So let’s start with answering the question “What is Quartz Aging?”
The term “aging”, at least as it pertains to quartz Crystals, is the change in Frequency of a crystal over time. Aging can cause the intended Frequency to increase or decrease based on several factors. The effects of aging contribute to the overall frequency drift of the Crystal.
There are several known issues that cause aging:
- Stress relief in the crystal’s mounting structure
- Internal contamination
- Moisture absorption
- And changes in the quartz material itself
Some of these conditions can occur as a result of the crystal being exposed to shock and vibration levels, or operating temperatures above the recommended limits. Also, the loss of the Hermetic seal from deterioration or Particulate contamination, will cause a negative shift in the crystal’s frequency. Typically, the loss of crystal mass or electrode material will exhibit as a positive shift in the crystal’s frequency.
In order to minimize aging in a crystal, the Crystal needs to be manufactured in an ultra-clean environment, Utilizing hermetically sealed packages. Crystal aging characteristics tend to follow a logarithmic curve. Most of the aging of a crystal will occur in the first year of its life. With proper processing, a crystal can be “pre-aged” and made to exhibit aging characteristics in the 0.5 parts per million to 1 parts per million range per year.
Watch the above video to learn more about Quartz Aging then click on the button below to start searching for the exact part you need!
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What is Quartz Aging? was last modified: June 30th, 2022 by