Bulk acoustic resonator perimeter reflection system

• US 6,424,237 B1
• Filed: 12/21/2000
• Issued: 07/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Bradley, Paul D., Ruby, Richard C., Larson, John D. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Pascal, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Summons, Barbara
• Application Number:
  US09/746,525
• Publication Number:
  US 20020079986A1
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• Field of Search: 333/186-192, 310/320, 310/324, 310/365, 310/349, 29/253.5
• US Class Current: 333/187
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/0211 of reflections
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/02118 of lateral leakage between adjacent resonators
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/132 characterized by a particular shape
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/173 Air-gaps
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/42 Piezoelectric device making

Abstract

A bulk acoustic resonator having a high quality factor is formed on a substrate having a depression formed in a top surface of the substrate. The resonator includes a first electrode, a piezoelectric material and a second electrode. The first electrode is disposed on the top surface of the substrate and extends beyond the edges of the depression by a first distance to define a first region therebetween. The piezoelectric material is disposed on the top surface of the substrate and over the first electrode, and the second electrode is disposed on the piezoelectric material. The second electrode includes a portion that is located above the depression. The portion of the second electrode that is located over the depression has at least one edge that is offset from a corresponding edge of the depression by a second distance to define a second region therebetween. The first and second regions have different impedances, as a result of the different materials located in the two regions. In addition, the first and second distances are approximately equal to a quarter-wavelength of a sound wave travelling laterally across the respective region, such that reflections off of the edges of the regions constructively interfere to maximize the reflectivity of the resonator.

Claims

1. An acoustic resonator comprising:

a substrate having a depression formed in a top surface thereof;

a first electrode disposed on the top surface of the substrate and over the depression, the first electrode extending beyond a plurality of edges of the depression by a first distance to define a first region therebetween;

a piezoelectric material disposed on the top surface of the substrate and over the first electrode; and

a second electrode disposed on the piezoelectric material and including a portion located above the depression, the portion located above the depression having at least one edge that is offset from a corresponding edge of the depression by a second distance to define a second region therebetween, the second region having an impedance that differs from an impedance of the first region,

wherein an overlap of the first electrode, the piezoelectric material and the second electrode forms an acoustic cavity of the resonator, and the first and second distances are chosen such that reflections from the edges of the first and second regions will constructively interfere.

2. The acoustic resonator of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second regions has a width that is approximately equal to a quarter-wavelength of a sound wave travelling laterally across the respective region.

3. The acoustic resonator of claim 2, wherein the width of the first region is less than the width of the second region.

4. The acoustic resonator of claim 1, further comprising a structure disposed on the piezoelectric material, the structure being located a predetermined distance from an edge of the first electrode corresponding to the at least one edge of the second electrode that is offset from the corresponding edge of the depression, wherein a third region extends from that edge of the first electrode to the structure, the third region having an impedance that differs from the impedance of the first region, the predetermined distance being approximately equal to a quarter-wavelength of a sound wave travelling laterally across the third region.

5. The acoustic resonator of claim 4, wherein a fourth region is defined by the structure, the fourth region having an impedance that differs from the impedance of the third region, the fourth region having a width approximately equal to a quarter-wavelength of a sound wave travelling laterally across the fourth region.

6. The acoustic resonator of claim 4, wherein the structure includes a plurality of segments, each segment being spaced apart from a corresponding edge of the first electrode by the predetermined distance.

7. The acoustic resonator of claim 6, wherein the plurality of segments are connected to each other, the structure extending around a plurality of edges of the first electrode.

8. The acoustic resonator of claim 1, further comprising at least one structure disposed on the piezoelectric material above the depression, the at least one structure being located a predetermined distance from the at least one edge of the second electrode that is offset from the corresponding edge of the depression, wherein a third region extends from that edge of the second electrode to the structure, the predetermined distance being approximately equal to a quarter-wavelength of a sound wave travelling laterally across the third region, and wherein a fourth region is defined by the structure, the fourth region having an impedance that differs from the impedance of the third region, the fourth region having a width approximately equal to a quarter-wavelength of a sound wave travelling laterally across the fourth region.

