Piezoelectric resonator, filter and electronic component using the same

• US 7,348,714 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2004
• Issued: 03/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TDK Corporation
• Inventors: Saitou, Hisatoshi, Inoue, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Schuberg; Darren
• Assistant Examiner(s): SAN MARTIN, JAYDI A
• Application Number:
  US10/901,382
• Publication Number:
  US 20050023932A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,335 Days
• Field of Search: 310/334, 310/335, 310364-366, 310/323, 333187-189
• US Class Current: 310/335
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/02102 of temperature influence cutting angles H03H9/02015
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/174 Membranes
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/175 Acoustic mirrors

Abstract

A piezoelectric resonator includes; a lower electrode 24 formed on a substrate 11; a piezoelectric film 23 formed on the lower electrode 24; an upper electrode 25 formed on the piezoelectric film 23 and obtaining, in collaboration with the lower electrode 24, a signal having a predetermined resonance frequency by a propagation of a bulk acoustic wave inside the piezoelectric film 23; and an acoustic multilayer reflective film 28 including an SiO₂ film 28a having a predetermined acoustic impedance and an AIN film 28b having an acoustic impedance higher than the SiO₂ film 28a, and reflecting the bulk acoustic wave, the SiO₂ film 28a and the AIN film 28b being alternately stacked on the upper electrode 25, and the SiO₂ film 28a being in contact with the upper electrode 25.

Claims

1. A piezoelectric resonator comprising:

a first electrode film formed on a substrate;

a piezoelectric film formed on the first electrode film;

a second electrode film formed on the piezoelectric film and obtaining, in collaboration with the first electrode film, a signal having a predetermined resonance frequency by a propagation of a bulk acoustic wave inside the piezoelectric film; and

an oscillation energy confining film including a first acoustic film having a predetermined acoustic impedance and a second acoustic film having an acoustic impedance higher than the first acoustic film, and reflecting the bulk acoustic wave, the first acoustic film and the second acoustic film being alternately stacked on the second electrode film, and the first acoustic film being in contact with the second electrode film,

wherein the resonance frequency of the second acoustic film is higher than the resonance frequency of the first acoustic film,

wherein the oscillation energy confining film substantially eliminates loss of oscillation energy of the piezoelectric resonator, and

wherein a thickness of at least one of the first acoustic film and the second acoustic film is selected to optimize a temperature characteristic and a Q-value of said resonator.

2. The piezoelectric resonator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first acoustic film comprises SiO₂.

3. The piezoelectric resonator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second acoustic film comprises AIN or ZnO.

4. The piezoelectric resonator as claimed in claim 1, wherein assuming that the wavelength of the bulk acoustic wave is λ

, the thickness of the first acoustic film is 0.125 λ

or more.

5. The piezoelectric resonator as claimed in claim 1, wherein assuming that the wavelength of the bulk acoustic wave is λ

, the thickness of the first acoustic film falls within the range of 0.275 λ

to 0.34 λ

, and that of the second acoustic film falls within the range of 0.05 λ

to 0.225 λ

.

6. The piezoelectric resonator as claimed in claim 1, wherein assuming that the wavelength of the bulk acoustic wave is λ

, the thickness of the first acoustic film falls within the range of 0.18 λ

to 0.225 λ

, and that of the second acoustic film falls within the range of 0.275 λ

to 0.35 λ

.

7. The piezoelectric resonator as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a third electrode film formed on the oscillation energy confining film;

a piezoelectric film formed on the third electrode film; and

a fourth electrode film formed on the piezoelectric film and obtaining, in collaboration with the third electrode film, a signal having a predetermined resonance frequency by a propagation of a bulk acoustic wave inside the piezoelectric film.

8. The piezoelectric resonator as claimed in claim 7, wherein the second acoustic film is in contact with the third electrode film.

9. The piezoelectric resonator as claimed in claim 7, wherein the second acoustic film comprises AIN.

10. The piezoelectric resonator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric resonator comprises an SMR-type piezoelectric resonator or a diaphragm-type piezoelectric resonator.

11. A filter comprising the piezoelectric resonator as claimed in claim 1.

12. An electronic component comprising the filter as claimed in claim 11.

13. The electronic component as claimed in claim 12, wherein the filter is mounted on a substrate and sealed with a resin.

14. An electronic component comprising the piezoelectric resonator as claimed in claim 1.

15. The electronic component as claimed in claim 14, wherein the piezoelectric resonator is mounted on a substrate and sealed with a resin.

16. The piezoelectric resonator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second electrode film forms an uppermost electrode film in the piezoelectric resonator and the oscillation energy confining film is disposed on an upper surface of the second electrode film.

17. The piezoelectric resonator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the oscillation energy confining film substantially brings said piezoelectric film to a free oscillation state.

18. A piezoelectric resonator comprising:

a first electrode film formed on a substrate

a piezoelectric film formed on the first electrode film;

a second electrode film formed on the piezoelectric film and obtaining, in collaboration with the first electrode film, a signal having a predetermined resonance frequency by a propagation of a bulk acoustic wave inside the piezoelectric film; and

an oscillation energy confining film including a first acoustic film having a predetermined acoustic impedance and a second acoustic film having an acoustic impedance higher than the first acoustic film, and reflecting the bulk acoustic wave, the first acoustic film and the second acoustic film being alternately stacked on the second electrode film, and the first acoustic film being in contact with the second electrode film,

wherein assuming that the wavelength of the bulk acoustic wave is λ

, the thickness of the first acoustic film falls within the range of 0.18 λ

to 0.225 λ

, and that of the second acoustic film falls within the range of 0.05 λ

to 0.225 λ

, and

wherein the oscillation energy confining film substantially eliminates loss of oscillation energy of the piezoelectric resonator, and

wherein a thickness of at least one of the first acoustic film and the second acoustic film is selected to optimize a temperature characteristic and a Q-value of said resonator.

19. A piezoelectric resonator having a single piezoelectric film, the piezoelectric resonator comprising:

a first electrode film formed on a substrate;

the single piezoelectric film formed on the first electrode film;

a second electrode film formed on the piezoelectric film and obtaining, in collaboration with the first electrode film, a signal having a predetermined resonance frequency by a propagation of a bulk acoustic wave inside the piezoelectric film; and

an oscillation energy confining film including a first acoustic film having a predetermined acoustic impedance and a second acoustic film having an acoustic impedance higher than the first acoustic film, and reflecting the bulk acoustic wave, the first acoustic film and the second acoustic film being alternately stacked on the second electrode film, and the first acoustic film being in contact with the second electrode film,

wherein the oscillation energy confining film substantially eliminates oscillation of the piezoelectric resonator, wherein the resonance frequency of the second acoustic film is higher than the resonance frequency of the first acoustic film, and

wherein a thickness of at least one of the first acoustic film and the second acoustic film is selected to optimize a temperature characteristic and a Q-value of said resonator.