Silicon Oscillators

A Silicon Oscillator is a class of oscillators that generate a periodic signal using semiconductor devices on an integrated circuit (IC).  The oscillation frequency of these devices is not dependent on the resonant frequency of a mechanical structure.  Similar to crystal oscillators or ceramic resonators, silicon oscillators are readily available and have an extremely wide frequency range of operation .  There are many different ways to design a silicon oscillator, but they often involve the use of resistors and capacitors to set time constants.  These additional elements may be packaged inside the IC or connected externally.  Silicon oscillators suffer from process variation and temperature dependence and usually require calibration circuitry and temperature compensation to provide a stable and accurate output.