Quartz Vibration Element Fabrication With Unified Groove and Arm Etching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for manufacturing vibration elements, such as tuning-fork-type vibrators, face challenges with misalignment of grooves and outer shapes due to separate wet and dry etching processes, leading to potential unwanted vibrations and restricted design flexibility.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a quartz crystal substrate with protective films for simultaneous dry etching to form both the grooves and outer shapes of vibrating arms, allowing for improved alignment and design flexibility without relying on the micro-loading effect.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If separate wet etching and dry etching processes are used to form outer shape and grooves, then manufacturing flexibility is maintained, but manufacturing complexity increases and alignment precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the formation of outer shapes and grooves into a single dry etching process by using a resist pattern that defines both features simultaneously. This merging eliminates the need for separate wet etching and dry etching steps, reducing manufacturing process complexity while maintaining alignment precision through the unified patterning approach.
2Ease of manufacture
If separate wet etching and dry etching processes are used to form outer shape and grooves, then manufacturing flexibility is maintained, but groove alignment with outer shape deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the patterning of outer shapes and grooves into a single resist pattern that is processed through one dry etching step. This ensures that both features are defined by the same reference frame, eliminating alignment errors between separate processes while preserving design flexibility through the resist pattern design.
3Manufacturing precision
If dry etching uses micro-loading effect to form outer shape and grooves simultaneously, then manufacturing precision is improved, but design flexibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by using a resist pattern with different thicknesses in different regions - thicker resist in groove areas and thinner or no resist in outer shape areas. This local variation in resist thickness allows the single dry etching process to create different feature types (grooves vs. outer shapes) with precise dimensional control, maintaining both manufacturing precision and design flexibility.
4Productivity
If single-step dry etching is used to form outer shape and grooves, then manufacturing time is reduced, but alignment precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the formation of outer shapes and grooves into a single dry etching step using a unified resist pattern. This simultaneous formation eliminates the time required for multiple sequential processes while maintaining alignment precision because both features are defined by the same resist pattern and etched in the same process step with a single etch mask.
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 approach reduces thermoelastic loss, enhances vibration characteristics, and simplifies the manufacturing process by forming grooves and outer shapes in a single step, improving dimensional accuracy and design flexibility.
Implementation Method 1
a first dry etching step of dry-etching the quartz crystal substrate from a first substrate surface side via the first protective film to form the grooves and outer shapes of the first and second vibrating arms
Data Source
AI summary
A method for manufacturing a vibration element including first and second vibrating arms each having a first surface and a second surface that are front and rear sides with respect to each other and a bottomed groove that opens via the first surface, the method including a first protective film formation step of forming a first protective film, a first dry etching step of performing dry etching via the first protective film to form grooves and the outer shapes of the first and second vibrating arms, a second protective film formation step of forming a second protective film in the grooves, and a second dry etching step of performing dry etching via the second protective film to form the first surface and the outer shapes of the first and second vibrating arms.