Patent ID: 7365478

Claim:
A piezoelectric crystal resonator comprising: a piezoelectric crystal tuning fork resonator capable of vibrating in a flexural mode of an inverse phase, the piezoelectric crystal tuning fork resonator comprising a tuning fork base and a plurality of tuning fork tines connected to the tuning fork base, the tuning fork tines having a first tuning fork tine and a second tuning fork tine, each of the tuning fork tines having a first main surface and a second main surface opposite the first main surface, and an inner side surface and an outer side surface opposite the inner side surface, at least one groove having a plurality of stepped portions being formed in at least one of the first and second main surfaces of each of the first and second tuning fork tines; wherein a first electrode is disposed on at least one of the stepped portions of the at least one groove formed in at least one of the first and second main surfaces of each of the first and second tuning fork tines and a second electrode is disposed on at least one of the inner and outer side surfaces of each of the first and second tuning fork tines; and wherein one of the first electrode disposed on at least one of the stepped portions of the at least one groove formed in at least one of the first and second main surfaces of each of the first and second tuning fork tines and the second electrode disposed on at least one of the inner and outer side surfaces of each of the first and second tuning fork tines comprises an earth electrode that is grounded during use of the piezoelectric crystal resonator.