IP Library Granted Patent US 6,998,940
Granted Patent B2
US 6,998,940 · App. 10/757,841 · Granted Feb 14, 2006

Component operating with bulk acoustic waves and a method for producing the component

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 6,998,940
App. No.
10/757,841
Granted
Feb 14, 2006
Kind
B2
Abstract

A component operating with bulk acoustic waves has a carrier substrate, a thin-film resonator and an acoustic mirror arranged between the resonator and carrier substrate. The acoustic mirror is formed by at least one high acoustic impedance layer, which is covered by a low acoustic impedance layer and the uppermost low impedance acoustic layer is planarized to form a flat planar surface on which the thin-film resonator is formed.

Claims (52)

1. A component operating with bulk acoustic waves, said component comprising:

a carrier substrate;

a lower electrode that faces said carrier substrate;

an upper electrode;

a piezoelectric layer between said lower electrode and said upper electrode, said piezoelectric layer comprising a multi-layer assembly; and

an acoustic mirror between said carrier substrate and said lower electrode, said acoustic mirror comprising at least one layer with a high acoustic impedance and at least one layer with low acoustic impedance arranged in a stack, said at least one layer of low acoustic impedance including an uppermost mirror layer of said stack, said at least one layer with high acoustic impedance being formed as a structured layer, said uppermost mirror layer exhibiting a varying thickness, an upper boundary surface of said uppermost mirror layer being planar to said lower electrode, and said uppermost layer enclosing a structure of said structured layer and forming a seal with a layer of said at least one layer with a low acoustic impedance or with said carrier substrate outside of an area covered by said structure.

2. A component according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one layer with high acoustic impedance includes a plurality of layers which are structured.

3. A component according to claim 2 , wherein said at least one layer with high acoustic impedance is formed of a material selected from a group consisting of tungsten and molybdenum, and said at least one layer with low impedance is formed of silicon oxide.

4. A component according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of said upper electrode and said lower electrode is formed by a plurality of layers.

5. A component according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one layer with high acoustic impedance is of a metal selected from a group consisting of tungsten and molybdenum, and said at least one layer with a low acoustic impedance is formed of silicon oxide.

6. A component operating with bulk acoustic waves, said component comprising:

a carrier substrate;

a lower electrode that faces said carrier substrate;

an upper electrode;

a piezoelectric layer between said lower electrode and said upper electrode;

an acoustic mirror between said carrier substrate and said lower electrode, said acoustic mirror comprising at least one layer with a high acoustic impedance and at least one layer with low acoustic impedance arranged in a stack, said at least one layer of low acoustic impedance including an uppermost mirror layer of said stack, said at least one layer with high acoustic impedance being formed as a structured said uppermost mirror layer exhibiting a varying thickness, an upper boundary surface of said uppermost mirror layer being planar to said lower electrode, and said uppermost layer enclosing structures of said structured layer and forming a seal with a layer of said at least one layer with a low acoustic impedance or with said carrier substrate outside of an area covered by said structure;

an additional piezoelectric layer being formed on said upper electrode and an additional electrode on said additional piezoelectric layer;

at least a partially permeable coupling layer between said upper electrode and said additional piezoelectric layer; and

a second additional electrode between said at least a partially permeable coupling layer and said additional piezoelectric layer.

7. A component according to claim 6 , wherein said at least one layer with high acoustic impedance includes a plurality of layers which are structured.

8. A component according to claim 7 , wherein said at least one layer with high acoustic impedance is formed of a material selected from a group consisting of tungsten and molybdenum, and said at least one layer with low impedance is formed of silicon oxide.

9. A component according to claim 6 , wherein at least one of said upper electrode and said lower electrode is formed by a plurality of layers.

10. A component according to claim 6 , wherein said at least one layer with high acoustic impedance is of a metal selected from a group consisting of tungsten and molybdenum, and said at least one layer with a low acoustic impedance is formed of silicon oxide.

11. A component operating with bulk acoustic waves, said component comprising:

a carrier substrate;

a lower electrode that faces said carrier substrate;

an upper electrode;

a piezoelectric layer between said lower electrode and said upper electrode; and

an acoustic mirror between said carrier substrate and said lower electrode, said acoustic mirror comprising at least one layer with a high acoustic impedance and at least one layer with low acoustic impedance arranged in a stack, said at least one layer of low acoustic impedance including an uppermost mirror layer of said stack, said at least one layer with high acoustic impedance being formed as a structured said uppermost mirror layer exhibiting a varying thickness, an upper boundary surface of said uppermost mirror layer being planar to said lower electrode, and said uppermost layer enclosing structures of said structured layer and forming a seal with a layer of said at least one layer with a low acoustic impedance or with said carrier substrate outside of an area covered by said structure

said carrier substrate including a plurality of dielectric layers with at least one metallized plane being provided between successive ones of said dielectric layers.

12. A component according to claim 11 , wherein said at least one layer with high acoustic impedance includes a plurality of layers which are structured.

13. A component according to claim 12 , wherein said at least one layer with high acoustic impedance is formed of a material selected from a group consisting of tungsten and molybdenum, and said at least one layer with low impedance is formed of silicon oxide.

14. A component according to claim 11 , wherein at least one of said upper electrode and said lower electrode is formed by a plurality of layers.

15. A component according to claim 11 , wherein said at least one layer with high acoustic impedance is of a metal selected from a group consisting of tungsten and molybdenum, and said at least one layer with a low acoustic impedance is formed of silicon oxide.

16. A method to produce a component operating with bulk acoustic waves, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a carrier substrate;

forming an acoustic mirror on the carrier substrate by depositing a layer with a high acoustic impedance on the carrier substrate;

structuring the layer of high acoustic impedance to form a structured layer;

depositing an uppermost mirror layer with a low acoustic impedance on the structured layer;

thinning and planarizing an upper surface of the uppermost mirror layer to form a planar surface;

forming a lower electrode on the planar surface;

forming a structured piezoelectric layer on the lower electrode; and

then forming an upper electrode on the structured piezoelectric layer.

17. A method according to claim 16 , wherein the step of thinning the uppermost mirror layer occurs by chemical mechanical polishing.

18. A method according to claim 16 , which includes, prior to depositing the uppermost mirror layer,

depositing an additional layer of low acoustic impedance on the structured layer,

depositing a second layer of high acoustic impedance on the additional layer, and

structuring the second layer to form a second structured layer so that the uppermost layer is applied on the second structured layer.

19. A method according to claim 18 , wherein the step of thinning the uppermost layer occurs by chemical mechanical polishing.

20. A method according to claim 16 , which includes, subsequent to depositing the upper electrode on the piezoelectric layer,

depositing a coupling layer,

then forming a lower electrode of a second resonator followed by a second piezoelectric layer and a second upper electrode on the coupling layer.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 2, 2017
From: EPCOS AG
To: SNAPTRACK, INC.
Reel/Frame 041608/0145 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 15, 2004
From: METZGER, THOMAS
To: EPCOS AG
Reel/Frame 014902/0274 →