Integrated Device Technology has introduced a first-of-its-kind commercial range of oscillators featuring piezoelectric microelectromechanical system (pMEMS) resonators. The benefit of high native frequencies of the company’s pMEMS resonator makes the new oscillators an ideal replacement for conventional quartz-based oscillators in all applications.
DT Expands Industry-leading Timing Portfolio with pMEMS(TM)-based Timing Solutions to address $3 Billion Quartz Crystal and Oscillator Replacement Market (Graphic: Business Wire)
The pMEMS resonator technology takes the advantage of single crystal silicon’s low damping and stability and the piezoelectric material’s powerful electromechanical coupling to generate a source of passive frequency with unprecedented reliability and performance. The novel oscillators are suitable for networking and communication devices that require low phase jitter, consumer applications demanding many outputs, and cloud computing designs demanding high vibration and resistance and high reliability.
The passive pMEMS resonator is the smallest hermetically-sealed wafer level package device that is invisible to the naked eye. It is a suitable substitute for large resonators based on quartz. The pMEMS oscillators will integrate this resonator in industry-standard function- and pin-compatible plastic housings, expanding options for system designs and enhancing the market-reach time when compared to the crystal oscillators.
The President and Chief Executive Officer at Integrated Device Technology, Ted Tewksbury stated that MEMS, which represents the quartz replacement market worth $3 billion, is the ultimate choice for the company and its pioneering CrystalFree CMOS oscillator products. The company’s piezoelectric MEMS technology is a result of in-house development with more than 40 patents filed or granted until today, he said. The company intends to acquire a significant share of the MEMS timing market with its powerful value proposition and superior technology, he concluded.