Reactive sputter deposition of piezoelectric Sc0.12Al0.88N for contour mode resonators

Henry, Michael David; Young, Travis Ryan; Douglas, Erica Ann; Griffin, Benjamin

doi:10.1116/1.5023918

Title: Reactive sputter deposition of piezoelectric Sc_0.12Al_0.88N for contour mode resonators

Abstract

Substitution of Al by Sc has been predicted and demonstrated to improve the piezoelectric response in AlN for commercial market applications in radio frequency filter technologies. Although cosputtering with multiple targets have achieved Sc incorporation in excess of 40%, industrial processes requiring stable single target sputtering are currently limited. A major concern with sputter deposition of ScAl is the control over the presence of non-c-axis oriented crystal growth, referred to as inclusions here, while simultaneously controlling film stress for suspended microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) structures. In this paper, we describe 12.5% ScAl single target reactive sputter deposition process and establishes a direct relationship between the inclusion occurrences and compressive film stress allowing for the suppression of the c-axis instability on silicon (100) and Ti/TiN/AlCu seeding layers. An initial high film stress, for suppressing inclusions, is then balanced with a lower film stress deposition to control total film stress to prevent Euler buckling of suspended MEMS devices. Contour mode resonators fabricated using these films demonstrate effective coupling coefficients up to 2.7% with figures of merit of 42. Finally, this work provides a method to establish inclusion free films in ScAlN piezoelectric films for good quality factor devices.

Authors:

Henry, Michael David ^[1]; Young, Travis Ryan ^[1]; Douglas, Erica Ann ^[1]; Griffin, Benjamin ^[1]

Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). MESA Fabrication Facility

Publication Date:: Fri May 11 00:00:00 EDT 2018

Research Org.:: Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)

OSTI Identifier:: 1441480

Alternate Identifier(s):: OSTI ID: 1436907

Report Number(s):: SAND-2018-3433J
Journal ID: ISSN 2166-2746; 662554

Grant/Contract Number:: AC04-94AL85000; NA0003525

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 36; Journal Issue: 3; Journal ID: ISSN 2166-2746

Publisher:: American Vacuum Society/AIP

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE

Citation Formats


                    Henry, Michael David, Young, Travis Ryan, Douglas, Erica Ann, and Griffin, Benjamin. Reactive sputter deposition of piezoelectric Sc0.12Al0.88N for contour mode resonators.  United States: N. p., 2018. 
Web.  doi:10.1116/1.5023918.

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                    Henry, Michael David, Young, Travis Ryan, Douglas, Erica Ann, & Griffin, Benjamin. Reactive sputter deposition of piezoelectric Sc0.12Al0.88N for contour mode resonators.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1116/1.5023918

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                    Henry, Michael David, Young, Travis Ryan, Douglas, Erica Ann, and Griffin, Benjamin. Fri .  
"Reactive sputter deposition of piezoelectric Sc0.12Al0.88N for contour mode resonators".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1116/1.5023918.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1441480.

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@article{osti_1441480,

  title        = {Reactive sputter deposition of piezoelectric Sc0.12Al0.88N for contour mode resonators},

  author       = {Henry, Michael David and Young, Travis Ryan and Douglas, Erica Ann and Griffin, Benjamin},

  abstractNote = {Substitution of Al by Sc has been predicted and demonstrated to improve the piezoelectric response in AlN for commercial market applications in radio frequency filter technologies. Although cosputtering with multiple targets have achieved Sc incorporation in excess of 40%, industrial processes requiring stable single target sputtering are currently limited. A major concern with sputter deposition of ScAl is the control over the presence of non-c-axis oriented crystal growth, referred to as inclusions here, while simultaneously controlling film stress for suspended microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) structures. In this paper, we describe 12.5% ScAl single target reactive sputter deposition process and establishes a direct relationship between the inclusion occurrences and compressive film stress allowing for the suppression of the c-axis instability on silicon (100) and Ti/TiN/AlCu seeding layers. An initial high film stress, for suppressing inclusions, is then balanced with a lower film stress deposition to control total film stress to prevent Euler buckling of suspended MEMS devices. Contour mode resonators fabricated using these films demonstrate effective coupling coefficients up to 2.7% with figures of merit of 42. Finally, this work provides a method to establish inclusion free films in ScAlN piezoelectric films for good quality factor devices.},

  doi          = {10.1116/1.5023918},

  journal      = {Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B},

  number       = 3,

  volume       = 36,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Fri May 11 00:00:00 EDT 2018},

  month        = {Fri May 11 00:00:00 EDT 2018}

}

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Works referencing / citing this record:

Metal‐Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition of Aluminum Scandium Nitride
journal, November 2019

Leone, Stefano; Ligl, Jana; Manz, Christian
physica status solidi (RRL) – Rapid Research Letters, Vol. 14, Issue 1
DOI: 10.1002/pssr.201900535

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Title: Reactive sputter deposition of piezoelectric Sc0.12Al0.88N for contour mode resonators

Abstract

Citation Formats

Metal‐Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition of Aluminum Scandium Nitride journal, November 2019

Title: Reactive sputter deposition of piezoelectric Sc_0.12Al_0.88N for contour mode resonators

Metal‐Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition of Aluminum Scandium Nitride
journal, November 2019