9. The acoustic resonator of claim 8, wherein two structures are disposed in parallel on the piezoelectric material above the depression, the second structure being located a second predetermined distance from the first structure, the second predetermined distance being approximately equal to a quarter-wavelength of a sound wave travelling laterally across a fifth region between the first and second structures, and wherein a sixth region is defined by the second structure, the sixth region having a width approximately equal to a quarter-wavelength of a sound wave travelling laterally across the sixth region.

10. An acoustic resonator comprising:

a substrate having a depression formed in a top surface thereof, the depression having a plurality of edges;

a first electrode disposed on the top surface of the substrate and over the depression, the first electrode having a plurality of edges and extending beyond the edges of the depression by a first distance to define a first region therebetween;

a piezoelectric material formed on the top surface of the substrate and the first electrode; and

a second electrode disposed on the piezoelectric material, the second electrode including a portion located above the depression, a plurality of edges of the portion located above the depression being offset from corresponding edges of the depression by a second distance to define a second region therebetween, the second region having a second impedance that differs from a first impedance of the first region,

wherein an overlap of the first electrode, the piezoelectric material and the second electrode forms an acoustic cavity of the resonator, and wherein the first and second regions form Bragg reflectors that reflect sound waves back to the acoustic cavity of the resonator.

11. The acoustic resonator of claim 10, wherein each of the first and second distances is approximately equal to a quarter-wavelength of a sound wave travelling laterally across the respective region.

12. The acoustic resonator of claim 10, wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance.

13. The acoustic resonator of claim 10, wherein the first distance is approximately 2 microns.

14. The acoustic resonator of claim 10, further comprising a structure disposed on the piezoelectric material, the structure being located a predetermined distance from an edge of the first electrode, wherein a third region extends from that edge of the first electrode to the structure, and a fourth region is defined by the structure, the third region having a third impedance that differs from both the first impedance and a fourth impedance of the fourth region.

15. The acoustic resonator of claim 14, wherein the structure includes a plurality of sections, each section being located from a corresponding edge of the first electrode by the first distance.

16. The acoustic resonator of claim 14, wherein each of the predetermined distance and a width of the fourth region is approximately equal to a quarter-wavelength of a sound wave travelling laterally across the respective region.

17. A method of making an acoustic resonator, the method comprising:

providing a substrate having a depression formed in a top surface thereof and a first electrode disposed on the top surface, the first electrode being located above the depression and extending beyond a plurality of edges of the depression by a first distance to define a first region therebetween;

depositing a piezoelectric material on the top surface of the substrate and over the first electrode; and

depositing a second electrode on the piezoelectric material, the second electrode including a portion located above the depression, the portion located above the depression having at least one edge that is offset from a corresponding edge of the depression by a second distance to define a second region therebetween,

wherein an overlap of the first electrode, the piezoelectric material and the second electrode forms an acoustic cavity of the resonator, and the first and second distances are chosen such that reflections from the edges of the first and second regions will constructively interfere.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first region has a first impedance that differs from a second impedance of the second region, each of the first and second distances being approximately equal to a quarter-wavelength of a sound wave travelling laterally across the respective region to maximize a reflection coefficient for lateral modes bouncing off of edges of the acoustic cavity.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising forming a structure on the piezoelectric material, the structure being located a predetermined distance from at least one edge of the first electrode, wherein a third region extends from the at least one edge of the first electrode to the structure, the predetermined distance being approximately equal to a quarter-wavelength of a sound wave travelling laterally across the third region, and wherein a fourth region is defined by the structure and has a width approximately equal to a width of a quarter-wavelength of a sound wave travelling laterally across the fourth region, the third region having a third impedance that differs from both the first impedance and a fourth impedance of the fourth region.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising forming at least one structure on the piezoelectric material above the depression, the at least one structure being located a predetermined distance from the at least one edge of the second electrode that is offset from the corresponding edge of the depression, wherein a third region extends from that edge of the second electrode to the structure, the predetermined distance being approximately equal to a quarter-wavelength of a sound wave travelling laterally across the third region, and wherein a fourth region is defined by the structure, the fourth region having a width approximately equal to a quarter-wavelength of a sound wave travelling laterally across the fourth region.