IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,597,906
Granted Patent B2
US 12,597,906 · App. 17/514,590 · Granted Apr 7, 2026

Doped crystalline piezoelectric resonator films and methods of forming doped single crystalline piezoelectric resonator layers on substrates via epitaxy

Inventors: Craig Moe (Penfield, NY); Jeffrey M. Leathersich (Rochester, NY); Dae Ho Kim (Cornelius, NC); Zhiqiang Bi (Mooresville, NC); Mary Winters (Webster, NY)
Assignee: Akoustis Technologies Corp.
H03H9/02133H03H3/02H03H9/02031H03H9/0514H03H9/0533H03H9/105H03H9/173H03H9/175H03H9/176H03H2003/021H03H2003/025
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,597,906
App. No.
17/514,590
Granted
Apr 7, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A piezoelectric resonator can include a substrate and a piezoelectric aluminum nitride layer on the substrate, where the piezoelectric aluminum nitride layer is doped with a dopant selected from the group consisting of Si, Mg, Ge, C, Sc and/or Fe at a respective level sufficient to induce a stress in the piezoelectric aluminum nitride layer in a range between about 150 MPa compressive stress and about 300 MPa tensile stress.

Claims (23)

1 . A piezoelectric resonator comprising:

a substrate; and

a piezoelectric aluminum nitride layer on the substrate, the piezoelectric aluminum nitride layer doped with Si at a concentration of the Si in a range between 1E17 per cubic centimeter to 3.5E17 per cubic centimeter or Sc at a concentration of the Sc up to 1E19 per cubic centimeter to induce a stress in the piezoelectric aluminum nitride layer in a range between about −150 MPa (compressive) stress and about 300 MPa (tensile) stress;

wherein the piezoelectric aluminum nitride layer has a thickness of at least 400 nanometers and no more than 1 micrometer.

2 . The piezoelectric resonator of claim 1 wherein the substrate is SiC.

3 . The piezoelectric resonator of claim 1 wherein the piezoelectric aluminum nitride layer has a stress in a range between about −150 MPa and about 150 MPa.

4 . The piezoelectric resonator of claim 2 wherein the piezoelectric aluminum nitride layer is further doped with a second dopant selected from the group consisting of Mg, Ge, C, and/or Fe.

5 . The piezoelectric resonator of claim 1 wherein the piezoelectric aluminum nitride layer has a crystallinity of less than about 1.5 degrees full Width Half Maximum (FWHM) to about 0.5 degrees at FWHM measured using XRD.

6 . The piezoelectric resonator of claim 1 wherein the substrate is SiC and the piezoelectric aluminum nitride layer is doped with Sc at a concentration of Sc in the piezoelectric aluminum nitride layer between about 1E19/cm3 and about 1E16/cm3.

7 . A piezoelectric resonator material comprising:

a SiC substrate; and

a piezoelectric aluminum nitride layer on the SiC substrate, the piezoelectric aluminum nitride layer doped with a dopant of Si to provide the piezoelectric aluminum nitride layer with a doped concentration of Si in a range between about 1E17/cm3 to about 3.5E17/cm3;

wherein the piezoelectric aluminum nitride layer has a thickness of at least 400 nanometers and no more than 1 micrometer.

8 . The piezoelectric resonator material of claim 7 wherein the piezoelectric aluminum nitride layer has a crystallinity of less than about 1.5 degrees full Width Half Maximum (FWHM) using XRD.

9 . The piezoelectric resonator material of claim 7 wherein the piezoelectric aluminum nitride layer is further doped with a second dopant selected from the group consisting of Mg, Ge, C, and/or Fe.

10 . The piezoelectric resonator material of claim 7 wherein the piezoelectric aluminum nitride layer has a tensile stress in a range between about −150 MPa and about 300 MPa.

11 . The piezoelectric resonator material of claim 7 wherein the piezoelectric aluminum nitride layer is directly on the SiC substrate.

12 . The piezoelectric resonator material of claim 7 wherein the piezoelectric aluminum nitride layer has a crystallinity of less than about 1.0 degree at Full Width Half Maximum (FWHM) to about 10 arcseconds at FWHM measured using XRD.

13 . The piezoelectric resonator material of claim 7 wherein the piezoelectric aluminum nitride layer has a crystallinity in a range between about 400 arcseconds at Full Width Half Maximum (FWHM) and about 10 arcseconds at FWHM measured using XRD.

14 . A piezoelectric resonator material comprising:

a SiC substrate; and

a piezoelectric aluminum nitride layer on the SiC substrate, the piezoelectric aluminum nitride layer doped with Sc to provide the piezoelectric aluminum nitride layer with a doped concentration of Sc that is between about 1E19/cm3 and about 1E16/cm3;

wherein the piezoelectric aluminum nitride layer has a thickness of at least 400 nanometers and no more than 1 micrometer.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 10, 2025
From: AKOUSTIS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; AKOUSTIS, INC.; RFM INTEGRATED DEVICE INC.
To: TUNE HOLDINGS CORP.
Reel/Frame 071372/0624 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 10, 2025
From: TUNE HOLDINGS CORP.
To: AKOUSTIS TECHNOLOGIES CORP.
Reel/Frame 071574/0291 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 19, 2021
From: MOE, CRAIG; LEATHERSICH, JEFFREY M.; KIM, DAE HO; BI, ZHIQIANG; WINTERS, MARY
To: AKOUSTIS, INC.
Reel/Frame 058158/0575 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63121601 · Dec 4, 2020
Related Publication 20220182034A1 · Jun 9, 2022
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