IP Library Granted Patent US 9,231,185
Granted Patent B2
US 9,231,185 · App. 13/137,202 · Granted Jan 5, 2016

Method for manufacturing a piezoelectric film wafer, piezoelectric film element, and piezoelectric film device

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,231,185
App. No.
13/137,202
Granted
Jan 5, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for manufacturing a piezoelectric film wafer includes a first processing step for carrying out an ion etching on a KNN piezoelectric film formed on a substrate by using a gas containing Ar, and a second processing step for carrying out a reactive ion etching by using a mixed etching gas containing a fluorine-based reactive gas and Ar after the first processing step.

Claims (21)

1. A method for manufacturing a piezoelectric film wafer, comprising:

forming a mask pattern on a film wafer comprising a substrate, a base layer provided on the substrate, and a piezoelectric film comprising potassium sodium niobate (KNN) and being provided on the base layer;

a first processing for carrying out an ion etching on the piezoelectric film through the mask pattern by using a first etching gas; and

a second processing for carrying out a reactive ion etching through the mask pattern by using a second etching gas after the first processing,

wherein an etching selectivity of the piezoelectric film to the mask pattern by the first etching gas is greater than an etching selectivity of the piezoelectric film to the base layer by the first etching gas,

wherein an etching selectivity of the piezoelectric film to the base layer by the second etching gas is greater than an etching selectivity of the piezoelectric film to the mask pattern by the second etching gas, and

wherein the first etching gas comprises Ar, and the second etching gas comprises Ar and a fluorine-based reactive gas.

2. The method for manufacturing a piezoelectric film wafer according to claim 1 , wherein a mixture ratio of Ar to a fluorine-based reactive gas (Ar/fluorine-based reactive gas) in the second etching gas is 1 or more and 10 or less.

3. The method for manufacturing a piezoelectric film wafer according to claim 1 , wherein an etching rate in the second processing is lower than an etching rate in the first processing.

4. The method for manufacturing a piezoelectric film wafer according to claim 1 , wherein the mask pattern comprises Ti or Ta.

5. The method for manufacturing a piezoelectric film wafer according to claim 4 , wherein a ratio of a film thickness of the piezoelectric film to a film thickness of the mask pattern is 3 or less.

6. The method for manufacturing a piezoelectric film wafer according to claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric film is processed to provide an etching cross section having a taper shape that is gradually enlarged toward a surface of the substrate.

7. The method for manufacturing a piezoelectric film wafer according to claim 1 , wherein the base layer comprises a Pt layer.

8. The method for manufacturing a piezoelectric film wafer according to claim 7 , wherein a ratio of a film thickness of the piezoelectric film to a film thickness of the Pt layer is 15 or less.

9. The method for manufacturing a piezoelectric film wafer according to claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric film comprises an alkali niobate-based perovskite structure expressed in a composition formula expressed in a composition formula (K 1-x Na x )NbO 3 , wherein a composition ratio x is 0.4≦x≦0.7.

10. A method for manufacturing a piezoelectric film wafer including a substrate, a base layer comprising Pt and formed on the substrate, and a piezoelectric film formed on the base layer, the method comprising:

forming a mask pattern comprising Ti, Ta or W on the piezoelectric film;

first etching the piezoelectric film through the mask pattern by using a first etching gas comprising Ar; and

after the first etching of the piezoelectric film, second etching the piezoelectric film through the mask pattern by using a second etching gas comprising Ar and a fluorine-based reactive gas,

wherein the piezoelectric film comprises an alkali niobate-based perovskite structure expressed in composition formula (K 1-x Na x )NbO 3 , where a composition ratio x is in range of 0.4≦x≦0.7.

11. The method for manufacturing a piezoelectric film wafer according to claim 10 , wherein an etching selectivity of the piezoelectric film to the mask pattern by the first etching gas is greater than an etching selectivity of the piezoelectric film to the base layer by the first etching gas, and an etching selectivity of the piezoelectric film to the base layer by the second etching gas is greater than an etching selectivity of the piezoelectric film to the mask pattern by the second etching gas.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 12, 2016
From: SCIOCS COMPANY LIMITED
To: SUMITOMO CHEMICAL COMPANY, LIMITED
Reel/Frame 037730/0397 →
COMPANY SPLIT Recorded Jul 24, 2015
From: HITACHI METALS, LTD.
To: SCIOCS COMPANY LIMITED
Reel/Frame 036181/0104 →
MERGER Recorded Feb 15, 2014
From: HITACHI CABLE, LTD.
To: HITACHI METALS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 032268/0297 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 27, 2011
From: HORIKIRI, FUMIMASA; SHIBATA, KENJI; SUENAGA, KAZUFUMI; WATANABE, KAZUTOSHI; NOMOTO, AKIRA
To: HITACHI CABLE, LTD.
Reel/Frame 026739/0156 →