RESONATOR SENSOR DEVICE

• US 20200132631A1
• Filed: 07/09/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2018
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: LEE, Si-hoon, PARK, Kwang-min, LEE, Min-chul, LIM, Jae-heung
• Application Number:
  US16/505,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20200132631A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/021 Gases
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0224 Mixtures of three or more liquids
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0257 with a layer containing at least one organic compound
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/022 Fluid sensors based on microsensors, e.g. quartz crystal-microbalance [QCM], surface acoustic wave [SAW] devices, tuning forks, cantilevers, flexural plate wave [FPW] devices microdevices per se B81B
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/036 by measuring frequency or resonance of acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/32 Arrangements for suppressing undesired influences, e.g. temperature or pressure variations , compensating for signal noise
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0047 for organic compounds

Abstract

A resonator sensor device includes a lower electrode located on a substrate, a piezoelectric layer located on the lower electrode, an upper electrode located on the piezoelectric layer, an upper passivation layer located on the upper electrode, the upper passivation layer including a hydrophobic material, and a gas sensing layer located on the upper passivation layer.

Claims

1. A resonator sensor device comprising:

a lower electrode on a substrate;

a piezoelectric layer on the lower electrode;

an upper electrode on the piezoelectric layer;

an upper passivation layer on the upper electrode, the upper passivation layer including a first hydrophobic material; and

a gas sensing layer on the upper passivation layer.

2. The resonator sensor device of claim 1, further comprising

a lower passivation layer between the substrate and the lower electrode, the lower passivation layer including a second hydrophobic material.

3. The resonator sensor device of claim 2, wherein

the substrate and the lower passivation layer are partially separated by a cavity, the cavity vertically overlapping the lower electrode, the piezoelectric layer, and the upper electrode.

4. The resonator sensor device of claim 1, wherein the upper passivation layer has a first thickness of about 10 nm to about 300 nm in a first direction perpendicular to an upper surface of the substrate.

5. The resonator sensor device of claim 1, wherein

the upper passivation layer comprises a hydrophobic inorganic material, the hydrophobic inorganic material comprises at least one of silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, silicon carbide, and silicon oxycarbide.

6. The resonator sensor device of claim 1, further comprising

an upper moisture-proof capping layer between the upper passivation layer and the gas sensing layer.

7. The resonator sensor device of claim 6, wherein

the upper moisture-proof capping layer comprises a hydrophobic polymer, and

the hydrophobic polymer comprises at least one of a fluorine-based polymer, a polymer including a methyl group, an aliphatic polymer, and an aromatic polymer.

8. The resonator sensor device of claim 6, further comprising

a lower passivation layer on a bottom surface of the lower electrode, the lower passivation layer including a second hydrophobic material, and

a lower moisture-proof capping layer on a bottom surface of the lower passivation layer.

9. The resonator sensor device of claim 1, wherein the upper passivation layer covers an entire upper surface of the upper electrode.

10. The resonator sensor device of claim 1, wherein the upper passivation layer has a contact angle with water greater than 90 degrees.

11. The resonator sensor device of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a cavity, and the resonator sensor device further comprises

a lower passivation layer including a second hydrophobic material, the lower passivation layer on a bottom surface of the lower electrode facing the cavity.

12. A resonator sensor device comprising:

a lower passivation layer on a substrate, the lower passivation layer including a first hydrophobic material;

a lower electrode on the lower passivation layer;

a piezoelectric layer on the lower electrode;

an upper electrode on the piezoelectric layer;

an upper passivation layer on the upper electrode, the upper passivation layer including a second hydrophobic material; and

a gas sensing layer on the upper passivation layer.

13. The resonator sensor device of claim 12, wherein the upper passivation layer covers an entire upper surface of the upper electrode, and the lower passivation layer covers an entire bottom surface of the lower electrode.

14. The resonator sensor device of claim 12, wherein the upper passivation layer and the lower passivation layer each have a contact angle with water greater than 90 degrees.

15. The resonator sensor device of claim 12, further comprising

a lower moisture-proof capping layer between the lower passivation layer and the substrate, and

an upper moisture-proof capping layer between the upper passivation layer and the gas sensing layer,

wherein each of the lower moisture-proof capping layer and the upper moisture-proof capping layer comprises a hydrophobic polymer.

16. The resonator sensor device of claim 12, wherein

the lower passivation layer and the substrate are partially separated by a cavity, and

the lower electrode is not exposed to an inner wall of the cavity.

17. A resonator sensor device comprising:

a lower electrode on a substrate;

a piezoelectric layer on the lower electrode;

an upper electrode on the piezoelectric layer;

an upper passivation layer on the upper electrode, the upper passivation layer including a first hydrophobic material; and

a gas sensing layer on the upper passivation layer,

wherein the upper passivation layer has a contact angle with water greater than 90 degrees.

18. The resonator sensor device of claim 17, further comprising

a lower passivation layer between the substrate and the lower electrode, the lower passivation layer including a second hydrophobic material, the lower passivation layer and the substrate partially separated by a cavity at a position vertically overlapping the lower electrode.

19. The resonator sensor device of claim 18, wherein the upper passivation layer covers an entire upper surface of the upper electrode, and the lower passivation layer covers an entire bottom surface of the lower electrode facing the cavity.

20. The resonator sensor device of claim 17, wherein the substrate comprises a cavity, and the resonator sensor device further comprises a lower passivation layer including a second hydrophobic material and being located on a bottom surface of the lower electrode facing the cavity.