COUPLED ACOUSTIC DEVICES

• US 20120007696A1
• Filed: 07/07/2010
• Published: 01/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hao Zhang, Wei Pang
• Original Assignee: Hao Zhang, Wei Pang
• Inventors: Pang, Wei, Zhang, Hao
• Granted Patent: US 8,674,789 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 333/189
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/0095 using bulk acoustic wave devices
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/52 Electric coupling means
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/54 comprising resonators of piezoelectric or electrostrictive material H03H9/64 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/542 including passive elements H03H9/545 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/584 Coupled Resonator Filters [CFR]

Abstract

In one aspect of the invention, an acoustic device has a first coupled resonator filter (CRF) and a second CRF electrically coupled to one another in series. Each CRF has an input port, an output port, a bottom film bulk acoustic resonator (FBAR), an acoustic decoupler formed on the bottom FBAR, and a top FBAR formed on the acoustic decoupler. Each FBAR has a bottom electrode, a piezoelectric layer formed on the bottom electrode, and a top electrode formed on the piezoelectric layer. The decoupling layer capacitance arising between the two electrodes enclosing the acoustic decoupler in a CRF is configured to achieve targeted filter response. A compensating capacitance is introduced to improve the amplitude and phase imbalance performance of an unbalanced to balanced CRF by eliminating the existence of asymmetric port-to-ground or feedback capacitance at the balanced output port produced by the decoupling layer capacitance.

Claims

1. An acoustic device, comprising:

a first coupled resonator filter (CRF) and a second CRF electrically coupled to one another,

wherein each of the first CRF and the second CRF has an input port, an output port, a bottom film bulk acoustic resonator (FBAR), an acoustic decoupler formed on the bottom FBAR, and a top FBAR formed on the acoustic decoupler, wherein each of the bottom FBAR and the top FBAR has a bottom electrode, a piezoelectric layer formed on the bottom electrode, and a top electrode formed on the piezoelectric layer, and wherein the input and output ports of each CRF are electrically connected to first and second corresponding electrodes, respectively, such that the acoustic decoupler is located between the first and the second corresponding electrodes; and

wherein the output port of the first CRF is electrically connected to the input port of the second CRF.

2. The acoustic device of claim 1, wherein the acoustic decoupler is formed of a dielectric material.

3. The acoustic device of claim 1,

wherein for the first CRF, one of the bottom electrode of the top FBAR and the top electrode of the bottom FBAR is electrically connected to the input port and the other of the bottom electrode of the top FBAR and the top electrode of the bottom FBAR is electrically connected to the output port, and the top electrode of the top FBAR and the bottom electrode of the bottom FBAR are grounded, such that the bottom electrode of the top FBAR, the acoustic decoupler and the top electrode of the bottom FBAR operably define a feedback capacitor, C_p;

and

wherein for the second CRF, one of the bottom electrode of the bottom FBAR and the top electrode of the top FBAR is electrically connected to the input port and the other of the bottom electrode of the bottom FBAR and the top electrode of the top FBAR is electrically connected to the output port, and the top electrode of the bottom FBAR and the bottom electrode of the top FBAR are grounded.

4. The acoustic device of claim 1,

wherein for the first CRF, one of the top electrode of the top FBAR and the bottom electrode of the bottom FBAR is electrically connected to the input port and the other of the top electrode of the top FBAR and the bottom electrode of the bottom FBAR is electrically connected to the output port, and the top electrode of the bottom FBAR and the bottom electrode of the top FBAR are grounded;

and

wherein for the second CRF, one of the top electrode of the bottom FBAR and the bottom electrode of the top FBAR is electrically connected to the input port and the other of the top electrode of the bottom FBAR and the bottom electrode of the top FBAR is electrically connected to the output port, and the top electrode of the top FBAR and the bottom electrode of the bottom FBAR are grounded, such that the bottom electrode of the top FBAR, the acoustic decoupler and the top electrode of the bottom FBAR operably define a feedback capacitor, C′

_p.

5. The acoustic device of claim 1,

wherein for the first CRF, one of the bottom electrode of the top FBAR and the top electrode of the bottom FBAR is electrically connected to the input port and the other of the bottom electrode of the top FBAR and the top electrode of the bottom FBAR is electrically connected to the output port, and the top electrode of the top FBAR and the bottom electrode of the bottom FBAR are grounded, such that the bottom electrode of the top FBAR, the acoustic decoupler and the top electrode of the bottom FBAR operably define a first feedback capacitor, C_p;

and

wherein for the second CRF, one of the top electrode of the bottom FBAR and the bottom electrode of the top FBAR is electrically connected to the input port and the other of the top electrode of the bottom FBAR and the bottom electrode of the top FBAR is electrically connected to the output port, and the top electrode of the top FBAR and the bottom electrode of the bottom FBAR are grounded, such that the bottom electrode of the top FBAR, the acoustic decoupler and the top electrode of the bottom FBAR operably define a second feedback capacitor, C′

_p.

