Intrinsically-Compensated Ultra-High-Q Silicon Resonators

本征补偿型超高Q硅谐振器随着MEMS技术的发展，它在越来越多的商业应用中找到了自己的道路。特别是，硅微机械谐振器有可能在各种定时、传感和频谱处理应用中取代传统的电子和机械设备，从而使全新产品的开发成为可能。然而，在许多领域，这种谐振器的性能远远落后于目前现有的离散替代方案。这些方面包括谐振频率对处理波动的敏感性，其对温度变化的稳定性，以及当前硅谐振器的品质因数和阻抗在高UHF范围内(1 GHz及以上)急剧下降的事实。这项拟议研究的目标是开发和展示全新的技术，将硅MEMS谐振器的性能提高到适合广泛插入商业应用的水平。具体地说，拟议的研究将在以下领域推动硅MEMS谐振器技术的发展(拟议研究的智力价值)：(A)更深入地了解硅的内在损耗机制，以及随后开发出与标准IC制造工艺完全兼容的超高Q硅谐振器，以及(B)基于避免谐振器Q退化的材料特性和谐振器几何工程的零功率温度补偿技术的开发。科学成果的分离将以在国内和国际专业会议、技术期刊上的文章和大学研讨会的形式进行。佐治亚州电子设计中心将促进向商业部门的技术转移，该中心的目标是通过强调重要的长期研究来维持半导体行业的技术增长。拟议研究的广泛影响这一努力将促进微机械和纳米机械信号处理领域的高级研究和教育。研究和教育的结合将通过由私人学校开发的研究生和本科生课程来进行。这些课程包括微型和纳米机电原理、系统分析和设计，重点是MEMS谐振器。教材不断更新，将包括在本提案所述研究项目过程中开展的研究活动的结果。现有的面向MEMS和传感器的接口IC设计研究生课程。这项建议的另一项重要任务是让本科生参与研究和教育活动。为此，国际和平研究所将在佐治亚理工学院夏季工程/科学本科生研究计划的参与者中寻找申请者，该计划为期十周，旨在吸引合格的少数族裔学生进入工程和科学领域的研究生院学习。该项目得到了过去参与者的高度评价。希望这一独特的经历将鼓励这些学生在接下来的几年里成为研究生的申请者。

INTRINSICALLY-COMPENSATED ULTRA-HIGH-Q SILICON RESONATORSPROJECT SUMMARYAs MEMS technology evolves, it finds its way in an ever growing number and range of commercialapplications. In particular, silicon micromechanical resonators have the potential to replace conventionalelectronic and mechanical devices in a variety of timing, sensing and spectral processing applications,thus enabling the development of completely new products. There are, however, a number of areas wherethe performance of such resonators lags significantly behind that of currently existing discretealternatives. These areas include the sensitivity of the resonant frequency to process fluctuations, itsstability with respect to changes in temperature, and the fact that the quality factor and impedance ofcurrent silicon resonators degrades dramatically in the high UHF range (1 GHz and above). The goal ofthe proposed research is to develop and demonstrate radically new technologies that will bring theperformance of silicon MEMS resonators to a level suitable for widespread insertion into commercialapplications. Specifically, the proposed research will advance the state of silicon MEMS resonatortechnology in the following areas (intellectual merits of the proposed research):(a) Deeper understanding of intrinsic loss mechanisms in silicon, and consequent development of ultrahigh-Q silicon resonators that are completely compatible with standard IC fabrication processes, and (b)development of zero-power temperature compensation techniques based on the engineering of materialproperties and resonator geometries that avoid degradation of the Q of the resonator.Dissemination of the scientific results will take place in the form of presentations at national andinternational professional conferences, articles in technical journals, and university seminars. Technologytransfer to the commercial sector will be facilitated by the Georgia Electronic Design Center, whose goalis to sustain the technology growth of the semiconductor industry by placing an emphasis on significantlong-term research.Broader impact of the proposed researchThis effort will promote advanced research and education in the area of micro and nano-mechanicalsignal processing. Integration of research and education will be pursued through graduate andundergraduate courses developed by the PI. These courses cover the principles of micro- and nanoelectromechanicalsystem analysis and design, with an emphasis on MEMS resonators. The coursematerial is constantly updated, and will include the results of research activities that are undertaken duringthe course of the research project described in this proposal. The existing graduate level course on?Interface IC design for MEMS and Sensors? will be augmented by hands-on laboratory sessions.Involvement of undergraduate students in research and educational activities is another important task ofthis proposal. To this end, the PI will seek applicants among the participants in the SummerUndergraduate Research in Engineering/Science Program at Georgia Tech, a ten-week summer researchprogram designed to attract qualified minority students into graduate school in the fields of engineeringand science. The program has received highly favorable evaluations from past participants. It is hopedthat this unique experience will encourage these students to become applicants for graduate school inensuing years.