Development of thin film getters for assuring high reliability and long lifetime to crystal oscillators

The shrinkage of hermetic packages for crystal oscillators poses tremendous challenges to keep constant the pressure during the lifetime of the device because of the considerable effect of surface outgassing and gas permeation. Getters have been used over tens of years in the vacuum tube industry to keep constant vacuum inside sealed devices. To provide a suitable getter solution to miniaturized hermetic packages, a few micron thick getter film has been developed and placed on the lid of the hermetic packages. This technical solution, the getter thin film on the lid, assures a long lifetime and stability to hermetically packaged oscillating structures.