Patent ID: 7295088

Claim:
A micromechanical resonator device having a desired mode shape, the device comprising: a substrate; a hollow radial resonator having an interior, a central cavity and a stationary surface area wherein the desired mode shape is characterized by a plurality of interior nodal points of a nodal circle located within the interior of the resonator between the cavity and an outer periphery of the resonator and wherein the desired mode shape involves movement of only a fraction of the stationary surface area at resonance and wherein the desired mode shape involves very little or no movement of the nodal circle at resonance; and a non-intrusive support structure anchored to the substrate and including a hub disposed within the cavity and extending from the substrate along an axis and a plurality of spokes which radiate radially from the hub and support the resonator above the substrate to reduce mechanical losses to the substrate and wherein the outer periphery expands and contracts in a plane normal to the axis at resonance.