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.