Patent Application
20170054430
The present disclosure relates to a Bulk Acoustic Wave (BAW) resonator.
Background
Due to, among other things, their small size, high Q values, and very low insertion losses at microwave frequencies, particularly those above 1.5 Gigahertz (GHz), Bulk Acoustic Wave (BAW) filters have become the filter of choice for many modern wireless applications. In particular, BAW filters are the filter of choice for many 3rd Generation (3G) and 4th Generation (4G) wireless devices. For instance, virtually all Long Term Evolution (LTE) compatible mobile devices operating in LTE frequency bands above 1.9 GHz utilize BAW filters.
For mobile devices, the low insertion loss of the BAW filter provides many advantages such as, e.g., improved battery life, compensation for higher losses associated with the need to support many frequency bands in a single mobile device, etc.
One example of a conventional BAW resonator 10 is illustrated in
In operation, acoustic waves in the piezoelectric layer 12 within the active region 34 of the BAW resonator 10 are excited by an electrical signal applied to the bottom and top electrodes 14 and 16. The active region 34 is the region of the BAW resonator 10 that is electrically driven. In other words, the active region 34 is the region of the BAW resonator 10 consisting of, in this example, the bottom electrode 14, the top electrode 16, the portion of the piezoelectric layer 12 between the bottom and top electrodes 14 and 16, and the portion of the reflector 18 below the bottom electrode 14. Conversely, an outer region 36 of the BAW resonator 10 is a region of the BAW resonator 10 that is not electrically driven (i.e., the area outside of the active region 34). The frequency at which resonance of the acoustic waves occurs is a function of the thickness of the piezoelectric layer 12 and the mass of the bottom and top electrodes 14 and 16. At high frequencies (e.g., greater than 1.5 GHz), the thickness of the piezoelectric layer 12 is only micrometers thick and, as such, the BAW resonator 10 is fabricated using thin-film techniques.
Ideally, in order to achieve a high Q value, the mechanical energy should be contained, or trapped, within the active region 34 of the BAW resonator 10. The reflector 18 operates to prevent acoustic waves from leaking longitudinally, or vertically, from the BAW resonator 10 into the substrate (not shown, but below the reflector 18). Notably, in a Film Bulk Acoustic Resonator (FBAR) type BAW resonator, an air cavity is used instead of the reflector 18, where the air cavity likewise prevents acoustic waves from escaping into the substrate.
One issue that arises with the BAW resonator 10 in implementation is that, due to, e.g., the finite lateral dimension of the structure of the BAW resonator 10, lateral acoustic waves can also propagate. Thus, part of the mechanical energy contained in the fundamental thickness, or longitudinal, mode leaks into lateral modes, which results in degradation of the quality factor (Q) of the BAW resonator 10. As shown in
In this regard, the performance of the BAW resonator 10 is improved by the BO ring 30, which provides mass loading or thickened edge loading around the periphery of the active region 34. The function of the BO ring 30 can be explained as follows. The BO ring 30 enables acoustic mismatch between the active region 34 and the outer region 36 to be avoided, providing a smooth transition of propagating waves in the active region 34 to evanescent waves in the outer region 36. To do so, the lateral propagation constant kx must be real within the active region 34 and purely imaginary within the outer region 36, as illustrated at the bottom of
In practice, perfect matching between the active region 34 and the BO region 32, and thus the maximum quality factor (Q), is difficult, if not practically impossible, to achieve. As such, there remains a need for a BAW resonator having an improved quality factor (Q), and methods of manufacturing thereof.
Embodiments of a Bulk Acoustic Wave (BAW) resonator having a high quality factor (Q) and methods of fabrication thereof are disclosed. In some embodiments, a BAW resonator includes a piezoelectric layer, a first electrode on a first surface of the piezoelectric layer, and a second multi-layer electrode on a second surface of the piezoelectric layer opposite the first electrode on the first surface of the piezoelectric layer. In addition, the BAW resonator includes a Border (BO) ring positioned within the second multi-layer electrode around a periphery of an active region of the BAW resonator. Rather than being positioned on a surface of the second multi-layer electrode opposite of, or away from, the piezoelectric layer, the BO ring is either at a position within the second multi-layer electrode between two adjacent layers of the second multi-layer electrode or at a position within the second multi-layer electrode that is adjacent to the piezoelectric layer. In this manner, the BO ring is adjacent to or very near to the piezoelectric layer and, as a result, the quality factor (Q) of the BAW resonator is improved.
