The present invention relates to an elastic wave device including an IDT electrode and a dielectric layer that are laminated on a piezoelectric substrate.
Elastic wave devices that use the piston mode to reduce or prevent the occurrence of transverse mode ripples have been known. In such an elastic wave device using the piston mode, an intersection region in an IDT electrode includes a center region and edge regions on both sides of the center region. The intersection region is a region where electrode fingers connected to different potentials overlap with each other as viewed from the elastic wave propagation direction. By making the acoustic velocity in the edge regions lower than that in the center region, the piston mode is provided.
In the elastic wave device disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2012-186808, a dielectric layer made of, for example, silicon oxide is laminated to cover an IDT electrode. In the dielectric layer, a metal strip is provided over the edge regions. This metal strip is an adequate metal layer for changing an acoustic wave velocity. A second dielectric layer is further provided on the dielectric layer in a region between the inner edges of opposite busbars. Over the center region, a third dielectric layer is further laminated on the second dielectric layer. The third dielectric layer is an adequate dielectric layer for changing an acoustic wave velocity. The adequate metal layer and dielectric layer for changing an acoustic wave velocity or the combination thereof makes the acoustic velocity in the center region, the acoustic velocity in the edge regions, and the acoustic velocity in an outer side region of the edge regions different from each other such that the velocity in the edge regions becomes lower than that in the center region.
In the elastic wave device disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2012-186808, by providing a plurality of layers, the differences in an acoustic velocity are made in the center region, the edge regions, and the outer side region of the edge regions. Accordingly, the adjustment for precisely making an acoustic velocity difference is difficult.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention provide elastic wave devices that are each able to easily provide a difference in an acoustic velocity in a center region and edge regions in an IDT electrode.
An elastic wave device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a piezoelectric substrate, an IDT electrode provided on the piezoelectric substrate, a first dielectric layer provided to cover the IDT electrode, and a mass addition film that is provided on the first dielectric layer and includes portions of at least two thicknesses. The IDT electrode includes a first busbar, a second busbar opposite the first busbar, a plurality of first electrode fingers each including one end electrically connected to the first busbar, and a plurality of second electrode fingers each including one end electrically connected to the second busbar. The first electrode fingers and the second electrode fingers are interdigitated with each other. An intersection region where the first electrode fingers and the second electrode fingers overlap each other as viewed from an elastic wave propagation direction includes a center region, a first edge region located on one side of the center region in a direction in which the first electrode fingers and the second electrode fingers extend, and a second edge region located on the other side of the center region in the direction in which the first electrode fingers and the second electrode fingers extend.
In an elastic wave device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a thickness of the mass addition film in portions corresponding to the first edge region and the second edge region is larger than a thickness of the mass addition film in a portion corresponding to the center region.
In an elastic wave device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mass addition film extends to an outer side region of the first edge region and an outer side region of the second edge region in the direction in which the first electrode fingers and the second electrode fingers extend. A thickness of the mass addition film over the outer side region of the first edge region and the outer side region of the second edge region is smaller than a thickness of the mass addition film over the first edge region and the second edge region. In this case, high acoustic velocity regions where an acoustic velocity is higher than that in the edge regions are able to be provided in the outer side portions of the edge regions. Accordingly, the occurrence of the transverse mode is able to be more effectively reduced or prevented.
In an elastic wave device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mass addition film is not provided in the outer side region of the first edge region and the outer side region of the second edge region in the direction in which the first electrode fingers and the second electrode fingers extend. Also in this case, high acoustic velocity regions where an acoustic velocity is higher than that in the edge regions are able to be easily provided in the outer side portions of the edge regions. Accordingly, the occurrence of the transverse mode is able to be more effectively reduced or prevented.
In an elastic wave device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a thickness of the mass addition film over the outer side region of the first edge region and the outer side region of the second edge region is smaller than or equal to a thickness of the mass addition film over the center region in the direction in which the first electrode fingers and the second electrode fingers extend. In this case, high acoustic velocity regions are able to be provided in the outer side portions of the edge regions. The occurrence of the transverse mode is able to be more effectively reduced or prevented.
In an elastic wave device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mass addition film includes a material with a density higher than that of a dielectric in the first dielectric layer. The mass addition film preferably includes a metal, for example.
