IP Library Granted Patent US 7,636,026
Granted Patent B2
US 7,636,026 · App. 11/830,415 · Granted Dec 22, 2009

Bulk acoustic wave resonator and filter

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,636,026
App. No.
11/830,415
Granted
Dec 22, 2009
Kind
B2
Abstract

A bulk acoustic wave resonator includes an acoustically active area where an acoustic wave is excitable, and a transition area adjacent to an outside edge of the acoustically active area. A critical frequency of the acoustic wave in the transition area differs from a critical frequency of the acoustic wave in the active area. The transition area includes an additional layer. The bulk acoustic wave resonator includes electrodes for electrically connecting to electrical supply lines. The additional layer is irregular in areas adjacent to junction areas between the electrical supply lines and the resonator.

Claims (42)

1. A bulk acoustic wave resonator, comprising:

an acoustically active area where an acoustic wave is excitable;

a transition area adjacent to an outside edge of the acoustically active area, the transition area comprising an additional layer; and

electrodes to electrically connect to electrical supply lines;

wherein the additional layer is irregular in areas adjacent to junction areas between the electrical supply lines and the bulk acoustic wave resonator; and

wherein a critical frequency of the acoustic wave in the transition area differs from a critical frequency of the acoustic wave in the active area.

2. The bulk acoustic wave resonator of claim 1 , wherein, in the areas adjacent to the junction areas, the additional layer has a width that is different from a width of the additional layer in areas that are not adjacent to the junction areas; and

wherein the width in the areas adjacent to junction areas is measured in a longitudinal direction of the supply lines.

3. The bulk acoustic wave resonator of claim 1 , wherein, in the areas adjacent to the junction areas, the additional layer has a thickness that is different from a thickness of the additional layer in areas that are not adjacent to the junction areas.

4. The bulk acoustic wave resonator of claim 3 , wherein the thickness of the additional layer is between 20 nm and 80 nm.

5. The bulk acoustic wave resonator of claim 1 , wherein the electrodes comprise two electrodes, each of the two electrodes comprising a conductive layer having a specific density that exceeds a specific density of Al by at least 50%; and

wherein a thickness of the additional layer is between 20 nm and 140 nm.

6. The bulk acoustic wave resonator of claim 1 , wherein the additional layer comprises silicon dioxide.

7. The bulk acoustic wave resonator of claim 1 , wherein an irregularity of the additional layer in one of the areas adjacent to one of the junction areas has a width that corresponds to a width of one of the electrical supply lines.

8. The bulk acoustic wave resonator of claim 1 , wherein the additional layer is frame-shaped.

9. The bulk acoustic wave resonator of claim 2 , wherein, in the areas adjacent to the junction areas, the additional layer has a thickness that is different from a thickness of the additional layer in areas that are not adjacent to the junction areas.

10. The hulk acoustic wave resonator of claim 9 , wherein the additional layer comprises silicon dioxide.

11. The bulk acoustic wave resonator of claim 3 , wherein, in the areas adjacent to the junction areas, the additional layer has a width that is different from a width of the additional layer in areas that are not adjacent to the junction areas.

12. The bulk acoustic wave resonator of claim 11 , wherein the additional layer comprises silicon dioxide.

13. The bulk acoustic wave resonator of claim 1 , further comprising:

a piezoelectric layer between the electrodes; and

an acoustic mirror below the electrodes and the piezoelectric layer.

14. A filter comprising:

series bulk acoustic wave resonators; and

parallel bulk acoustic wave resonators;

wherein each of the series bulk acoustic wave resonators and each of the parallel bulk acoustic wave resonators comprises:

an acoustically active area where an acoustic wave is excitable;

a transition area adjacent to an outside edge of the acoustically active area, the transition area comprising an additional layer; and

electrodes to electrically connect to electrical supply lines;

wherein the additional layer is irregular in areas adjacent to junction areas between the electrical supply lines and the resonator; and

wherein a critical frequency of the acoustic wave in the transition area differs from a critical frequency of the acoustic wave in the active area; and

wherein a size of a first irregularity in an additional layer in a series bulk acoustic wave resonator is different than a size of a second irregularity in an additional layer in a corresponding parallel bulk acoustic wave resonator.

15. The filter of claim 14 , wherein the first and second irregularities comprise a same type of irregularity.

16. The filter of claim 14 , wherein the first and second irregularities comprise thicknesses of the additional layers in the series bulk acoustic wave resonator and in the parallel bulk acoustic wave resonator.

17. The filter of claim 14 , wherein the first and second irregularities comprise widths of additional layers in the series bulk acoustic wave resonator and in the parallel bulk acoustic wave resonator.

18. A bulk acoustic wave resonator, comprising:

an acoustically active area where an acoustic-wave is excitable;

a transition area adjacent to an outside edge of the acoustically active area, the transition area comprising an additional layer and having a different acoustic property than the acoustically active area; and

electrodes to electrically connect to electrical supply lines;

wherein the additional layer is irregular in an area adjacent to a junction area between an electrical supply lines and the bulk acoustic wave resonator.

19. The bulk acoustic wave resonator of claim 18 , wherein, in the area adjacent to the junction area, the additional layer has a width that is different from a width of the additional layer in areas that are not adjacent to the junction area.

20. The bulk acoustic wave resonator of claim 18 , wherein, in the area adjacent to the junction area, the additional layer has a thickness that is different from a thickness of the additional layer in areas that are not adjacent to the junction area.

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 Sep 28, 2007
From: HEINZE, HABBO; SCHMIDHAMMER, EDGAR
To: EPCOS AG
Reel/Frame 019905/0184 →