Acoustic resonator comprising temperature compensating layer and perimeter distributed bragg reflector

• US 9,490,770 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2013
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2011
• 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, Choy, John, Grannen, Kevin J., Nikkel, Phil
• Primary Examiner(s): Dougherty, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US14/092,026
• Publication Number:
  US 20140152152A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• Field of Search: 310311-371, 333186-193
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/02102 of temperature influence cutting angles H03H9/02015
• 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]

Abstract

An acoustic resonator structure includes a bottom electrode disposed on a substrate, a piezoelectric layer disposed on the bottom electrode, a top electrode disposed on the piezoelectric layer, a cavity disposed beneath the bottom electrode, and a temperature compensating feature. The temperature compensating feature has a positive temperature coefficient for offsetting at least a portion of a negative temperature coefficient of the piezoelectric and electrode layers. The acoustic resonator structure further includes an acoustic reflector disposed over the substrate around a perimeter of the cavity. The acoustic reflector includes a layer of low acoustic impedance material stacked on a layer of high acoustic impedance material.

Claims

1. An acoustic resonator, comprising:

a perimeter acoustic reflector disposed on a substrate around a perimeter of a cavity, the perimeter acoustic reflector comprising a layer of low acoustic impedance material stacked on a layer of high acoustic impedance material;

a bottom electrode disposed over the cavity and on at least a portion of the perimeter acoustic reflector;

a piezoelectric layer disposed on the bottom electrode;

a top electrode disposed on the piezoelectric layer; and

a temperature compensating feature having a positive temperature coefficient for offsetting at least a portion of a negative temperature coefficient of the piezoelectric layer, the bottom electrode and the top electrode,

wherein the cavity extends from the bottom electrode at least partially through the perimeter acoustic reflector, and ends within the perimeter acoustic reflector, at a top surface of the substrate or within the substrate, enabling vibration of at least a portion of the piezoelectric layer positioned over the cavity.

2. The acoustic resonator of claim 1, wherein the temperature compensating feature comprises a temperature compensating layer formed in at least one of the bottom electrode and the top electrode.

3. The acoustic resonator of claim 2, further comprising:

at least one frame disposed within a main membrane region defined by an overlap between the bottom electrode, the piezoelectric layer, and the top electrode, and having an outer edge substantially aligned with a boundary of the main membrane region; and

a collar formed separate from the frame, disposed outside the main membrane region, and having an inner edge substantially aligned with the boundary of or overlapping the main membrane region.

4. The acoustic resonator of claim 3, wherein the at least one frame comprises a frame disposed at a bottom portion of the top electrode, and the temperature compensating layer is formed in the bottom electrode.

5. The acoustic resonator of claim 4, wherein the at least one frame comprises another frame disposed at one of a top portion or a bottom portion of the bottom electrode.

6. The acoustic resonator of claim 3, wherein the at least one frame comprises a frame disposed at a bottom portion of the bottom electrode, and the temperature compensating layer is formed in the top electrode.

7. The acoustic resonator of claim 4, wherein the collar is formed between the perimeter acoustic reflector and the bottom electrode.

8. The acoustic resonator of claim 6, wherein the collar is formed between the perimeter acoustic reflector and the bottom electrode.

9. The acoustic resonator of claim 5, wherein the collar is formed between the perimeter acoustic reflector and the bottom electrode.

10. The acoustic resonator of claim 1, wherein the temperature compensating feature comprises a temperature compensating layer formed in the piezoelectric layer.

11. The acoustic resonator of claim 10, further comprising:

at least one frame disposed within a main membrane region defined by an overlap between the bottom electrode, the piezoelectric layer, and the top electrode, and having an outer edge substantially aligned with a boundary of the main membrane region; and

a collar formed separate from the frame, disposed outside the main membrane region, and having an inner edge substantially aligned with the boundary of or overlapping the main membrane region.

12. The acoustic resonator of claim 11, wherein the at least one frame comprises a first frame disposed in the bottom electrode and a second frame disposed in the top electrode.

13. The acoustic resonator of claim 11, wherein the collar is formed on a top surface of the top electrode and a planarization layer adjacent to the top electrode.

14. The acoustic resonator of claim 11, wherein the collar is formed between the bottom electrode and the piezoelectric layer.

15. The acoustic resonator of claim 11, wherein the collar is formed between the perimeter acoustic reflector and the bottom electrode.

16. The acoustic resonator of claim 3, wherein the at least one frame is an add-on frame or a composite frame.

17. The acoustic resonator of claim 16, wherein the collar comprises borosilicate glass, carbon-doped silicon oxide, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, zinc oxide, lead zirconium titanate, diamond or diamond-like carbon, and

wherein the frame comprises a layer of copper, molybdenum, aluminum, tungsten, iridium, borosilicate glass, carbon-doped silicon oxide, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, zinc oxide, lead zirconium titanate, diamond or diamond-like carbon.

18. The acoustic resonator of claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric layer is doped with at least one rare earth element for offsetting at least a portion of degradation of an electromechanical coupling coefficient of the acoustic resonator caused by the temperature compensating feature.

19. The acoustic resonator of claim 3, wherein the collar defines a collar region having a cutoff frequency that is substantially the same as a cutoff frequency of the main membrane region.

20. An acoustic resonator, comprising:

an acoustic stack arranged over a cavity, the acoustic stack comprising a piezoelectric layer sandwiched between bottom and top electrode layers and having a main membrane region defined by an overlap between the bottom electrode, the piezoelectric layer, and the top electrode;

a temperature compensating layer having a positive temperature coefficient for offsetting at least a portion of a negative temperature coefficient of the piezoelectric, the bottom electrode layer and the top electrode layer, the temperature compensating layer being located in one of the bottom electrode layer, the top electrode layer, and the piezoelectric layer;

a perimeter distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) disposed on a substrate around a perimeter of the cavity, the perimeter DBR consisting of a layer of low acoustic impedance material stacked on a layer of high acoustic impedance material; and

a collar disposed outside the main membrane region and having an inner edge substantially aligned with the boundary of or overlapping the main membrane region;

wherein the cavity extends from the acoustic stack through at least a portion of the perimeter DBR, ending within the perimeter DBR, at a top surface of the substrate or within the substrate.