Quality factor control for micromechanical resonators

The implementation of very high Q microelectromechanical filters, constructed of spring-coupled or parallel resonators, requires strict control over the quality factor of the constituent resonators. This report details electrostatic feedback techniques which allow precise control of the quality factor of a micromechanical resonator device, independent of the ambient operating pressure of the micromechanical system. Theoretical formulas governing Q-control are derived and experimentally verified.<<ETX>>