JP5299645B2 - Bending vibrator element and method for manufacturing bending vibrator - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a bending vibration piece and a method for manufacturing a bending vibrator.

  In general, a bending vibration piece is provided with a vibrating beam, and is driven by bending and vibrating the beam. When the bending vibration piece is driven, bending deformation is repeatedly generated in the beam. When a beam is bent and deformed at a certain moment, a compressive displacement is generated near the side surface on the deformation direction side of the beam, and an expansion displacement is generated near the side surface on the opposite side. ing. Therefore, at this moment, the temperature of the compressed portion of the beam rises and the temperature of the stretched portion falls. At the next moment, the beam is deformed in the opposite direction, and the compression site and the extension site are switched.

  Here, paying attention to the portion that compresses and expands, the temperature repeatedly rises and falls as the beam vibrates. Therefore, when heat enters and exits between the portion that compresses and expands and another portion, the energy of vibration of the beam is dissipated as heat energy, and the efficiency of the energy of vibration of the bending vibration piece deteriorates. Such a loss of energy becomes more conspicuous as the flexural vibration piece is reduced in size, and is considered to be one of the causes for the Q value to be reduced when the flexural vibration piece is reduced in size.

  For example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 02-032229 addresses such a problem with a hole having the same opening area on the front and back for structurally independent parts to be compressed and stretched and other parts to be compressed and stretched. A vibrator provided with a groove that delays the entry and exit of heat between the two parts is disclosed.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 02-032229

  The demand for downsizing of the flexural vibration piece is increasing, and in order to meet this demand, the beam has been formed very thin. Therefore, it has become very difficult to provide a conventional groove in the beam for the purpose of increasing the efficiency of the resonator element. That is, such a groove needs to be formed thin and deep, and there is a problem that it becomes difficult to form by normal etching as the groove becomes thinner. In addition, when a through-hole having the same opening area on the front and back sides is provided in the beam, there is a problem that the mechanical strength of the beam is lowered.

  Further, when the beam is formed thin, it is necessary to form the wiring provided on the beam finely, and there is a problem that the wiring is easily disconnected or an unnecessary short circuit is easily caused.

  One of the objects of some embodiments according to the present invention is to provide a highly reliable flexural vibration piece and a flexural vibrator having the same, which have a low energy loss and are easy to manufacture even when downsized. is there.

  One of the objects of some embodiments according to the present invention is to provide a bending vibration piece with low energy loss and high reliability, and an easy manufacturing method of the bending vibrator having the bending vibration piece.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is to solve at least a part of the problems described above, and the invention can be implemented as the following aspects or application examples.

[Application Example 1]
One aspect of the method for producing a bending vibration piece according to the present invention is as follows.
A substrate is processed to have a beam that vibrates and vibrates in the X direction and extends in the Y direction perpendicular to the X direction, and has a groove on one of the surfaces perpendicular to the X direction and the Z direction perpendicular to the Y direction. And a bending vibration piece in which a through hole penetrating from the inner surface of the groove to the other surface of the surface perpendicular to the Z direction is formed,
An outer shape forming step for forming an outer shape of the beam;
Forming the groove and the through hole;
Including
The step of forming the groove and the through hole includes:
A mask layer forming step of forming a mask layer on both surfaces of the substrate perpendicular to the Z direction;
A first patterning step of patterning one of the mask layers on a surface perpendicular to the Z direction of the substrate into a first pattern in the shape of the groove;
A second patterning step of patterning the other mask layer on the surface perpendicular to the Z direction of the substrate into a second pattern in the shape of a hole to be the through hole;
An etching step of etching the substrate until at least the hole is opened to the groove and becomes the through hole by the mask layer of the first pattern and the mask layer of the second pattern;
Have

  According to the method of manufacturing the bending vibration piece of this application example, the bending vibration piece in the X direction has a beam extending in the Y direction orthogonal to the X direction, and the Z direction orthogonal to the X direction and the Y direction of the beam. A small bending vibration piece in which a groove is formed in one of the surfaces perpendicular to the groove and a through hole penetrating from the inner surface of the groove to the other surface of the surface perpendicular to the Z direction is easily manufactured. Can do. That is, in the step of forming the groove by etching the beam, it is possible to suppress the etching efficiency from being lowered due to the etchant stagnating in the deep position of the groove. Further, the etchant can be circulated through a through hole connected to a deep position of the groove. Therefore, the groove can be formed narrow and deep. Therefore, according to the manufacturing method of the bending vibration piece of this application example, a narrow and deep groove can be easily formed in the beam.

[Application Example 2]
One aspect of the method for producing a bending vibration piece according to the present invention is as follows.
A substrate is processed to have a beam that vibrates and vibrates in the X direction and extends in the Y direction perpendicular to the X direction, and has a groove on each of the surfaces perpendicular to the X direction and the Z direction perpendicular to the Y direction. A through hole penetrating from the inner surface of the groove formed on one surface to the inner surface of the groove formed on the other surface among the surfaces perpendicular to the Z direction of the beam is formed. A method of manufacturing a bent vibration piece,
An outer shape forming step for forming an outer shape of the beam;
Forming the groove and the through hole;
Including
The step of forming the groove and the through hole includes:
A mask layer forming step of forming a mask layer on both surfaces of the substrate perpendicular to the Z direction;
A first patterning step of patterning the mask layer into a first pattern in the shape of a hole serving as the through hole on one of the surfaces perpendicular to the Z direction of the substrate;
A first etching step of forming the hole by etching the substrate to a predetermined thickness in the Z direction with the mask layer of the first pattern;
After the first etching step, a second patterning step of patterning the mask layer into a second pattern in the shape of the groove on both surfaces perpendicular to the Z direction of the substrate;
Due to the mask layer of the second pattern, at least the hole is opened through the groove formed in the other surface of the surface perpendicular to the Z direction of the substrate and becomes the through hole. A second etching step for etching;
Have

