Stacked bulk acoustic resonator comprising a bridge and an acoustic reflector along a perimeter of the resonator

• US 9,083,302 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2011
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Burak, Dariusz, Bader, Stefan, Shirakawa, Alexandre, Nikkel, Phil
• Primary Examiner(s): Summons, Barbara
• Application Number:
  US13/208,883
• Publication Number:
  US 20120218059A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,432 Days
• Field of Search: 333187-189, 310/322, 310/324, 310/326, 310/334, 310/335, 310/348, 310/349
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 3/04 for obtaining desired frequency or temperature coefficient
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/02007 of bulk acoustic wave devices
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/0211 of reflections
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/132 characterized by a particular shape
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/173 Air-gaps
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/175 Acoustic mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/585 Stacked Crystal Filters [SCF]
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/587 Air-gaps
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/589 Acoustic mirrors

Abstract

In a representative embodiment, a bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonator comprises: a cavity provided in a first layer and having a perimeter bordering an active region of the BAW resonator, a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) bordering the cavity, wherein the first layer is one of the layers of the DBR; a first electrode disposed over the substrate; a first piezoelectric layer disposed over the first electrode; a second electrode disposed over the first piezoelectric layer; a second piezoelectric layer disposed over the second electrode; a third electrode disposed over the second piezoelectric layer; and a bridge disposed between the first electrode and the third electrode.

Claims

1. A bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonator, comprising:

a first layer comprising a plurality of sub-layers, wherein a cavity exists in the first layer, the cavity having a perimeter bordering an active region of the BAW resonator;

a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) bordering the cavity and comprising;

the plurality of sub-layers, wherein each of the sub-layers has a thickness substantially equal to an odd multiple of the quarter wavelength of the fundamental eigenmode of the BAW resonator; and

a second layer disposed beneath the first layer and the cavity;

a first electrode disposed over the cavity;

a first piezoelectric layer disposed over the first electrode;

a second electrode disposed over the first piezoelectric layer;

a second piezoelectric layer disposed over the second electrode;

a third electrode disposed over the second piezoelectric layer; and

a bridge disposed between the first electrode and the third electrode.

2. A BAW resonator as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a planarization layer disposed adjacent to the second electrode.

3. A BAW resonator as claimed in claim 2, wherein the bridge is disposed partly in the planarization layer and partly in the second electrode.

4. A BAW resonator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of sub-layers comprise layers having alternating low acoustic impedance and high acoustic impedance relative to one another.

5. A BAW resonator as claimed in claim 4, wherein each of the low acoustic impedance sub-layers comprise first layers of silicon carbide and each of the high acoustic impedance sub-layers comprise second layers of silicon carbide.

6. A BAW resonator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second layer is a substrate of the BAW resonator.

7. A BAW resonator as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a substrate disposed beneath the second layer of the DBR.

8. A BAW resonator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bridge is disposed over the distributed Bragg reflector and at least partially overlaps the distributed Bragg reflector.

9. A BAW resonator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bridge at least partially overlaps the cavity.

10. A RAW resonator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bridge is a first bridge, and the BAW resonator further comprises a second bridge disposed between the first electrode and the third electrode.

11. A BAW resonator as claimed in claim 10, wherein the BAW resonator has a second perimeter bordering the active region of the BAW resonator, and the second bridge is disposed along the second perimeter.

12. A BAW resonator as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first bridge and the second bridge each comprise a fill material having acoustic impedance.

13. A BAW resonator as claimed in claim 12, wherein the fill material comprises one or more of a dielectric material, a metal, or an alloy of metals.

14. A BAW resonator as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first bridge comprises a fill material having an acoustic impedance and the second bridge comprises air.

15. A BAW resonator as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first bridge is disposed in the first piezoelectric layer and the second bridge is disposed in the second piezoelectric layer.

16. A BAW resonator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bridge comprises a fill material having an acoustic impedance.

17. A BAW resonator as claimed in claim 16, wherein the fill material comprises one or more of a dielectric material, a metal, or an alloy of metals.

18. A BAW resonator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bridge has a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape.

