Method for producing thin film bulk acoustic resonators (FBARs) with different frequencies on the same substrate by subtracting method and apparatus embodying the method

• US 6,874,211 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2001
• Issued: 04/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Ruby, Richard C., Larson, John D. III, Bradley, Paul D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hassanzadel, P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Culbert, Roberts
• Application Number:
  US09/799,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20020121499A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,492 Days
• Field of Search: 216/2, 216/51, 216/100, 216/108, 216/109, 333/187, 333/189, 29/253.5
• US Class Current: 29/25.35
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 2003/0428 of an electrode
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 2003/0471 of a plurality of resonators at different frequencies
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 3/04 for obtaining desired frequency or temperature coefficient
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/564 implemented with thin-film techniques
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/42 Piezoelectric device making

Abstract

A method for fabricating a resonator, and in particular, a thin film bulk acoustic resonator (FBAR), and a resonator embodying the method are disclosed. An FBAR is fabricated on a substrate by reducing mass from a top electrode layer. For a substrate having multiple resonators, mass is reduced from only selected resonator to provide resonators having different resonance frequencies on the same substrate.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating resonators on a substrate, the method comprising:

fabricating a bottom electrode layer on the substrate;

fabricating a piezoelectric (PZ) layer over the bottom electrode layer;

fabricating a top electrode layer over the PZ layer, the top electrode layer having a first thickness;

partially etching a selected area of the top electrode layer so that the top electrode layer has a second thickness at the selected area; and

patterning, after the step of partially etching the selected area, the top electrode layer to form resonators such that a first resonator is created having a top electrode having the second thickness and a second resonator is created having a top electrode having the first thickness.

2. The method recited in claim 1 wherein the top electrode layer comprises Molybdenum.

3. The method recited in claim 1 wherein the PZ layer comprises Aluminum Nitride (AlN).

4. The method recited in claim 1 wherein the step of partially etching a selected area of the top electrode layer comprises:

masking the top electrode layer except for the selected area of the top electrode layer;

exposing mask and the selected area to an etching agent; and

removing the mask.

5. The method recited in claim 4 wherein the mask comprises silicon dioxide (SiO₂).

6. The method recited in claim 4 wherein the etching agent is dilute hydrofluoric acid (HF).

7. The method recited in claim 1 wherein one to thirty percent of the top electrode'"'"'s thickness is etched.

8. The method recited in claim 1 wherein the second thickness is less than the first thickness by one to thirty percent.

9. The method recited in claim 1 wherein resonant frequency of the resonator is increased by one to six percent due to the reduction of thickness of the top electrode.

10. A method of fabricating a resonator on a substrate, the method comprising:

depositing a bottom electrode on the substrate wherein a first section of the bottom electrode is a first bottom electrode and a second section of the bottom electrode is a second bottom electrode;

depositing a piezoelectric (PZ) layer over the first bottom electrode layer;

depositing a top electrode having a first thickness;

etching a portion of the top electrode layer, the portion above the first bottom electrode, such that the portion of the top electrode layer has a second thickness; and

patterning, following the step of etching, the top electrode layer to form a first top electrode above the first bottom electrode and a second top electrode above the second bottom electrode such that a first resonator is formed having the first bottom electrode and the first top electrode with a first portion of the PZ layer and a second resonator is formed having the second bottom electrode and the second top electrode with a second portion of the PZ layer.

11. The method recited in claim 10 wherein the top electrode comprises Molybdenum.

12. The method recited in claim 10 wherein the PZ layer comprises Aluminum Nitride (AlN).

13. The method recited in claim 10 wherein the step of etching a portion of the top electrode layer is accomplished by a technique from a group of techniques consisting of dry etching, milling, and sputtering, with photoresist.

14. The method recited in claim 10 wherein the step of reducing the thickness of the top electrode comprises:

masking the top electrode layer except for the portion of the top electrode layer;

exposing the mask and the portion to an etching agent; and

removing the mask.

15. The method of recited in claim 14 wherein the mask comprises silicon dioxide (SiO₂).

16. The method of recited in claim 14 wherein the etching agent is dilute hydrofluoric acid (HF).

17. The method recited in claim 10 wherein a range of one to thirty percent of the top electrode'"'"'s thickness is etched.

18. The method recited in claim 10 wherein resonant frequency of the first resonator is higher than resonant frequency of the second resonator by one to six percent.