  According to the method of manufacturing the bending vibration piece of this application example, the bending vibration piece in the X direction has a beam extending in the Y direction orthogonal to the X direction, and the Z direction orthogonal to the X direction and the Y direction of the beam. A small bending vibration piece in which a pair of grooves facing each other is formed on each of the surfaces perpendicular to each other, and a through hole penetrating from the inner surface of one of the grooves to the inner surface of the other groove is formed. It can be manufactured easily. That is, in the step of forming the groove by etching the beam, it is possible to suppress the etching efficiency from being lowered due to the etchant stagnating in the deep position of the groove. Further, the etchant can be circulated through a through hole connected to a deep position of the groove. Therefore, the groove can be formed narrow and deep. Therefore, according to the manufacturing method of the bending vibration piece of this application example, a narrow and deep groove can be easily formed in the beam.

[Application Example 3]
In application example 1 or application example 2,
A plurality of the through holes may be formed in the groove.

  According to the manufacturing method of the bending vibration piece of this application example, a plurality of through holes are formed in the groove. Therefore, it is possible to further suppress the etchant from staying in a deep position of the groove and reducing the etching efficiency.

[Application Example 4]
In any one of Application Examples 1 to 3,
Two of the grooves may be formed in the beam.

  According to the method of manufacturing the bending vibration piece of this application example, a small bending vibration piece having two grooves formed in the beam and having a small energy loss can be easily manufactured.

[Application Example 5]
In application example 4,
The two grooves may be formed in one of the surfaces perpendicular to the Z direction.

  According to the manufacturing method of the bending vibration piece of this application example, it is possible to easily manufacture a small bending vibration piece in which two grooves are formed on one of the surfaces perpendicular to the Z direction of the beam and the energy loss is small. Can

[Application Example 6]
In application example 4,
The two grooves may be formed one on each of two surfaces perpendicular to the Z direction.

  According to the method for manufacturing a flexural vibration piece of this application example, a small flexural vibration piece with a small energy loss, in which one groove is formed on each of two surfaces perpendicular to the Z direction of the beam, is easily manufactured. can do

[Application Example 7]
In any one of Application Examples 1 to 6,
The substrate may be made of quartz.

  According to the manufacturing method of the bending vibration piece of this application example, a small bending vibration piece can be easily manufactured with less energy loss.

[Application Example 8]
One aspect of the manufacturing method of the bending vibrator according to the present invention is as follows.
The method for manufacturing a bending vibration piece described in any one of Application Examples 1 to 7 is used.

  According to the manufacturing method of the bending vibrator of this application example, the bending vibrator vibrates in the X direction and has a beam extending in the Y direction orthogonal to the X direction, and the Z direction orthogonal to the X direction and the Y direction of the beam. A small bending vibration piece in which a groove is formed on a surface perpendicular to the groove and a through hole penetrating from the inner surface of the groove to the surface side opposite to the surface of the beam is formed. Can be manufactured. That is, in the step of forming the groove by etching the beam, it is possible to suppress the etching efficiency from being lowered due to the etchant stagnating in the deep position of the groove. Further, the etchant can be circulated through a through hole connected to a deep position of the groove. Therefore, the groove can be formed narrow and deep. Therefore, according to the manufacturing method of the bending vibrator of this application example, it is possible to easily manufacture a bending vibrator including a bending vibration piece having a thin and deep groove in a beam.

[Other application examples]
The bending vibration piece according to the present invention is
A substrate;
A beam formed with grooves and through holes;
Have
The beam extends from the base body in the Y direction, bends and vibrates in the X direction perpendicular to the Y direction,
The groove is formed in a plane perpendicular to the X direction and the Z direction perpendicular to the Y direction of the beam,
The through hole penetrates from the inner surface of the groove to the surface side opposite to the surface on which the groove of the beam is formed.

  Such a bending vibration piece has little energy loss, can be easily manufactured in a small size, and has high reliability.

In the bending vibration piece according to the present invention,
A plurality of the through holes may be formed in the groove.

In the bending vibration piece according to the present invention,
Two of the grooves may be formed in the beam.

In the bending vibration piece according to the present invention,
The two grooves may be formed in one of the surfaces perpendicular to the Z direction.

In the bending vibration piece according to the present invention,
The two grooves may be formed one on each of two surfaces perpendicular to the Z direction.

In the bending vibration piece according to the present invention,
The through hole may penetrate from the inner surface of one of the grooves to the inner surface of the other groove.

In the bending vibration piece according to the present invention,
The beam includes a first electrode provided on an inner surface of the groove, a second electrode provided on a surface perpendicular to the X direction of the beam, and a plug provided on an inner surface of the through hole. be able to.

In the bending vibration piece according to the present invention,
The base body and the beam may be made of quartz.

In the bending vibration piece according to the present invention,
The beam may be a tuning fork type that is a cantilever beam extending in parallel from the base body.

In the bending vibration piece according to the present invention,
The base has a base and a pair of connecting portions extending in opposite directions from the base;
A pair of beams for detection extending in opposite directions from the base;
Two pairs of driving beams extending in opposite directions from each of the connecting portions;
Can have.

In the bending vibration piece according to the present invention,
Can have two of the substrates,
Both ends of the beam are supported by the two bases, and two are formed in parallel.
Each of the beams has four grooves.
Two of the four grooves may be formed on two of the surfaces perpendicular to the Z direction.

In the bending vibration piece according to the present invention,
The base body has a frame-like shape having an opening part surrounded by a frame part,
The beam may be of a double tuning fork type in which both ends are supported by the frame portion of the base body and two beams are formed in parallel inside the opening.

