IP Library Granted Patent US 10,217,930
Granted Patent B1
US 10,217,930 · App. 15/068,510 · Granted Feb 26, 2019

Method of manufacture for single crystal acoustic resonator devices using micro-vias

Inventors: Alexander Y. Feldman (Huntersville, NC); Mark D. Boomgarden (Huntersville, NC); Michael P. Lewis (Charlotte, NC); Jeffrey B. Shealy (Cornelius, NC); Ramakrishna Vetury (Charlotte, NC)
Assignee: AKOUSTIS, INC.
H01L41/29H01L41/0477H01L41/332H03H3/02H03H9/02007H03H9/02574H03H9/02055
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,217,930
App. No.
15/068,510
Granted
Feb 26, 2019
Kind
B1
Abstract

A method of manufacture for an acoustic resonator device. The method can include forming a topside metal electrode overlying a piezoelectric substrate with a piezoelectric layer and a seed substrate. A topside micro-trench can be formed within the piezoelectric layer and a topside metal can be formed overlying the topside micro-trench. This topside metal can include a topside metal plug formed within the topside micro-trench. A first backside trench can be formed underlying the topside metal electrode, and a second backside trench can be formed underlying the topside micro-trench. A backside metal electrode can be formed within the first backside trench, while a backside metal plug can be formed within the second backside trench and electrically coupled to the topside metal plug and the backside metal electrode. The topside micro-trench, the topside metal plug, the second backside trench, and the backside metal plug form a micro-via.

Claims (53)

1. A method for fabricating an acoustic resonator device, the method comprising:

providing a piezoelectric substrate having a piezoelectric layer formed overlying a seed substrate and a substrate surface region as a top surface of the piezoelectric layer;

forming a topside metal electrode overlying a portion of the substrate surface region;

forming a topside micro-trench within a portion of the piezoelectric layer different from the portion where the topside metal electrode is formed that extends through the piezoelectric layer;

forming one or more bond pads overlying one or more portions of the piezoelectric layer different from the one or more portions where the topside metal electrode and the topside micro-trench are formed;

forming a topside metal overlying the piezoelectric layer and having a topside metal plug within the topside micro-trench and electrically coupled to at least one of the bond pads;

thinning the seed substrate to form a thinned seed substrate;

forming a first backside trench within the thinned seed substrate from a bottom surface of the thinned seed substrate and underlying the topside metal electrode;

forming a second backside trench within the thinned seed substrate from a bottom surface of the thinned seed substrate and underlying the topside micro-trench;

forming a backside metal electrode underlying one or more portions of the thinned seed substrate, within the first backside trench, and underlying the topside metal electrode; and

forming a backside metal plug underlying one or more portions of the thinned seed substrate, within the second backside trench, and underlying the topside micro-trench, the backside metal plug being electrically coupled to the topside metal plug and the backside metal electrode, wherein the topside micro-trench, the topside metal plug, the second backside trench, and the backside metal plug form a micro-via that extends through the piezoelectric substrate.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the seed substrate includes silicon, silicon carbide, aluminum oxide, or single crystal aluminum gallium nitride materials.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the topside and backside metal electrodes include molybdenum, aluminum, ruthenium, or titanium materials, or combinations thereof, and wherein the topside metal, the topside metal plug, and the backside metal plug includes gold materials or other metals.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein forming the topside metal electrode, backside metal electrode, topside metal, and backside metal plug includes a lift-off process, a wet etching process, a dry etching process, a metal printing process, or a metal laminating process.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein forming the topside micro-trench includes a laser drilling process or an etching process.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the laser drilling process includes

forming a protective layer overlying the piezoelectric layer and the topside metal electrode,

etching the topside micro-trench using a high power diode-pumped UV laser; and

removing the protective layer.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising

forming a first scribe line within the piezoelectric layer during the forming of the micro-via, and

forming a second scribe line within the thinned seed substrate during the forming of the first and second backside trenches.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising

providing a top cap structure, the top cap structure including an interposer substrate with one or more through-via structures electrically coupled to one or more top bond pads and one or more bottom bond pads;

bonding the top cap structure to the piezoelectric substrate, the one or more bottom bond pads being electrically coupled to the one or more bond pads and the topside metal;

bonding a backside cap structure to the thinned seed substrate, the backside cap structure underlying the first and second backside trenches; and

forming one or more solder balls overlying the one or more top bond pads.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the backside cap structure includes a solder mask, a polyimide, a silicone, or a glass material.

