the common mode choke layer by partial cutting, sputtering, lithography and electroplating at wafer level and corresponding to the leading-out terminals. Thereby common mode filters produced are supported more stably. Moreover, the volume is minimized due to inductive coils and external electrodes connected by wafer level packaging. Thus the common mode filters are mass-produced, the cost is down and the defect rate is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Advance Furnace Systems Corp.
    Inventor: Chung-Ming Chu
  • Patent number: 8460561
    Abstract: The present invention provides a crystal oscillator piece in which the cross section of its vibrating tine, while not symmetrical in shape, has a principal axis that is oriented parallel to an X axis to suppress the generation of leakage vibration, and a method for manufacturing such a crystal oscillator piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Citizen Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Akiko Katoh
  • Patent number: 8432233
    Abstract: A micro-electromechanical resonator suspended from an anchor. The resonator has: a length; a first width at a first distance from the anchor; and a second width at a second, greater distance from the anchor. The second width is greater than the first width, and the width of the resonator tapers gradually along at least part of its length from the second width to the first width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventor: Casper Van Der Avoort
  • Patent number: 8421546
    Abstract: A piezoelectric vibrator according to the invention includes a base substrate and a lid substrate which are connected to each other and have a cavity formed therebetween; a piezoelectric vibrating reed that is mounted on the base substrate in the cavity; an external electrode that is formed on a lower surface of the base substrate; and a through electrode which is formed so as to pass through the base substrate, maintain the airtightness in the cavity, and electrically connect the piezoelectric vibrating reed with the external electrode. The through electrode is formed by a press molding by a forming mold having a pin, and includes a through hole of a taper-shaped section, in which a taper angle is in the range of 15° or more and 20° or less, and a conductive paste that is hardened after being filled in the through hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Sugama, Kyoshi Aratake, Masashi Numata
  • Patent number: 8416027
    Abstract: A vibrator element includes: a base having a mounting surface; a vibrating arm which is extended from the base and has a first surface and a second surface that faces the first surface and is positioned on the mounting surface side, and which performs flexural vibration in a direction normal to the first and second surfaces; and a laminated structure which is provided on at least one of the first and second surfaces of the vibrating arm, and which includes at least a first electrode, a second electrode, and a piezoelectric layer disposed between the first and second electrodes, in which the vibrating arm is warped toward the mounting surface side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Teruo Takizawa
  • Patent number: 8410861
    Abstract: A piezoelectric vibrator including a base substrate and a lid substrate which are bonded to each other with a cavity formed therebetween; a piezoelectric vibrating reed which has a pair of vibration arm portions extending in parallel, a pair of excitation electrodes that vibrate the pair of vibration arm portions, and a mount electrode that is electrically connected to the pair of excitation electrodes, the piezoelectric vibrating reed being mounted on the base substrate within the cavity via the mount electrode; an insulation film which is formed on the piezoelectric vibrating reed so as to cover the excitation electrodes; and a getter material formed of the metallic material that is formed on any of the base substrate or the lid substrate so as to be arranged within the cavity and improve a degree of vacuum within the cavity by being heated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventor: Junya Fukuda
  • Patent number: 8405474
    Abstract: A piezoelectric vibration piece includes a base made of a piezoelectric material; a plurality of vibration arms which is integrally formed with the base and extends in parallel; elongate grooves which are formed along longitudinal directions of the vibration arms; and excitation electrodes which include inner electrodes disposed in the elongate grooves and side electrodes disposed in side surfaces facing the inner electrodes, wherein widening portions in which the widths of the vibration arms are widened toward the base at a joint between the vibration arms of the base are formed, and the side electrodes are led to principal surfaces and side surfaces of the widening portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshiyuki Yamada
  • Patent number: 8395462
    Abstract: A resonator according to the embodiment includes: a substrate; a flat layered body which is formed above the substrate and is formed with at least a lower electrode, a piezoelectric film and an upper electrode; an anchor portion which fixes the layered body above the substrate; a cut-out portion inside the layered body; a tuning fork vibrator which is formed in the cut-out portion, has both ends supported by the layered body and is formed with at least a lower electrode, a piezoelectric film and an upper electrode; and an envelope which envelopes the layered body and the tuning fork vibrator in a noncontact fashion, and prevents an external force from being applied to the layered body and the tuning fork vibrator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Takashi Kawakubo, Toshihiko Nagano, Michihiko Nishigaki, Hiroshi Ono
  • Patent number: 8390389
    Abstract: A vibrator element includes: a base section formed on a plane including a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and a vibrating arm extending from the base section in the first direction, wherein the vibrating arm flexurally vibrates in a normal direction of the plane, and has a first surface one of compressed and extended due to the flexural vibration and a second surface one of extended when the first surface is compressed and compressed when the first surface is extended, the first surface is provided with a first mass section, and the second surface is provided with a second mass section, and at least one of the first mass section and the second mass section has a portion, which fails to be opposed to the other of the first mass section and the second mass section in a plan view in the normal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroki Kawai
  • Patent number: 8390399
    Abstract: A resonator includes a resonating body and at least one periodic structure having one end connected to the resonating body. The periodic structure includes at least two basic structure units with duplicated configuration. The periodic structure blocks wave propagation caused by the vibration of the resonating body. The resonating body has a resonance frequency f0. The periodic structure has a band gap characteristic or a deaf band characteristic within a particular frequency range, and the resonance frequency f0 falls within the particular frequency range of the periodic structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Tsun-Che Huang, Pin Chang, Feng-Chia Hsu, Chin-Hung Wang
