Method for manufacturing a monolithic oscillator with bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonators

• US 8,397,360 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2010
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics SA (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics SA (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Bar, Pierre, Joblot, Sylvain, Carpentier, Jean-Francois
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Paul D
• Application Number:
  US12/896,394
• Publication Number:
  US 20110078894A1
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• Field of Search: 29/254.2, 295/921, 295/94, 296/091, 331/155, 361/306.1, 333/150, 333/187, 333/193, 333/195, 333/196, 438/48, 438/459
• US Class Current: 29/25.42
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 2003/0442 of a non-piezoelectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 3/04 for obtaining desired frequency or temperature coefficient
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/435 Solid dielectric type
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49004 including measuring or testing of device or component part
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49005 Acoustic transducer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4908 Acoustic transducer

Abstract

A method of adjustment on manufacturing of a monolithic oscillator including circuit elements and a BAW resonator, this method including the steps of: a) forming the circuit elements and the resonator and electrically connecting them; b) covering the resonator with a frequency adjustment layer; c) measuring the output frequency of the oscillator; d) modifying the thickness of the frequency adjustment layer to modify the output frequency of the oscillator.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

forming a first oscillator on a substrate, the first oscillator having an output;

forming a resonator on the substrate, the resonator being electrically coupled to the first oscillator;

forming a frequency adjustment layer on the resonator;

measuring an output frequency on the output of the first oscillator; and

adjusting the output frequency of the first oscillator by modifying a thickness of the frequency adjustment layer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying is performed by ion etching of the frequency adjustment layer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the frequency adjustment layer includes silicon nitride.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the first oscillator includes forming a plurality of circuit elements and forming a frequency divider between the plurality of circuit elements and the output.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming a test pad coupled to the output of the first oscillator.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the measuring includes contacting a test probe to the test pad to measure the output frequency of the first oscillator.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the resonator electrically coupled to the first oscillator includes forming a plurality of connections between the first oscillator and the resonator, the connections including respective vias.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the resonator includes forming a temperature compensation layer configured to limit a sensitivity of the resonance frequency to temperature.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first oscillator is a Colpitts oscillator.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming a second oscillator on the substrate simultaneously with the first oscillator.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising measuring an output frequency of the second oscillator simultaneously with measuring the output frequency of the first oscillator.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising modifying a thickness of a frequency adjustment layer on the second oscillator simultaneously with modifying the frequency adjustment layer on the first oscillator.

13. A method, comprising:

forming an oscillator having a first input, a second input, and an output on a substrate, the oscillator being configured to generate a first frequency value, the forming including;

forming a bulk acoustic wave resonator on the substrate, the resonator having a first electrode coupled to the first input of the oscillator and a second electrode coupled to the second input of the oscillator;

forming an adjustment layer on the resonator;

forming a test pad on the substrate, the test pad being coupled to the output of the oscillator;

measuring an output frequency of the oscillator through the test pad; and

reducing a thickness of the adjustment layer until the output frequency is the first frequency value.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the reducing includes ion etching the adjustment layer.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the adjustment layer includes silicon nitride.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein forming the oscillator includes forming a plurality of circuit elements and forming a frequency divider between the plurality of circuit elements and the output.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the oscillator is a Colpitts oscillator.