Nonlinear micromechanical filters based on internal resonance phenomenon

A microresonator concept based on 1:2 internal resonance between the modes of the resonator is explored in this study. The response of the structure under electrostatic actuation is computed and the simulated currents at the input and output ports are presented. Results show that the output current for the T-beam is non-zero for a very small band of frequencies. Unlike linear filters, the proposed non-linear resonator provides filtering and mixing since the output signal is at half the input signal frequency. Furthermore, the proposed device has significantly higher out-of-band rejection as compared to an equivalent linear micromechanical filter. Because of these unique characteristics these microresonators hold a great potential for use in RF filtering and mixing applications