MEMS Resonator
Micro-electro-mechanical systems, or MEMS resonators for short, are small systems in silicon substrates that consist of a combination of electronic and mechanical components. All components of a MEMS are placed on a silicon substrate using lithographic techniques. The MEMS resonators at NXP (former semiconductor division of Philips) are manufactured via “micromachining” processes, which use technologies also used to fabricate integrated circuits (ICs). During IC manufacturing, wafers with MEMS structures undergo many process steps. Each step produces a greater or lesser variation of the product. All these variations were simulated and a thorough insight was obtained into the stable operation of the MEMS.
MEMS resonator eigenfrequency
Various MEMS components are manufactured at NXP in Nijmegen. Microresonators are seen as the successor to the old crystals that control electronic components via a clock frequency. The demands placed on these products are of course high, for example the frequency must not vary with temperature and it must also remain stable during their lifespan. . The complex multi-physics simulations resulted in a set of specifications for the production environment, so that the products can be produced with a low failure rate.
Capacity MEMS resonator
Capacitive behavior of a MEMS resonator is very important for the operation of the product under all kinds of conditions. On the right is an impression of the electric field lines between the parts of a MEMS resonator.