A method of forming a piezoelectric thin film includes sputtering a first surface of a substrate to provide a piezoelectric thin film comprising AlN, AlScN, AlCrN, HfMgAlN, or ZrMgAlN thereon, processing a second surface of the substrate that is opposite the first surface of the substrate to provide an exposed surface of the piezoelectric thin film from beneath the second surface of the substrate, wherein the exposed surface of the piezoelectric thin film includes a first crystalline quality portion, removing a portion of the exposed surface of the piezoelectric thin film to access a second crystalline quality portion that is covered by the first crystalline quality portion, wherein the second crystalline quality portion has a higher quality than the first crystalline quality portion and processing the second crystalline quality portion to provide an acoustic resonator device on the second crystalline quality portion.

Methods of fabricating acoustic filters are disclosed. The back of a piezoelectric plate is bonded to a surface of a substrate. The thickness of the piezoelectric plate is measured at a plurality of positions. Excess material is removed from the front surface of the piezoelectric plate in accordance with the thickness measurements to improve the thickness uniformity of the piezoelectric plate. After removing the excess material, a conductor pattern including a plurality of ladder filter circuits is formed on the front surface. Each ladder filter circuit includes at least one shunt resonator and at least one series resonator, each of which has an interdigital transducer (IDT). Cavities are formed in the substrate such that portions of the piezoelectric plate form a plurality of diaphragms spanning respective cavities. After the cavities are formed, interleaved fingers of each IDT are on a respective one of the plurality of diaphragms.

Acoustic resonator devices and filters are disclosed. An acoustic resonator includes a substrate having a trap-rich region adjacent to a surface and a single-crystal piezoelectric plate having parallel front and back surfaces, the back surface attached to the surface of the substrate except for a portion of the piezoelectric plate forming a diaphragm that spans a cavity in the substrate. An interdigital transducer (IDT) is formed on the front surface of the single-crystal piezoelectric plate such that interleaved fingers of the IDT are disposed on the diaphragm. The single-crystal piezoelectric plate and the IDT are configured such that a radio frequency signal applied to the IDT excites a shear primary acoustic mode within the diaphragm.

A BAW resonator ladder topology pass-band filter can include a plurality of series branches each including BAW series resonators. A plurality of shunt branches can each include BAW shunt resonators, wherein the plurality of series branches are coupled to the plurality of shunt branches to provide the BAW resonator ladder topology pass-band filter. A high-impedance shunt branch can include a plurality of high-impedance BAW shunt resonators coupled together in-series to provide an impedance for the high-impedance shunt branch that is greater the other shunt branches in the BAW resonator ladder topology pass-band filter.

An acoustic wave device includes a support including a support substrate, a piezoelectric layer on the support, and a functional electrode on the piezoelectric layer and including at least one pair of electrodes. The support includes a cavity portion overlapping at least a portion of the functional electrode in plan view. The piezoelectric layer includes a membrane portion overlapping the cavity portion in plan view, and a supported portion supported by the support. A boundary covering electrode is provided on the piezoelectric layer over an entire or substantially an entire portion overlapping a boundary between the membrane portion and the supported portion in plan view.

An RF triplexer circuit device using modified lattice, lattice, and ladder circuit topologies. The devices can include four resonator devices and four shunt resonator devices. In the ladder topology, the resonator devices are connected in series from an input port to an output port while shunt resonator devices are coupled the nodes between the resonator devices. In the lattice topology, a top and a bottom serial configurations each includes a pair of resonator devices that are coupled to differential input and output ports. A pair of shunt resonators is cross-coupled between each pair of a top serial configuration resonator and a bottom serial configuration resonator. The modified lattice topology adds baluns or inductor devices between top and bottom nodes of the top and bottom serial configurations of the lattice configuration. These topologies may be applied using single crystal or polycrystalline bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonators.

A method of fabricating an FBAR filter device including an array of resonators, each resonator comprising a single crystal piezoelectric film sandwiched between a first metal electrode and a second metal electrode, wherein the first electrode is supported by a support membrane over an air cavity, the air cavity embedded in a silicon dioxide layer over a silicon handle, with through-silicon via holes through the silicon handle and into the air cavity, the side walls of said air cavity in the silicon dioxide layer being defined by perimeter trenches that are resistant to a silicon oxide etchant.

An RF circuit device using modified lattice, lattice, and ladder circuit topologies. The devices can include four resonator devices and four shunt resonator devices. In the ladder topology, the resonator devices are connected in series from an input port to an output port while shunt resonator devices are coupled the nodes between the resonator devices. In the lattice topology, a top and a bottom serial configurations each includes a pair of resonator devices that are coupled to differential input and output ports. A pair of shunt resonators is cross-coupled between each pair of a top serial configuration resonator and a bottom serial configuration resonator. The modified lattice topology adds baluns or inductor devices between top and bottom nodes of the top and bottom serial configurations of the lattice configuration. These topologies may be applied using single crystal or polycrystalline bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonators.

A communication system using a single crystal acoustic resonator device. The device includes a piezoelectric substrate with a piezoelectric layer formed overlying a transfer substrate. A topside metal electrode is formed overlying the substrate. A topside micro-trench is formed within the piezoelectric layer. A topside metal with a topside metal plug is formed within the topside micro-trench. First and second backside cavities are formed within the transfer substrate under the topside metal electrode. A backside metal electrode is formed under the transfer substrate, within the first backside cavity, and under the topside metal electrode. A backside metal plug is formed under the transfer substrate, within the second backside cavity, and under the topside micro-trench. The backside metal plug is connected to the topside metal plug and the backside metal electrode. The topside micro-trench, the topside metal plug, the second backside cavity, and the backside metal plug form a micro-via.

A filter device has a substrate with a first cavity and a second cavity on a single die; and a bonding layer formed on the substrate but not spanning the first cavity or the second cavity. A piezoelectric plate is bonded to the bonding layer and spans the first and the second cavity. However, excess portions of piezoelectric plate are removed that extend a certain length past the perimeter of the first cavity and of the second cavity. Excess portions may be piezoelectric material that extends in the length and width direction past the perimeter of a cavity by more than between 2 and 25 percent of the cavity perimeter. An interdigital transducer (IDT) is on a front surface of the piezoelectric plate and having interleaved fingers over the first cavity.