US6486751B1 — Increased bandwidth thin film resonator having a …

Claim 1

Independent Claim 75 words

A thin film resonator comprising a plurality of distinct elemental resonators separated by spaces and connected in parallel, each of said resonators having a length, a width and a height, wherein said height is at least equal to one of said width and said length, wherein said spaces separating said elemental resonators are filled with a low dielectric constant filler material and electrical connection means for connecting said parallel connected elemental resonators to other circuitry.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 75 words

A thin film resonator comprising a plurality of distinct elemental resonators separated by spaces and connected in parallel, each of said resonators having a length, a width and a height, wherein said height is at least equal to one of said width and said length, wherein said spaces separating said elemental resonators are filled with a low dielectric constant filler material and electrical connection means for connecting said parallel connected elemental resonators to other circuitry.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 22 words

The thin film resonator according to claim 1 , wherein said plurality of distinct elemental resonators share at least one common electrode.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 22 words

The thin film resonator according to claim 1 wherein said height is at least equal to both said length and said width.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 34 words

The thin film resonator according to claim 1 wherein said low constant dielectric filler material has a dielectric constant <5 and exhibits acoustic impedance lower than the acoustic impedance exhibited by the piezoelectric material.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 13 words

The thin film resonator according to claim 1 further comprising an acoustic mirror.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 23 words

The thin film acoustic resonator according to claim 5 wherein said acoustic mirror is located only under said plurality of distinct elemental resonators.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 36 words

The thin film resonator according to claim 1 wherein said elemental resonators each comprise a piezoelectric material over a first supporting membrane extending over a cavity, said cavity located under the plurality of distinct elemental resonators.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 29 words

The thin film resonator according to claim 1 wherein said elemental resonators are each self supporting and bridge over a cavity located under the plurality of distinct elemental resonators.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 26 words

The thin film acoustic resonator according to claim 8 wherein under each of said elemental resonators and in contact therewith is a first conductive thin film.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 33 words

The thin film acoustic resonator according to claim 9 further comprising a second conductive film opposite said first conductive film, said second conductive film being over said elemental resonators and in contact therewith.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 118 words

A thin film acoustic resonator comprising a support, a first electrode over said support, a piezoelectric layer on said first electrode and a second electrode on said piezoelectric layer wherein said piezoelectric layer comprises a plurality of substantially identical distinct piezoelectric structures adjacent and separated from each other by spaces, said spaces filled with a low dielectric constant filler material, each of said structures having a length, a width and a height, said height being at least equal to one of said width and said length, said electrodes electrically connecting said piezoelectric structures in parallel, a first electrical connection means for connecting to said first electrode and a second electrical connection means for connecting to said second electrode.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 118 words

A thin film acoustic resonator comprising a support, a first electrode over said support, a piezoelectric layer on said first electrode and a second electrode on said piezoelectric layer wherein said piezoelectric layer comprises a plurality of substantially identical distinct piezoelectric structures adjacent and separated from each other by spaces, said spaces filled with a low dielectric constant filler material, each of said structures having a length, a width and a height, said height being at least equal to one of said width and said length, said electrodes electrically connecting said piezoelectric structures in parallel, a first electrical connection means for connecting to said first electrode and a second electrical connection means for connecting to said second electrode.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 52 words

The thin film acoustic resonator according to claim 11 wherein said piezoelectric structures are elongated piezoelectric structures having a length and at least one of said first and second electrode extends over and along said length of said elongated piezoelectric structures in contact therewith and does not extend substantially over the spaces.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 48 words

The thin film resonator according to claim 12 wherein said at least one of said second and first electrode is the second electrode and wherein the first electrode comprises a plurality of conductive strips extending in a direction crossing the length of said plurality of elongated piezoelectric structures.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 20 words

The thin film resonator according to claim 13 wherein said direction is substantially perpendicular to said length of said structures.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 42 words

The thin film bulk acoustic resonator according to claim 11 further comprising at least one conductive bus along a side of at least one of said second and first electrode said conductive bus having lower resistance than said second and first electrodes.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 23 words

The thin film resonator according to claim 11 wherein said support comprises a stack of acoustically reflecting layers under said thin film resonator.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 32 words

The thin film resonator according to claim 11 wherein said support comprises a membrane extending over a cavity in said support, and wherein said resonator is over said membrane and said cavity.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 27 words

The thin film resonator according to claim 11 wherein said piezoelectric material comprises an element selected from the group consisting of AlN, CdS, ZnO and combinations thereof.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 23 words

