Self-sustained Low Power Oscillator Based on Vibrating Body Field Effect Transistor

The operation of a vibrating body field effect transistor (VB-FET) near pull-in is exploited to experimentally demonstrate a self-oscillating device. The positive feedback mechanism is triggered at the onset of inversion in a depleted VB-FET channel, near mechanical pull-in. This is probably the first known demonstration of inherent oscillation capability in a MEM resonator, expected to provide a significant contribution towards the study of low power, high stability reference source design for compact timing and communications applications. We report self-sustained VB-FET oscillators that generate 3 to 4 MHz AC signals when powered by a steady DC source with power consumption levels between 70 mu W an 1 mW when VD is varied from 0.4V to 2V. A detailed study of the drain and gate influences on self-oscillations and noise filtering is proposed. Further scaling of such devices is expected to offer practical solutions for sub-1 mu W integrated oscillators.