Patent ID: 7893595
Filing Date: 2011-02-22
Classification: H03H

Abstract:
1. An electromechanical resonator circuit having an adjustable lateral air-gap, comprising a first resonator circuit and a second resonator circuit, each resonator circuit comprising: at least one electrically conductive resonator element anchored in a structure having a fixed reference position, and being formed by a micro-etching process on a dielectric substrate and arranged in accordance with a substantially planar structure, another element, constituting a signal electrode, the resonator element and the other element each having a substantially planar face, which faces are arranged opposite each other and are separated by a residual gap substantially equal to the resolution of the micro-etching process, the other element having a degree of freedom in the direction of the residual gap; an anchor element for anchoring the other element constituting the signal electrode at least one resilient link connecting the other element constituting the signal electrode and the anchor element for anchoring the other element constituting the signal electrode, the other element constituting the signal electrode, in the presence of the at least one resilient link, occupying a resting position for which the gap between each substantially planar face, which faces are arranged opposite each other, is substantially equal to the residual gap; at least one stop block installed between the structure having a reference position and the other element constituting the signal electrode, in order to provide between the other element and the at least one stop block an abutment gap, of predetermined value, defining a maximum displacement amplitude of the other element between the resting position and an abutment position, constituting an operating position; means for applying a difference in electrical potential between the other element constituting the signal electrode and an electrode which is fixed relative to the resonator element, the assembly formed by the resonator element, the other element constituting the signal electrode, the at least one resilient link and the means for applying a difference in electrical potential constituting an electrostatic motor having an adjustable air-gap as a function of the applied difference in potential, which enables the residual gap to be reduced to an operating gap equal to the difference between that residual gap and the abutment gap and smaller than the resolution of the micro-etching process, wherein the second resonator circuit is placed symmetrically opposite the first resonator circuit, and the first and second resonator circuits are arranged head to tail symmetrically relative to an axis at right-angles to the longitudinal axis of symmetry of each of the resonator circuits.