Electromechanical resonators and filters, such as quartz, ceramic, and surface-acoustic wave devices, are important signal-processing elements in communication systems. Over the past decade, there has been substantial progress in developing new types of miniaturized electromechanical resonators using microfabrication processes. For these micro-resonators to be viable, they must have high and predictable quality factors (Q). Depending on scale and geometry, the energy losses that lower Q may come from material damping, thermoelastic damping, air damping, or radiation of elastic waves from an anchor. Our goal is to understand these loss sources quantitatively; and to provide a computational tool, HiQLab, to predict and optimize resonator response before embarking on costly manufacturing and re-design cycles.
Project end date: 08/02/06