Electrical generator or motor structure – Non-dynamoelectric – Piezoelectric elements and devices
Patent
1999-03-17
2000-12-05
Budd, Mark O.
Electrical generator or motor structure
Non-dynamoelectric
Piezoelectric elements and devices
310331, 310334, H01L 4108
Patent
active
061571148
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to micromechanical signal processors comprising means for loss compensation.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There is a demand for sensors, detectors and signal processing systems of small size.
Micromechanical elements are suited to realize such systems. Conventional, micromechanical systems are rather simple and their capabilities are not overwhelming. So far, the physics of larger systems has been transferred into devices of smaller size as a simple process of miniaturization. In the co-pending patent application PCTIIB 95/00817, with title "Mechanical Signal Processor Based on Micromechanical Oscillators and Intelligent Acoustic Detectors and Systems Based Thereon", for the first time a micromechanical AND gate was addressed, which broke new grounds in micromechanics. Such an AND gate may serve as basic building block for many different kinds of micromechanical signal processing systems, including microphones, acoustic and tactile sensors and the like.
Since all mechanical systems are subject to losses of different nature, micromechanical building blocks are required which compensate such losses, and, if needed, provide for amplification. A complex micromechanical acoustic sensor, for example, which comprises several levels of oscillating cantilevers being mechanically coupled would run dead without having special means to compensate for losses.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus compensating losses in a micromechanical system.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus which compensates losses in micromechanical systems comprising oscillating cantilevers.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus which improves known micromechanical signal processing systems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This has been achieved by the provision of a mechanical pump oscillator being coupled to a micromechanical system in a manner that energy from the pump oscillator is transferred into the micromechanical system to compensate for losses.
The basic building block of the present invention is an oscillating member--oscillating at a frequency f3--whose losses are compensated by means of a micromechanical pump oscillator driven to oscillate at a frequency fp (with fp>f3) and transferring energy into the oscillating member via a non-linear coupling element. Depending on the particular embodiment, in addition to the pump oscillator, an idle oscillator is needed. This idle oscillator is also coupled to said oscillating member and oscillates at a frequency fi=fp-f3.
The above basic building block can be used to obtain a micromechanical AND gate with loss compensation. Such an AND gate comprises a first cantilever oscillating at a frequency f1 and a second cantilever oscillating at a frequency f2. These two cantilevers are coupled by means of a linear coupling element such that a linear superposition of the oscillations at frequencies f1 and f2 takes place. The oscillating member of the above basic building block is coupled to the two cantilevers via a non-linear coupling element such that its resonance frequency f3 is stimulated if the first of said cantilevers oscillates at f1 and the second of said cantilevers oscillates at f2. Said oscillating member, as described above, is coupled to a pump oscillator such that its losses are compensated, or, if needed, its oscillation even is amplified.
Based on such an AND gate, many different kinds of micromechanical systems can be realized.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention is described in detail below with reference to the following schematic drawings:
FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a cantilever, in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a bridge, in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a membrane, in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a schematic top view of a first embodiment of the basic building block, according to the present i
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Binnig Gerd K.
Durig Urs T.
Haberle Walter
Budd Mark O.
International Business Machines - Corporation
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