In the bending vibration piece according to the present invention,
The through hole may penetrate from the inner surface of one groove facing opposite to the inner surface of the other groove.

The bending vibrator according to the present invention is
The bending vibration piece described above;
A case body for storing the bending vibration piece;
A lid for sealing the case body;
including.

  Such a bending vibrator has little energy loss, can be easily manufactured in a small size, and has high reliability.

  Since the bending vibration piece of the present invention has a beam in which a groove and a through hole are formed, the groove can be easily formed, energy loss is small, and miniaturization is easy.

The top view which shows typically the bending vibration piece 100 concerning embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows typically the bending vibration piece 100 concerning embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows the modification of the bending vibration piece 100 concerning embodiment typically. Sectional drawing which shows the modification of the bending vibration piece 100 concerning embodiment typically. The top view which shows typically the bending vibration piece 200 concerning embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows typically the bending vibration piece 200 concerning embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows typically the modification of the bending vibration piece 200 concerning embodiment. The top view which shows typically the bending vibration piece 300 concerning embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows typically the bending vibration piece 300 concerning embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows typically the modification of the bending vibration piece 300 concerning embodiment. The top view which shows typically the bending vibration piece 400 concerning embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows typically the bending vibration piece 400 concerning embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows the modification of the bending vibration piece 400 concerning embodiment typically. Sectional drawing which shows the modification of the bending vibration piece 400 concerning embodiment typically. The schematic diagram explaining the electric field applied to a bending vibration piece. The top view which shows typically the bending vibration piece 500 concerning embodiment. The top view which shows typically the bending vibration piece 600 concerning embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows typically the manufacturing process of the bending vibration piece concerning embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows typically the manufacturing process of the bending vibration piece concerning embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows typically the manufacturing process of the bending vibration piece concerning embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows typically the manufacturing process of the bending vibration piece concerning embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows typically the manufacturing process of the bending vibration piece concerning embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows typically the manufacturing process of the bending vibration piece concerning embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows typically the manufacturing process of the bending vibration piece concerning embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows typically the manufacturing process of the bending vibration piece concerning embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows typically the manufacturing process of the bending vibration piece concerning embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows typically the manufacturing process of the bending vibration piece concerning embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows typically the bending vibrator 1000 concerning embodiment.

  Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In addition, the following embodiment demonstrates an example of this invention.

1. Flexural Vibrating Piece Examples of the flexural vibrating piece according to the present invention include a single-beam type, a tuning fork type, a double tuning fork type, or a combination of these types (so-called double T type etc.). . Hereinafter, among these embodiments, embodiments of a tuning fork type bending vibration piece, a double tuning fork type bending vibration piece, and a double T type bending vibration piece will be described as examples.

1.1. Tuning Fork Type Bending Vibrating Piece FIGS. 1 to 14 are schematic views showing examples of a bending vibrating piece according to this embodiment. 1 to 14 exemplify a case where the bending vibration piece is a tuning fork type. FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing a bending vibration piece 100 according to the present embodiment. 2 to 4 are cross-sectional views each schematically showing an example of the shape of the beam of the bending vibration piece 100. FIG. 5 is a plan view schematically showing the bending vibration piece 200 according to the present embodiment. 6 and 7 are cross-sectional views schematically showing examples of the shape of the beam of the flexural vibration piece 200, respectively. FIG. 8 is a plan view schematically showing the bending vibration piece 300 according to the present embodiment. 9 and 10 are cross-sectional views schematically showing examples of the shape of the beam of the flexural vibration piece 300, respectively. FIG. 11 is a plan view schematically showing the bending vibration piece 400 according to the present embodiment. 12 to 14 are cross-sectional views each schematically showing an example of the shape of the beam of the bending vibration piece 400. Each cross-sectional view corresponds to a cross section taken along line AA drawn in each corresponding plan view. Further, the cross section of the left beam in each plan view and each cross-sectional view is drawn with electrodes omitted. FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram for explaining an electric field applied to the beam 20.

  The flexural vibration piece of this embodiment includes a base body 10 and a beam 20. Each of the bending vibration pieces 100 to 400 illustrated in each drawing has two beams 20. The two beams 20 vibrate in the direction in which they approach or separate from each other.

  The base body 10 can function as a base portion of the bending vibration pieces 100 to 400. The base body 10 can function as a part for fixing the flexural vibration pieces 100 to 400 to the package or as a part for forming a pad for taking out the electrode formed on the beam 20 to the outside. The substrate 10 can be integral with the beam 20. The shape of the base body 10 is arbitrary, and may be a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape as shown in the figure, and is formed in a frame shape surrounding the beam 20 so that the beam 20 is supported in the frame. May be. The substrate 10 may have a substrate-like shape having a thickness in the Z direction and developed in a direction parallel to the XY plane perpendicular to the Z direction (the Z direction and the XY plane are described in the beam 20 described later). It may be the same as defined in. The thickness of the base 10 may be the same as or different from that of the beam 20. The substrate 10 may have piezoelectricity. The material of the base 10 is arbitrary, but when formed integrally with the beam 20 described later, it is formed of the same material as the beam 20, for example, a piezoelectric material such as quartz, lithium tantalate, lithium niobate, or the like. Can do.