In an elastic wave device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mass addition film includes a dielectric with a density higher than that of a dielectric in the first dielectric layer.
In an elastic wave device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a second dielectric layer is further provided on the mass addition film.
In an elastic wave device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the second dielectric layer includes a same material as the first dielectric layer. In this case, the number of types of dielectric materials is able to be reduced. In addition, the complication of a manufacturing process is not likely to occur.
In an elastic wave device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a top surface of the second dielectric layer is flat or substantially flat. In this case, on the second dielectric layer, for example, a third dielectric layer including a flat or substantially flat surface is able to be provided.
In an elastic wave device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a third dielectric layer laminated on the second dielectric layer is further provided.
In an elastic wave device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mass addition film is continuously provided from one end to the other end of a region in the IDT electrode where the first electrode fingers and the second electrode fingers are interdigitated with each other in the elastic wave propagation direction. In this case, the mass addition film is able to be easily provided.
Elastic wave devices according to the preferred embodiments of present invention are each able to easily provide a difference in an acoustic velocity in a center region and edge regions.
The above and other elements, features, steps, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
It is to be noted that the preferred embodiments described in this specification are merely illustrative and the configurations described below may be partly replaced or combined between the different preferred embodiments.
An elastic wave device 1 includes a piezoelectric substrate 2. The piezoelectric substrate 2 preferably includes, for example, piezoelectric monocrystal such as LiNbO3 or LiTaO3. The piezoelectric substrate 2 may include a structure in which a piezoelectric film is laminated on a support substrate that includes material with no piezoelectricity.
An IDT electrode 3 is provided on a top surface 2a of the piezoelectric substrate 2. A reflector 4 is provided on one side of the IDT electrode 3 and a reflector 5 is provided on the other side of the IDT electrode 3 in an elastic wave propagation direction. A first dielectric layer 6 is provided to cover the IDT electrode 3 and the reflectors 4 and 5. As illustrated in
The IDT electrode 3 includes a first busbar 3a and a second busbar 3b located opposite to the first busbar 3a. One ends of a plurality of first electrode fingers 3c are electrically connected to the first busbar 3a. One ends of a plurality of second electrode fingers 3d are electrically connected to the second busbar 3b. The first electrode fingers 3c and the second electrode fingers 3d are interdigitated with each other. In the reflectors 4 and 5, both ends of a plurality of electrode fingers are short-circuited.
The elastic wave device 1 is preferably, for example, a one-port elastic wave resonator including the IDT electrode 3 and the reflectors 4 and 5. An elastic wave device according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention does not necessarily include a one-port elastic wave resonator, and may include another elastic wave device, such as a longitudinally coupled elastic wave filter.
The IDT electrode 3 and the reflectors 4 and 5 include appropriate metal(s). Examples of such metal (s) include Au, Pt, Cu, W, Mo, and an AlCu alloy.
The IDT electrode 3 and the reflectors 4 and 5 may preferably include, for example, a laminated metal film provided by laminating a plurality of metal films. The first dielectric layer 6 preferably includes, for example, silicon oxide. The first dielectric layer 6 covers the IDT electrode 3 and the reflectors 4 and 5. As illustrated in
A dielectric in the first dielectric layer 6 is not limited to silicon oxide, and may be another dielectric, such as silicon oxynitride or silicon nitride, for example. In a case where the first dielectric layer 6 includes silicon oxide or silicon oxynitride, frequency temperature behavior is able to be improved.
The mass addition film 7 includes a material with a density higher than that of a material for the first dielectric layer 6. In the first preferred embodiment, the mass addition film 7 preferably includes metal(s). As the metal(s), for example, a high-density metal, such as titanium or Cu is preferably included. The mass addition film 7 may include a dielectric. In the case of a dielectric, the dielectric preferably has a density higher than that of a material of the first dielectric layer 6.
