Acoustic resonator device with air-ring and temperature compensating layer

• US 9,401,691 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2014
• Issued: 07/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zou, Qiang, Feng, Chris, Nikkel, Phil, Choy, John, Shirakawa, Alexandre Augusto, Lamers, Tina L., Chang, Sook Ching, Burak, Dariusz
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benny
• Assistant Examiner(s): SALAZAR JR, JORGE L
• Application Number:
  US14/266,445
• Publication Number:
  US 20150318837A1
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 333/133, 333186-188, 310/346
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 3/013 for obtaining desired frequency or temperature coefficient H03H3/0076 H03H3/04, H03H3/10 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/02086 Means for compensation or elimination of undesirable effects
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/02102 of temperature influence cutting angles H03H9/02015
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/132 characterized by a particular shape
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/173 Air-gaps

Abstract

A bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonator device includes a substrate defining a cavity, a bottom electrode formed over the substrate and at least a portion of the cavity, a piezoelectric layer formed on the bottom electrode, and a top electrode formed on the piezoelectric layer. An air-wing and an air-bridge are formed between the piezoelectric layer and the top electrode, the air-wing having an inner edge that defines an outer boundary of an active region of the BAW resonator device. The BAW resonator device further includes a temperature compensation feature having positive temperature coefficient for offsetting at least a portion of a negative temperature coefficient of the piezoelectric layer. The temperature compensation feature extends outside the active region by a predetermined length.

Claims

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

a substrate;

a bottom electrode formed over the substrate;

a piezoelectric layer formed on the bottom electrode;

a top electrode formed on the piezoelectric layer;

an air-wing and an air-bridge formed between the piezoelectric layer and the top electrode, the air-wing having an inner edge that defines an outer boundary of an active region of the BAW resonator device; and

a temperature compensation feature having a positive temperature coefficient for offsetting at least a portion of a negative temperature coefficient of the piezoelectric layer, the temperature compensation feature located in one of the top electrode, the piezoelectric layer or the bottom electrode,

wherein the temperature compensation feature extends outside the active region by a predetermined length.

2. The BAW resonator device of claim 1, wherein the temperature compensation feature comprises a temperature compensating layer buried in the top electrode, and

wherein an outer edge of the temperature compensating layer is located beyond the inner edge of the air-wing by the predetermined length.

3. The BAW resonator device of claim 2, wherein the outer edge of the temperature compensating layer buried in the top electrode is located within an outer edge of a cavity formed in the substrate.

4. The BAW resonator device of claim 1, wherein the temperature compensation feature comprises a temperature compensating layer buried in the piezoelectric layer, and

wherein an outer edge of the temperature compensating layer is located beyond the inner edge of the air-wing by the predetermined length.

5. The BAW resonator device of claim 4, wherein the outer edge of the temperature compensating layer buried in the piezoelectric layer is located within an outer edge of a cavity formed in the substrate.

6. The BAW resonator device of claim 1, wherein the temperature compensation feature comprises a temperature compensating layer buried in the bottom electrode, and

wherein an outer edge of the temperature compensating layer is located beyond the inner edge of the air-wing by the predetermined length.

7. The BAW resonator device of claim 1, wherein the predetermined length of the temperature compensation feature that extends outside the active region is optimized to maximize at least one of a quality factor (Q) value and a parallel resistance (Rp) value of the BAW resonator device.

8. The BAW resonator device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the bottom electrode and the top electrode comprises a composite electrode having an integrated lateral feature.

9. The BAW resonator device of claim 8, wherein the temperature compensation feature comprises a temperature compensating layer in the at least one of the bottom electrode and the top electrode comprising the composite electrode having the integrated lateral feature.

10. The BAW resonator device of claim 1, wherein the inner edge of the air-wing extends into a cavity, formed in the substrate, by a first predetermined length, and the temperature compensation feature extends past an outer edge of the cavity by a second predetermined length, such that the predetermined length of the temperature compensation feature that extends outside the active region is the sum of the first and second predetermined lengths.

11. The BAW resonator device of claim 10, wherein the first and second predetermined lengths are optimized to maximize at least one of a quality factor (Q) value and a parallel resistance (Rp) value of the BAW resonator device.

12. The BAW resonator device of claim 11, wherein the first predetermined length by which the inner edge of the air-wing extends into the cavity is approximately 2 μ

m or greater, and the second predetermined length by which the temperature compensation feature extends past the outer edge of the cavity is greater than or equal to approximately 2 μ

m.

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

a substrate;

a bottom electrode formed over the substrate;

a piezoelectric layer formed on the bottom electrode;

a top electrode formed on the piezoelectric layer;

an air-wing and an air-bridge formed between the piezoelectric layer and the top electrode, the air-wing having an inner edge that defines an outer boundary of an active region of the BAW resonator device; and

a temperature compensation feature having a positive temperature coefficient for offsetting at least a portion of a negative temperature coefficient of the piezoelectric layer,

wherein the temperature compensation feature extends outside the active region by a predetermined length,

wherein the temperature compensation feature comprises a temperature compensating layer located between the bottom electrode and the piezoelectric layer, and

wherein an outer edge of the temperature compensating layer is located beyond the inner edge of the air-wing by the predetermined length.

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

a substrate defining a cavity;

a bottom electrode formed over the substrate and at least a portion of the cavity;

a piezoelectric layer formed on the bottom electrode;

a top electrode formed on the piezoelectric layer;

an outer frame formed on or in the top electrode, the outer frame having an inner edge that defines an outer boundary of an active region of the BAW resonator device;

an air-wing and an air-bridge formed between the piezoelectric layer and the top electrode; and

a temperature compensation feature having a positive temperature coefficient for offsetting at least a portion of a negative temperature coefficient of at least the piezoelectric layer,

wherein the temperature compensation feature extends outside the active region by a predetermined length.

15. The BAW resonator device of claim 14, wherein an inner edge of the air-wing defines an outer boundary of a main membrane region containing the active region, and

wherein the temperature compensation feature extends past the inner edge of the air-wing by the predetermined length.

16. The BAW resonator device of claim 14, further comprising:

an inner frame formed on or in the top electrode within an area at least partially surrounded by the outer frame, the inner frame being configured to suppress a portion of lateral acoustic waves propagating from a center of the active region.

17. The BAW resonator device of claim 16, wherein a thickness of the outer frame is greater than a thickness of the inner frame.

18. The BAW resonator device of claim 14, wherein the temperature compensation feature comprises a temperature compensating layer in one of the bottom electrode, the piezoelectric layer, or the top electrode.

19. The BAW resonator device of claim 18 wherein the temperature compensating layer is formed of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), silicon dioxide (SiO₂) or boron-doped silicon oxide (BSG).

20. The BAW resonator device of claim 19, wherein the piezoelectric layer comprises a piezoelectric material doped with at least one rare earth element, the at least one rare earth element off-setting at least a portion of degradation in a coupling coefficient Kt² of the BAW resonator device caused by the temperature compensating layer.