Abstract
A resonator is one of the important components in electronic systems. It is often used in an electronic system to give an accurate time reference. But it can also be used as a highly sensitive physical parameter sensor especially with the rapid development of fabrication technology for Micro Electro Mechanic System (MEMS) sensors. One of the parameters used to describe the performance of a resonator is its quality factor, also called Q-factor for short. Knowing the Q-factor of a resonator can make sure the performance of the system in which the resonator will be used. For applications in which a resonator is used as a sensing device, it is crucial for the Q-factor to be surveyed and measured in real time. In this paper, a review of a resonator’s quality factor (Q-factor) measurement is given. Three major approaches can be identified from the literature: frequency domain, time-frequency domain and time domain. Both advantages and limitations of each approach are presented. Based on the published results, a comparison of the three approaches is conducted. As the time-domain measurement is the only way to present the potential for an in-situ Q-factor measurement but it is relatively less exploited compared with others, a special focus on the time-domain measurement is granted with two time-domain circuit designs.
Highlights
A RESONATOR is among the most often used components in an electronic system
Having a high Q-factor for a resonator means that the resonator disposes of a highly stable resonance frequency and that it can be used as an accurate time reference in an electronic system
Even though the ring-down signal acquisition is sensed in the same way as mixed Q-factor measurement, different techniques have been proposed in the literature to extract Q-factor directly in time domain
Summary
A RESONATOR is among the most often used components in an electronic system. It is a device that can produce a mechanical vibration movement. INDEX TERMS CMOS integrated circuit, frequency domain, mechanical resonator, Q-factor measurement, time domain. This approach benefits the same high Q-factor as the frequency domain measurement and measurement accuracy can even be better, i.e., in the order of 10−5.
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