The mass addition film 7 includes a first portion 7a, a second portion 7b, and a third portion 7c which have different thicknesses. As illustrated in
A first high acoustic velocity region E is provided in an outer side portion of the first edge region C in the direction in which the first electrode fingers 3c and the second electrode fingers 3d extend. A second high acoustic velocity region F is provided in an outer side portion of the second edge region D. A third low acoustic velocity region G is provided in an outer side portion of the first high acoustic velocity region E in the direction in which the first electrode fingers 3c and the second electrode fingers 3d extend. A fourth low acoustic velocity region H is similarly provided in an outer side portion of the second high acoustic velocity region F. The first edge region C and the second edge region D are low acoustic velocity regions where an acoustic velocity is lower than that in the center region B. Accordingly, the first edge region C and the second edge region D correspond to a first low acoustic velocity region and a second low acoustic velocity region, respectively. The low acoustic velocity regions G and H are therefore called the third low acoustic velocity region G and the fourth low acoustic velocity region H, respectively.
In order to provide the piston mode, acoustic velocities V1 to V4 illustrated in
Referring back to
The acoustic velocities in the center region B, the first edge region C, the second edge region D, the first high acoustic velocity region E, and the second high acoustic velocity region F are adjusted by adjusting the arrangement of the first electrode fingers 3c and the second electrode fingers 3d as viewed from the elastic wave propagation direction and the thickness of the mass addition film 7.
The second portion 7b of the mass addition film 7 is provided in portions over the first edge region C and the second edge region D which are hatched in
The second portion 7b is provided over the first electrode fingers 3c and the second electrode fingers 3d in the first edge region C and the second edge region D illustrated in
Since the mass addition film 7 including portions of three film thicknesses is provided as described above, the acoustic velocity relationship of V3>V1>V2>V4 is established as illustrated in
The acoustic velocity V2 in the first edge region C and the second edge region D is lower than the acoustic velocity V1 in the center region B. The first high acoustic velocity region E is provided in the outer side portion of the first edge region C, and the second high acoustic velocity region F is provided in the outer side portion of the second edge region D. Accordingly, in the piston mode, the occurrence of the transverse mode is able to be significantly reduced or prevented.
The above-described acoustic velocity differences are able to be obtained only by providing one type of material layer, that is, the mass addition film 7 after providing the IDT electrode 3. Accordingly, acoustic velocity differences are able to be easily obtained by performing patterning or film formation using a mask to form the mass addition film 7.
As illustrated in
The top surface of the second dielectric layer 8 is flat or substantially flat. Accordingly, in a case where the film formation of the third dielectric layer 9 is performed using a suitable deposition method, the top surface of the third dielectric layer 9 also becomes flat or substantially flat. The top surfaces of the second dielectric layer 8 and the third dielectric layer 9 are preferably flat or substantially flat. In this case, the variations in characteristics is able to be reduced.
In the first preferred embodiment, the third dielectric layer 9 preferably includes silicon nitride, for example. As a result, the structure under the second dielectric layer 8 is protected. By adjusting the film thickness of the third dielectric layer 9, the adjustment of a frequency is able to be performed. That is, the third dielectric layer 9 may be a frequency adjustment film. Another dielectric other than silicon nitride, such as silicon oxynitride or alumina, for example, may be included.
The elastic wave device 1 according to the first preferred embodiment and an elastic wave device that is a comparative example including a structure illustrated in
In the comparative example, only in an edge region 102, a mass addition film 101 was provided on the first dielectric layer as illustrated in
In the elastic wave device according to the first preferred embodiment and the elastic wave device that is a comparative example, an electromechanical coupling coefficient in the primary mode, that is, the fundamental mode and an electromechanical coupling coefficient in a third or higher order transverse mode were determined by applying finite element analysis. In the first preferred embodiment and the comparative example, the above electromechanical coupling coefficients were determined while changing the width of the edge region.
In contrast, as illustrated in
In the preferred embodiments of the present invention, in order to provide the piston mode, the mass addition film may include portions of at least two film thicknesses as described above. In the first edge region and the second edge region, the mass addition film may have the greatest thickness.
Accordingly, although the film thickness T1 of the first portion 7a is larger than the film thickness T3 of the third portion 7c in
While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it is to be understood that variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. The scope of the present invention, therefore, is to be determined solely by the following claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2017-001886 | Jan 2017 | JP | national |
This application claims the benefit of priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-001886 filed on Jan. 10, 2017 and is a Continuation Application of PCT Application No. PCT/JP2017/044347 filed on Dec. 11, 2017. The entire contents of each application are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/JP2017/044347 | Dec 2017 | US |
Child | 16505935 | US |