Micro-electromechanical system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12522497-B2
Application number	US-202218287721-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 12, 2022
Priority date	Apr 23, 2021
Publication date	Jan 13, 2026
Grant date	Jan 13, 2026

Abstract

A micro-electromechanical system ( 1 ) comprising: a sensor device ( 2 ), with a measuring deformer ( 3 ) exhibiting an effective temperature T 1 ; a high-frequency resonator ( 4 ) that is mechanically coupled to the sensor device ( 2 ) and can interact with the measuring deformer ( 3 ); an energy converter ( 7 ) that is operatively connected to the high-frequency resonator ( 4 ) and is configured to excite the high-frequency resonator ( 4 ) into a vibration state, wherein, through the interaction of the vibrating high-frequency resonator ( 4 ) with the measuring deformer ( 3 ), energy can be transferred from the measuring deformer ( 3 ) to the high-frequency resonator ( 4 ) in such a manner that the measuring deformer ( 3 ) after the energy transfer exhibits an effective temperature T 2 lower than T 1.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A micro-electromechanical system ( 1 ) comprising:
a sensor device ( 2 ) comprising a measuring deformer ( 3 ) configured to measure a physical quantity, wherein the measuring deformer ( 3 ) is mechanically movable to measure the physical quantity, wherein the measuring deformer ( 3 ) in a first state exhibits thermal fluctuations corresponding to an effective temperature T 1 ; and a high-frequency resonator ( 4 ) mechanically coupled to the sensor device ( 2 ), wherein by means of the coupling the high-frequency resonator ( 4 ) can interact with the measuring deformer ( 3 ) of the sensor device ( 2 ), wherein the high-frequency resonator ( 4 ) is configured as a mechanical high-frequency resonator ( 4 ), wherein the micro-electromechanical system ( 1 ) includes an energy converter ( 7 ) that is operatively connected to the high-frequency resonator ( 4 ), wherein the energy converter ( 7 ) is configured so that the high-frequency resonator ( 4 ) can be excited into a first vibration state by the energy converter ( 7 ), wherein the high-frequency resonator ( 4 ) has a transition frequency in the excited first vibration state, and wherein, through the interaction of the high-frequency resonator ( 4 ) vibrating at the transition frequency with the measuring deformer ( 3 ) of the sensor device ( 2 ), energy can be transferred from the measuring deformer ( 3 ) to the high-frequency resonator ( 4 ) in such a manner that the measuring deformer ( 3 ) after the energy transfer exhibits a second state in which the measuring deformer ( 3 ) exhibits thermal fluctuations corresponding to an effective temperature T 2 lower than T 1 .

2 . The micro-electromechanical system ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein, during the energy transfer from the measuring deformer ( 3 ) to the high-frequency resonator ( 4 ), phonons are transferred from first modes to second modes, wherein the first modes have a lower frequency than the second modes, wherein the measuring deformer ( 3 ) exhibits the first modes and the high-frequency resonator ( 4 ) exhibits the second modes.

3 . The micro-electromechanical system ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the energy converter ( 7 ) is configured so that the high-frequency resonator ( 4 ) can be excited into a second vibration state by the energy converter ( 7 ), wherein the high-frequency resonator ( 4 ) in the excited second vibration state has a readout frequency that is different from the transition frequency, wherein, through the interaction of the high-frequency resonator ( 4 ) vibrating in the readout frequency with the measuring deformer ( 3 ) of the sensor device, a deflection of the measuring deformer ( 3 ) can be measured with the high-frequency resonator ( 4 ).

4 . The micro-electromechanical system ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the high-frequency resonator ( 4 ) at least partially overlaps with the measuring deformer ( 3 ) of the sensor device ( 2 ).

5 . The micro-electromechanical system ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the excitation of the high-frequency resonator ( 4 ) by the energy converter ( 7 ) occurs in a range with a lower limit value of at least 10 kHz, and with an upper limit value of at most 1000 GHz.

