Method of fabricating hermetic terminal and hermetic terminal, method of fabricating piezoelectric oscillator and piezoelectric oscillator, oscillator, electronic appliance, and radio clock

1. A method of fabricating a hermetic terminal having an annular ring, a lead arranged to penetrate through the ring in which one end side thereof is an inner lead portion electrically connected to a piezoelectric vibrating piece and the other end side thereof is an outer lead portion electrically connected to outside as the ring is between them, and a filler fixing the lead to the ring, wherein the hermetic terminal seals the piezoelectric vibrating piece inside a case, the method comprising the steps of:

applying a plating process to a hermetic terminal intermediate having the lead fixed in the ring with the filler to plate the ring and the lead;

setting the hermetic terminal intermediate after subjected to the plating process on a holding member; and

flattening an end part of an inner lead portion in the lead to form a stair portion in the hermetic terminal intermediate set on the holding member.

2. The method of fabricating a hermetic terminal according to claim 1 ,

wherein, the lead is a single lead.

3. The method of fabricating a hermetic terminal according to claim 1 ,

wherein, in the flattening step, a die having a film made of Ti—Cr coated at least on a flattening surface is used as a flattening tool.

4. The method of fabricating a hermetic terminal according to claim 1 ,

wherein, the holding member is formed of a long product in a belt shape, and

in the setting step, the hermetic terminal intermediate is continuously arranged in the longitudinal direction of the holding member in a state in which the end part of the inner lead portion of the hermetic terminal intermediate is arranged outside the holding member.

5. A hermetic terminal fabricated by the method of fabricating a hermetic terminal according to claim 1 .

6. A method of fabricating a piezoelectric oscillator including:

a piezoelectric vibrating piece,

a case having an opening for accommodating the piezoelectric vibrating piece therein; and

a hermetic terminal having an annular ring, a lead arranged to penetrate through the ring in which one end side thereof is an inner lead portion electrically connected to a piezoelectric vibrating piece and the other end side thereof is an outer lead portion electrically connected to outside as the ring is between them, and a filler fixing the lead to the ring, wherein the hermetic terminal seals the piezoelectric vibrating piece inside a case,

wherein the hermetic terminal is fabricated by the fabricating method according to claim 1 .

7. A piezoelectric oscillator fabricated by the method of fabricating a piezoelectric oscillator according to claim 6 .

8. The piezoelectric oscillator according to claim 7 ,

wherein the case is configured with conductivity;

the ring has:

a press fitting portion press fitted into an opening of the case, and

a reducing portion extended from the press fitting portion with a clearance to the inner side surface of the case with conductivity,

the lead is a single lead, and

the piezoelectric vibrating piece has a plate shape arranged in the case with an excitation electrode on each of two surfaces thereof, wherein one of the excitation electrodes is connected to the inner lead portion of the lead thorough a bump, whereby it is supported by the inner lead portion, and the other one on the opposite side of the excitation electrode is wire bonded to the outer side surface of the reducing portion of the ring.

9. An oscillator comprising:

the piezoelectric oscillator according to claim 7 connected to an integrated circuit as an oscillating element.

10. An electronic appliance comprising:

the piezoelectric oscillator according to claim 7 .

11. A radio clock comprising:

the piezoelectric oscillator according to claim 7 electrically connected to a filter part.