Anisotropy-independent through micromachining of quartz resonators by ion track etching

A method to achieve deep and crystal cut-independent structuring of arbitrary lateral geometry in single crystalline quartz is demonstrated. It is based on local etching of the latent track-induced anisotropy resulting from heavy ion bombardment, and is close to independent of crystallographic orientation. Previous results are briefly reviewed and a more systematic and thorough study is presented. Miniature tuning fork structures of various sizes and directions have been realized, and the suitability for frequency control device production is discussed.