Granted Patent B2

US 12,620,962 · App. 18/412,243 · Granted May 5, 2026

Inventor: Chuang-Chia Lin (San Ramon, CA)

Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.

H03H9/02842H03H3/08H10N30/302

Abstract

Claims (41)

1 . A method for fabricating a sensor device, comprising:

fabricating a first integrated sensor assembly by:

depositing a first conductive structure onto a piezoelectric substrate, the first conductive structure forming a radio frequency (RF) antenna,

depositing a second conductive structure onto the piezoelectric substrate, the second conductive structure forming matching circuitry coupled to the RF antenna,

depositing a third conductive structure onto the piezoelectric substrate, the third conductive structure forming a first interdigitated transducer (IDT) coupled to the RF antenna, wherein the first IDT is a component of a first surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor,

depositing a fourth conductive structure onto the piezoelectric substrate, the fourth conductive structure forming a second IDT, and

depositing a fifth conductive structure onto the piezoelectric substrate, the fifth conductive structure forming one or more waveguides disposed between the first IDT and the second IDT, the one or more waveguides comprising one or more planar conductors formed on a surface of the piezoelectric substrate and patterned to define an acoustic propagation path that maintains a SAW propagating between the first IDT and the second IDT.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first conductive structure, the second conductive structure, the third conductive structure, the fourth conductive structure, and the fifth conductive structure form a single conducting layer, and wherein the depositing of the first conductive structure, the second conductive structure, the third conductive structure, the fourth conductive structure, and the fifth conductive structure is performed together.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the RF antenna, the matching circuitry, the first IDT, and the second IDT each comprise one or more planar conductors.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising depositing a protective coating on at least one of the first conductive structure or the second conductive structure.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first IDT comprises a first arrangement of digits, the first arrangement of digits adapting the first IDT to operate in a first frequency range.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the first IDT and the second IDT are disposed on the piezoelectric substrate such that a gap of a size corresponding to an integer multiple of a quarter wavelength of a wave having a frequency within the first frequency range is between the first IDT and the second IDT.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising fabricating a second integrated sensor assembly by depositing a second SAW sensor onto the piezoelectric substrate, wherein the second IDT is a component of the second SAW sensor.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein depositing the second SAW sensor comprises:

depositing at least one of (a) one or more SAW reflectors communicatively coupled to the second IDT, or (b) a sixth conductive structure forming a third IDT.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising depositing a seventh conductive structure on the piezoelectric substrate, the seventh conductive structure forming a second RF antenna coupled to the second IDT.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the first IDT comprises a first arrangement of digits, wherein the first arrangement of digits adapts the first IDT to operate in a first frequency range, and wherein the second IDT comprises a second arrangement of digits, wherein the second arrangement of digits adapts the second IDT to operate in a second frequency range.

11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the second SAW sensor comprises a SAW reflector, and wherein the first IDT and the SAW reflector are disposed such that a gap of a size corresponding to an integer multiple of a quarter wavelength of a SAW having a frequency within a third frequency range associated with an arrangement of digits of the second IDT is between the second IDT and the SAW reflector.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein depositing the first conductive structure comprises:

depositing a photoresist material on the piezoelectric substrate;

performing a patterning operation to cure a selected portion of the photoresist material;

performing an etch operation to remove either the selected portion or another portion of the photoresist material;

depositing a conductive material on the photoresist material; and

performing a selective etch process to remove a remaining portion of the photoresist material and the conductive material deposited on the remaining portion of the photoresist material.

13 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising disposing a protective coating or cover over the first conductive structure.

14 . A method for fabricating a sensor device, comprising:

fabricating a first surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor on a piezoelectric substrate by:

depositing a first conductive structure onto the piezoelectric substrate, the first conductive structure forming a first interdigitated transducer (IDT), the first IDT having a first arrangement of digits to generate a first SAW responsive to receiving a first radio frequency (RF) signal in a first frequency range, and

depositing a second conductive structure onto the piezoelectric substrate, the second conductive structure forming matching circuitry coupled to a first RF antenna communicatively coupled to the first IDT; and

fabricating a second SAW sensor on the piezoelectric substrate by:

depositing a third conductive structure onto the piezoelectric substrate, the third conductive structure forming a second IDT, the second IDT having a second arrangement of digits,

depositing a fourth conductive structure onto the piezoelectric substrate, the fourth conductive structure forming a second RF antenna communicatively coupled to the second IDT, and

depositing a fifth conductive structure onto the piezoelectric substrate, the fifth conductive structure forming one or more waveguides disposed between the first IDT and the second IDT, the one or more waveguides comprising one or more planar conductors formed on a surface of the piezoelectric substrate and patterned to define an acoustic propagation path that maintains a SAW propagating between the first IDT and the second IDT.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein depositing the first conductive structure comprises:

depositing a photoresist material on the piezoelectric substrate;

performing a patterning operation to cure a selected portion of the photoresist material;

performing an etch operation to remove either the selected portion or another portion of the photoresist material;

depositing a metal material on the photoresist material; and

performing a selective etch process to remove a remaining portion of the photoresist material and the metal deposited on the remaining portion of the photoresist material.

16 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising depositing a sixth conductive structure onto the piezoelectric substrate, the sixth conductive structure forming one or more SAW reflectors communicatively coupled to at least one of the first IDT or the second IDT.

17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the first SAW sensor is disposed on a first surface of the piezoelectric substrate, wherein the second SAW sensor is disposed on a second surface of the piezoelectric substrate, different than the first surface, and wherein the one or more waveguides are disposed on the first surface.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (71)