  • Patent number: 8362854
    Abstract: A flexural vibration piece including a vibrator having a first region on which a compressive stress or a tensile stress acts and a second region on which a tensile stress acts when a compressive stress acts on the first region and a compressive stress acts when a tensile stress acts on the first region, and performs flexural vibration in a first plane; and a heat conduction path formed of a material having a thermal conductivity higher than the vibrator and that thermally connects the regions, wherein when m is the number of heat conduction paths, ?th is the thermal resistivity of the heat conduction path, ?v is the thermal resistivity of the vibrator, tv is the thickness of the vibrator in a direction orthogonal to the first plane, and tth is the thickness of the heat conduction path, a relationship of tth?(1/m)×tv×(?th/?v) is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignees: Epson Toyocom Corporation, Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Furuhata, Akinori Yamada, Yuji Hamayama
  • Patent number: 8334736
    Abstract: The invention relates to design of micromechanical resonators and, more precisely, to the design of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) resonators. The invention provides an improved design structure for a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) resonator including a movable mass structure and a spring structure. The spring structure includes a spring element. The spring element is anchored from one end and connected to a plurality of electrode fingers on another end. The plurality of electrode fingers are operatively connected together at the other end of the spring element. The improved structure is frequency robust to manufacturing variations and enables reliable frequency referencing with good performance, particularly in small size solutions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Murata Electronics Oy
    Inventor: Ville Kaajakari
  • Patent number: 8330560
    Abstract: The invention relates to a tuning-fork type crystal resonator in which the frequency adjustment accuracy is increased, and a frequency adjustment method thereof. In a tuning-fork type crystal resonator having a tuning-fork shaped piece of quartz crystal in which a pair of tuning fork arms extend from a tuning fork base, and a frequency adjustment method thereof, there is provided a first frequency adjustment step for adjusting an oscillation frequency by forming inclined surfaces spanning from outer peripheral surfaces surrounding the pair of tuning fork arms toward distal end surfaces, by using a femtosecond laser irradiated in a direction from the outer peripheral surfaces toward the distal end surfaces, or in a direction from the distal end surfaces toward the outer peripheral surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Nihon Dempa Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hideryo Matsudo
  • Patent number: 8314665
    Abstract: A nano electromechanical integrated circuit filter and method of making. The filter comprises a silicon substrate; a sacrificial layer; a device layer including at least one resonator, wherein the resonator includes sub-micron excitable elements and wherein the at least one resonator possess a fundamental mode frequency as well as a collective mode frequency and wherein the collective mode frequency of the at least one resonator is determined by the fundamental frequency of the sub-micron elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Trustees of Boston University
    Inventors: Pritiraj Mohanty, Robert L. Badzey, Alexei Gaidarzhy
  • Patent number: 8310320
    Abstract: A nano-resonator device comprising at least one fixed element and at least one mobile element with respect to the fixed element, first electromagnetic means, integrated or fixed on the fixed element, and second electromagnetic means, integrated or fixed on the mobile element, to generate an oscillating movement of the mobile element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique
    Inventors: Laurent Duraffourg, Philippe Andreucci, Lise Bilhaut, Bernard Viala
  • Patent number: 8305152
    Abstract: An oscillator includes: a plurality of MEMS vibrators formed on a substrate; and an oscillator configuration circuit connected to the plurality of MEMS vibrators, wherein the plurality of MEMS vibrators each have a beam structure, and the respective beam structures are different, whereby their resonant frequencies are different.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toru Watanabe, Shogo Inaba, Ryuji Kihara
  • Patent number: 8304968
    Abstract: A quartz crystal vibrator element having the weight section is provided with the intermediate weight section formed to have an arm width W1 larger (thicker) than the arm width W of the vibrating arm section and smaller (thinner) than the arm width W2 of the tip weight section, thereby making the intermediate weight section follow the vibration (the amplitude) of the vibrating arm section. Further, the tip weight section formed to have an arm width W2 larger (thicker) than the arm width W1 of the intermediate weight section is provided, thereby making the tip weight section follow the vibration (the amplitude) of the vibrating arm section and the intermediate weight section. Therefore, the vibration characteristics of the vibrating arm section can be stabilized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hideo Tanaya
  • Patent number: 8269578
    Abstract: A resonator comprises a resonator mass (34), a first connector (30) on a first side of the mass connected between the resonator mass and a first fixed mounting and a second connector (32) on a second, opposite, side of the mass connected between the resonator mass and a second fixed mounting. Drive means drives the mass (34) into a resonant mode in which it oscillates in a sideways direction, thereby compressing one of the first and second connectors while extending the other of the first and second connectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Kim Phan Le, Jozef T. M. Van Beek
  • Patent number: 8261427
    Abstract: Crystal devices are disclosed, of which an exemplary device includes a crystal frame comprising a crystal vibrating piece having an electrode pattern and an outer frame supporting the crystal vibrating piece. The device also includes a crystal package base including at least one connection electrode formed on a first main surface and at least one external electrode formed on a second main surface, wherein the second main surface is opposite the first main surface. The crystal frame and crystal base are layered together with a lid wafer to form a 3-layer sandwich. The layers of the sandwich are bonded together by siloxane bonding, which results in the connection electrodes contacting the electrode pattern on the crystal vibrating piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Nihon Dempa Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoto Inose, Toshiaki Takeuchi