Optimized DRIE etching of ultra-small quartz resonators

Current manufacturing technology for quartz resonators does not provide a straightforward path for reducing the size and thereby increasing the frequency of operation into the UHF range. Using MEMS processing techniques and a commercial deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) tool, we are developing new techniques that may provide the ability to integrate large numbers of high performance filters onto a single chip for future handheld programmable communication systems.