Multifrequency Pierce Oscillators Based on Piezoelectric AlN Contour-Mode MEMS Technology

This paper reports on the first demonstration of multifrequency (176-, 222-, 307-, and 482-MHz) oscillators based on the piezoelectric AlN contour-mode microelectromechanical systems technology. All the oscillators show phase noise values between -88 and -68 dBc/Hz at 1-kHz offset frequency from the carriers and phase noise floor values as low as -160 dBc/Hz at 1MHz offset. The same Pierce circuit design is employed to sustain oscillations at the four different frequencies; on the other hand, the oscillator core consumes 10 mW. The AlN resonators are currently wire bonded to the integrated circuit realized in the AMIS 0.5-mu m 5-V complimentary metal-oxide-semiconductor process. Limits on phase noise and power consumption are discussed and compared with other competing technologies. This paper constitutes a substantial step forward toward the demonstration of a single-chip multifrequency reconfigurable timing solution that can be used in wireless communications and sensing applications.