6 . The micro-electromechanical system ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the energy converter ( 7 ) is configured to excite the high-frequency resonator ( 4 ) in such a manner that surface-acoustic waves are formed on a surface of the measuring deformer ( 3 ) by the excitation with the energy converter ( 7 ).

7 . The micro-electromechanical system ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the energy converter ( 7 ) is configured to excite the high-frequency resonator ( 4 ) in such a manner that bulk modes are formed in the measuring deformer ( 3 ) by the excitation with the energy converter ( 7 ).

8 . The micro-electromechanical system ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor device ( 2 ) is configured as an inertial sensor.

9 . The micro-electromechanical system ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor device ( 2 ) comprises an accelerometer with a test mass.

10 . The micro-electromechanical system ( 1 ) according to claim 9 , wherein the high-frequency resonator ( 4 ) is coupled to the test mass of the accelerometer to transmit vibrations.

11 . The micro-electromechanical system ( 1 ) according to claim 9 , wherein the high-frequency resonator ( 4 ) and the test mass are configured as one piece and the energy converter ( 7 ) is operatively connected to the test mass in such a manner that the energy converter ( 7 ) excites the test mass at the transition frequency and bulk modes are formed in the test mass by the excitation.

12 . The micro-electromechanical system ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor device ( 2 ) comprises a gyroscope.

13 . The micro-electromechanical system ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor device ( 2 ) comprises a cantilever for an atomic force microscope.

14 . The micro-electromechanical system ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the high-frequency resonator ( 4 ) contacts a surface of the measuring deformer ( 3 ) of the sensor device ( 2 ).

15 . The micro-electromechanical system ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the measuring deformer ( 3 ) is set into a vibration during measurement that is lower than the transition frequency.

16 . A method for manufacturing a micro-electromechanical system ( 1 ), wherein the method comprises the following steps:
providing a substrate; manufacturing a first microstructure on the substrate, wherein the first microstructure comprises a sensor device ( 2 ) comprising a measuring deformer ( 3 ) configured to measure a physical quantity, wherein the measuring deformer ( 3 ) is mechanically movable to measure the physical quantity; manufacturing a second microstructure on at least a portion of the first microstructure, wherein the second microstructure comprises a high-frequency resonator ( 4 ) that is mechanically coupled to the sensor device ( 2 ), wherein by means of the coupling the high-frequency resonator ( 4 ) can interact with the sensor device ( 2 ); and providing an energy converter ( 7 ), which is arranged on the first or second microstructure or on the substrate, wherein the energy converter ( 7 ) is operatively connected to the high-frequency resonator ( 4 ) and is configured to excite the high-frequency resonator ( 4 ) into a first or second vibration state, wherein the high-frequency resonator ( 4 ) has a transition frequency in the first vibration state, wherein energy of the sensor device ( 2 ) can be transferred to the high-frequency resonator ( 4 ) through the interaction of the excited high-frequency resonator ( 4 ) with the sensor device ( 2 ).

17 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein the substrate is configured as a wafer.

18 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein the first and second microstructures are manufactured using a photolithography process.

19 . The micro-electromechanical system ( 1 ) according to claim 5 , wherein the lower limit value is at least 1 MHz, and/or the upper limit value is at most 100 GHz.

20 . The micro-electromechanical system ( 1 ) according to claim 5 , wherein the lower limit value is at least 100 MHz, and/or the upper limit value is at most 10 GHz.

21 . The micro-electromechanical system ( 1 ) according to claim 5 , wherein the lower limit value is at least 1 GHz.

Assignees

• Univ Wien Tech

Inventors

• Platz Daniel
• Schmid Ulrich
• Hafner Jonas

Classifications

• G01Q60/24

  AFM [Atomic Force Microscopy] or apparatus therefor, e.g. AFM probes · CPC title

• G01C19/5712

  the devices involving a micromechanical structure · CPC title

• B81B2201/0285

  Vibration sensors · CPC title

• B81B2201/0242

  Gyroscopes · CPC title

• B81B2201/0235

  Accelerometers · CPC title