A quartz crystal resonator is an electronic component that uses the piezoelectric effect of a quartz crystal to achieve frequency stabilization. The chemical composition of quartz is SiO2, which belongs to the hexagonal oxide mineral system, mainly including low-temperature quartz (α-quartz) and high-temperature quartz (β-quartz). This crystal produces a piezoelectric effect when subjected to pressure or heat, which is the fundamental physical property of its use as a resonant device.
In actual manufacturing, the basic structure of a quartz crystal resonator is: thin slices are cut from the quartz crystal at a specific azimuth angle (such as AT cut or BT cut), electrodes are made by silver plating on both sides, and the leads are welded and then packaged to form a complete device. The products are usually packaged in metal shells, but they can also be packaged in glass, ceramic or plastic. When an alternating voltage is applied to the electrodes, the chip will produce mechanical vibrations, and when the voltage frequency is consistent with the natural frequency of the chip, a significant piezoelectric resonance phenomenon will occur.
The piezoelectric effect of quartz crystal is characterized by bidirectional conversion: applying an electric field produces mechanical deformation (inverse piezoelectric effect), while applying mechanical pressure produces an electric field (postive piezoelectric effect). This characteristic makes its mechanical vibration equivalent to inductance L, which together with static capacitance C0 forms an LC resonant circuit. This structure enables the Q value of the quartz resonator to reach tens of thousands or even millions, which is far superior to ordinary LC oscillation circuits.
Quartz crystal resonators mainly operate in two modes: fundamental frequency and overtone. By optimizing the electrode design and the wafer cutting method, the performance of specific modes can be improved for different application scenarios. Due to their excellent frequency stability, these devices are widely used in communication equipment, computer systems, consumer electronics and other fields.
With the development of technology, modern quartz crystal resonators have been able to meet the diverse needs from ordinary consumer electronics to high-precision industrial equipment. Through special cutting methods and packaging processes, the temperature stability and reliability of the product can be further improved, allowing it to continue to play a key role in emerging fields such as 5G communications and the Internet of Things.
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