Method for creating a resonator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9755612-B2
Application number	US-201214367803-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2012
Priority date	Dec 22, 2011
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a resonator in a substrate, including: a) modifying a structure of at least one region of the substrate to make the at least one region more selective; b) etching the at least one region to selectively manufacture the resonator.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for manufacturing a resonator in a substrate, the method comprising:
modifying a structure of at least one region of the substrate by multiphoton absorption of a laser in order to make said at least one region more selective; and
etching said at least one region in order to selectively manufacture said resonator,
wherein a pulse duration of the laser ranges from a femtosecond to a picosecond.

2. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
releasing the resonator from said substrate.

3. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate is made of a material transparent to a wavelength of the laser.

4. The manufacturing method according to claim 3 , wherein the substrate is made of single crystal material.

5. The manufacturing method according to claim 3 , wherein the substrate is made of polycrystalline material.

6. The manufacturing method according to claim 3 , wherein the substrate is made of polymer.

7. The manufacturing method according to claim 3 , wherein the substrate is made of an amorphous material or a ceramic or glass.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the resonator includes a base from which extend at least two parallel arms each having an upper surface and a lower surface and further includes at least one recess made on one of the surfaces of at least one of the at least two parallel arms.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein said at least one recess takes a form of a groove having at least one vertical side.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein said resonator includes one groove per arm.

11. The method according to claim 8 , wherein said resonator includes one groove on the upper surface of each arm and one groove on the lower surface of each arm.

12. The method according to claim 8 , wherein said resonator includes two grooves per arm.

13. The method according to claim 8 , wherein said resonator includes two grooves on the upper surface of each arm and two grooves on the lower surface of each arm.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the resonator includes an inertia block coupled to a body formed of a bar coiled on itself to form a spiral, wherein said body has at least one hollow portion to locally modify rigidity thereof and thus adjust a resonator frequency and/or regulate isochronism defect.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein said at least one hollow portion includes at least two parallel vertical sides.

16. The method according to claim 14 , wherein said body is made of quartz or ceramic or glass and includes sides that are locally parallel and vertical over an entire length of said body.

17. The method according to claim 14 , wherein said body includes a raised outer coil with respect to a plane of other coils formed by the bar coiled on itself.

18. The method according to claim 14 , wherein said body transmits and diffuses light emitted by at least one luminous energy source.

19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein the structure of said body is modified by laser so as to locally modify a refractive index of a material of the body.

20. The method according to claim 18 , wherein a refractive index of a material of the body is modified by laser and the structure of said body is used to form a mirror.

21. The method according to claim 18 , wherein a refractive index of a material of the body is modified by the laser and the structure of said body is used to form a light guide.

Assignees

• Swatch Group Res & Dev Ltd

Inventors

• Hessler Thierry
• Dalla Piazza Silvio

Classifications

• B81C2201/0143

  Focussed beam, i.e. laser, ion or e-beam · CPC title

• H03H9/19 Primary

  consisting of quartz · CPC title

• H01L41/0475

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G04C3/12

  driven by piezoelectric means; driven by magneto-strictive means · CPC title

• G04B17/066

  Manufacture of the spiral spring (locking of the spiral spring by the regulating lever G04B18/026; spiral spring with temperature compensation G04B17/227; fixation of the spiral spring on the collet G04B17/32; mainspring G04B1/14) · CPC title