X-cut miniature tuning forks realized by ion track lithography

With the recently developed ion track lithography based on the selective etching, widening, and merging of ion-induced defects collectively resembling a superimposed anisotropy in certain areas as defined by a stencil mask, 39-kHz x-cut miniature tuning forks with a tine size of 331/spl times/2, 500/spl times/42 /spl mu/m and a Q-value of up to 42 000 were fabricated from single crystalline quartz mostly to demonstrate this new technique's ability to structure difficult cuts, but also to benefit from the much simpler electrode configuration possible with this cut in comparison with ordinary z-cut watch tuning forks.