MEMS Oscillators

A Micro-electromechanical System (MEMS) Oscillator is a type of oscillator that contains an electromechanical resonating structure built using a semiconductor fabrication process that generate highly stable reference frequencies. These reference frequencies may be used to sequence electronic systems, manage data transfer, define radio frequencies, and measure elapsed time. The core technologies used in MEMS oscillators have been in development since the mid-1960s, but have only been sufficiently advanced for commercial applications since 2006. MEMS oscillators incorporate MEMS resonators, which are microelectromechanical structures that define stable frequencies. MEMS clock generators are MEMS timing devices with multiple outputs for systems that need more than a single reference frequency. MEMS oscillators are a valid alternative to older, more established quartz crystal oscillators, offering better resilience against vibration and mechanical shock, and reliability with respect to temperature variation.

A crystal oscillator consists of a basic structure using a quartz crystal in fundamental mode and a simple oscillator circuit. In contrast, MEMS oscillators have a complex structure consisting of a resonator, a fractional-N PLL, and temperature compensation and manufacturing calibration. A MEMS oscillator uses a silicon resonator as the oscillating source and requires a PLL circuit to correct the frequency for manufacturing tolerances and temperature coefficient.

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