6. The acoustic device of claim 1,

wherein for the first CRF, one of the top electrode of the top FBAR and the bottom electrode of the bottom FBAR is electrically connected to the input port and the other of the top electrode of the top FBAR and the bottom electrode of the bottom FBAR is electrically connected to the output port, and the top electrode of the bottom FBAR and the bottom electrode of the top FBAR are grounded;

and

wherein for the second CRF, one of the bottom electrode of the bottom FBAR and the top electrode of the top FBAR is electrically connected to the input port and the other of the bottom electrode of the bottom FBAR and the top electrode of the top FBAR is electrically connected to the output port, and the top electrode of the bottom FBAR and the bottom electrode of the top FBAR are grounded.

7. The acoustic device of claim 1, being configured to match one or more impedance matching networks comprising inductors and/or capacitors coupled to the input port of the first CRF, or to the output port of the second CRF, or between the output port of the first CRF and the input port of the second CRF for bandwidth widening and pass-band ripple reduction.

8. An acoustic device, comprising:

a first coupled resonator filter (CRF), a second CRF electrically coupled to the first CRF, and a compensating capacitor electrically coupled to the second CRF,

wherein each of the first CRF and the second CRF has a bottom FBAR, an acoustic decoupler formed on the bottom FBAR, and a top FBAR formed on the acoustic decoupler, wherein each of the bottom FBAR and the top FBAR has a bottom electrode, a piezoelectric layer formed on the bottom electrode, and a top electrode formed on the piezoelectric layer;

wherein the first CRF has an input port and an output port electrically connected to first and second corresponding electrodes of the first CRF, respectively, such that the acoustic decoupler of the first CRF is located between the first and the second corresponding electrodes;

wherein the second CRF has an input port, a first output port and a second output port electrically connected to first, second and third corresponding electrodes of the second CRF, respectively, such that the acoustic decoupler of the second CRF is located between the first corresponding electrode and both the second and third corresponding electrodes; and

wherein the output port of the first CRF is eclectically connected to the input port of the second CRF.

9. The acoustic device of claim 8, wherein the acoustic decoupler is formed of a dielectric material.

10. The acoustic device of claim 8,

wherein for the first CRF, one of the bottom electrode of the top FBAR and the top electrode of the bottom FBAR is electrically connected to the input port and the other of the bottom electrode of the top FBAR and the top electrode of the bottom FBAR is electrically connected to the output port, and the top electrode of the top FBAR and the bottom electrode of the bottom FBAR are grounded, such that the bottom electrode of the top FBAR, the acoustic decoupler and the top electrode of the bottom FBAR operably define a feedback capacitor, C_p;

wherein for the second CRF, one of the bottom electrode of the bottom FBAR and the top electrode of the top FBAR is electrically connected to the input port, wherein when the bottom electrode of the bottom FBAR is electrically connected to the input port, the top and bottom electrodes of the top FBAR are electrically connected to the first and the second output ports, respectively, and the top electrode of the bottom FBAR is grounded, and when the top electrode of the top FBAR is electrically connected to the input port, the bottom and top electrodes of the bottom FBAR are electrically connected to the first and the second output ports, respectively, and the bottom electrode of the top FBAR is grounded, such that the bottom electrode of the top FBAR, the acoustic decoupler and the top electrode of the bottom FBAR operably define an internal port-to-ground capacitor, C′

_p; and

wherein the compensating capacitor C_b is electrically coupled between the top electrode of the top FBAR and the top electrode of the bottom FBAR when the bottom electrode of the bottom FBAR is electrically connected to the input port, and the compensating capacitor C_b is electrically coupled between the bottom electrode of the bottom FBAR and the bottom electrode of the top FBAR when the top electrode of the top FBAR is electrically connected to the input port.