19. An electrical filter comprising the BAW resonator as claimed in claim 1.

20. A bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonator, comprising:

a first layer comprising a plurality of sub-layers, wherein a cavity exists in the first layer, the cavity having a perimeter bordering an active region of the BAW resonator;

a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) bordering the cavity and comprising;

the plurality of sub-layers, wherein each of the sub-layers has a thickness substantially equal to an odd multiple of the quarter wavelength of the fundamental eigenmode of the BAW resonator; and

a second layer disposed beneath the first layer and the cavity;

a first electrode disposed over the cavity;

a first piezoelectric layer disposed over the first electrode;

a second electrode disposed over the first piezoelectric layer;

a second piezoelectric layer disposed over the second electrode;

a third electrode disposed over the second piezoelectric layer;

a bridge disposed between the first electrode and the third electrode; and

an inner raised region disposed over the third electrode, or an outer raised region disposed over the third electrode, or both the inner raised region and the outer raised region.

21. A BAW resonator as claimed in claim 20, further comprising a planarization layer disposed adjacent to the second electrode.

22. A BAW resonator as claimed in claim 21, wherein the bridge is disposed partly in the planarization layer and partly in the second electrode.

23. A BAW resonator as claimed in claim 20, wherein the plurality of sub-layers comprise sub-layers having alternating low acoustic impedance and high acoustic impedance relative to one another.

24. A BAW resonator as claimed in claim 23, wherein each of the sub-layers having low acoustic impedance comprise first layers of silicon carbide and each of the sub-layers having high acoustic impedance comprise second layers of silicon carbide.

25. A BAW resonator as claimed in claim 20, wherein the second layer is a substrate of the BAW resonator.

26. A BAW resonator as claimed in claim 20, further comprising a substrate disposed beneath the second layer of the DBR.

27. A BAW resonator as claimed in claim 20, wherein the bridge is disposed over the distributed Bragg reflector and at least partially overlaps the distributed Bragg reflector.

28. A BAW resonator as claimed in claim 20, wherein the bridge at least partially overlaps the cavity.

29. A BAW resonator as claimed in claim 20, wherein the bridge is a first bridge, and the BAW resonator further comprises a second bridge disposed between the first electrode and the third electrode.

30. A BAW resonator as claimed in claim 29, wherein the BAW resonator has a second perimeter bordering the active region of the BAW resonator, and the second bridge is disposed along the second perimeter.

31. A BAW resonator as claimed in claim 29, wherein the first bridge is disposed in the first piezoelectric layer and the second bridge is disposed in the second piezoelectric layer.

32. An electrical filter comprising the BAW resonator as claimed in claim 20.

33. A bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonator, comprising:

a cavity provided in a first layer and having a perimeter bordering an active region of the BAW resonator;

a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) bordering the cavity, the DBR comprising the first layer and a second layer, wherein the first layer comprises a low acoustic impedance layer comprising a first layer of silicon carbide and the second layer comprises a high acoustic impedance layer comprising a second layer of silicon carbide;

a first electrode disposed over the cavity;

a first piezoelectric layer disposed over the first electrode;

a second electrode disposed over the first piezoelectric layer;

a second piezoelectric layer disposed over the second electrode;

a third electrode disposed over the second piezoelectric layer; and

a bridge disposed between the first electrode and the third electrode.

34. A BAW resonator as claimed in claim 33, further comprising a substrate disposed beneath the second layer of the DBR.

35. A BAW resonator as claimed in claim 33, wherein the bridge is disposed over the distributed Bragg reflector and at least partially overlaps the distributed Bragg reflector.

36. A BAW resonator as claimed in claim 35, wherein the BAW resonator has a second perimeter bordering the active region of the BAW resonator, and a second bridge is disposed along the second perimeter.

37. A BAW resonator as claimed in claim 33, wherein the bridge at least partially overlaps the cavity.

38. A BAW resonator as claimed in claim 33, wherein the bridge is a first bridge, and the BAW resonator further comprises a second bridge disposed between the first electrode and the third electrode.

39. A BAW resonator as claimed in claim 38, wherein the first bridge and the second bridge each comprise a fill material having acoustic impedance.

40. A BAW resonator as claimed in claim 39, wherein the fill material comprises one or more of a dielectric material, a metal, or an alloy of metals.

41. A BAW resonator as claimed in claim 33, wherein the first layer of the DBR comprises a plurality of sub-layers wherein each of the sub-layers has a thickness substantially equal to an odd multiple of the quarter wavelength of the fundamental eigenmode of the BAW resonator.