Tunable Microelectromechanical Filters that Exploit Parametric Resonance

Abstract

Background: This paper describes an analytical study of a bandpass filter that is based on the dynamic response of electrostatically-driven MEMS oscillators. Method of Approach: Unlike most mechanical and electrical filters that rely on direct linear resonance for filtering, the MEM filter presented in this work employs parametric resonance. Results: While the use of parametric resonance improves some filtering characteristics, the introduction of parametric instabilities into the system does present some complications with regard to filtering. Conclusions: The aforementioned complications can be largely overcome by implementing a pair of MEM oscillators with tuning schemes and some processing logic to produce a highly effective bandpass filter.