IP Library Granted Patent US 12690393
Granted Patent B2
US 12690393 · App. 17/990,904 · Granted Jul 21, 2026

Film structure and method for producing the same

Inventors: Akio Konishi (Yamaguchi, JP); Hiroaki Kanamori (Yamaguchi, JP)
Assignee: I-PEX PIEZO SOLUTIONS INC.
H10N30/708C30B23/025C30B29/02C30B29/32C30B29/68H10N30/076H10N30/079H10N30/853H10N30/8542H10N30/8554
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12690393
App. No.
17/990,904
Granted
Jul 21, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A film structure comprises a substrate and a buffer film formed on the substrate. The substrate is a 36° to 48° rotated Y-cut Si substrate, or the substrate is a SOI substrate comprising a base substance made of the 36° to 48° rotated Y-cut Si substrate, an insulating layer on the base substance, and a SOI layer made of a Si film on the insulating layer, and a Miller index of a crystal plane of an upper surface of the SOI layer is equal to the Miller index of a crystal plane of an upper surface of the base substance. The buffer film comprises ZrO 2 epitaxially grown on the substrate.

Claims (35)

1 . A film structure comprising:

a substrate; and

a buffer film formed on the substrate;

wherein;

the substrate is a 36° to 48° rotated Y-cut Si substrate, or

the substrate is a SOI substrate comprising a base substance made of a 36° to 48° rotated Y-cut Si substrate, an insulating layer on the base substance, and a SOI layer made of a Si film on the insulating layer,

a Miller index of a crystal plane of an upper surface of the SOI layer is equal to the Miller index of a crystal plane of an upper surface of the base substance, and

the buffer film comprises ZrO 2 epitaxially grown on the substrate.

2 . The film structure according to claim 1 , further comprising a metal film epitaxially grown on the buffer film.

3 . The film structure according to claim 2 , wherein the metal film comprises Pt.

4 . The film structure according to claim 2 , further comprising a SRO film epitaxially grown on the metal film.

5 . The film structure according to claim 4 , further comprising a piezoelectric film epitaxially grown on the SRO film.

6 . The film structure according to claim 5 , wherein

the piezoelectric film is a PZT film comprising PZT, and

two diffraction peaks respectively representing PZT ( 213 ) planes of the PZT film are observed in an in-plane X-ray diffraction pattern of the film structure.

7 . The film structure according to claim 6 , wherein, in an X-ray reciprocal lattice space mapping of the film structure, three reciprocal lattice points respectively representing a PZT ( 110 ) plane of the PZT film, a Si ( 220 ) plane of the substrate, and a PZT ( 112 ) plane of the PZT film are aligned in a Qz direction.

8 . The film structure according to claim 4 , wherein two diffraction peaks respectively representing SRO ( 110 ) planes of the SRO film are observed in an in-plane X-ray diffraction pattern of the film structure.

9 . The film structure according to claim 2 , further comprising a piezoelectric film epitaxially grown on the metal film.

10 . The film structure according to claim 9 , wherein the piezoelectric film comprises PZT, AlN, LiTaO 3 , or LiNbO 3 .

11 . The film structure according to claim 1 , further comprising a piezoelectric film epitaxially grown on the buffer film.

12 . A method for producing a film structure comprising:

(a) a step for preparing a substrate; and

(b) a step for forming a buffer film on the substrate; wherein

the step (a) comprises preparing (1) a 36° to 48° rotated Y-cut substrate is prepared, or (2) a SOI substrate comprising a base substance made of a 36° to 48° rotated Y-cut Si substrate, an insulating layer on the base substance, and a SOI layer made of a Si film on the insulating layer,

a Miller index of a crystal plane of an upper surface of the SOI layer is equal to the Miller index of a crystal plane of an upper surface of the base substance, and

the step (b) comprises forming the buffer film comprising ZrO 2 epitaxially grown on the substrate.

13 . The method for producing the film structure according to claim 12 , wherein the method further comprises:

(c) a step for forming a metal film epitaxially grown on the buffer film,

wherein the metal film comprises Pt.

14 . The method for producing the film structure according to claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises:

(d) a step for forming a SRO film epitaxially grown on the metal film,

wherein two diffraction peaks respectively representing SRO ( 110 ) planes of the SRO film are observed in an in-plane X-ray diffraction pattern of the film structure.

15 . The method for producing the film structure according to claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises;

(e) a step for forming a piezoelectric film epitaxially grown on the metal film,

wherein the piezoelectric film comprises PZT, AlN, LiTaO 3 , or LiNbO 3 .