In some embodiments, the BO ring is positioned within the second multi-layer electrode at the position between two adjacent layers of the second multi-layer electrode. Further, in some embodiments, the second multi-layer electrode includes a first electrode layer on the surface of the piezoelectric layer opposite the first electrode and a second electrode layer on a surface of the first electrode layer opposite the piezoelectric layer, where the two adjacent layers between which the BO ring is positioned are the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer. Further, in some embodiments, the first electrode layer is formed of Tungsten, the second electrode layer is formed of Aluminum Copper, and the BO ring is formed of Tungsten.
In some embodiments, the BO ring is positioned within the second multi-layer electrode at the position within the second multi-layer electrode that is adjacent to the piezoelectric layer. Further, in some embodiments, the BO ring is on the surface of the piezoelectric layer opposite the first electrode, and the second multi-layer electrode includes a first electrode layer on a surface of the BO ring opposite the piezoelectric layer and on the surface of the piezoelectric layer opposite the first electrode within the BO ring and a second electrode layer on a surface of the first electrode layer opposite the piezoelectric layer. Further, in some embodiments, the first electrode layer is formed of Tungsten, the second electrode layer is formed of Aluminum Copper, and the BO ring is formed of Tungsten.
In some embodiments, the second multi-layer electrode is a top electrode of the BAW resonator. In other embodiments, the second multi-layer electrode is a bottom electrode of the BAW resonator.
In some embodiments, the BAW resonator is a Solidly Mounted Resonator (SMR) type BAW resonator. In other embodiments, the BAW resonator is a Film Bulk Acoustic Resonator (FBAR) type BAW resonator.
In some embodiments, a method of manufacturing a BAW resonator includes providing an initial structure comprising a piezoelectric layer and a first electrode on a first surface of the piezoelectric layer, providing a second multi-layer electrode on a second surface of the piezoelectric layer opposite the first electrode on the first surface of the piezoelectric layer, and providing a BO ring positioned within the second multi-layer electrode around a periphery of an active region of the BAW resonator. The BO ring is either at a position between two adjacent layers of the second multi-layer electrode or a position within the second multi-layer electrode that is adjacent to the piezoelectric layer.
In some embodiments, providing the BO ring comprises providing the BO ring such that the BO ring is positioned within the second multi-layer electrode at the position between two adjacent layers of the second multi-layer electrode. Further, in some embodiments, providing the second multi-layer electrode includes providing a first electrode layer on the surface of the piezoelectric layer opposite the first electrode and providing a second electrode layer on a surface of the first electrode layer opposite the piezoelectric layer, and providing the BO ring such that the BO ring is positioned within the second multi-layer electrode at the position between two adjacent layers of the second multi-layer electrode comprises providing the BO ring such that the BO ring is positioned between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer. Further, in some embodiments, the first electrode layer is formed of Tungsten, the second electrode layer is formed of Aluminum Copper, and the BO ring is formed of Tungsten.
In some embodiments, providing the BO ring comprises providing the BO ring such that the BO ring is positioned within the second multi-layer electrode at the position within the second multi-layer electrode that is adjacent to the piezoelectric layer. Further, in some embodiments, providing the BO ring includes providing the BO ring on the surface of the piezoelectric layer opposite the first electrode, and providing the second multi-layer electrode includes providing a first electrode layer on a surface of the BO ring opposite the piezoelectric layer and on the surface of the piezoelectric layer opposite the first electrode within the BO ring and providing a second electrode layer on a surface of the first electrode layer opposite the piezoelectric layer. Further, in some embodiments, the first electrode layer is formed of Tungsten, the second electrode layer is formed of Aluminum Copper, and the BO ring is formed of Tungsten.
In some embodiments, the second multi-layer electrode is a top electrode of the BAW resonator. In other embodiments, the second multi-layer electrode is a bottom electrode of the BAW resonator.
In some embodiments, the BAW resonator is a SMR type BAW resonator. In other embodiments, the BAW resonator is a FBAR type BAW resonator.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate the scope of the present disclosure and realize additional aspects thereof after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments in association with the accompanying drawing figures.
