TI's new BAW technology is smaller than the diameter of a human hair

Young innovators realize their ambitions in the "heartbeat" of electronics and the "soul" of music

As his bow traverses the strings and across the fingerboard to pluck each note of the violin, the young man's fingers move with precision. The concert hall is in tune with the beautiful passage from Niccolo Paganini, where each note is in sync with the melody in Ernest's mind, the swing of the bow and the speed of his fingers. As he plays, he compares his left hand to the "engineer" and his right hand to the "soul of the music."

For Ernest, the violin is full of many meanings: a difficult and tedious skill, a tool that can awaken a sense of competition, a driving force to motivate himself to move towards a greater goal, and at the same time, the violin resonator will also allow him to explore the underlying physics behind technological innovation and one day practice and extend the technology based on it.

While playing the violin, Ernest developed new finger dexterity — a skill that helps him perform his daily tasks better. He is a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) engineer at TI's Kilby Lab, an applied research center.

Ernest has developed a new application for bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonators, a device very similar to his violin, only 100 microns wide, TI’s new TI BAW technology is smaller than the diameter of a human hair and oscillates at much higher frequencies.

These small timers have the potential to become the rugged heartbeat of electronics that will accelerate the next generation of connectivity, enabling big data and unlocking the potential of smart cities, smart factories, smart homes and many other applications.

Ernest stands center stage at the Eugene McDermott Concert Hall at the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas, and he remembers the last time he was here. At age 13, he sat within five feet of where he is now, playing with the Taiwan Youth Orchestra. That was the moment that Ernest fell in love with music.

Today, Ernest is a concert violinist by night and a micro-electromechanical engineer by day. Recruited by TI through the Ph.D. program at UC Berkeley, he is currently an expert in MEMS technology. He has worked with colleagues around the world for six years to develop the functionality of these tiny BAW resonators, like an electronic heartbeat (or clock signal) that tells every electronic component when to perfectly coordinate and synchronize.

Icon Learn more about TI's new BAW resonator technology.

Read more from Chief Technology Officer Ahmad Bahai about how this technology will help the information superhighway run smoothly and improve its performance.

It all started with music

Back in the mid-1980s, Ernest was 5 years old and lived with his family in the suburbs of Taipei. His grandfather was a farmer. Music education was a required course, and although most of his classmates played piano, he began to learn to play the violin at the urging of his parents. Training fingering and bowing every day felt like a chore. At that time, Ernest was more interested in science and sports. Ernest said, "I had been playing basketball, and then I realized that I was not tall enough."

Ernest and his brother also enjoyed using LEGO® kits to build robotic arms and other contraptions. “Toys were very expensive, so we would buy a kit and follow the instructions at first, and then we would try to make something else,” he said. When Ernest was in elementary school, he built a small mechanized elevator for his bunk bed so he could deliver drinks and other items to his brother, who shared the lower bunk.

Everything changed when Ernest performed in his first Taiwan violin competition in the fourth grade. Although he did not win a prize, it was through this competition that the judges, audience, and competitors got to know Ernest. After the event, Ernest told his teacher and his parents that he did not plan to take the high school entrance exam in his area. Ernest hoped to attend a school in Taipei because the music education there was more advanced. Later, Ernest successfully passed the most difficult high school entrance exam in Taiwan.

A decisive moment

In his hometown, Ernest ranked first among thousands of students. But when he enrolled in Taiwan's most popular boys' high school, he realized he had to redefine himself. Ernest said, "When I went to Taipei, I was no longer the best one. Everyone there was great. I realized that I would not always be the number one, so I had to find something because I could no longer be defined by success."

So Ernest turned to the community of musicians. Ernest said, "I found that I like to work with people. When playing chamber music with friends, everyone is involved and contributes their own efforts. Everyone does one thing well, and in the end everyone achieves greater success together. It's really fun."

After graduating from high school, Ernest attended National Tsing Hua University in Taipei, a school known for its science and engineering programs. When Ernest was a freshman, he sat with several seniors one day and was very nervous. One of the seniors told me, "Hey, maybe you should try to do MEMS."

Resonator Creator

While studying for a PhD in MEMS engineering at Berkeley, Ernest not only focused on his studies, but also began to focus on RF MEMS. He started his day at dawn in the MEMS lab and often stayed in the lab all day. At the same time, Ernest practiced violin from midnight to 2 a.m. every day. He didn't want to waste his professional skills, nor did he want to stop his love for music.

It was during this time that Ernest realized that the fundamental physics of how his violins produced sound was the same as how a bulk acoustic resonator produces a precise beat. “Everything comes from physics,” Ernest said.

His impact will be enormous.

Today, Ernest works in R&D at Kilby Labs, where he works closely with other technical staff to develop products such as the latest TI BAW-based devices.

 “This technology can be used in any electronic system that needs to have timing. Almost any electronic system needs a clock,” Ernest said. “For example, your smartphone, your projector, almost all electronic systems, wired or wireless, rely on a precise clock in order to synchronize the transmission of signals or data. They all have to be synchronized so that they know how to operate.”

Quartz crystals have been used for decades for timing functions within electronic systems. But when these expensive crystals wear out, they can jitter, or jump, which can affect the accuracy of timing. One of the technologies Ernest helped develop is one that can be used with quartz crystals to eliminate this jitter, creating a more accurate signal. Another technology integrates TI bulk acoustic wave resonators into microcontrollers, eliminating the need for quartz crystals and creating more space on the circuit board for design engineers to innovate.

As more advanced communication networks and the age of big data arrive, high-precision clocks are essential. Data is transmitted faster and faster between systems around the world, allowing doctors to connect with patients, farmers with livestock, and buildings with cars.

From building automation to virtual health, personal electronics and more, new TI BAW-based products can radically improve the performance of internal clocks and the speed at which applications run.

“What we’re doing now is letting our customers know that if they want to get rid of these big, expensive crystals, just buy a chip from TI—the clock is already integrated for you.”

The future is promising

Ernest's collaboration with his lab colleagues is like playing the violin. Each team member has unique skills, and they work together to achieve a common goal and overcome difficulties.

On the team's research and development journey, Ernest has always had a firm belief and never doubted the team's ability and the possibility of success.

"There are many challenges and hardships in the innovation process, and these setbacks are likely to affect everyone's mood," said Xiaolin, TI Fellow and leader of BAW technology development. "When things go against our wishes, people become discouraged; when things go well, people get too excited. But Ernest is never so emotional. I have never seen him hesitate at all, and he never has any doubts about the team's R&D path.

"Even when many people doubted him, Ernest remained steadfast in his convictions. In the end, he was proven right. Ernest's character is unique and his influence is enormous."

Ernest is already embracing the next challenges. What is his vision for the future? To continue working on the heartbeat of electronics and to continue embracing music.