Patent classifications
H03H9/588
Method of fabrication for single crystal piezoelectric RF resonators and filters
1. A method of fabricating an RF filter comprising an array of resonators comprising the steps of: Obtaining a removable carrier with release layer; Growing a piezoelectric film on a removable carrier; Applying a first electrode to the piezoelectric film; Obtaining a backing membrane on a cover, with or without prefabricated cavities between the backing film and cover; Attaching the backing membrane to the first electrode; Detaching the removable carrier; Measuring and trimming the piezoelectric film as necessary; Selectively etching away the piezoelectric layer to fabricate discrete resonator islands; Etching down through coatings and backing membrane to a silicon dioxide layer between the backing membrane and the cover to form trenches; Applying a passivation layer into the trenches and around the piezoelectric islands; Depositing a second electrode layer over the piezoelectric film islands and surrounding passivation layer; Applying connections for subsequent electrical coupling to an interposer; Selectively removing second electrode material leaving coupled resonator arrays; Creating a gasket around perimeter of the resonator array; Thinning down cover to desired thickness; Optionally fabricating upper cavities between the backing membrane and cover by drilling holes through the cover and then selectively etching away the silicon dioxide; Dicing the wafer into flip chip single unit filter arrays; Obtaining an interposer; Optionally applying a dam to the interposer surface to halt overfill flow; Coupling the flip chip single unit filter array to pads of the interposer by reflow of the solder cap; Encapsulating with polymer underfill/overfill; and Singulating into separate filter modules, wherein wherein the piezoelectric layer comprises a mixed AlN single crystal layer a c-axis orientation.
Single crystal piezoelectric RF resonators and filters
A filter package comprising an array of piezoelectric films comprising an array of mixed single crystals that each comprise doped Aluminum Nitride, typically Al.sub.xGa.sub.(1-x)N or Sc.sub.xAl.sub.(1-x)N, that is sandwiched between an array of lower electrodes and an array of upper electrodes comprising metal layers and silicon membranes with cavities thereover: the array of lower electrodes being coupled to an interposer with a first cavity between the array of lower electrodes and the interposer; the array of silicon membranes having a known thickness and attached over the array of upper electrodes with an array of upper cavities, each upper cavity between a silicon membrane of the array and a common silicon cover; each upper cavity aligned with a piezoelectric film, an upper electrode and silicon membrane, the upper cavities having side walls comprising SiO.sub.2; the individual piezoelectric films, their upper electrodes and silicon membranes thereover being separated from adjacent piezoelectric films, upper electrodes and silicon membranes by a passivation material.
SINGLE CRYSTAL PIEZOELECTRIC RF RESONATORS AND FILTERS WITH IMPROVED CAVITY DEFINITION
An FBAR filter device comprising an array of resonators, each resonator comprising a single crystal piezoelectric layer sandwiched between a first and a second metal electrode,
wherein the first electrode is supported by a support membrane over an air cavity, the air cavity being 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 barriers of a material that is resistant to silicon oxide etchants, and wherein the interface between the support membrane and the first electrode is smooth and flat.
METHOD FOR FABRICATING SINGLE CRYSTAL PIEZOELECTRIC RF RESONATORS AND FILTERS WITH IMPROVED CAVITY DEFINITION
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.
ACOUSTICALLY COUPLED RESONATOR NOTCH AND BANDPASS FILTERS
A notch filter includes an inductor coupled between an input node and an output node, and a dual-resonator structure coupled between the input node, the output node, and ground.
TUNABLE RESONATOR ELEMENT, FILTER CIRCUIT AND METHOD
A resonator element for use in a filter is provided. The resonator element includes a first resonator acoustically coupled to a second or third resonator or both. The first resonator has terminals for incorporation in a filter structure. A tuning circuit is coupled to the second or third resonator or both to enable tuning of the resonator element. The tuning circuit includes a variable capacitor and an inductor.
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR A RADIO FREQUENCY FILTER
In accordance with an embodiment, an RF system includes a transmit path having a first tunable transmit band stop filter, and a power amplifier coupled to an output of the first tunable transmit band stop filter, where the first tunable transmit band stop filter is configured reject a receive frequency and pass a transmit frequency; a receive path comprising an LNA; and a duplex filter having a transmit path port coupled to an output of the power amplifier, a receive path port coupled to an input of the LNA, and an antenna port, where the duplex filter is configured to pass the transmit frequency and reject the receive frequency between the antenna port and the transmit path port, pass the receive frequency and reject the transmit frequency between the antenna port and the receive path port.
Tunable Resonator Element, Filter Circuit and Method
A resonator element for use in a filter is provided. The resonator element includes a first resonator acoustically coupled to a second or third resonator or both. The first resonator has terminals for incorporation in a filter structure. A tuning circuit is coupled to the second or third resonator or both to enable tuning of the resonator element. The tuning circuit includes a variable capacitor and an inductor.
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR A RADIO FREQUENCY FILTER
In accordance with an embodiment, a method of operating an RF system includes filtering a wideband RF signal using an adjustable center frequency bandpass filter to produce a filtered RF signal; amplifying the filtered RF signal to produce an amplified RF signal; and band stop filtering the amplified RF signal to produce a band stopped RF signal.
ACOUSTICALLY COUPLED RESONATOR NOTCH AND BANDPASS FILTERS
A bandpass filter includes a capacitor coupled between an input node and an output node, and a dual-resonator structure coupled between the input node, the output node, and ground.