11. The acoustic device of claim 8,

wherein for the first CRF, one of the top electrode of the top FBAR and the bottom electrode of the bottom FBAR is electrically connected to the input port and the other of the top electrode of the top FBAR and the bottom electrode of the bottom FBAR is electrically connected to the output port, and the top electrode of the bottom FBAR and the bottom electrode of the top FBAR are grounded;

wherein for the second CRF, one of the top electrode of the bottom FBAR and the bottom electrode of the top FBAR is electrically connected to the input port, wherein when the top electrode of the bottom FBAR is electrically connected to the input port, the top and bottom electrodes of the top FBAR are electrically connected to the first and the second output ports, respectively, and the bottom electrode of the bottom FBAR is grounded, and when the bottom electrode of the top FBAR is electrically connected to the input port, the bottom and top electrodes of the bottom FBAR are electrically connected to the first and the second output ports, respectively, and the top electrode of the top FBAR is grounded, such that the bottom electrode of the top FBAR, the acoustic decoupler and the top electrode of the bottom FBAR operably define a feedback capacitor, C′

_p; and

wherein the compensating capacitor C_b is electrically coupled between the top electrode of the top FBAR and the top electrode of the bottom FBAR when the top electrode of the bottom FBAR is electrically connected to the input port, and the compensating capacitor C_b is electrically coupled between the bottom electrode of the bottom FBAR and the bottom electrode of the top FBAR when the bottom electrode of the top FBAR is electrically connected to the input port.

12. The acoustic device of claim 8,

wherein for the first CRF, one of the bottom electrode of the top FBAR and the top electrode of the bottom FBAR is electrically connected to the input port and the other of the bottom electrode of the top FBAR and the top electrode of the bottom FBAR is electrically connected to the output port, and the top electrode of the top FBAR and the bottom electrode of the bottom FBAR are grounded, such that the bottom electrode of the top FBAR, the acoustic decoupler and the top electrode of the bottom FBAR operably define a first feedback capacitor, C_p;

wherein for the second CRF, one of the top electrode of the bottom FBAR and the bottom electrode of the top FBAR is electrically connected to the input port, wherein when the top electrode of the bottom FBAR is electrically connected to the input port, the top and bottom electrodes of the top FBAR are electrically connected to the first and the second output ports, respectively, and the bottom electrode of the bottom FBAR is grounded, and when the bottom electrode of the top FBAR is electrically connected to the input port, the bottom and top electrodes of the bottom FBAR are electrically connected to the first and the second output ports, respectively, and the top electrode of the top FBAR is grounded, such that the bottom electrode of the top FBAR, the acoustic decoupler and the top electrode of the bottom FBAR operably define a second feedback capacitor, C′

_p; and

wherein the compensating capacitor C_b is electrically coupled between the top electrode of the top FBAR and the top electrode of the bottom FBAR when the top electrode of the bottom FBAR is electrically connected to the input port, and the compensating capacitor C_b is electrically coupled between the bottom electrode of the bottom FBAR and the bottom electrode of the top FBAR when the bottom electrode of the top FBAR is electrically connected to the input port.

13. The acoustic device of claim 8,

wherein for the first CRF, one of the top electrode of the top FBAR and the bottom electrode of the bottom FBAR is electrically connected to the input port and the other of the top electrode of the top FBAR and the bottom electrode of the bottom FBAR is electrically connected to the output port, and the top electrode of the bottom FBAR and the bottom electrode of the top FBAR are grounded;

wherein for the second CRF, one of the bottom electrode of the bottom FBAR and the top electrode of the top FBAR is electrically connected to the input port, wherein when the bottom electrode of the bottom FBAR is electrically connected to the input port, the top and bottom electrodes of the top FBAR are electrically connected to the first and the second output ports, respectively, and the top electrode of the bottom FBAR is grounded, and when the top electrode of the top FBAR is electrically connected to the input port, the bottom and top electrodes of the bottom FBAR are electrically connected to the first and the second output ports, respectively, and the bottom electrode of the top FBAR is grounded, such that the bottom electrode of the top FBAR, the acoustic decoupler and the top electrode of the bottom FBAR operably define an internal port-to-ground capacitor, C′

_p; and

wherein the compensating capacitor C_b is electrically coupled between the top electrode of the top FBAR and the top electrode of the bottom FBAR when the bottom electrode of the bottom FBAR is electrically connected to the input port, and the compensating capacitor C_b is electrically coupled between the bottom electrode of the bottom FBAR and the bottom electrode of the top FBAR when the top electrode of the top FBAR is electrically connected to the input port.

14. The acoustic device of claim 8, wherein the compensating capacitor is an off-chip discrete capacitor, an off-chip capacitor buried in the laminated or printed circuit substrates or boards or an on-chip capacitor monolithically integrated in the filter die.

15. The acoustic device of claim 8, being configured to match one or more impedance matching networks comprising inductors and/or capacitors coupled to the input port of the first CRF, or to one of the first and the second output ports of the second CRF, or between the output port of the first CRF and the input port of the second CRF for bandwidth widening and pass-band ripple reduction.