Polarity determining seed layer and method of fabricating piezoelectric materials with specific C-axis

• US 9,847,768 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2009
• Issued: 12/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Grannen, Kevin, Feng, Chris, Choy, John
• Primary Examiner(s): ROSENAU, DEREK JOHN
• Application Number:
  US12/623,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20110121689A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,948 Days
• Field of Search: 310320, 310357
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 23/02 Epitaxial-layer growth
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 25/02 Epitaxial-layer growth
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/406 Gallium nitride
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/02015 Characteristics of piezoelectric layers, e.g. cutting angles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/42 Piezoelectric device making

Abstract

An acoustic resonator comprises a first electrode, a second electrode and a piezoelectric layer disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, and comprising a C-axis having an orientation. A polarization-determining seed layer (PDSL) is disposed beneath the piezoelectric layer, the seed layer comprising a metal-nonmetal compound. A method of fabricating a piezoelectric layer over a substrate comprises forming a first layer of a polarization determining seed layer (PDSL) over the substrate. The method further comprises forming a second layer of the PDSL over the first layer. The method further comprises forming a first layer of a piezoelectric material over the second layer of the PDSL; and forming a second layer of the piezoelectric material over the first layer of the piezoelectric material. The piezoelectric material comprises a compression axis (C-axis) oriented along a first direction.

Claims

1. An acoustic resonator, comprising:

a substrate having a first side and a second side;

a first electrode disposed over the first side of the substrate;

a second electrode;

a piezoelectric layer comprising aluminum nitride (AlN) disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, and comprising a C-axis having an orientation; and

a polarization-determining seed layer (PDSL) disposed over the first side of the substrate, and beneath the piezoelectric layer, the PDSL comprising gallium nitride (GaN), wherein neither AlN nor GaN are disposed on the second side of the substrate.

2. An acoustic resonator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the PDSL is disposed in an ascending pattern ABABABAB from a surface of the first electrode and in a crystalline orientation, or in an ascending pattern BABABABA from the surface of the first electrode in the crystalline orientation, where A is gallium and B is nitrogen.

3. An acoustic resonator as claimed in claim 2, wherein the C-axis orientation is compression positive (C_p) over the PDSL comprising the ascending pattern ABABABAB.

4. An acoustic resonator as claimed in claim 2, wherein the C-axis orientation is compression negative (C_n) over the PDSL comprising the ascending pattern BABABABA.

5. An acoustic resonator as claimed in claim 2, wherein the PDSL is a first PDSL, the piezoelectric layer is a first piezoelectric layer, and the C-axis is a first C-axis the acoustic resonator further comprising:

a second piezoelectric layer disposed over the second electrode and comprising a second C-axis; and

a second PDSL disposed between the second piezoelectric layer and the second electrode.

6. An acoustic resonator as claimed in claim 5, wherein the second C-axis is substantially antiparallel to the first C-axis.

7. An acoustic resonator as claimed in claim 5, wherein the second C-axis is substantially parallel to the first C-axis.