A versatile timing microsystem based on wafer-level packaged XTAL/BAW resonators with sub-µ W RTC mode and programmable HF clocks

This paper introduces and demonstrates with high yield a novel concept for the packaging under vacuum of tuning fork quartz XTALs on top of a silicon interposer equipped with TSVs. It paves the way to the implementation of a monolithic timing microsystem where the ASIC is part of the housing of a newly designed tiny 131-kHz XTAL to reach extreme module miniaturization (1.5 × 1.1 × 0.7 mm 3) and integrity. As this task is still ongoing, an early demonstration of the generic versatile timing module is presented using a chip-on-board approach with standalone conventionally packaged XTAL and BAW resonators. The module achieves 0.4 mW power dissipation and ±2 ppm stability over -40 °C to 85 °C in RTC mode and can deliver on-demand programmable clocks between 1-50 MHz. The latter are obtained either with a RC PLL or after division of the signal obtained from a 2-GHz BAW DCO at a power dissipation of 100 mW and 5.3 mW, respectively.