14 MHz micromechanical oscillator

Operation of a 14 MHz micromechanical oscillator is demonstrated and analyzed. Single-crystal silicon microbridge with submicron electrode gaps is utilized as the resonator element. The oscillator shows a noise floor of −120 dBc/Hz and a near-carrier noise of −105 dBc/Hz at 1 kHz offset. The oscillator noise is dominated by amplifier noise. By comparing the oscillator performance with conventional quartz oscillators, advantages and limitations of the micromechanical components in rf-technology are discussed