  The beam 20 extends from the base body 10. In this specification, the extending direction of the beam 20 is defined as the Y direction. The beam 20 extends from the base body 10 in the Y direction and bends and vibrates in the X direction orthogonal to the Y direction. Therefore, it can be said that the beam 20 bends and vibrates in the XY plane. In this specification, a direction perpendicular to the X direction and the Y direction is referred to as a Z direction. The beam 20 can function as a vibration part of the bending vibration pieces 100 to 400. The beam 20 has a columnar shape. For example, the cross-sectional shape of the beam 20 cut along the ZX plane can be a polygon, a quadrangle, or the like. In the illustrated example, the shape of the envelope of the contour of the cross section cut by the ZX plane of the beam 20 is approximately square. It is more preferable that the beam 20 has a quadrangular prism shape in terms of easy manufacture. The beam 20 is formed of a piezoelectric material capable of bending vibration when a voltage signal is applied. Examples of the material of the beam 20 include crystal, lithium tantalate, and lithium niobate. The beam 20 is formed so as to bend and vibrate in the X direction by appropriately selecting the crystal orientation of the material, the arrangement of the electrodes formed on the beam 20, the driving method, and the like. The In the case where the beam 20 is formed of quartz, the beam 20 can be formed by patterning a substrate whose normal direction called a Z plate is in the vicinity of the Z axis of the crystal of the crystal.

  The beam 20 has a groove 22 and a through hole 24.

  The groove 22 is formed in a plane perpendicular to the Z direction of the beam 20. The groove 22 is a bottomed depression having a depth in the Z direction. The shape of the groove 22 is arbitrary, but the depth of the groove 22 is preferably 10 to 90% of the thickness of the beam in the Z direction. Further, the depth of the groove 22 may have a distribution in the groove 22. In the example of FIG. 1, the planar shape of the groove 22 has an elongated rectangular shape extending in the length direction of the beam 20, but is not limited thereto, and may be a circle, an oval, an ellipse, or the like. Good. If the planar shape of the groove 22 is an elongated shape, heat conduction between the portions of the beam 20 on both sides of the groove 22 can be more efficiently suppressed. The planar size of the groove 22 may be 10 to 80% with respect to the length of the beam 20, for example. The position where the groove 22 is provided is preferably provided so as to be biased toward the side of the beam 20 connected to the base 10. In this way, the groove 22 can be formed in a region having a large amount of deformation when the beam 20 is bent, and the mass can remain in the vicinity of the tip of the beam 20. In addition, when it is necessary to adjust the frequency of the bending vibration pieces 100 to 400 by attaching a weight material to the tip of the beam 20 such as the routing of the electrode or the like, the groove 22 is formed over the entire length of the beam 20. There is no need to provide it.

  As illustrated in FIGS. 2, 6, 8, and 12, the cross-sectional shape of the groove 22 may have a rectangular shape. Moreover, the cross-sectional shape of the groove | channel 22 may have an asymmetrical shape so that it may illustrate in FIG. Even if the groove 22 has any of the shapes exemplified in the cross section, the effect of elongating the heat conduction path can be obtained.

  One function of the groove 22 is to limit the movement of heat generated in the beam 20. Another function of the groove 22 is to increase the strength of the electric field applied to the piezoelectric material constituting the beam 20 by using an electrode formed in the groove 22. . Furthermore, one of the other functions of the groove 22 is that it has a bottom so that the mechanical strength against bending of the beam 20 can be maintained.

  One or a plurality of grooves 22 may be formed with respect to the beam 20. For example, one groove 22 can be formed in one beam 20 as illustrated in FIGS. Further, as illustrated in FIGS. 5 to 14, two grooves 22 can be formed for one beam 20. When two grooves 22 are formed for one beam 20, two grooves 22 may be formed on one of the surfaces of the beam 20 perpendicular to the Z direction (see FIGS. 5 to 7). One may be formed on both surfaces perpendicular to the Z direction (see FIGS. 8 to 14).

  The through hole 24 penetrates from the inner surface of the groove 22 to the surface side opposite to the surface on which the groove 22 of the beam 20 is formed. Here, when the through hole 24 penetrates from the inner surface of the groove 22 to the “surface side” on the opposite side, even if the opposite surface has irregularities such as another groove formed, It means that the through hole 24 is formed so as to reach the surface from the inner surface of the groove 22. Therefore, the through-hole 24 includes passing through a recessed portion of the surface orthogonal to the Z-axis, and is not limited to penetrating from the inner surface of the groove 22 to the “surface” on the opposite side.

  One or a plurality of through holes 24 are provided for one groove 22. The through hole 24 is preferably provided at a deep position in the depth direction of the groove 22 on the inner surface of the groove 22. This makes it easier to form the groove 22 (details will be described later). The planar shape of the through hole 24 is circular in the illustrated example, but is not limited to this. Further, the planar size of the through hole 24 is arbitrary as long as the groove 22 has a bottom. However, it is more preferable that the planar size of the through hole 24 is small enough not to impair the mechanical strength of the beam 20. When a plurality of through holes 24 are provided, each through hole 24 can be arranged in consideration of efficiency when forming the groove 22. A conductive plug 36 may be provided on the inner surface of the through hole 24.

  One function of the through hole 24 is to increase the etching efficiency when the beam 20 is processed to form the groove 22. That is, when the groove 20 is formed by processing the beam 20 by wet etching, it is possible to suppress the etching efficiency from being lowered due to the etchant stagnating in the deep position of the groove 22. At this time, since the etchant can circulate through the through hole 24, the groove 22 can be formed narrow and deep. Such an effect becomes more prominent as the flexural vibration pieces 100 to 400 are miniaturized and each beam 20 is formed thinner. Therefore, the through hole 24 has an effect of facilitating the miniaturization of the bending vibration pieces 100 to 400.