10. A method for fabricating an acoustic resonator device, the method comprising:

providing a piezoelectric substrate having a piezoelectric layer formed overlying a seed substrate and a substrate surface region as a top surface of the piezoelectric layer;

forming a topside metal electrode overlying a portion of the substrate surface region;

forming a topside micro-trench within a portion of the piezoelectric layer different from the portion where the topside metal electrode is formed that extends through the piezoelectric layer;

forming one or more bond pads overlying one or more portions of the piezoelectric layer different from the one or more portions where the topside metal electrode and the topside micro-trench are formed;

forming a topside metal overlying the piezoelectric layer and having a topside metal plug within the topside micro-trench and electrically coupled to at least one of the bond pads;

providing a top cap structure, the top cap structure including an interposer substrate with one or more blind via structures electrically coupled to one or more bottom bond pads;

bonding the top cap structure to the piezoelectric substrate, the one or more bottom bond pads being electrically coupled to the one or more bond pads and the topside metal;

thinning the seed substrate to form a thinned seed substrate;

forming a first backside trench within the thinned seed substrate from a bottom surface of the thinned seed substrate and underlying the topside metal electrode;

forming a second backside trench within the thinned seed substrate from a bottom surface of the thinned seed substrate and underlying the topside micro-trench;

forming a backside metal electrode underlying one or more portions of the thinned seed substrate, within the first backside trench, and underlying the topside metal electrode;

forming a backside metal plug underlying one or more portions of the thinned seed substrate, within the second backside trench, and underlying the topside micro-trench, the backside metal plug being electrically coupled to the topside metal plug and the backside metal electrode, wherein the topside micro-trench, the topside metal plug, the second backside trench, and the backside metal plug form a micro-via that extends through the piezoelectric substrate;

bonding a backside cap structure to the thinned seed substrate, the backside cap structure underlying the first and second backside trenches;

thinning the top cap structure to expose the one or more blind vias;

forming one or more top bond pads overlying and electrically coupled to the one or more blind vias; and

forming one or more solder balls overlying the one or more top bond pads.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the seed substrate includes silicon, silicon carbide, aluminum oxide, or single crystal aluminum gallium nitride materials.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the topside and backside metal electrodes include molybdenum, aluminum, ruthenium, or titanium materials, or combinations thereof, and wherein the topside metal, the topside metal plug, and the backside metal plug include gold materials or other metals.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein forming the topside metal electrode, backside metal electrode, topside metal, and backside metal plug includes a lift-off process, a wet etching process, a dry etching process, a metal printing process, or a metal laminating process.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein forming the topside micro-trench includes a laser drilling process or an etching process.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein the backside cap structure includes a solder mask, a polyimide, a silicone, or a glass material.

16. The method of claim 10 further comprising

forming a first scribe line within the piezoelectric layer during the forming of the topside micro-trench, and

forming a second scribe line within the thinned seed substrate during the forming of the first and second backside trenches.

Assignments (5)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 17, 2025
From: AKOUSTIS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; AKOUSTIS, INC.; RFM INTEGRATED DEVICE INC.
To: TUNE HOLDINGS CORP.
Reel/Frame 071435/0851 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 17, 2025
From: TUNE HOLDINGS CORP.
To: AKOUSTIS TECHNOLOGIES CORP.
Reel/Frame 071679/0954 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 9, 2021
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
To: AKOUSTIS, INC.
Reel/Frame 055538/0909 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 15, 2018
From: AKOUSTIS, INC.
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 045804/0148 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 14, 2016
From: FELDMAN, ALEXANDER Y.; BOOMGARDEN, MARK D.; LEWIS, MICHAEL P.; VETURY, RAMAKRISHNA; SHEALY, JEFFREY B.
To: AKOUSTIS, INC.
Reel/Frame 038082/0519 →