Piezoelectric vibrator, filter using the same and its adjusting method

• US 7,414,349 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2003
• Issued: 08/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Sasaki, Yukinori
• Primary Examiner(s): BUDD, MARK OSBORNE
• Application Number:
  US10/500,393
• Publication Number:
  US 20050012569A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,761 Days
• Field of Search: 310/324, 310/346, 310/320, 310/334, 310/340, 333/191, 333/187
• US Class Current: 310/324
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 3/04 for obtaining desired frequency or temperature coefficient
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/0207 the vibration mode being harmonic
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/02102 of temperature influence cutting angles H03H9/02015
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/02133 of stress
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/174 Membranes
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/177 of the energy-trap type
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/562 comprising a ceramic piezoelectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/564 implemented with thin-film techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/588 Membranes

Abstract

A piezoelectric vibrator has a laminated structure where silicon oxide films having substantially the same thickness are disposed at both faces of piezoelectric plate as dielectric films. Using the structure discussed above, because dielectric films are formed at the both faces of the piezoelectric plate a difference of internal stress, which is caused by a difference of stress relaxation in a long term and affects the piezoelectric plate or the dielectric film, becomes small. Therefore, a warp can be considerably small. As a result, a change, which is caused by the warp of the piezoelectric vibrator, in a resonance frequency of the piezoelectric vibrator can be small.

Claims

1. A piezoelectric vibrator comprising:

a piezoelectric plate, having a polarization that points in a direction of a thickness of the piezoelectric plate, the piezoelectric plate having a first face and a second face;

a first electrode for covering the first face;

a second electrode for covering the second face;

a first dielectric film for covering the first electrode; and

a second dielectric film for covering the second electrode,

wherein the piezoelectric plate employs a thickness longitudinal vibration as a principal vibration,

the first dielectric film and the second dielectric film have substantially a same thickness, a substantially same area, and a substantially same geometric shape,

a ratio of a sum of a thickness (ts) of the first dielectric film and the second dielectric film to the thickness (tp) of the piezoelectric plate is provided in a range such that an electromechanical coupling factor is substantially constant,

wherein the range of the ratio (ts/tp) is between 0.7 and 2.0, inclusively.

2. The piezoelectric vibrator of claim 1,

wherein the piezoelectric plate is made of aluminum nitride.

3. The piezoelectric vibrator of claim 1,

wherein at least one of the first dielectric film and the second dielectric film is made of silicon oxide.

4. The piezoelectric vibrator of claim 1,

wherein at least one of the first dielectric film and the second dielectric film is made of silicon nitride.

5. The piezoelectric vibrator of claim 1,

wherein at least one of the first dielectric film and the second dielectric film is formed of a laminated layer of silicon oxide and silicon nitride.

6. The piezoelectric vibrator of claim 1,

wherein the principal vibration is a fundamental mode of the thickness longitudinal vibration.

7. The piezoelectric vibrator of claim 1,

wherein the principal vibration of the piezoelectric plate is a second overtone mode of the thickness longitudinal vibration.

8. A piezoelectric filter comprising:

a piezoelectric vibrator including;

a piezoelectric plate, having a polarization that points in a direction of a thickness of the piezoelectric plate, the piezoelectric plate having a first face and a second face;

a first electrode for covering the first face;

a second electrode for covering the second face;

a first dielectric film for covering the first electrode; and

a second dielectric film for covering the second electrode,

wherein the piezoelectric plate employs a thickness longitudinal vibration as a principal vibration,

the first dielectric film and the second dielectric film have substantially a same thickness, a substantially same area, and a substantially same geometric shape, a ratio of a sum of a thickness (ts) of the first dielectric film and the second dielectric film to the thickness (tp) of the piezoelectric plate is provided in a range such that an electromechanical coupling factor is substantially constant,

wherein the range of the ratio (ts/tp) is between 0.7 and 2.0, inclusive.

9. The piezoelectric filter of claim 8,

wherein the piezoelectric vibrator includes at least two piezoelectric vibrators, and

the piezoelectric filter is a ladder type filter formed by combining the at least two piezoelectric vibrators.

10. The piezoelectric filter of claim 8,

wherein the piezoelectric vibrator includes a plurality of piezoelectric vibrators, and

the piezoelectric filter is a double mode filter where the plurality of piezoelectric vibrators are formed at the piezoelectric plate.

11. The piezoelectric filter of claim 10,

wherein the first electrode is divided into an electrode for inputting and an electrode for outputting, and the second electrode is used as an electrode for grounding.

12. A method of adjusting a piezoelectric vibrator, the piezoelectric vibrator comprising:

a piezoelectric plate, having a polarization that points in a direction of a thickness of the piezoelectric plate, the piezoelectric plate having a first face and a second face;

a first electrode for covering the first face;

a second electrode for covering the second face;

a first dielectric film for covering the first electrode; and

a second dielectric film for covering the second electrode;

the method comprising;

providing a ratio of a sum of a thickness (ts) of the first dielectric film and the second dielectric film to the thickness (tp) of the piezoelectric plate in a range such that an electromechanical coupling factor is substantially constant; and

adjusting a resonance frequency of the piezoelectric vibrator by changing at least one of the first dielectric film and the second dielectric film,

wherein the piezoelectric plate employs a thickness longitudinal vibration as a principal vibration,

the first dielectric film and the second dielectric film have substantially a same thickness, a substantially same area, and a substantially same geometric shape,

wherein the range of the ratio (ts/tp) is between 0.7 and 2.0, inclusive.