The thin film resonator according to claim 18 wherein the electrodes comprise Al, Mo, Ti, Cr, Ag, Pt, Cu, Au and combinations thereof.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 73 words

An electronic circuit on a semiconductor substrate comprising at least one thin film acoustic resonator comprising a plurality of distinct elemental resonators separated by spaces and connected in parallel wherein said spaces separating said elemental resonators are filled with a low dielectric constant filler material, each of said elemental resonators having a length, a width and a height, wherein said height is at least equal to one of said width and said length.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 73 words

An electronic circuit on a semiconductor substrate comprising at least one thin film acoustic resonator comprising a plurality of distinct elemental resonators separated by spaces and connected in parallel wherein said spaces separating said elemental resonators are filled with a low dielectric constant filler material, each of said elemental resonators having a length, a width and a height, wherein said height is at least equal to one of said width and said length.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 15 words

The electronic circuit according to claim 20 wherein said circuit is an acoustic resonator filter.

Claim 25

Independent Claim 139 words

A method of manufacturing a thin film resonator comprising: forming a first electrode on a support; forming a piezoelectric layer on said first electrode, said layer having a thickness; etching said piezoelectric layer to form a pattern of a plurality of distinct piezoelectric structures on said first electrode, each of said structures having a length, a width and a height, the height being substantially the same as the piezoelectric layer thickness, wherein one of said length and said width is equal to or less than the structure height; filling said spaces with a low dielectric constant dielectric filler material that has a dielectric constant >5 and exhibits acoustic impedance lower than the acoustic impedance exhibited by the piezoelectric material; and forming a second electrode on said etched and filled piezoelectric layer, said second electrode spaced from said first electrode.

Claim 26

Independent Claim 139 words

A method of manufacturing a thin film resonator comprising: forming a first electrode on a support; forming a piezoelectric layer on said first electrode, said layer having a thickness; etching said piezoelectric layer to form a pattern of a plurality of distinct piezoelectric structures on said first electrode, each of said structures having a length, a width and a height, the height being substantially the same as the piezoelectric layer thickness, wherein one of said length and said width is equal to or less than the structure height; filling said spaces with a low dielectric constant dielectric filler material that has a dielectric constant >5 and exhibits acoustic impedance lower than the acoustic impedance exhibited by the piezoelectric material; and forming a second electrode on said etched and filled piezoelectric layer, said second electrode spaced from said first electrode.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 16 words

The method according to claim 22 wherein said dielectric material is a low temperature oxide (LTO).

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 15 words

The method according to claim 22 wherein said dielectric material is porous SiO 2 .

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 13 words

The method according to claim 22 wherein said dielectric material is a polymer.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 13 words

The method according to claim 22 wherein said dielectric material is a polyimide.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 21 words

The method according to claim 22 further comprising forming said first electrode over an acoustic mirror formed in said supporting structure.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 24 words

The method according to claim 22 further comprising forming said first electrode as a self supporting membrane over a cavity on a supporting structure.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 145 words

A thin film acoustic resonator comprising a support, a first electrode over said support, a piezoelectric layer on said first electrode and a second electrode on said piezoelectric layer wherein said first electrode comprises a plurality of elongated strips extending along a first direction substantially parallel to said support, said second electrode also comprises a plurality of strips extending along a second direction also parallel to said support, said second direction crossing said first direction forming a plurality of crossover areas, and wherein said piezoelectric layer comprises a plurality of substantially identical distinct piezoelectric structures adjacent and separated from each other by spaces, each of said structures having a length, a width and a height, said height being at least equal to one of said width and said length, said piezoelectric structures located substantially between said first and said second electrodes in said crossover area.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 145 words

A thin film acoustic resonator comprising a support, a first electrode over said support, a piezoelectric layer on said first electrode and a second electrode on said piezoelectric layer wherein said first electrode comprises a plurality of elongated strips extending along a first direction substantially parallel to said support, said second electrode also comprises a plurality of strips extending along a second direction also parallel to said support, said second direction crossing said first direction forming a plurality of crossover areas, and wherein said piezoelectric layer comprises a plurality of substantially identical distinct piezoelectric structures adjacent and separated from each other by spaces, each of said structures having a length, a width and a height, said height being at least equal to one of said width and said length, said piezoelectric structures located substantially between said first and said second electrodes in said crossover area.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2005-11-25	2006-05-27	2006-11-26	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2009-11-25	2010-05-27	2010-11-26	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2013-11-25	2014-05-27	2014-11-26	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Increased bandwidth thin film resonator having a columnar structure

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