  Another function of the through hole 24 is that the cross-sectional shape of the groove 22 can be controlled by selecting the arrangement of the through holes 24. This will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in the figure, depending on the material of the beam 20, the etching rate of wet etching may have anisotropy. As such a case, for example, there is a case where the beam 20 is formed of crystal and the vicinity of the Z axis of the crystal is oriented in the Z direction of the beam 20. In such a case, as shown in FIG. 3, the etching rate in a specific direction may be lower than in other directions, and the cross-sectional shape of the groove 22 may become a shape close to a triangle. At this time, the effect of the through-hole 24 that the formation of the groove 22 becomes easy can be achieved, but the cross-sectional shape of the groove 22 can be made closer to a rectangle by selecting the position where the through-hole 24 is formed. . That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the cross-sectional shape of the groove 22 can be made closer to a rectangle by arranging the through hole 24 in consideration of the etching anisotropy when the groove 22 is formed in advance. This utilizes the fact that the etching rate in the vicinity of the through-hole 24 is relatively higher than that of other portions because the etchant flows through the through-hole 24. FIG. 13 and FIG. 14 are examples in which two grooves 22 are formed facing each other, but it is shown that the same effect can be obtained by selecting the arrangement of the through holes 24.

  Further, as another function of the through hole 24, by forming the plug 36 in the through hole 24, it is possible to prevent peeling of the electrode formed inside the groove 22, and through the through hole 24. Thus, the electrodes on the front and back surfaces of the beam 20 can be connected.

  The beam 20 can have electrodes. For example, the beam 20 can have the first electrode 32 on the inner surface of the groove 22 and the second electrode 34 on the surface perpendicular to the X direction of the beam 20 as shown in the right side of each cross-sectional view. The first electrode 32 and the second electrode 34 may be formed over a plane perpendicular to the Z direction of the beam 20. The first electrode 32 and the second electrode 34 can be connected to an external circuit element (not shown) or the like. The first electrode 32 and the second electrode 34 can function as a drive electrode and / or a detection electrode. For example, when an AC signal is input to the first electrode 32 and the second electrode 34, at the moment when the potential of the first electrode 32 is higher than that of the second electrode 34, as shown in FIG. Near the both ends, electric fields are applied in opposite directions to bend the beam 20, and at the moment when the potential of the first electrode 32 is lower than that of the second electrode 34, the beam 20 can be bent in the opposite direction. The grooves 22 enable such electrode arrangement, can reduce the distance between the opposing electrodes, and can increase the strength of the electric field applied to the piezoelectric material constituting the beam 20. The first electrode 32 and the second electrode 34 may have a laminated structure of Cr and Au, for example.

  The plug 36 can be formed on the inner surface of the through hole 24. The plug 36 can have electrical conductivity, and is formed of a metal such as Au, for example. The plug 36 may be formed so as to fill the through hole 24 as in the illustrated example. Further, the plug 36 may be formed so as to protrude from the surface not in contact with the first electrode 32 as in the illustrated example.

  When the groove 22 is formed on only one of the surfaces perpendicular to the Z direction of the beam 20 (FIGS. 2 to 4, 6, and 7) and the plug 36 is formed on the inner surface of the through hole 24, the first The electrode 32 and the plug 36 may be connected. In this way, the effect of suppressing the first electrode 32 from peeling off from the inner surface of the groove 22 is obtained. In this case, when the plug 36 is formed so as to protrude from the surface that is not in contact with the first electrode 32, the protruding portion can serve as an anchor to further enhance the effect.

  When the groove 22 is formed on both surfaces perpendicular to the Z direction of the beam 20 (FIGS. 9, 10, 12 to 14), and the plug 36 is formed on the inner surface of the through hole 24, the first electrode 32 and plug 36 may be connected. If it does in this way, while being able to suppress that the 1st electrode 32 peels from the inner surface of the groove | channel 22, the routing of the wiring of the 1st electrode 32 can be made easy. That is, when the first electrodes 32 on both surfaces of the beam 20 are to have the same potential, the wiring formed on the surface of the resonator element can be simplified by using the plug 36. Therefore, by using the plug 36 for the wiring, it is possible to reduce problems such as disconnection or short circuit of the wiring.

  As described above, the tuning-fork type bending vibration pieces 100 to 400 of the present embodiment have a small energy loss because the groove 22 is formed in the beam 20 and are small because the through hole 24 is formed in the beam 20. Can be easily manufactured. Further, in the tuning fork type bending vibration pieces 100 to 400 of the present embodiment, by providing the plug 36 on the inner wall of the through hole 24, problems such as electrode peeling, disconnection, and short circuit are suppressed, and reliability is improved. The tuning fork-type bending vibration pieces 100 to 400 can generate a reference signal, for example, and can be used for a timepiece, an information communication device, and the like.

1.2. Double T-Type Bending Vibrating Piece FIG. 16 is a plan view illustrating a bending vibrating piece 500 that is an example of a bending vibrating piece according to this embodiment. FIG. 16 illustrates a case where the bending vibration piece is a double T type.

  The bending vibration piece 500 includes the base 10 and the beam 20 in which the groove 22 and the through hole 24 are formed.

  The beam 20 is the same as the beam 20 of the bending vibration pieces 100 to 400, and the formed groove 22 and the through hole 24 are also the same as the groove 22 and the through hole 24 already described. Therefore, the bending vibration piece 500 is the same as the bending vibration pieces 100 to 400 except that the configuration of the base 10 and the position and function of the beam 20 are different from those of the base 10 and the beams 20 of the bending vibration pieces 100 to 400. Therefore, the description of overlapping contents is omitted.

  The base 10 of the bending vibration piece 500 has a base portion 12 and a pair of connecting portions 14. The base 12 is formed including the position of the center of gravity of the bending vibration piece 500. The base portion 12 can have a function of supporting the bending vibration piece 500. The base 12 has a rectangular planar shape in the illustrated example, but is not limited thereto.

