JP2008236795A - Method of manufacturing thin film piezoelectric resonator - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a piezoelectric thin film that indicates excellent film quality characteristics without being affected by reformed film interface that is the surface of a lower electrode layer. <P>SOLUTION: On a silicon substrate 100, an electrode layer and a piezoelectric layer are stacked continuously within the same device, and both the stacked electrode layer and piezoelectric layer are etched using the same mask to form a lower electrode layer 104 and a piezoelectric thin film 105. An insulating film 106 is formed to cover a part of an upper surface of the piezoelectric thin film 105, one of side surfaces of the piezoelectric thin film 105, and one of side surfaces of the lower electrode layer 104 within the same plane as the side surface. An upper electrode layer 107 is then formed over another portion of the upper surface of the piezoelectric thin film 105 and the insulating film 106. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a thin film piezoelectric resonator that can be used as a high frequency filter or a high frequency oscillator.

  Surface acoustic wave (SAW) elements are rapidly used as devices that replace LC filters and dielectric filters because they have high resonance quality and are easy to miniaturize. The SAW element has a piezoelectric single crystal substrate and a pair of comb-teeth electrodes formed thereon as a basic structure, and the resonance frequency is inversely proportional to the comb-teeth interval. Therefore, in order to process a signal having a higher frequency, the interval between comb teeth must be reduced. For example, in order to process an input signal having a frequency exceeding 1 GHz, which has recently been required in mobile communication devices, it is necessary to set the comb tooth interval to 1 μm or less. However, such a narrow-pitch comb electrode is difficult to process with high accuracy, and has a problem that current leakage and disconnection are likely to occur when a high-power signal is input.

  On the other hand, the thin film piezoelectric resonator is a device that can overcome the drawbacks of the SAW element and process a signal having a higher frequency. A thin film piezoelectric resonator has a piezoelectric thin film and two electrodes sandwiching it as a basic structure, and the main factor that determines the resonance frequency is the film thickness of the piezoelectric thin film. For example, a resonance frequency of 2 GHz can be obtained with a film thickness of 1 to 2 μm, and a resonance frequency of 5 GHz can be obtained with a film thickness of 0.4 to 0.8 μm. It is also possible to process high-frequency signals up to several tens of GHz. The thin film piezoelectric resonator is also called an FBAR (Film Bulk Acoustic Resonator) or a BAW (Bulk Acoustic Wave) element.

  FIGS. 13-1 to 13-4 are cross-sectional views showing a manufacturing process of a conventional thin film piezoelectric resonator. In order to manufacture the thin film piezoelectric resonator, first, the lower electrode layer 804 is patterned on the silicon substrate 800 (FIG. 13-1). Next, a piezoelectric layer 815 is laminated so as to cover the surface of the lower electrode layer 804 and the surface of the silicon substrate 800 (FIG. 13-2). Subsequently, the piezoelectric thin film 805 is patterned by etching the piezoelectric layer 815 (FIG. 13-3). As a result of this patterning, a part of the lower electrode layer 804 is exposed. In other words, one of the side surfaces of the piezoelectric thin film 805 is located on the lower electrode layer 804. The other side surface of the piezoelectric thin film 805 is located on the silicon substrate 800, thereby covering a part of the edge of the lower electrode layer 804. Next, an upper electrode layer 807 is formed on the piezoelectric thin film 805. The upper electrode layer 807 is patterned into a shape extending from a part of the upper surface of the piezoelectric thin film 805 onto the silicon substrate 800 so as to cover the other one of the side surfaces of the piezoelectric thin film 805. That is, the piezoelectric thin film 805 also functions to insulate between the lower electrode layer 804 and the upper electrode layer 807. Further, an electrode pad 808 a that makes electrical connection with the upper electrode layer 807 and an electrode pad 808 b that makes electrical connection with a part of the exposed lower electrode layer 804 are formed. Then, by etching a part of the back side of the silicon substrate 800, a cavity 810 is formed immediately below the lower electrode layer 804 (FIG. 13-4). Thereby, the thin film piezoelectric resonator 80 is obtained.

  However, the lower electrode layer 804 is exposed to an ashing atmosphere in order to apply a photoresist and remove the photoresist during patterning. That is, in order to form only the lower electrode layer 804, a photolithography process and an etching process are required. Therefore, the surface of the lower electrode layer 804 does not maintain flatness and cleanliness immediately after the film formation process due to impurity adsorption and the like. Further, since such a photolithography process and an etching process are usually performed by an apparatus different from the apparatus that performs the film formation process, the silicon substrate 800 and the lower electrode layer 804 are moved between the apparatuses. , Exposed to air. By this exposure, impurities such as oxygen are adsorbed on the surface of the lower electrode layer 804, and the flatness and cleanliness thereof are impaired. The surface of the lower electrode layer 804 with reduced flatness and cleanliness becomes a re-deposition interface (S1 in FIG. 13-2), which adversely affects the characteristics of the piezoelectric layer 815 laminated thereon. For example, film quality characteristics such as orientation and polarity of the piezoelectric layer 815 are deteriorated. The deterioration of the film quality characteristics of the piezoelectric layer 815 causes the characteristics of the thin film piezoelectric resonator to deteriorate and the characteristics of the thin film piezoelectric resonator to vary.

