IP Library Granted Patent US 7,965,017
Granted Patent B2
US 7,965,017 · App. 12/438,794 · Granted Jun 21, 2011

Thin film piezoelectric resonator and method for manufacturing the same

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,965,017
App. No.
12/438,794
Granted
Jun 21, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

A thin film piezoelectric resonator suppresses deterioration of impedance at antiresonant frequency and has a high Q value. The thin film piezoelectric resonator is provided with a semiconductor substrate ( 8 ); an insulating layer ( 6 ) formed on the semiconductor substrate ( 8 ) in contact with the surface of the semiconductor substrate; and a piezoelectric resonator stack ( 14 ) formed above the insulating layer and having a lower electrode ( 10 ), a piezoelectric layer ( 2 ) and an upper electrode ( 12 ) in this order from the insulating layer side. An oscillation space ( 4 ) is formed corresponding to an oscillation region where the lower electrode ( 10 ) and the upper electrode ( 12 ) of the piezoelectric resonator stack ( 14 ) overlap each other in the thickness direction. The fixed charge density in the insulating layer ( 6 ) is 1×10 11 cm −2 or less. At the time of manufacturing the thin film piezoelectric resonator, the insulating layer is formed in contact with the semiconductor substrate and then, heat treatment at 300° C. or higher is performed under non-oxygenated atmosphere.

Claims (18)

1. A thin film piezoelectric resonator comprising:

a semiconductor substrate;

an insulating layer formed on the semiconductor substrate in contact with a surface of the semiconductor substrate; and

a piezoelectric resonator stack formed above the insulating layer and having a lower electrode, a piezoelectric layer and an upper electrode in this order from the insulating layer side,

wherein the electrical resistivity of the semiconductor substrate is 2000 Ω·cm or more, and a fixed charge density in the insulating layer is 1×10 11 cm −2 or less; and

wherein an oscillating space is formed as an enclosed cavity in one of the semiconductor substrate and the insulating layer, the oscillating space in communication with the outside air through a hole penetrating at least the layered structure of the upper electrode, the piezoelectric layer, and the lower electrode into the oscillating space.

2. The thin film piezoelectric resonator according to claim 1 , wherein the insulating layer is formed of an insulating material mainly containing at least one material selected from the

group consisting of silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, aluminum nitride, aluminum oxynitride, aluminum oxide, zirconium oxide and tantalum oxide.

3. The thin film piezoelectric resonator according to claim 1 , wherein the insulating layer has a thickness of 0.01 μm to 3.0 μm.

4. The thin film piezoelectric resonator according to claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor substrate is a single crystal silicon substrate having a surface of crystal orientation of (100).

5. The thin film piezoelectric resonator according to claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor substrate is a substrate in which a non-doped polycrystalline silicon layer is formed on a surface of a single crystal silicon substrate, and the insulating layer is formed on the non-doped polycrystalline silicon layer.

6. The thin film piezoelectric resonator according to claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric resonator stack has, above the upper electrode or under the lower electrode, a dielectric layer mainly containing at least one material selected from the group consisting of aluminum nitride, aluminum oxynitride, silicon nitride, and sialon.

7. A method for manufacturing the thin film piezoelectric resonator claimed in claim 1 , comprising:

forming an insulating layer on a semiconductor substrate in contact with a surface of the semiconductor substrate; and

then performing thermal treatment at 300° C. or more under non-oxidizing gas atmosphere.

8. A method for manufacturing the thin film piezoelectric resonator claimed in claim 1 , comprising:

forming an insulating layer on a semiconductor substrate in contact with a surface of the semiconductor substrate; and

then performing ultraviolet ray irradiation.

Assignments (2)
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Feb 17, 2015
From: UBE INDUSTRIES, LTD.
To: MEMS SOLUTION CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 034973/0073 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 25, 2009
From: IWASHITA, KAZUKI; NAGAO, KEIGO; FUKUDA, SHINJI
To: UBE INDUSTRIES, LTD.
Reel/Frame 022308/0911 →