Thin-film piezoelectric resonator and method for fabricating the same

• US 6,977,563 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2003
• Issued: 12/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TDK Corporation
• Inventors: Whatmore, Roger William, Southin, Joseph Edward Albert, Imura, Masaaki, Komuro, Eiju, Takeishi, Taku, Gunji, Katsuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): TAKAOKA, DEAN O
• Application Number:
  US10/670,234
• Publication Number:
  US 20040140865A1
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• Field of Search: 333/187, 333/188, 333/189, 333/191, 310/312, 310/321
• US Class Current: 333/187
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 2003/0428 of an electrode
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 3/04 for obtaining desired frequency or temperature coefficient
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/02094 of adherence
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/02149 of ageing changes of characteristics, e.g. electro-acousto-migration
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/173 Air-gaps
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/174 Membranes
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/564 implemented with thin-film techniques

Abstract

A thin-film piezoelectric resonator including a piezoelectric thin film having piezoelectric characteristic, and an upper electrode and a lower electrode arranged on opposite surfaces of the piezoelectric thin film for applying an excitation voltage to the piezoelectric thin film, wherein: each of the upper electrode and the lower electrode includes a resonant portion, and a lead-out portion; and the electrode thickness of at least one part of the lead-out portion in at least one of the upper electrode and the lower electrode is larger than the electrode thickness of the resonant portion formed to be continued from the lead-out portion.

Claims

1. A thin-film piezoelectric resonator comprising:

a piezoelectric thin film having piezoelectric characteristic; and

an upper electrode and a lower electrode arranged on opposite surfaces of said piezoelectric thin film for applying an excitation voltage to said piezoelectric thin film,

wherein each of said upper electrode and said lower electrode includes a resonant portion and a lead-out portion, and

an electrode thickness of at least one part of said lead-out portion in at least one of said upper electrode and said lower electrode is larger than an electrode thickness of said resonant portion formed to be continued from said lead-out portion.

2. A thin-film piezoelectric resonator according to claim 1, wherein said piezoelectric thin film has a thickness of not larger than 5 μ

m.

3. A thin-film piezoelectric resonator comprising:

a piezoelectric thin film having piezoelectric characteristic; and

an upper electrode and a lower electrode arranged on opposite surfaces of said piezoelectric thin film for applying an excitation voltage to said piezoelectric thin film,

wherein each of said upper electrode and said lower electrode includes a resonant portion and a lead-out portion, and

said lead-out portion in at least one of said upper electrode and said lower electrode is different in electrode material from said resonant portion formed to be continued from said lead-out portion.

4. A thin-film piezoelectric resonator according to claim 3, wherein at least one part of said lead-out portion is formed by stacking layers with different electrode materials, where one of said stacked electrode is formed to be continued from said resonant portion.

5. A method of fabricating a thin-film piezoelectric resonator including a piezoelectric thin film having piezoelectric characteristic, and an upper electrode and a lower electrode arranged on opposite surfaces of said piezoelectric thin film for applying an excitation voltage to said piezoelectric thin film, said method comprising the step of:

forming said lower electrode and said upper electrode, at least one of forming step of said upper electrode and said lower electrode including at least two thin film-forming and patterning processes, wherein a mask used in the first patterning process is different in shape from a mask used in the second patterning process or in the patterning process after the second patterning process,

said forming producing for at least one of the upper electrode and the lower electrode a resonant region and a lead-out portion extending from the resonant portion, said lead-out portion having an electrode thickness different from that of the resonant portion.

6. A filter including a thin-film piezoelectric resonator comprising:

a piezoelectric thin film having piezoelectric characteristic; and

an upper electrode and a lower electrode arranged on opposite surfaces of said piezoelectric thin film for applying an excitation voltage to said piezoelectric thin film,

wherein each of said upper electrode and said lower electrode includes a resonant portion and a lead-out portion, and

an electrode thickness of at least one part of said lead-out portion in at least one of said upper electrode and said lower electrode is larger than an electrode thickness of said resonant portion formed to be continued from said lead-out portion.

7. A duplexer including a thin-film piezoelectric resonator comprising:

a piezoelectric thin film having piezoelectric characteristic; and

an upper electrode and a lower electrode arranged on opposite surfaces of said piezoelectric thin film for applying an excitation voltage to said piezoelectric thin film,

wherein each of said upper electrode and said lower electrode includes a resonant portion and a lead-out portion, and

an electrode thickness of at least one part of said lead-out portion in at least one of said upper electrode and said lower electrode is larger than an electrode thickness of said resonant portion formed to be continued from said lead-out portion.