  Therefore, for example, Patent Document 1 proposes a piezoelectric thin film resonator in which a lower layer electrode, a piezoelectric thin film, and an upper layer electrode can be formed by the same device.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-76824 (Section 4-5, FIG. 1)

  However, while Patent Document 1 illustrates a patterned lower electrode, it completely discloses how to perform patterning and patterning of a piezoelectric thin film formed on the lower electrode in the same apparatus. Absent.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and is a thin film piezoelectric resonator capable of forming a piezoelectric thin film exhibiting good film quality characteristics without being affected by the re-deposition interface of the lower electrode layer. An object is to provide a manufacturing method.

  In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, a method of manufacturing a thin film piezoelectric resonator according to the present invention includes an electrode material stacking step of stacking an electrode material on a substrate, and the stacked electrode material. Piezoelectric material laminating step of laminating piezoelectric material, and etching to form the lower electrode layer and the piezoelectric thin film by etching both the laminated electrode material and the piezoelectric material using the same mask Forming an insulating film so as to cover the step, a part of the upper surface of the piezoelectric thin film, one of the side surfaces of the piezoelectric thin film, and one of the side surfaces of the lower electrode layer in the same plane as the side surface An insulating film forming step, an upper electrode layer forming step for forming an upper electrode layer on the other part of the upper surface of the piezoelectric thin film and the insulating film, and a cavity forming for forming a cavity directly below the lower electrode layer A process.

  The method of manufacturing a thin film piezoelectric resonator according to the present invention includes an electrode material laminating step of laminating an electrode material on a substrate, and a piezoelectric material laminating step of laminating a piezoelectric material on the laminated electrode material. An etching process for forming a lower electrode layer and a first piezoelectric thin film by etching both the stacked electrode material and the piezoelectric material using the same mask; and the first piezoelectric body. A second material is formed using the same material as the piezoelectric material so as to cover the upper surface of the thin film, the side surface of the first piezoelectric thin film, and the side surface of the lower electrode layer in the same plane as the side surface. A piezoelectric thin film forming step for forming a piezoelectric thin film, an upper electrode layer forming step for forming an upper electrode layer on a part of the upper surface of the second piezoelectric thin film, and a cavity formed immediately below the lower electrode layer And a cavity forming step.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to grow a piezoelectric thin film on the lower electrode layer while maintaining the flatness and cleanliness of the surface of the lower electrode layer. Thereby, it is possible to provide a method of manufacturing a thin film piezoelectric resonator having low cost, high yield, and good resonance characteristics.

  Embodiments of a method for manufacturing a thin film piezoelectric resonator according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the drawings are schematic, and the relationship between the thickness and width of each part, the size ratio between the parts, and the like are different from the actual ones. Moreover, even when referring to the same part between the drawings, there are parts where the dimensions and ratios are different from each other.

(Embodiment 1)
The thin film piezoelectric resonator according to the first embodiment includes a lower electrode layer and a piezoelectric thin film that are continuously formed and patterned in the same shape using the same mask. An insulating film is formed on a part of the upper surface of the piezoelectric thin film, one of the side surfaces of the lower electrode layer, and one of the side surfaces of the piezoelectric thin film in the same plane as the side surface. The insulating film is formed on the surface of the insulator film and a part of the upper surface of the piezoelectric thin film.

  FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the thin film piezoelectric resonator according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 1, a thin film piezoelectric resonator 10 has a structure in which a lower electrode layer 104, a piezoelectric thin film 105, and an upper electrode layer 107 are laminated in this order on a silicon substrate 100. In addition, a conductive dummy pad 101 is formed on the silicon substrate 100 to electrically connect the lower electrode layer 104 and the electrode pad 108b. Further, an insulating film 106 is formed between the upper electrode layer 107 and one of the side surfaces of the piezoelectric thin film 105 and one of the side surfaces of the lower electrode layer 104 in the same plane as the side surface. The upper electrode layer 107 is guided from a part of the upper surface of the piezoelectric thin film 105 to the upper surface of the silicon substrate 100 so as to cover the insulating film 106, and is electrically connected to the electrode pad 108a. The silicon substrate 100 has a cavity 110, and the resonance part (that is, the configuration including the lower electrode layer 104, the piezoelectric thin film 105, and the upper electrode layer 107) is disposed so as to lie directly above the cavity. ing. The cavity 110 exposes the lower part of the resonance part, that is, the lower surface of the lower electrode layer 104. The cavity 110 may not be a hole penetrating the silicon substrate 100 as shown in FIG. 1, but may be a hole in which a part of the silicon substrate 100 immediately below the lower electrode layer 104 remains thin. In other words, the lower part of the resonance part may be supported by the diaphragm of the silicon substrate 100 without being exposed. Further, an insulating film such as an oxide film or a nitride film may be formed on the entire surface of the silicon substrate 100, and the resonance part may be formed on the insulating film.

  Next, a manufacturing process of the thin film piezoelectric resonator 10 will be described. FIGS. 2-1 to 2-7 are cross-sectional views showing the manufacturing process of the thin film piezoelectric resonator 10. First, the dummy pad 101 is patterned on the silicon substrate 100 by a known photolithography process and etching process (FIG. 2-1). Subsequently, the electrode layer 114 is formed by laminating the material of the lower electrode layer 104 on the entire surface of the silicon substrate 100 so as to cover the dummy pad 101. Subsequently, the piezoelectric layer 115 is formed by laminating the material of the piezoelectric thin film 105 on the entire surface of the electrode layer 114 (FIG. 2-2). In particular, the electrode layer 114 and the piezoelectric layer 115 are formed in the same film forming apparatus, and there is no process necessary for patterning such as exposure to the air or photolithography process between the formation of both layers. As the material of the electrode layer 114, for example, aluminum (Al) can be used, and as the material of the piezoelectric layer 115, for example, an aluminum nitride (AlN) material can be used. For example, when the sputtering apparatus is used as the film forming apparatus, the switching of the material can be realized only by switching the target material. The electrode layer 114 may be formed to have a double structure including an amorphous layer and a non-amorphous layer in order to enhance the orientation of the piezoelectric layer 115 formed thereon.

  Therefore, immediately before the piezoelectric layer 115 is formed, the surface of the electrode layer 114 maintains the flatness and cleanliness immediately after the electrode layer 114 is formed. That is, the electrode layer 114 hardly affects the film quality characteristics such as the orientation and polarity of the piezoelectric layer 115 formed thereon. This is because the surface of the electrode layer 114 no longer functions as a re-deposition interface.

  Subsequently, the lower electrode layer 104 and the piezoelectric thin film 105 are formed by a known photolithography process and etching process (FIGS. 2-3). Specifically, a photoresist is applied on the piezoelectric layer 115 and exposed using a photomask showing the shape of the piezoelectric thin film 105. After the exposure, a development process is performed to etch both the piezoelectric layer 115 and the electrode layer 114 located therebelow. Thereby, the side surface of the piezoelectric thin film 105 and the side surface of the lower electrode layer 104 are in the same plane as the side surfaces 103a and 103b shown in FIG. In addition, one of the side surfaces of the lower electrode layer 104 and one of the side surfaces of the piezoelectric thin film 105 in the same plane as the side surface are positioned on the dummy pad 101. That is, a part of the dummy pad 101 is exposed.

Next, a part of the upper surface of the piezoelectric thin film 105 covers one of the side surfaces of the piezoelectric thin film 105 and one of the side surfaces of the lower electrode layer 104 in the same plane as the side surface. An insulating film 106 reaching the portion is formed (FIGS. 2-4). In particular, these side surfaces covered with the insulating film 106 are located on the side opposite to the dummy pad 101. Specifically, the entire surface of the silicon substrate 100 is covered so as to cover the upper surface of the piezoelectric thin film 105, one side surface of the piezoelectric thin film 105, and one side surface of the lower electrode layer 104 in the same plane as the side surface. For example, an insulating material is laminated by a thermal CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) apparatus, and the laminated insulating material is patterned by a known photolithography process and etching process. As this insulating material, silicon oxide (SiO ₂ ), nitride (SiN), or amorphous AlN can be used. In particular, such an insulating material can be easily formed with high quality by CVD using a gas as a raw material, and etching is also easy. The thickness of the insulating film is, for example, 0.3 μm. This insulating film functions to insulate between the lower electrode layer 104 and the upper electrode layer 107.

  Next, an upper electrode layer 107 that covers a part of the surface of the silicon substrate 100 from a part of the upper surface of the piezoelectric thin film 105 to a part of the surface of the silicon substrate 100 is formed by a known photolithography process and etching process (see FIG. Fig. 2-5). Then, by the same process, an electrode pad 108a that makes electrical connection with the upper electrode layer 107 and an electrode pad 108b that makes electrical connection with the lower electrode layer 104 via the dummy pad 101 are formed (see FIG. Fig. 2-6). As a material of the electrode pad 108a and the electrode pad 108b, gold (Au) or aluminum (Al) can be used.

  Then, a part of the silicon substrate 100 is removed from the back surface of the silicon substrate 100 by performing selective etching such as RIE (Reactive Ion Etching) to form a cavity 110 immediately below the lower electrode layer 104 (FIG. 2-7). ). The cavity 110 does not penetrate the silicon substrate 100, and may be a hole in which a part of the silicon substrate 100 becomes a diaphragm as described above.

  FIG. 3 is a graph showing a rocking curve of the piezoelectric thin film obtained by the manufacturing method according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a graph showing the electromechanical coupling coefficient of the piezoelectric thin film obtained by the manufacturing method according to the first embodiment. The thickness of the lower electrode of the thin film piezoelectric resonator used to obtain these measurement results was 250 nm, and the thickness of the piezoelectric thin film was 1700 nm. As shown by the solid line L1 in FIG. 3, the orientation of the piezoelectric thin film obtained by the first embodiment is controlled so that the half-value width (FWHM) of the X-ray rocking curve is about 1.3 °. I was able to. On the other hand, the orientation of the piezoelectric thin film of the conventional thin film piezoelectric resonator showed a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of about 2.6 ° as indicated by a dotted line L2.

  In addition, since the piezoelectric thin film obtained according to the first embodiment has an orientation with a half-value width of 1.3 °, its electromechanical coupling coefficient is also 6.7% as shown in FIG. And big. On the other hand, the electromechanical coupling coefficient of the conventional thin film piezoelectric resonator is 5.0% or less as shown in FIG. It is known that a thin film piezoelectric resonator exhibits a broadband resonance frequency as the electromechanical coupling coefficient of the piezoelectric thin film increases. In addition, as for the Q value that determines the resonance characteristics, the thin film piezoelectric resonator according to the first embodiment showed a value of about 800. From these measurement results, it was found that the piezoelectric thin film of the thin film piezoelectric resonator according to the first embodiment showed much better film quality characteristics than the piezoelectric thin film of the conventional thin film piezoelectric resonator. Such a good result is because the flatness and cleanliness of the surface of the lower electrode layer 104 are maintained, and the orientation control of the piezoelectric thin film 105 can be executed almost as designed.

  As described above, according to the method of manufacturing the thin film piezoelectric resonator according to the first embodiment, the lower electrode layer 104 and the piezoelectric thin film 105 can be continuously formed in the same apparatus. The piezoelectric thin film 105 can be grown on the layer 104 while maintaining the flatness and cleanliness of the surface of the layer 104. Accordingly, the piezoelectric thin film 105 having good film quality characteristics can be obtained, and the thin film piezoelectric resonator 10 having low cost, high yield, and high resonance characteristics can be provided.

  Note that it is not necessary to form the dummy pad 101 as long as electrical connection between the lower electrode 104 and the electrode pad 108b can be achieved. For example, after the lower electrode layer 104 and the piezoelectric thin film 105 are formed in the same etching process (FIG. 2-3), the piezoelectric thin film 105 is etched again so that a part of the lower electrode layer 104 is exposed. May be. In this case, the electrode pad 108 b is formed so as to cover a part of the exposed lower electrode layer 104.

(Embodiment 2)
In the thin film piezoelectric resonator according to the second embodiment, the insulating film that insulates between the upper electrode layer and the lower electrode layer has one side surface of the piezoelectric thin film and the side surface of the lower electrode layer in the same plane as the side surface. 1 and a part of the silicon substrate. In other words, a portion of the insulating film 106 shown in FIG. 1 formed on the upper surface of the piezoelectric thin film 105 is removed.

  FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the thin film piezoelectric resonator according to the second embodiment. In the thin film piezoelectric resonator 20, the silicon substrate 200, the dummy pad 201, the lower electrode layer 204, the piezoelectric thin film 205, the electrode pads 208a and 208b, and the cavity 210 are respectively formed in the silicon substrate 100, the dummy pad 101, It corresponds to the lower electrode layer 104, the piezoelectric thin film 105, the electrode pads 108a and 108b, and the cavity 110, and the formation method thereof is as described in the first embodiment.

  FIG. 5 differs from FIG. 1 in that the insulating film 206 that insulates between the upper electrode layer 207 and the lower electrode layer 204 does not cover the upper surface of the piezoelectric thin film 105. A method for forming the insulating film 206 is as follows. First, as shown in FIG. 2-4, from one part of the upper surface of the piezoelectric thin film 205, one of the side surfaces of the lower electrode layer 204 and one of the side surfaces of the piezoelectric thin film 205 in the same plane as the side surface are An insulating film that covers and reaches part of the surface of the silicon substrate 100 is formed. Subsequently, the insulating film portion (that is, the protruding portion) formed on a part of the upper surface of the piezoelectric thin film 205 is removed by dry etching. Thereby, the insulating film 206 formed only on one of the side surfaces of the lower electrode layer 204, one of the side surfaces of the piezoelectric thin film 205 in the same plane as the side surface, and a part of the silicon substrate 200 can be obtained. . Then, an upper electrode layer 207 is formed so as to cover the insulating film 206. In particular, the upper electrode layer 207 does not have a step as shown in FIG. 1 in a portion covering the insulating film 206 from the upper surface of the piezoelectric thin film 205. For this reason, the series resistance component of the upper electrode layer 207 is smaller than the series resistance component of the upper electrode layer 107 shown in FIG. The inventors have found that this series resistance component causes the Q value of the thin film piezoelectric resonator to deteriorate, and when the Q value of the thin film piezoelectric resonator 20 according to the second embodiment is measured, 1000% is obtained. The value of the degree was able to be obtained. This means that the structure shown in FIG. 5 shows better resonance characteristics than the thin film piezoelectric resonator 10 obtained according to the first embodiment.

  The insulating film 206 may be formed by a method of selectively depositing on one of the common surfaces of the lower electrode layer 204 and the piezoelectric thin film 205 and a part of the silicon substrate 200.

  As described above, according to the method of manufacturing the thin film piezoelectric resonator according to the second embodiment, the step difference of the upper electrode layer 207 covering the insulating layer 206 is minimized, so that the series resistance component of the upper electrode layer 207 is reduced. Can be reduced. As a result, the resonance characteristics of the thin film piezoelectric resonator 20 can be improved.

(Embodiment 3)
The thin film piezoelectric resonator according to the third embodiment includes a lower electrode layer and a first piezoelectric thin film that are continuously formed and patterned in the same shape using the same mask. It has the 2nd piezoelectric material thin film which covers the 1st piezoelectric material thin film, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the thin film piezoelectric resonator according to the third embodiment. In FIG. 6, a thin film piezoelectric resonator 30 has a structure in which a lower electrode layer 304, a first piezoelectric thin film 305a, a second piezoelectric thin film 305b, and an upper electrode layer 307 are laminated in this order on a silicon substrate 300. Have On the silicon substrate 300, a conductive dummy pad 301 is formed to electrically connect the lower electrode layer 304 and the electrode pad 308b. The side surface of the lower electrode layer 304 and the side surface of the first piezoelectric thin film 305a are in the same plane. The second piezoelectric thin film 305b includes an upper surface of the first piezoelectric thin film 305a, one side surface of the first piezoelectric thin film 305a, and one side surface of the lower electrode layer 304 in the same plane as the side surface. , So as to cover. The upper electrode layer 307 is led from a part of the upper surface of the piezoelectric thin film 305 to the upper surface of the silicon substrate 300 so as to cover the second piezoelectric thin film 305b, and is electrically connected to the electrode pad 308a. Yes. The silicon substrate 300 has a cavity 310, and a resonance part (that is, a configuration including the lower electrode layer 304, the first piezoelectric thin film 305a, the second piezoelectric thin film 305b, and the upper electrode layer 307) is It is arranged to lie directly over the cavity. The cavity 310 may be a hole such that the lower part of the resonance part is supported by the diaphragm of the silicon substrate 100.

  Next, a manufacturing process of the thin film piezoelectric resonator 30 will be described. 7-1 to 7-7 are cross-sectional views showing the manufacturing process of the thin film piezoelectric resonator 30. FIG. FIGS. 7-1 to 7-3 are the same steps as FIGS. 2-1 to 2-3. That is, the side surface of the first piezoelectric thin film 305 a is in the same plane as the side surface of the lower electrode layer 304. For example, the side surface of the lower electrode layer 304 and the side surface of the first piezoelectric thin film 305a located on the dummy pad 301 are in the plane 303a. That is, a part of the surface of the dummy pad 301 is exposed. The side surface of the lower electrode layer 304 and the side surface of the first piezoelectric thin film 305a located on the side opposite to the dummy pad 301 are in the plane 303b.

  In the manufacturing process of the thin film piezoelectric resonator 30, the second piezoelectric body is covered so as to cover the upper surface of the first piezoelectric thin film 305a, the side surface of the first piezoelectric thin film 305a, and the side surface of the lower electrode layer 304. The thin film 305b is patterned (FIGS. 7-4). As a result, one of the side surfaces of the second piezoelectric thin film 305b is in contact with the silicon substrate 300, and the other side surface of the second piezoelectric thin film 305b is positioned on the dummy pad 301. The second piezoelectric thin film 305b is formed using the same material as the first piezoelectric thin film 305a, for example, an aluminum nitride (AlN) material. The second piezoelectric thin film 305b functions to insulate between the upper electrode layer 307 and the lower electrode layer 304. The second piezoelectric thin film 305b is thinner than the first piezoelectric thin film 305a. In order to improve the film quality characteristics of the first piezoelectric thin film 305a, the lower electrode layer 304 and the first piezoelectric thin film 305a are similar to the lower electrode layer 104 and the piezoelectric thin film 105 described in the first embodiment. After continuous growth in the same apparatus, patterning is performed. Therefore, the flatness and cleanliness of the surface of the first piezoelectric thin film 305a are not as good as the surface of the lower electrode layer 104. Therefore, the film quality characteristic of the second piezoelectric thin film 305b is slightly inferior to the film quality characteristic of the first piezoelectric thin film. For this reason, it is preferable to make the second piezoelectric thin film 305b thin enough not to adversely affect the resonance characteristics of the thin film piezoelectric resonator 30. For example, the thickness of the first piezoelectric thin film 305a can be set to 1200 nm, and the thickness of the second piezoelectric thin film 305b can be set to 500 nm.

  Next, by a well-known photolithography process and etching process, the side surface of the second piezoelectric thin film 305b at a position opposite to the dummy pad 301 is covered from a part of the upper surface of the second piezoelectric thin film 305b to form silicon. An upper electrode layer 307 reaching a part of the surface of the substrate 300 is formed (FIG. 7-5). Then, similarly to the steps shown in FIGS. 2-6 and 2-7, the electrode pad 308a, the electrode pad 308b, and the cavity 310 are formed (FIGS. 7-6 and 7-7).

  When the characteristics of the thin film piezoelectric resonator 30 obtained by the manufacturing method according to the third embodiment were measured, an electromechanical coupling constant of 6.5% and a Q value of 800 could be obtained.

  As described above, according to the method of manufacturing the thin film piezoelectric resonator according to the third embodiment, the lower electrode layer 304 and the first piezoelectric thin film 305a can be continuously formed in the same apparatus. As in the first embodiment, the first piezoelectric thin film 305a can be obtained. Further, a second piezoelectric thin film 305b is formed so as to cover the first piezoelectric thin film 305a, and the second piezoelectric thin film 305b is insulated between the upper electrode layer 307 and the lower electrode layer 304. It can function as an insulating film.

(Embodiment 4)
The thin film piezoelectric resonator according to the fourth embodiment is the same as the thin film piezoelectric resonator according to the third embodiment, wherein one of the side surfaces of the second piezoelectric thin film is in the same plane as one of the side surfaces of the first piezoelectric thin film. It is characterized by that.

  FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the thin film piezoelectric resonator according to the fourth embodiment. In FIG. 8, a thin film piezoelectric resonator 40 has a structure in which a lower electrode layer 404, a first piezoelectric thin film 405a, a second piezoelectric thin film 405b, and an upper electrode layer 407 are laminated on a silicon substrate 400 in that order. Have The side surface of the lower electrode layer 404 and the side surface of the first piezoelectric thin film 405a are in the same plane. The second piezoelectric thin film 405b is formed so as to cover the upper surface of the first piezoelectric thin film 405a, one of the side surfaces of the first piezoelectric thin film 405a, and one of the side surfaces of the lower electrode layer 404. . The upper electrode layer 407 is guided from a part of the upper surface of the first piezoelectric thin film 405a to the upper surface of the silicon substrate 400 so as to cover the second piezoelectric thin film 405b, and is electrically connected to the electrode pad 408a. It is connected. The silicon substrate 400 has a cavity 410, and a resonance part (that is, a configuration including the lower electrode layer 404, the first piezoelectric thin film 405a, the second piezoelectric thin film 405b, and the upper electrode layer 407) is It is arranged to lie directly above the cavity 410. The cavity 410 may be a hole that does not penetrate the silicon substrate 400 so that the lower part of the resonance part is supported by the diaphragm of the silicon substrate 400.

  Next, a manufacturing process of the thin film piezoelectric resonator 40 will be described. FIGS. 9-1 to 9-7 are cross-sectional views showing the manufacturing process of the thin film piezoelectric resonator 40. FIGS. First, the electrode layer 414 is formed by laminating the material of the lower electrode layer 404 on the entire surface of the silicon substrate 400. Subsequently, the piezoelectric layer 415a is formed by laminating the material of the first piezoelectric thin film 405a on the entire surface of the electrode layer 414 (FIG. 9-1). That is, this process has the same operation and effect as the process shown in FIG.

  Subsequently, similarly to the process shown in FIG. 2-3, the lower electrode layer 404 and the first piezoelectric thin film 405a are patterned (FIG. 9-2). Thereby, the side surface of the first piezoelectric thin film 405 a is positioned in the same plane as the side surface of the lower electrode layer 404. For example, one of the side surfaces of the lower electrode layer 404 and one of the side surfaces of the first piezoelectric thin film 405a are in the plane 403a, and the other one of the side surfaces of the lower electrode layer 404 and the first piezoelectric thin film 405a. The other one of the side surfaces is in the plane 403b.

  Subsequently, the second piezoelectric body is formed on the entire surface of the silicon substrate 400 so as to cover the upper surface of the first piezoelectric thin film 405a, the side surface of the first piezoelectric thin film 405a, and the side surface of the lower electrode layer 404. By laminating the material of the thin film 405b, the piezoelectric layer 415b is formed (FIG. 9-3). Then, the second piezoelectric thin film 405b is patterned by a known photolithography process and etching process (FIGS. 9-4). In this etching step, not only the etching of the piezoelectric layer 415b but also a part of the first piezoelectric thin film 405a located in the lower layer is etched. Specifically, a photoresist is applied onto the piezoelectric layer 415b, and exposure is performed using a photomask showing the shape of the second piezoelectric thin film 405b. After the exposure, a development process is performed to etch both the piezoelectric layer 415b and a portion of the first piezoelectric thin film 405a located therebelow. As a result, one of the side surfaces of the second piezoelectric thin film 405b and one of the side surfaces of the first piezoelectric thin film 405a are located in the same plane 413a located on the lower electrode layer 404, and the second The other side surface of the piezoelectric thin film 405b is in contact with the silicon substrate 300. That is, a part of the lower electrode layer 404 is exposed. The function, material, and thickness of the second piezoelectric thin film 405b are the same as those of the second piezoelectric thin film 305b described in the third embodiment. In particular, in the manufacturing process of the thin film piezoelectric resonator 40 according to the fourth embodiment, since a part of the lower electrode layer 404 can be exposed, a dummy pad as shown in FIGS. do not need.

  Then, similarly to the steps shown in FIGS. 7-5 to 7-7, the upper electrode layer 407, the electrode pad 408a, the electrode pad 408b, and the cavity 410 are formed (FIGS. 9-5 to 9-7). However, a part of the electrode pad 408b is formed on the lower electrode layer 404 exposed in the process shown in FIG. 9-4.

  As described above, according to the method for manufacturing a thin film piezoelectric resonator according to the fourth embodiment, the lower electrode layer 404 and the first piezoelectric thin film 405a can be continuously formed in the same apparatus. As in the first embodiment, the first piezoelectric thin film 405a having good film quality characteristics can be obtained. Further, when the second piezoelectric thin film 405b covering the first piezoelectric thin film 405a is formed, a part of the first piezoelectric thin film 405a is also etched, so that a part of the lower electrode layer 404 is exposed. be able to. As a result, the second piezoelectric thin film 405b can function as an insulating film for insulating between the upper electrode layer 407 and the lower electrode layer 404, and is shown in FIGS. A process of forming such a dummy pad is not necessary.

  Since the thin film piezoelectric resonator according to the present invention is characterized by the resonance part, the cavity located immediately below the resonance part can be formed by a known method. 1, 5, 6, and 8, a cavity having a rectangular longitudinal cross section formed by selective etching is shown. However, a cavity having a slope formed by anisotropic wet etching may be used. . In addition, for example, as shown in a thin film piezoelectric resonator 50 shown in FIG. 10, a silicon substrate 510 having a cavity 510 formed on the surface instead of the silicon substrate 100 of the thin film piezoelectric resonator 10 shown in FIG. 1. Can also be used. The cavity 510 is formed by forming a temporary layer called a sacrificial layer in a recess formed on the surface of the substrate, forming a resonance part on the sacrificial layer, and then removing the sacrificial layer by selective wet etching. It is obtained with.

