Capacitive vertical silicon bulk acoustic resonator

• US 7,176,770 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2005
• Issued: 02/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Georgia Tech Research Corporation (University System of Georgia)
• Original Assignee: Georgia Tech Research Corporation (University System of Georgia)
• Inventors: Ayazi, Farrokh, Ho, Gavin Kar-Fai, Pourkamali, Siavash
• Primary Examiner(s): Summons; Barbara
• Application Number:
  US11/208,818
• Publication Number:
  US 20060044078A1
• Time in Patent Office: 540 Days
• Field of Search: 333186-188
• US Class Current: 333/186
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 2009/02496 Horizontal, i.e. parallel to the substrate plane
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 3/0077 by tuning of resonance frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/02401 by annealing
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/02409 by application of a DC-bias voltage H03H9/02417 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/02448 of temperature influence
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/2463 Clamped-clamped beam resonators

Abstract

Disclosed are high frequency, vertical silicon bulk acoustic resonators. Resonator structures having a relatively large transduction areas fabricated using a HARPSS fabrication process provide for high frequency capacitive resonators with significantly low impedance values. Impedance values as low as a few kilo-Ohms to sub-kilo-Ohm and quality factors in the range of 20,000 to 90,000 in the VHF range have been achieved for a first thickness mode of fabricated vertical silicon bulk acoustic resonators. Resonant frequencies as high as 983 MHz have been demonstrated for higher third thickness modes of the vertical silicon bulk acoustic resonators.

Claims

1. Acoustic resonator apparatus, comprising:

a substrate comprising a resonator element having a length-to-frequency-determining-width ratio larger than one and that is coupled by way of one or more support structures to one or more bias pads; and

one or more electrodes disposed adjacent sides of the resonator element and separated therefrom by one or more capacitive gaps;

and wherein the resonant frequency of the resonator element is primarily determined by a single in-plane lateral dimension.

2. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein the one or more electrodes comprise polycrystalline semiconductor material.

3. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein the resonator element has a length that is from several micrometers to hundreds of micrometers long.

4. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein the resonator element comprises a bar having rectangular cross sections.

5. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises semiconductor-on-insulator material.

6. The apparatus recited in claim 1 which comprises a plurality of resonator elements having different resonance frequencies that are fabricated on a single substrate.

7. The apparatus recited in claim 6 wherein the resonator element has a length that is from several micrometers to hundreds of micrometers long.

8. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein the resonator element is operated at fundamental resonance and high order harmonic frequencies when electrical signals are applied to the one or more electrodes.

9. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein the resonator element comprises an anisotropic material.

10. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein the resonator element has a thickness-to-width ratio larger than one and is several micrometers to hundreds of micrometers thick.

11. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein the one or more support structures are disposed on sides of the resonator element.

12. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein the resonator element has a plurality of notches formed therein.

13. The apparatus recited in claim 12 wherein the notches are repeated periodically, dividing resonator element into a plurality of similar mechanically connected structures.

14. Acoustic resonator apparatus, comprising:

a substrate comprising a resonator element having a frequency-determining-width and that is coupled by way of one or more support structures to one or more bias pads; and

one or more electrodes disposed adjacent sides of the resonator element and separated therefrom by one or more capacitive gaps;

wherein the resonant frequency of the resonator element is primarily determined by a single in-plane lateral dimension;

and wherein the resonator apparatus is frequency tunable.

15. The apparatus recited in claim 14 wherein the resonator element has a length-to-frequency-determining-width ratio larger than one and a length that is from several micrometers to hundreds of micrometers long.

16. The apparatus recited in claim 14 wherein frequency tuning is done by passing electrical current through the resonating element to change and control its temperature.

17. The apparatus recited in claim 14 wherein frequency tuning is done by passing electrical current through a heater element disposed adjacent to the resonator element to change or control its temperature.

18. The apparatus recited in claim 14 wherein frequency tuning is done by applying a DC bias difference between the bias pads.

19. The apparatus recited in claim 14 wherein the resonator element is coupled to control circuitry for applying a temperature dependant electrical signal to the resonator element to cancel or control its temperature dependant frequency drift.

20. The apparatus recited in claim 14 wherein one or more tuning elements are disposed on or attached to the resonator apparatus and frequency tuning is done by selectively removing at least a portion of the tuning elements.