Hermetic OCXO Core Structure for Lower-Cost Temperature Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing oven-controlled crystal oscillators (OCXO) require expensive ICs to perform both temperature control of the heating element and piezoelectric vibration control of the resonator with high accuracy, leading to increased production costs.
Innovation Solution
The OCXO design includes a core section with a piezoelectric resonator, an oscillator IC, and a heating element, supported by a package via a core substrate and hermetically encapsulated, using a heater IC and/or thin-film heaters, with separate ICs for temperature control, reducing the need for a single expensive IC that handles both functions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single IC performs both temperature control of the heating element and piezoelectric vibration control of the resonator, then both functions can be integrated, but the cost of the IC increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the previously integrated IC functions into separate components: a dedicated temperature control IC for the heating element and a separate oscillator IC for piezoelectric vibration control. This segmentation allows each IC to be optimized for its specific function while reducing the overall cost compared to a single expensive multi-functional IC.
Solution Approach 2:
The package structure is designed to accommodate multiple components (core section with resonator, temperature control IC, oscillator IC, heating element) and provide universal support and connection functions. The package serves multiple purposes: mechanical support, electrical connection, hermetic sealing, and thermal management, replacing what would otherwise require a complex integrated solution.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the core section is hermetically encapsulated in the package, then temperature stability of the piezoelectric resonator is improved, but the heat capacity of the OCXO increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a hermetic package with thin-walled construction that provides effective thermal isolation while minimizing the mass of the encapsulating structure. The thin-film heating elements also provide efficient heating with minimal heat capacity, allowing rapid temperature stabilization without excessive thermal mass.
Solution Approach 2:
The OCXO is divided into a core section (containing only the essential resonator and minimal supporting structure) and the package (提供 hermetic sealing and thermal isolation). This segmentation minimizes the mass of the thermally-controlled volume while maintaining effective thermal isolation, thereby reducing heat capacity while preserving temperature stability.
3Ease of manufacture
If separate ICs are used for temperature control and vibration control, then cost is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the temperature control IC, oscillator IC, core section with resonator, and heating element into a single hermetically sealed package. This integration reduces the overall device complexity by eliminating external connections and mounting structures, while still allowing the use of cost-effective separate ICs internally.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration allows for precise temperature and vibration control with reduced component complexity and cost, achieving high accuracy in temperature adjustment while minimizing the heat capacity and size of the OCXO.
Implementation Method 1
the heating element may be a heater IC and/or a thin-film heater
Implementation Method 2
a piezoelectric resonator, the vibration frequency changes depending on the temperature according to its frequency temperature characteristics
Data Source
AI summary
An oven-controlled crystal oscillator according to one or more embodiments may include a core section having a crystal resonator, an oscillator IC and a heating IC, wherein the core section is supported by a package via an interposer, and furthermore the core section is hermetically encapsulated in the package.