A fully integrated oven controlled microelectromechanical oscillator -- Part I. Design and fabrication
- Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Our paper reports the design and fabrication of a fully integrated oven controlled microelectromechanical oscillator (OCMO). This paper begins by describing the limits on oscillator frequency stability imposed by the thermal drift and electronic properties (Q, resistance) of both the resonant tank circuit and feedback electronics required to form an electronic oscillator. An OCMO is presented that takes advantage of high thermal isolation and monolithic integration of both micromechanical resonators and electronic circuitry to thermally stabilize or ovenize all the components that comprise an oscillator. This was achieved by developing a processing technique where both silicon-on-insulator complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) circuitry and piezoelectric aluminum nitride, AlN, micromechanical resonators are placed on a suspended platform within a standard CMOS integrated circuit. Operation at microscale sizes achieves high thermal resistances (~10 °C/mW), and hence thermal stabilization of the oscillators at very low-power levels when compared with the state-of-the-art ovenized crystal oscillators, OCXO. This constant resistance feedback circuit is presented that incorporates on platform resistive heaters and temperature sensors to both measure and stabilize the platform temperature. Moreover, the limits on temperature stability of the OCMO platform and oscillator frequency imposed by the gain of the constant resistance feedback loop, placement of the heater and temperature sensing resistors, as well as platform radiative and convective heat losses are investigated.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC04-94AL85000
- OSTI ID:
- 1236201
- Report Number(s):
- SAND--2015-0203J; 562130
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems, Journal Name: Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 24; ISSN 1057-7157
- Publisher:
- IEEECopyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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