The accompanying drawing figures incorporated in and forming a part of this specification illustrate several aspects of the disclosure, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the disclosure.
The embodiments set forth below represent the necessary information to enable those skilled in the art to practice the embodiments and illustrate the best mode of practicing the embodiments. Upon reading the following description in light of the accompanying drawing figures, those skilled in the art will understand the concepts of the disclosure and will recognize applications of these concepts not particularly addressed herein. It should be understood that these concepts and applications fall within the scope of the disclosure and the accompanying claims.
It should be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element could be termed a second element, and, similarly, a second element could be termed a first element, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
It should also be understood that when an element is referred to as being “connected” or “coupled” to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly connected” or “directly coupled” to another element, there are no intervening elements present.
It should be understood that, although the terms “upper,” “lower,” “bottom,” “intermediate,” “middle,” “top,” and the like may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element could be termed an “upper” element and, similarly, a second element could be termed an “upper” element depending on the relative orientations of these elements, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” and/or “including” when used herein specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. It will be further understood that terms used herein should be interpreted as having meanings that are consistent with their meanings in the context of this specification and the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.
Embodiments of a Bulk Acoustic Wave (BAW) resonator are disclosed in which a Border (BO) ring providing mass loading at the periphery of an active region of the BAW resonator is located adjacent to or very near a piezoelectric layer of the BAW resonator. In this manner, a quality factor (Q) of the BAW resonator is improved and spurious modes within a passband of the BAW resonator are suppressed. In this regard,
The reference BAW resonator 38 further includes a multi-layer bottom electrode 42 on a bottom surface of the piezoelectric layer 40 and a multi-layer top electrode 44 on a top surface of the piezoelectric layer 40 opposite the multi-layer bottom electrode 42. Each of the multi-layer bottom and top electrodes 42 and 44 includes two or more layers of the same or different materials. In this particular example, the multi-layer bottom electrode 42 includes a first electrode layer 42-1 and a second electrode layer 42-2. In one particular implementation, the first electrode layer 42-1 is Tungsten, and the second electrode layer 42-2 is Aluminum Copper; however, the first and second electrode layers 42-1 and 42-2 are not limited thereto. In the same manner, in this example, the multi-layer top electrode 44 includes a first electrode layer 44-1 and a second electrode layer 44-2. In one particular implementation, the first electrode layer 44-1 is Tungsten, and the second electrode layer 44-2 is Aluminum Copper; however, the first and second electrode layers 44-1 and 44-2 are not limited thereto.
In this example, the reference BAW resonator 38 is a Solidly Mounted Resonator (SMR) type BAW resonator and, as such, the reference BAW resonator 38 also includes a reflector 46 (which is more specifically referred to as a Bragg reflector) that includes multiple alternating layers 48-56 of alternating materials with varying refractive index. In this example, the layers 48-56 are alternating layers of Silicon Dioxide (SiO2) and Tungsten.
The reference BAW resonator 38 also includes a BO ring 58 on the top surface of the multi-layer top electrode 44. The BO ring 58 is a “ring” or “frame” of material that is on the top surface of the multi-layer top electrode 44 around the periphery of the multi-layer top electrode 44 (and thus around a periphery of an active region 60 of the reference BAW resonator 38). Lastly, the reference BAW resonator 38 includes a passivation layer 62 on the surface of the reference
BAW resonator 38 over both the active region 60 and an outer region 64 of the reference BAW resonator 38. While the passivation layer 62 can be of any suitable material, in one example, the passivation layer 62 is Silicon Nitride (SiN). Notably, the region in which the BO ring 58 is located is referred to herein as a BO region 66.
Notably, as used herein, the active region 60 is the region of the reference BAW resonator 38 that is electrically driven, which in the example of
As will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, the BO ring 58 provides mass loading or thickened edge loading around the periphery of the active region 60. The BO ring 58 enables acoustic mismatch between the active region 60 and the outer region 64 to be avoided, providing a smooth transition of propagating waves in the active region 60 to evanescent waves in the outer region 64. In this manner, only the fundamental thickness wave mode can be excited in the active region 60 and, as a result, the quality factor (Q) of the reference BAW resonator 38 is improved and spurious modes in the passband of the reference BAW resonator 38 are suppressed.
