IP Library Granted Patent US 12,255,611
Granted Patent B2
US 12,255,611 · App. 17/441,197 · Granted Mar 18, 2025

Thin-film saw device with multilayer waveguide

Inventors: Michael Smirnow (Munich, DE); Matthias Knapp (Munich, DE)
Assignee: RF360 Singapore Pte. Ltd.
H03H9/02574H03H9/02535H03H9/02834
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,255,611
App. No.
17/441,197
Granted
Mar 18, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

In at least one embodiment, the SAW device comprises a carrier substrate ( 1 ), a piezoelectric thin-film ( 2 ) on the carrier substrate, an interdigital electrode structure ( 3 ) on the piezoelectric thin-film and a layer stack ( 4 ) of waveguide layers. The layer stack is arranged between the carrier substrate and the piezoelectric thin-film. The layer stack comprises a first waveguide layer ( 41 ) and second waveguide layer ( 42 ), wherein a sound velocity in the first waveguide layer is at least 1.5 times as great as in the second waveguide layer. The device may comprise a temperature compensating layer ( 5 ) and a trap rich layer ( 6 ) between the layer stack and the carrier substrate.

Claims (39)

1. A SAW device comprising:

a carrier substrate,

a piezoelectric thin-film on the carrier substrate,

an interdigital electrode structure on the piezoelectric thin-film,

a layer stack of waveguide layers, the layer stack being arranged between the carrier substrate and the piezoelectric thin-film, wherein

the layer stack comprises a first waveguide layer and a second waveguide layer,

a sound velocity in the first waveguide layer is at least 1.5 times as great as a sound velocity in the second waveguide layer, and

a TCF compensating layer having a positive temperature coefficient of frequency arranged between the layer stack and the carrier substrate.

2. The SAW device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the layer stack comprises several of the first waveguide layers and several of the second waveguide layers, wherein the first waveguide layers and the second waveguide layers are arranged alternately.

3. The SAW device according to claim 1 , wherein:

the sound velocity in the first waveguide layer is greater than a sound velocity in the piezoelectric thin-film, and

the sound velocity in the second waveguide layer is smaller than the sound velocity in the piezoelectric thin-film.

4. The SAW device according to claim 1 , wherein a mean thickness of the first and/or second waveguide layer is at most λ/4, wherein λ is the wavelength of a main sound wave during operation of the SAW device.

5. The SAW device according to claim 4 , wherein a mean thickness of the piezoelectric thin-film is at most 0.6λ.

6. The SAW device according to claim 1 , wherein:

the first waveguide layer comprises one or more of the following materials: AlN, SiC, Al 2 O 3 , diamond like carbon, TiN, and

the second waveguide layer comprises one or more of the following materials: SiO 2 , Si 3 N 4 , doped SiO 2 , GeO 2 .

7. The SAW device according to claim 1 , wherein a polycrystalline silicon layer is arranged between the layer stack and the carrier substrate.

8. The SAW device according to claim 1 , wherein the SAW device comprises a SAW resonator, the interdigital electrode structure on the piezoelectric thin-film forming an interdigital transducer of the SAW resonator.

9. The SAW device according to claim 8 , wherein the SAW resonator has a resonant frequency of at least 2.5 GHz.

10. A SAW device comprising:

a carrier substrate;

a piezoelectric thin-film on the carrier substrate;

an interdigital electrode structure on the piezoelectric thin-film;

a layer stack of waveguide layers, the layer stack being arranged between the carrier substrate and the piezoelectric thin-film, wherein

the layer stack comprises a first waveguide layer and a second waveguide layer, and

a sound velocity in the first waveguide layer is at least 1.5 times as great as a sound velocity in the second waveguide layer; and

a dielectric ion blocking layer arranged between the layer stack and the carrier substrate.

11. The SAW device according to claim 10 , wherein the dielectric ion blocking layer comprises polycrystalline silicon.

12. The SAW device according to claim 10 , wherein:

the first waveguide layer comprises at least one or more of the following materials: AlN, SiC, Al 2 O 3 , diamond like carbon, TiN; and

the second waveguide layer comprises at least one or more of the following materials: SiO 2 , Si 3 N 4 , doped SiO 2 , GeO 2 .

13. The SAW device according to claim 10 , wherein the SAW device comprises a SAW resonator, the interdigital electrode structure on the piezoelectric thin-film forming an interdigital transducer of the SAW resonator.

14. The SAW device according to claim 10 ,

wherein the layer stack comprises several of the first waveguide layer and several of the second waveguide layer arranged alternately with the several of the first waveguide layer.

15. The SAW device according to claim 10 , wherein:

the sound velocity in the first waveguide layer is greater than a sound velocity in the piezoelectric thin-film, and

the sound velocity in the second waveguide layer is smaller than the sound velocity in the piezoelectric thin-film.

Assignments (3)
CHANGE OF OWNER'S ADDRESS Recorded Nov 22, 2024
From: RF360 SINGAPORE PTE. LTD.
To: RF360 SINGAPORE PTE. LTD.
Reel/Frame 069761/0931 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 16, 2023
From: RF360 EUROPE GMBH
To: RF360 SINGAPORE PTE. LTD.
Reel/Frame 063272/0475 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 24, 2022
From: SMIRNOW, MICHAEL; KNAPP, MATTHIAS
To: RF360 EUROPE GMBH
Reel/Frame 059395/0712 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2019 109 031.8 · Apr 5, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220173713A1 · Jun 2, 2022
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