Frequency-variable acoustic thin film resonator, filter and communication apparatus using the same

• US 7,986,198 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2007
• Issued: 07/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Onishi, Keiji, Nakatsuka, Hiroshi, Yamakawa, Takehiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Summons; Barbara
• Application Number:
  US12/375,313
• Publication Number:
  US 20090273416A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,455 Days
• Field of Search: 333187-189, 333/133, 310321-323, 310/328, 310/334, 310/366
• US Class Current: 333/133
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 2009/02204 operating on an additional circuit element, e.g. applying a tuning DC voltage to a passive circuit element connected to the resonator
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/132 characterized by a particular shape
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/542 including passive elements H03H9/545 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/564 implemented with thin-film techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/585 Stacked Crystal Filters [SCF]
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/587 Air-gaps
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/605 consisting of a ladder configuration

Abstract

An acoustic thin film resonator including: a first piezoelectric thin film 101; a pair of primary electrodes 103 and 104 for applying an electric signal, which are formed on the first piezoelectric thin film; a second piezoelectric thin film 102 that is disposed so that an oscillation generated in the first piezoelectric thin film propagates to the second piezoelectric thin film; a pair of secondary electrodes 104 and 105 for outputting an electric signal, which are formed on the second piezoelectric thin film; a load 108 that is connected between the secondary electrodes; and a control portion 109 that controls a value of the load. Thereby, an acoustic thin film resonator element is formed so that an electric signal inputted from the primary electrodes is outputted from the secondary electrodes by a piezoelectric effect, and a resonant frequency and an antiresonant frequency are made variable through the control of the value of the load. A resonant frequency and an antiresonant frequency are made variable at the same time without resonant characteristics being deteriorated.

Claims

1. A frequency-variable acoustic thin film resonator, comprising:

a first piezoelectric thin film;

a pair of primary electrodes for applying an electric signal, which are formed on the first piezoelectric thin film;

a second piezoelectric thin film that is disposed so that an oscillation generated in the first piezoelectric thin film propagates to the second piezoelectric thin film;

a pair of secondary electrodes for outputting an electric signal, which are formed on the second piezoelectric thin film;

a load that is connected between the secondary electrodes; and

a control portion that controls a value of the load,

whereby an acoustic thin film resonator element is formed so that an electric signal inputted from the primary electrodes is outputted from the secondary electrodes by a piezoelectric effect, and

a resonant frequency and an antiresonant frequency are made variable through the control of the value of the load,

wherein the first piezoelectric thin film and the second piezoelectric thin film are disposed in a laminated state,

between the first piezoelectric thin film and the second piezoelectric thin film, a second electrode is provided so as to be shared by both of the piezoelectric thin films,

a first electrode is provided on a surface of the first piezoelectric thin film on a side opposite the second electrode,

a third electrode is provided on a surface of the second piezoelectric thin film on a side opposite the second electrode,

the first and second electrodes function as the primary electrodes,

the second and third electrodes function as the secondary electrodes, and

where a total of film thicknesses of the first and second electrodes and the first piezoelectric thin film is defined as a film thickness P, and a sum of the film thickness P and thicknesses of the second piezoelectric thin film and the third electrode is defined as an entire film thickness T, a film thickness ratio P/T is set to be in a range of values larger than a value at which a resonator element constituted of the first and second electrodes and the first piezoelectric film has a maximum effective coupling coefficient and smaller than a value at which a resonator element constituted of the second and third electrodes and the second piezoelectric film has a maximum effective coupling coefficient.

2. The frequency-variable acoustic thin film resonator according to claim 1,

wherein the load is formed of a variable capacitance.

3. The frequency-variable acoustic thin film resonator according to claim 2,

wherein the load is set to have a value variable in a range between 1/100 times and 100 times a value of a secondary capacitance that is defined as a capacitance between the pair of secondary electrodes of the acoustic thin film resonator element.

4. The frequency-variable acoustic thin film resonator according to claim 3,

wherein the load is set to have a value variable in a range between 1/10 times and 10 times the value of the secondary capacitance of the acoustic thin film resonator element.

5. The frequency-variable acoustic thin film resonator according to claim 1,

wherein the load is formed of a variable inductor.

6. The frequency-variable acoustic thin film resonator according to claim 5,

wherein the variable inductor is set to have an impedance variable in a range between 1/100 times and 100 times a value of a secondary impedance that is defined as an impedance between the pair of secondary electrodes of the acoustic thin film resonator element.

7. The frequency-variable acoustic thin film resonator according to claim 6,

wherein the variable inductor is set to have an impedance variable in a range between 1/10 times and 10 times the value of the secondary impedance of the acoustic thin film resonator element.

8. The frequency-variable acoustic thin film resonator according to claim 1,

wherein the load is configured so as to be switched between infinity and zero by means of a switch element.

9. The frequency-variable acoustic thin film resonator according to claim 1,

wherein the load is formed of a plurality of switch elements and a plurality of loads that are switched between a connected state and a disconnected state by the plurality of switch elements, and values of the loads are made variable through switching of the switch elements.

10. The frequency-variable acoustic thin film resonator according to claim 1,

wherein the first piezoelectric thin film and the second piezoelectric thin film are made of AlN,

the first to third electrodes are made of Mo, and

where a film thickness ratio P/T is set to be in a range of 0.4 to 0.5.

11. The frequency-variable acoustic thin film resonator according to claim 1,

wherein the first piezoelectric thin film and the second piezoelectric thin film are made of AlN,

the first to third electrodes are made of Mo, and

where a film thickness ratio P/T is set to be not higher than 0.58.

12. A filter composed of one or a combination of the frequency-variable acoustic thin film resonators according to claim 1.

13. A duplexer comprising the filter according to claim 12.

14. A communication apparatus comprising the duplexer according to claim 13.