MEMS resonator with functional layers

• US 9,991,872 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2015
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc. (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc. (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bhattacharjee, Kushal
• Primary Examiner(s): San Martin, J.
• Application Number:
  US14/679,379
• Publication Number:
  US 20150288345A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,156 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 2009/155 using MEMS techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/17 having a single resonator crystal tuning forks H03H9/21

Abstract

A MEMS device includes a substrate, at least one anchor on a surface of the substrate, and a vibrating body suspended over the substrate by the at least one anchor. The vibrating body includes a periodically poled piezoelectric thin-film layer, a first conductive layer, a second conductive layer, and a functional layer. The first conductive layer is on a first surface of the vibrating body opposite the surface of the substrate. The second conductive layer is on a second surface of the vibrating body opposite the first surface. The functional layer is over the first conductive layer. By including the functional layer over the first conductive layer, functionality may be added to the MEMS device, thereby increasing the utility thereof.

Claims

1. A micro-electrical-mechanical system (MEMS) device comprising:

a substrate;

at least one anchor on a surface of the substrate; and

a vibrating body suspended over the substrate by the at least one anchor and comprising;

a periodically poled piezoelectric thin-film layer;

a first conductive layer on a first surface of the vibrating body opposite the surface of the substrate;

a second conductive layer on a second surface of the vibrating body opposite the first surface; and

a functional layer over the first conductive layer.

2. The MEMS device of claim 1 wherein the periodically poled piezoelectric thin-film layer includes a number of nominal domains having a first width and a number of inverted domains having a second width.

3. The MEMS device of claim 2 wherein the functional layer is between about 0.001 times the first width plus the second width and 10 times the first width plus the second width.

4. The MEMS device of claim 2 wherein the functional layer comprises one of a dielectric material, a semiconductor material, an optically transparent material, an optically active material, a ferroelectric material, a pyroelectric material, a magnetostrictive material, and a ferromagnetic material.

5. The MEMS device of claim 3 wherein the functional layer comprises a piezoelectric material.

6. The MEMS device of claim 5 further comprising a third conductive layer over the functional layer.

7. The MEMS device of claim 6 wherein the functional layer is between about 0.001 times the first width plus the second width and 10 times the first width plus the second width.

8. The MEMS device of claim 2 further comprising an additional functional layer over the second conductive layer.

9. The MEMS device of claim 8 wherein the additional functional layer is between about 0.001 times the first width plus the second width and 10 times the first width plus the second width.

10. The MEMS device of claim 9 wherein the functional layer and the additional functional layer each comprise one of a dielectric material, a semiconductor material, an optically transparent material, an optically active material, a ferroelectric material, a pyroelectric material, a magnetostrictive material, and a ferromagnetic material.

11. The MEMS device of claim 8 wherein the functional layer and the additional functional layer are piezoelectric layers.

12. The MEMS device of claim 11 further comprising a third conductive layer over the functional layer and a fourth conductive layer over the additional functional layer.

13. The MEMS device of claim 12 further comprising tuning circuitry coupled between the third conductive layer and the fourth conductive layer and configured to provide a signal across the third conductive layer and the fourth conductive layer in order to change one or more resonant properties of the vibrating body.

14. The MEMS device of claim 12 wherein an electrical response to a signal provided between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer is tuned based upon a signal applied between the third conductive layer, the fourth conductive layer, or both.

15. The MEMS device of claim 12 wherein the functional layer is between about 0.001 times the first width plus the second width and 10 times the first width plus the second width.

16. The MEMS device of claim 12 wherein the functional layer and the additional functional layer are domain inverted with respect to one another.

17. A micro-electrical-mechanical system (MEMS) device comprising:

a substrate;

at least one anchor on a surface of the substrate;

a vibrating body suspended from the at least one anchor and comprising a periodically poled piezoelectric thin-film layer;

a functional layer on a first surface of the vibrating body opposite the surface of the substrate;

an additional functional layer on a second surface of the vibrating body opposite the first surface;

a first conductive layer over the functional layer; and

a second conductive layer over the additional functional layer.

18. The MEMS device of claim 17 wherein the periodically poled piezoelectric thin-film layer includes a number of nominal domains having a first width and a number of inverted domains having a second width.

19. The MEMS device of claim 18 wherein the functional layer and the additional functional layer have a thickness between about 0.001 times the first width plus the second width and 10 times the first width plus the second width.

20. The MEMS device of claim 19 wherein the functional layer and the additional functional layer each comprise one of a dielectric material, a semiconductor material, an optically transparent material, an optically active material, a ferroelectric material, a pyroelectric material, a magnetostrictive material, and a ferromagnetic material.

21. The MEMS device of claim 18 wherein the functional layer and the additional functional layer comprise a piezoelectric material.

22. The MEMS device of claim 21 wherein the functional layer and the additional functional layer have a thickness between about 0.001 times the first width plus the second width and 10 times the first width plus the second width.

23. The MEMS device of claim 21 wherein the functional layer and the additional functional layer are domain inverted with respect to one another.

24. The MEMS device of claim 21 wherein an electrical response to alternating current (AC) signals provided between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer is tuned based upon a direct current (DC) voltage applied between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer.