Acoustic wave resonator rf filter circuit device

Abstract

An RF circuit device using modified lattice, lattice, and ladder circuit topologies. The devices can include a plurality of resonator devices and a plurality of 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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An RF filter circuit device, the device comprising:
 a plurality of resonator devices, each of the plurality of resonator devices comprising:
 a capacitor device including a substrate member, the substrate member having a cavity region and an upper surface region contiguous with a first opening of the cavity region; 
 a bottom electrode configured within a portion of the cavity region; 
 a piezoelectric material configured overlying the upper surface region and the bottom electrode; 
 a top electrode configured overlying the piezoelectric material and overlying the bottom electrode; and 
 an insulating material overlying the top electrode and configured with a thickness to tune the resonator; and 
   a plurality of shunt configuration resonator devices;   wherein the plurality of resonator devices is configured in a serial configuration; and   wherein the plurality of shunt configuration resonators is configured in a parallel configuration such that one of the plurality of shunt configuration resonators is coupled to the serial configuration following each of the plurality of resonator devices.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1  wherein each of the piezoelectric materials of the plurality of resonator devices comprises a single crystal aluminum nitride (AlN) bearing material, a single crystal aluminum scandium nitride (AlScN) bearing material, a single crystal gallium nitride (GaN) bearing material, or a single crystal gallium aluminum nitride (GaAlN) bearing material. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the each of the piezoelectric materials of the plurality of resonator devices comprises a polycrystalline aluminum nitride (AlN) bearing material, a polycrystalline aluminum scandium nitride (AlScN) bearing material, a polycrystalline gallium nitride (GaN) bearing material, or a polycrystalline gallium aluminum nitride (GaAlN) bearing material. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1  wherein each of insulating materials of the plurality of resonator devices comprises a silicon nitride bearing material or an oxide bearing material. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1  further comprising an input port configured to a first end of the serial configuration and an output port configured to a second end of the serial configuration; and further comprising a circuit response between the input port and the output port and configured from the serial configuration and the parallel configuration to achieve a transmission loss from a designated pass-band. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 5  wherein the serial configuration forms a resonance profile and an anti-resonance profile; and the parallel configuration forms a resonance profile and an anti-resonance profile such that the resonance profile from the serial configuration is off-set with the anti-resonance profile of the parallel configuration to form the designated pass-band. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 5  wherein the designated pass-band is characterized by a band edge on each side of the pass-band having an amplitude difference ranging from 10 dB to 60 dB; wherein each of the band edges has a transition region ranging from 5 MHz to 250 MHz. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 5  further comprising an insertion loss of less than 3.0 dB, an amplitude variation characterizing the pass-band of less than 1.0 dB, a microwave characteristic impedance of 50 Ohms, a maximum power handling capability within the pass-band of greater than +27 dBm or 0.5 Watt, and wherein the device is operable from −40 Degrees Celsius to 95 Degrees Celsius. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1  wherein each of the plurality of resonator devices comprises
 a substrate; 
 a support layer overlying the substrate, the support layer having an air cavity; 
 a first electrode overlying the air cavity and a portion of the support layer; 
 a first passivation layer overlying the support layer and being physically coupled to the first electrode; 
 a piezoelectric film overlying the support layer, the first electrode, and the air cavity, the piezoelectric film having an electrode contact via; 
 a second electrode formed overlying the piezoelectric film; and 
 a top metal formed overlying the piezoelectric film, the top metal being physically coupled to the first electrode through the electrode contact via. 
 
     
     
         10 . An RF circuit device, the device comprising:
 a plurality of top resonator devices and a plurality of bottom resonator devices, each of the plurality of top resonator devices and each of the plurality of bottom resonator devices comprising:
 a capacitor device including a substrate member, the substrate member having a cavity region and an upper surface region contiguous with a first opening of the cavity region; 
 a bottom electrode configured within a portion of the cavity region; 
 a piezoelectric material configured overlying the upper surface region and the bottom electrode; 
 a top electrode configured overlying the piezoelectric material and overlying the bottom electrode; and 
 an insulating material overlying the top electrode and configured with a thickness to tune the resonator; and 
   a plurality of shunt configuration resonator devices;   wherein the plurality of top resonator devices is configured in a top serial configuration;   wherein the plurality of bottom resonator devices is configured in a bottom serial configuration; and   wherein the plurality of shunt configuration resonators is configured in a cross-coupled configuration such that a pair of the plurality of shunt configuration resonators is cross-coupled between the top serial configuration and the bottom serial configuration and between one of the plurality of top resonator devices and one of the plurality of the bottom resonator devices.   
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 10  wherein each of the piezoelectric materials of the plurality of top and bottom resonator devices comprises a single crystal aluminum nitride (AlN) bearing material, a single crystal aluminum scandium nitride (AlScN) bearing material, a single crystal gallium nitride (GaN) bearing material, or a single crystal gallium aluminum nitride (GaAlN) bearing material. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 10  wherein each of the piezoelectric materials of the plurality of top and bottom resonator devices comprises a polycrystalline aluminum nitride (AlN) bearing material, a polycrystalline aluminum scandium nitride (AlScN) bearing material, a polycrystalline gallium nitride (GaN) bearing material, or a polycrystalline gallium aluminum nitride (GaAlN) bearing material. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 10  wherein each of the insulating materials of the plurality of top and bottom resonator devices comprises a silicon nitride bearing material or an oxide bearing material. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 10  further comprising a differential input port configured to a first end of the top serial configuration and a first end of the bottom serial configuration, and a different output port configured to a second end of the top serial configuration and a second end of the bottom serial configuration. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 14  further comprising a first balun coupled to the differential input port and a second balun coupled to the differential output port. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 14  further comprising a plurality of inductor devices, wherein the plurality of inductor devices are configured such that one of the plurality of inductor devices is coupled between the differential input port, one of the plurality of inductor devices is coupled between the differential output port, and one of the plurality of inductor devices is coupled to the top serial configuration and the bottom serial configuration between each cross-coupled pair of the plurality of shunt configuration resonators. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 14  further comprising a circuit response between the differential input port and the differential output port and configured from the top serial configuration and the bottom serial configuration to achieve a transmission loss from a designated pass band. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 17  wherein the pass band is characterized by a band edge on each side of the pass-band having an amplitude difference ranging from 10 dB to 60 dB; wherein each of the band edges has a transition region ranging from 5 MHz to 250 MHz. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 17  further comprising an insertion loss of less than 3.0 dB, an amplitude variation characterizing the pass-band of less than 1.0 dB, a microwave characteristic impedance of 50 Ohms, a maximum power handling capability within the pass-band of greater than +27 dBm or 0.5 Watt, and wherein the device is operable from −40 Degrees Celsius to 95 Degrees Celsius. 
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 10  wherein each of the plurality of top resonator devices and each of the plurality of bottom resonator devices comprises
 a substrate; 
 a support layer overlying the substrate, the support layer having an air cavity; 
 a first electrode overlying the air cavity and a portion of the support layer; 
 a first passivation layer overlying the support layer and being physically coupled to the first electrode; 
 a piezoelectric film overlying the support layer, the first electrode, and the air cavity, the piezoelectric film having an electrode contact via; 
 a second electrode formed overlying the piezoelectric film; and 
 a top metal formed overlying the piezoelectric film, the top metal being physically coupled to the first electrode through the electrode contact via.