Patent ID: 8161608
Filing Date: 2012-04-24
Classification: H03H,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method of manufacturing a quartz-crystal resonator, which includes using an AT cut quartz-crystal substrate to obtain a quartz-crystal piece in a substantially rectangular shape by etching in a state where the quartz-crystal piece is supported at a residual portion of the quartz-crystal substrate, the method comprising: forming metal films and resist films on a front surface being a surface on a +Y′ side and a rear surface of the quartz-crystal substrate: performing exposure and development processes for the resist films and forming resist masks that include: mask portions corresponding to quartz-crystal piece regions to obtain the quartz-crystal piece in a substantially rectangular shape; open portions corresponding to removal regions of the quartz-crystal piece, which surround the quartz-crystal piece regions at predetermined distances; when out of two corner portions on an +X side of the quartz-crystal piece regions, the corner portion on a −Z′ side and the corner portion on a +Z′ side are called a first corner portion and a second corner portion respectively, a mask portion corresponding to a first dummy region that is formed on a front surface side of the quartz-crystal substrate and extends in an X axis direction from a line along Z′ axis of the first corner portion; a mask portion corresponding to a second dummy region that is formed on a rear surface side of the quartz-crystal substrate and extends in the X axis direction from a line along the Z′ axis of the second corner portion; and a mask portion corresponding to a support portion connecting a substantially center portion of the quartz-crystal piece and the residual portion after the quartz-crystal piece is formed; etching the metal films exposed from the resist masks to form etching masks; etching the quartz-crystal substrate with an etching solution by using the etching masks to remove quartz-crystals in the removal regions, and forming the quartz-crystal piece while etching in quartz-crystal portions in regions covered with the etching masks on the first dummy region and the second dummy region is delayed; and forming excitation electrodes and lead electrodes on the quartz-crystal piece, and wherein as for the first dummy region and the second dummy region, dimensions in a Z′ direction are determined in a manner that the quartz-crystal portions at positions corresponding to the dummy regions are removed when the quartz-crystal piece is formed.