  The pair of connecting portions 14 extend from the base portion 12 in opposite directions. The connecting portion 14 extends in a direction (X direction) orthogonal to the direction (Y direction) in which the beam 20 extends. The connecting portion 14 has a function of supporting the driving beam 20. Although the connection part 14 has a rectangular planar shape in the example of illustration, it is not limited to this.

  The bending vibration piece 500 includes a pair of detection beams 26 (20) extending in opposite directions from the base portion 12 and two pairs of driving beams 28 (20 extending in opposite directions from the connecting portion 14. And). The beams 20 included in the bending vibration piece 500 all extend in the Y direction and bend and vibrate in the X direction. The double T type is derived from the fact that the shape of the driving beam 28 (20) extending from the connecting portion 14 is an alphabetic T shape, and two such T shapes are connected. The model is called. Depending on the name of the double T type, the shape of the bending vibration piece 500 of the present embodiment is not limited.

  The bending vibration piece 500 described above has a small energy loss because the groove 22 is formed in the beam 20 and the small size because the through hole 24 is formed in the beam 20 as in the bending vibration pieces 100 to 400. Things can be manufactured easily. Further, in the flexural vibration piece 500, by providing the plug 36 on the inner wall of the through hole 24, problems such as electrode peeling, disconnection, and short circuit are suppressed, and reliability is improved. The bending vibration piece 500 can detect, for example, acceleration and angular acceleration, and can be used for a digital camera, an automobile, and the like.

1.3. FIG. 17 is a plan view illustrating a bending vibration piece 600 that is an example of a bending vibration piece according to this embodiment. FIG. 17 illustrates a case where the bending vibration piece is a double tuning fork type.

  The bending vibration piece 600 has two bases 10. Each base 10 of the bending vibration piece 600 is substantially the same as the base 10 of the bending vibration pieces 100 to 400. The base 10 of the bending vibration piece 600 may have a frame shape (frame shape) having an opening 18 surrounded by a frame portion 16 as indicated by a broken line in FIG. In the illustrated example, the frame portion 16 is rectangular, but is not limited thereto. When the frame portion 16 is provided, the two base bodies 10 are integrated with each other by the frame portion 16. In this case, both ends of the beam 620 are supported by the frame portion 16 of the base body 10, and two beams 620 can be formed inside the opening 18 so as to be bridged in parallel. The frame portion 16 can be formed of the same material as the base body 10. When the base 10 has the frame portion 16, the strength of the bending vibration piece 600 can be improved, and handling of the bending vibration piece 600 can be facilitated.

  The flexural vibration piece 600 includes two beams 620 formed in parallel. Each beam 620 is supported at both ends by two bases 10. In the illustrated example, each of the beams 620 includes four grooves 22, and each of the four grooves 22 is formed on each of two surfaces perpendicular to the Z direction.

  The two beams 620 of the bending vibration piece 600 can be considered as an aspect in which the two beams 20 of the bending vibration pieces 100 to 400 are connected to face each other. The extending direction and the vibrating direction of each beam 620 are substantially the same as those of the beam 20.

  The beam 620 extends from the base 10 in the Y direction and bends and vibrates in the X direction. The beam 620 includes a groove 622 and a through hole 624.

  In the flexural vibration piece 600, as shown in FIG. 17, four grooves 622 are formed in each beam 620, and two four grooves 622 are formed on each of two surfaces perpendicular to the Z direction. The total planar size of the four grooves 622 can be 10 to 80% with respect to the length of the beam 620, for example. It is preferable that the position where each groove 622 is provided is provided so as to be biased toward the side of the beam 620 connected to the base 10. In this way, when the beam 620 is bent, the groove 622 can be formed in a region having a large deformation amount, and the mass can be left near the center of the beam 620. In addition, when it is necessary to adjust the frequency of the bending vibration piece 600 by attaching a weight material to the tip of the beam 620, such as the routing of the electrode, it is necessary to provide the groove 622 over the entire length of the beam 620. There is no.

  The cross-sectional shape and function of the groove 622 are substantially the same as the groove 22 included in the beam 20 of the bending vibration pieces 100 to 400.

  The through-hole 624 penetrates from the inner surface of the groove 622 to the surface of the beam 620 opposite to the surface on which the groove 622 is formed. Since the effect is the same, the description is omitted.

  The bending vibration piece 600 described above has a small energy loss because the groove 622 is formed in the beam 620, as in the bending vibration pieces 100 to 400, and the small size because the through-hole 624 is formed in the beam 620. Things can be manufactured easily. Further, the bending vibration piece 600 is provided with a plug on the inner wall of the through hole 624, so that problems such as electrode peeling, disconnection, and short circuit are suppressed, and reliability is improved. The bending vibration piece 600 can detect, for example, stress in the Y direction and can be used for a pressure sensor or the like.

2. Manufacturing method of bending vibration piece The bending vibration piece of this embodiment can be manufactured as follows, for example. 18 to 27 are cross-sectional views schematically showing the manufacturing process of the bending vibration piece of this embodiment. The following is an example of a manufacturing method.

  As shown in FIG. 18, first, a quartz Z-plate substrate 1 is prepared. As described above, when the crystal Z plate is cut out from a single crystal of crystal, an XY plane including an X axis and a Y axis around the X axis in an orthogonal coordinate system including the X axis, the Y axis, and the Z axis. Can be tilted about 1 to 5 degrees counterclockwise.