Particularly with the multi-layer top electrode 44, the BO ring 58 of the reference BAW resonator 38 is not close to the piezoelectric layer 40. As a result, the reference BAW resonator 38 exhibits significant lateral leakage of mechanical energy that contributes to a degraded quality factor (Q).
In embodiment of
In general, in the BAW resonator 68, rather than being located, or positioned, on the top surface of the multi-layer top electrode 74, which is relatively far from the surface of the piezoelectric layer 70, the BO ring 88 is located within the multi-layer top electrode 74 adjacent to or relatively near the surface of the piezoelectric layer 70. In this particular example, the BO ring 88 is positioned between the first and second electrode layers 74-1 and 74-2 of the multi-layer top electrode 74. However, the position of the BO ring 88 is not limited thereto. The BO ring 88 may be positioned between the piezoelectric layer 70 and the first electrode layer 74-1 or, as in this example, between two adjacent layers of the multi-layer top electrode 74. In one particular embodiment, both the BO ring 88 and the first electrode layer 74-1 of the multi-layer top electrode 74 are the same material (e.g., Tungsten). As such, in this context, the BO ring 88 can be thought of conceptually as being either on top of or below the first electrode layer 74-1.
In general, the distance between the piezoelectric layer 70 and the BO ring 88 is less than the combined thickness of the first and second electrode layers 74-1 and 74-2 of the multi-layer top electrode 74. For example, in some particular embodiments, the distance between the piezoelectric layer 70 and the BO ring 88 is less than or equal to 50% of the combined thickness of the first and second electrode layers 74-1 and 74-2 of the multi-layer top electrode 74.
However, this ratio may vary depending on various implementation specific factors such as, for example, the materials used for the first and second electrode layers 74-1 and 74-2. In some other particular embodiments, the BO ring 88 is on (e.g., directly on) the surface of the piezoelectric layer 70 between the piezoelectric layer 70 and the first electrode layer 74-1 of the multi-layer top electrode 74. It should also be noted that, while the BO ring 88 is within the multi-layer top electrode 74 in this example, the BO ring 88 may alternatively be within the multi-layer bottom electrode 72.
The BO ring 88 is a high impedance layer. By placing this high impedance layer adjacent to or very close to the piezoelectric layer 70, the quality factor (Q) is increased due to better energy confinement and suppression of spurious modes, as well as higher electro-mechanical coupling and less BO mode due to a narrower optimum BO width (WBO). In other words, layers close to the piezoelectric layer 70 usually have higher frequency sensitivity. Thus, for example, a Tungsten BO ring with a particular thickness would generate a higher frequency shift in the BO region, compared to that of the active region, when the BO ring is closer to the piezoelectric layer 70. In general, by being closer to the piezoelectric layer 70, the BO ring 88 can be thinner compared to a BO ring that is further away from the piezoelectric layer 70. This results in less topological difference between the BO region 96 and the active region 92 and, consequently, better mode matching between them. The higher quality factor (Q) of the BAW resonator 68 results in better insertion loss and steeper shoulders in a filter constructed from such BAW resonators. The higher electro-mechanical coupling of the BAW resonator 68 results in wider bandwidth and/or better return loss in a filter constructed from such BAW resonators. The lower BO mode of the BAW resonator 68 results in less passband loss in a filter constructed from such BAW resonators. All of these features will result in higher performance filters constructed from such BAW resonators.
BO1, BO2, BO3, etc. represent increasing values for the width (WBO) of the BO regions 66 and 96 such that BO1<BO2<BO3, etc. From this illustration, it can be seen that, for any width (WBO), the BAW resonator 68 where the BO ring 88 is close to the piezoelectric layer 70 has higher electro-mechanical coupling (k2e) than that in the reference BAW resonator 38 where the BO ring 58 is not close to the piezoelectric layer 40.
Next, in this example, the first electrode layer 74-1 of the multi-layer top electrode 74 is provided on (e.g., formed or deposited on) the surface of the piezoelectric layer 70 opposite the multi-layer bottom electrode 72, as illustrated in
Notably, the process of
Those skilled in the art will recognize improvements and modifications to the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure. All such improvements and modifications are considered within the scope of the concepts disclosed herein and the claims that follow.
This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application Se. No. 62/207,971, filed Aug. 21, 2015, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62207971 | Aug 2015 | US |