  The thin film piezoelectric resonator according to the present invention can be used as, for example, a high frequency filter or a high frequency oscillator. FIG. 11 is an equivalent circuit diagram of a high frequency filter using the thin film piezoelectric resonator according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 11, the high-frequency filter can be realized by a ladder type configuration in which the thin film piezoelectric resonators 60a and 60b are connected in series and the thin film piezoelectric resonator 60c is connected in parallel. For example, the center frequency of the thin film piezoelectric resonators 60a and 60b and the center frequency of the thin film piezoelectric resonator 60c are slightly shifted so that the resonance frequency of the thin film piezoelectric resonators 60a and 60b and the antiresonance frequency of the thin film piezoelectric resonator 60c are the same. By doing so, a bandpass filter can be realized.

  FIG. 12 is an equivalent circuit diagram of a high-frequency oscillator using the thin film piezoelectric resonator according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 12, the high-frequency oscillator can be realized by a thin film piezoelectric resonator 80, a feedback resistor R1, a damping resistor R2, load capacitors C1 and C2, and a CMOS inverter amplifier 70. In particular, this high-frequency oscillator is useful as a voltage-controlled oscillator used for mobile communication equipment.

  Moreover, the thin film piezoelectric resonator according to the present invention can enjoy all the advantages of the known thin film piezoelectric resonator. For example, the thin film piezoelectric resonator can be integrated on the same semiconductor substrate together with other semiconductor circuits such as transistors and ICs because the resonance part is formed on the semiconductor substrate.

  As described above, the method for manufacturing a thin film piezoelectric resonator according to the present invention is useful for providing a small high-frequency filter and a high-frequency oscillator, and is particularly suitable for obtaining good resonance characteristics as designed. .

1 is a cross-sectional view of a thin film piezoelectric resonator according to a first embodiment. It is the figure which showed the process of forming a dummy pad among the manufacturing processes of the thin film piezoelectric resonator concerning Embodiment 1, with the sectional drawing. It is the figure which showed the process of forming an electrode layer and a piezoelectric material layer among the manufacturing processes of the thin film piezoelectric resonator concerning Embodiment 1, with the sectional drawing. It is the figure which showed the process of forming a lower electrode layer and a piezoelectric thin film among the manufacturing processes of the thin film piezoelectric resonator concerning Embodiment 1, with the sectional drawing. It is the figure which showed the process of forming an insulating film among the manufacturing processes of the thin film piezoelectric resonator concerning Embodiment 1, with the sectional drawing. It is the figure which showed the process of forming an upper electrode layer among the manufacturing processes of the thin film piezoelectric resonator concerning Embodiment 1, with the sectional drawing. It is the figure which showed the process of forming an electrode pad among the manufacturing processes of the thin film piezoelectric resonator concerning Embodiment 1, with the sectional drawing. It is the figure which showed the process of forming a cavity among the manufacturing processes of the thin film piezoelectric resonator concerning Embodiment 1, with the sectional drawing. 3 is a graph showing a rocking curve of a piezoelectric thin film obtained by the manufacturing method according to the first embodiment. 3 is a graph showing an electromechanical coupling coefficient of a piezoelectric thin film obtained by the manufacturing method according to the first exemplary embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a thin film piezoelectric resonator according to a second embodiment. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a thin film piezoelectric resonator according to a third embodiment. FIG. It is the figure which showed the process of forming a dummy pad among the manufacturing processes of the thin film piezoelectric resonator concerning Embodiment 3, with the sectional drawing. It is the figure which showed the process of forming an electrode layer and a piezoelectric body layer among the manufacturing processes of the thin film piezoelectric resonator concerning Embodiment 3, with the sectional drawing. It is the figure which showed the process of forming a lower electrode layer and a 1st piezoelectric thin film among the manufacturing processes of the thin film piezoelectric resonator concerning Embodiment 3, with the sectional drawing. It is the figure which showed the process of forming the 2nd piezoelectric material thin film among the manufacturing processes of the thin film piezoelectric resonator concerning Embodiment 3, with the sectional drawing. It is the figure which showed the process of forming an upper electrode layer among the manufacturing processes of the thin film piezoelectric resonator concerning Embodiment 3, with the sectional drawing. It is the figure which showed the process of forming an electrode pad among the manufacturing processes of the thin film piezoelectric resonator concerning Embodiment 3, with the sectional drawing. It is the figure which showed the process of forming a cavity among the manufacturing processes of the thin film piezoelectric resonator concerning Embodiment 3, with the sectional drawing. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a thin film piezoelectric resonator according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. It is the figure which showed the process of forming an electrode layer and a piezoelectric body layer among the manufacturing processes of the thin film piezoelectric resonator concerning Embodiment 4, with the sectional drawing. It is the figure which showed the process of forming a lower electrode layer and a 1st piezoelectric material thin film among the manufacturing processes of the thin film piezoelectric resonator concerning Embodiment 4, with the sectional drawing. It is the figure which showed the process of forming another electrode layer among the manufacturing processes of the thin film piezoelectric resonator concerning Embodiment 4, with the sectional drawing. It is the figure which showed the process of forming the 2nd piezoelectric material thin film among the manufacturing processes of the thin film piezoelectric resonator concerning Embodiment 4, with the sectional drawing. It is the figure which showed the process of forming an upper electrode layer among the manufacturing processes of the thin film piezoelectric resonator concerning Embodiment 4, with the sectional drawing. It is the figure which showed the process of forming an electrode pad among the manufacturing processes of the thin film piezoelectric resonator concerning Embodiment 4, with the sectional drawing. It is the figure which showed the process of forming a cavity among the manufacturing processes of the thin film piezoelectric resonator concerning Embodiment 4, with the sectional drawing. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a modification of the thin film piezoelectric resonator according to the first embodiment. FIG. 1 is an equivalent circuit diagram of a high-frequency filter using a thin film piezoelectric resonator according to the present invention. 1 is an equivalent circuit diagram of a high frequency oscillator using a thin film piezoelectric resonator according to the present invention. It is the figure which showed the process of forming a lower electrode layer among the manufacturing processes of the conventional thin film piezoelectric resonator with the sectional drawing. It is the figure which showed the process of forming a piezoelectric layer among the manufacturing processes of the conventional thin film piezoelectric resonator with the sectional drawing. It is the figure which showed the process of forming a piezoelectric thin film among the manufacturing processes of the conventional thin film piezoelectric resonator with the sectional drawing. It is the figure which showed the process of forming an upper electrode layer, an electrode pad, and a cavity among the manufacturing processes of the conventional thin film piezoelectric resonator with the sectional drawing.