  Next, a metal film 2 having a laminated structure of Cr (chromium) and Au (gold) is formed on the front and back surfaces of the substrate 1 by a sputtering apparatus (not shown). Then, the metal film 2 thus formed is patterned by the resist layer 3 or the like by photolithography (see FIG. 18). This patterning is the outer shape of the bending vibration piece to be manufactured.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 19, the outer shape of the bending vibration piece shown in each of the above-described plan views is formed by the pattern of the metal film 2. At this time, the substrate 1 can be etched using, for example, an aqueous hydrogen fluoride solution. FIG. 19 shows a cross section of the beam 20 or the beam 620 in this state.

  Hereinafter, when the through hole connects the inner surface of the groove and the opposite surface of the beam, the through hole connects the inner surface of the groove and the inner surface of another groove formed on the opposite surface. A description will be given for each case.

  When the through hole connects the inner surface of the groove and the opposite surface of the beam, the metal film 2 is patterned so as to correspond to the shape of the groove and the through hole, as shown in FIG. This patterning may be performed by forming a resist mask patterned on the metal film 2 in advance. In this patterning, the pattern of the groove 22 (622) is formed on the surface of the beam 20 (620) on the side where the groove 22 (622) is to be formed, and the pattern of the through hole 24 (624) is formed on the opposite surface. (See FIG. 22).

  Next, as shown in FIGS. 21 and 22, the groove 22 (622) and the through hole 24 (624) are formed by etching. This etching can be performed by wet etching with hydrogen fluoride or the like. According to wet etching, the etching rate is high and the etching time can be shortened. A state during the etching in this step is shown in FIG. By etching in this step, as shown in FIG. 21, the etching tip of the groove and the etching tip of the through-hole meet in the middle of the beam. In this example, the etching of the groove and the through hole is performed at the same time, but the hole to be the through hole 24 (624) may be formed first. In this way, it is possible to manufacture a bending vibration piece in which the through hole connects the inner surface of the groove and the opposite surface of the beam as shown in FIG.

  On the other hand, when the through hole connects the inner surface of the groove to the inner surface of another groove formed on the opposite surface, the outer shape of the bending vibration piece is formed as shown in FIG. As shown, the metal film 2 on one side of the surface orthogonal to the Z direction of the beam 20 (620) is patterned. This patterning corresponds to the position where the through hole 24 (624) is formed. This patterning may be performed by forming a resist mask patterned on the metal film 2 in advance.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 24, a hole to be a through hole 24 (624) is formed using the metal film 2 as a mask. The depth of the hole formed here can be, for example, 5 to 95% of the thickness of the beam 20 (620) in the Z direction. This step can be performed by dry etching or wet etching. When this process is performed by dry etching, anisotropy of the etching rate is small, so that a more isotropic hole can be formed. An example of the dry etching method is plasma etching.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 25, the metal film 2 is further patterned in order to form the groove 22 (622). Then, as shown in FIGS. 26 and 27, the groove 22 (622) is formed by etching. This etching can be performed by wet etching with hydrogen fluoride or the like. According to wet etching, the etching rate is high and the etching time can be shortened. A state during the etching in this step is shown in FIG. In this step, the hole to be the previously formed through hole 24 (624) can be simultaneously etched while maintaining its shape. Therefore, by etching in this step, as shown in FIG. 26, the etching tip of the groove and the etching tip of the hole to be the through hole meet in the middle of the beam. In this way, it is possible to manufacture a bending vibration piece in which the through hole connects the inner surface of the groove to the inner surface of another groove formed on the opposite surface as shown in FIG.

  In the above-described example, the depth of the hole to be the through hole 24 (624) is such that when the groove 22 (622) is etched to a depth that causes stagnation of the etchant, the hole is connected. Can be designed to In this way, the total time of the time required to form the hole to be the through hole 24 (624) and the time required to form the groove 22 (622) is optimized (minimized). Can do.

  The bending vibration piece of this embodiment can be manufactured by the method exemplified above. The manufacturing method of the bending vibration piece of this embodiment can include the process of forming an electrode as needed. The electrode can be formed, for example, by forming a metal layer on the entire surface of the flexural vibration piece by sputtering or the like and patterning it.

  The manufacturing method of the bending vibration piece of the present embodiment has the following characteristics. In the step of wet etching the beam 20 (620) to form the groove 22 (622), it is possible to suppress the etchant from staying in the deep position of the groove 22 (622) and reducing the etching efficiency. That is, the etchant can be circulated through the through hole 24 (624) connected to the deep position of the groove 22 (622). Therefore, the groove 22 (622) can be formed thin and deep. Therefore, according to the manufacturing method of the bending vibration piece of this embodiment, a thin and deep groove can be easily formed in the beam. Therefore, according to the manufacturing method of the bending vibration piece of the present embodiment, a small bending vibration piece can be easily manufactured.

3. Bending vibrator FIG. 28 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a bending vibrator 1000 which is an example of a bending vibrator according to the present embodiment. The bending vibrator 1000 according to the present embodiment includes any one of the bending vibration pieces described above, a case body 700, and a lid body 800. In the illustrated example, the bending vibrator 1000 includes a bending vibration piece 100.

  The case body 700 has a container shape that can accommodate the bending vibration piece. The planar shape of the case body 700 is not limited. The upper part of the case body 700 has an opening that allows the bending vibrator to be inserted into the case body 700. The opening of the case body 700 can be hermetically sealed by the lid body 800. As shown in the figure, the case body 700 may have wirings 50 for external connection on the inner and outer surfaces. In addition, the case body 700 may have a through hole 60 as illustrated, and the inside and the outside of the case body 700 may be electrically connected via the through hole 60. The material of the case body 700 can be an inorganic material such as ceramic or glass.

  The lid body 800 has a flat plate shape that seals the upper opening of the case body 700. The planar shape of the lid body 800 is arbitrary as long as the opening of the case body 700 can be sealed. Examples of the material of the lid 800 include ceramic, glass, metal, and the like. Adhesion between case body 700 and lid body 800 can be performed using, for example, plasma welding, seam welding, ultrasonic bonding, or an adhesive. The cavity 70 formed by the case body 700 and the lid body 800 is a space for operating the bending vibration piece. Further, since the cavity 70 can be sealed, the bending vibration piece can be placed in a decompression space or an inert gas atmosphere.

  The bending vibration piece is provided in the cavity 70 formed by the case body 700 and the lid body 800. The bending vibration piece can be fixed to a wall surface in the cavity 70 (in the illustrated example, the bottom surface of the case body 700) with, for example, an adhesive, a paste, a brazing material, or the like. In the illustrated example, the flexural vibration piece is fixed to the bottom surface of the case body 700 by an adhesive layer 80. In the illustrated example, the flexural vibration piece is supported in a cantilever shape with the base body 10 fixed thereto.

  The bending vibrator 1000 as described above includes the bending vibration piece according to the present embodiment. For this reason, a small product can be easily manufactured with little energy loss. Moreover, since the bending vibrator 1000 has the bending vibration piece according to the present embodiment, it has high reliability. The bending vibrator 1000 can be used for products in a wide range of fields.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made. For example, the present invention includes configurations that are substantially the same as the configurations described in the embodiments (for example, configurations that have the same functions, methods, and results, or configurations that have the same purposes and effects). In addition, the invention includes a configuration in which a non-essential part of the configuration described in the embodiment is replaced. In addition, the present invention includes a configuration that achieves the same effect as the configuration described in the embodiment or a configuration that can achieve the same object. In addition, the invention includes a configuration in which a known technique is added to the configuration described in the embodiment.

  The flexural vibration piece according to the present invention has low energy loss, high reliability, and easy size reduction. Therefore, by mounting on products in a wide range of fields, smaller and higher performance products can be provided.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Board | substrate, 2 ... Metal film, 3 ... Resist layer, 10 ... Base | substrate, 12 ... Base part, 14 ... Connection part,
16 ... Frame, 18 ... Opening, 20, 26, 28 ... Beam, 22 ... Groove, 24 ... Through hole,
30 ... Electrode, 32 ... First electrode, 34 ... Second electrode, 36 ... Plug, 50 ... Wiring,
60 ... through hole, 70 ... cavity, 80 ... adhesive layer,
100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 ... flexural vibrating piece, 620 ... beam,
622 ... groove, 624 ... through hole, 700 ... case body, 800 ... lid body, 1000 ... flexural vibrator

Claims (8)

A substrate is processed to have a beam that vibrates and vibrates in the X direction and extends in the Y direction perpendicular to the X direction, and has a groove on one of the surfaces perpendicular to the X direction and the Z direction perpendicular to the Y direction. And a bending vibration piece in which a through hole penetrating from the inner surface of the groove to the other surface of the surface perpendicular to the Z direction is formed,
An outer shape forming step for forming an outer shape of the beam;
Forming the groove and the through hole;
Including
The step of forming the groove and the through hole includes:
A mask layer forming step of forming a mask layer on both surfaces of the substrate perpendicular to the Z direction;
A first patterning step of patterning one of the mask layers on a surface perpendicular to the Z direction of the substrate into a first pattern in the shape of the groove;
A second patterning step of patterning the other mask layer on the surface perpendicular to the Z direction of the substrate into a second pattern in the shape of a hole to be the through hole;
An etching step of etching the substrate until at least the hole is opened to the groove and becomes the through hole by the mask layer of the first pattern and the mask layer of the second pattern;
A method for manufacturing a flexural vibration piece, comprising: A substrate is processed to have a beam that vibrates and vibrates in the X direction and extends in the Y direction perpendicular to the X direction, and has a groove on each of the surfaces perpendicular to the X direction and the Z direction perpendicular to the Y direction. A through hole penetrating from the inner surface of the groove formed on one surface to the inner surface of the groove formed on the other surface among the surfaces perpendicular to the Z direction of the beam is formed. A method of manufacturing a bent vibration piece,
An outer shape forming step for forming an outer shape of the beam;
Forming the groove and the through hole;
Including
The step of forming the groove and the through hole includes:
A mask layer forming step of forming a mask layer on both surfaces of the substrate perpendicular to the Z direction;
A first patterning step of patterning the mask layer into a first pattern in the shape of a hole serving as the through hole on one of the surfaces perpendicular to the Z direction of the substrate;
A first etching step of forming the hole by etching the substrate to a predetermined thickness in the Z direction with the mask layer of the first pattern;
After the first etching step, a second patterning step of patterning the mask layer into a second pattern in the shape of the groove on both surfaces perpendicular to the Z direction of the substrate;
Due to the mask layer of the second pattern, at least the hole is opened through the groove formed in the other surface of the surface perpendicular to the Z direction of the substrate and becomes the through hole. A second etching step for etching;
A method for manufacturing a flexural vibration piece, comprising: In claim 1 or claim 2,
A method of manufacturing a bending vibration piece, wherein a plurality of the through holes are formed in the groove. In any one of Claims 1 to 3,
A method of manufacturing a flexural vibration piece, wherein the beam is formed with two grooves. In claim 4,
The manufacturing method of a bending vibration piece, wherein the two grooves are formed on one of the surfaces perpendicular to the Z direction. In claim 4,
The method of manufacturing a bending vibration piece, wherein the two grooves are formed one on each of two surfaces perpendicular to the Z direction. In any one of Claims 1 thru | or 6,
The method for manufacturing a flexural vibration piece, wherein the substrate is made of quartz.   A manufacturing method of a bending vibrator using the manufacturing method of the bending vibration piece according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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