Explanation of symbols

10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60a, 60b, 60c, 80 Thin film piezoelectric resonator 70 CMOS inverter amplifier 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 800 Silicon substrate 101 Dummy pad 103 Thin film insulating layer 104, 204, 304 , 404, 804 Lower electrode layer 105, 205, 805 Piezoelectric thin film 114, 314, 414 Electrode layer 115, 315, 415a, 415b Piezoelectric layer 305a, 405a First piezoelectric thin film 305b, 405b Second piezoelectric thin film 107, 207, 307, 407, 807 Upper electrode layer 110, 210, 310, 410, 510, 810 Cavity 108a, 108b, 208a, 208b, 308a, 308b, 408a, 408b, 808a, 808b Electrode pad R1 Feedback resistance R2 Damping resistance C1, C2 load capacity

Claims (5)

An electrode material laminating step of laminating an electrode material on a substrate;
A piezoelectric material laminating step of laminating a piezoelectric material on the laminated electrode material;
An etching process for forming a lower electrode layer and a piezoelectric thin film by etching both the laminated electrode material and the piezoelectric material using the same mask;
Forming an insulating film so as to cover a part of the upper surface of the piezoelectric thin film, one of the side surfaces of the piezoelectric thin film, and one of the side surfaces of the lower electrode layer in the same plane as the side surface Process,
An upper electrode layer forming step of forming an upper electrode layer on the other part of the upper surface of the piezoelectric thin film and the insulating film;
Forming a cavity directly below the lower electrode layer; and
A method of manufacturing a thin film piezoelectric resonator, comprising:   2. The method of manufacturing a thin film piezoelectric resonator according to claim 1, further comprising an insulating film removing step of removing a portion of the insulating film formed on the upper surface of the piezoelectric thin film. An electrode material laminating step of laminating an electrode material on a substrate;
A piezoelectric material laminating step of laminating a piezoelectric material on the laminated electrode material;
An etching step of forming the lower electrode layer and the first piezoelectric thin film by etching both of the laminated electrode material and the piezoelectric material using the same mask;
The same material as the piezoelectric material so as to cover the upper surface of the first piezoelectric thin film, the side surface of the first piezoelectric thin film, and the side surface of the lower electrode layer in the same plane as the side surface A piezoelectric thin film forming step of forming a second piezoelectric thin film using
An upper electrode layer forming step of forming an upper electrode layer on a part of the upper surface of the second piezoelectric thin film;
Forming a cavity directly below the lower electrode layer; and
A method of manufacturing a thin film piezoelectric resonator, comprising: An electrode material laminating step of laminating an electrode material on a substrate;
A first piezoelectric material laminating step of laminating a piezoelectric material on the laminated electrode material;
A first etching step of forming a lower electrode layer and a first piezoelectric thin film by etching both the stacked electrode material and the piezoelectric material using the same mask;
The piezoelectric material so as to cover the upper surface of the first piezoelectric thin film, one of the side surfaces of the first piezoelectric thin film, and one of the side surfaces of the lower electrode layer in the same plane as the side surface A second piezoelectric material laminating step of laminating the same material as
A part of the lower electrode layer is exposed by using the same mask for both the piezoelectric material laminated in the second piezoelectric material laminating step and a part of the first piezoelectric thin film. A second etching step of forming a second piezoelectric thin film by etching
An upper electrode layer forming step of forming an upper electrode layer on the upper surface of the second piezoelectric thin film and one of the side surfaces of the second piezoelectric thin film;
Forming a cavity directly below the lower electrode layer; and
A method of manufacturing a thin film piezoelectric resonator, comprising: A conductive layer forming step of forming a conductive layer on the substrate;
5. The method of manufacturing a thin film piezoelectric resonator according to claim 1, wherein a part of the lower electrode layer is formed on a part of an upper surface of the conductive layer.

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