Large $d_{33}$ Piezoelectric-Polymer Composites For RF Acoustic Resonators

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel piezoelectric-polymer composite for RF acoustic resonators, enabling high-frequency operation with standard fabrication methods and broad substrate compatibility.

Contribution

It presents a new composite material with high piezoelectric response that can be deposited using standard processes, facilitating easier fabrication of high-frequency acoustic resonators.

Findings

Achieved a large effective piezoelectric coefficient of 216 pm/V.

Demonstrated acoustic resonance transduction up to 1.5 GHz.

Compatible with various substrates using standard resist-spin coating.

Abstract

While piezoelectric transduction enables designing acoustic resonators operating at multi-GHz frequencies, the deposition of piezoelectric materials typically requires high temperature processes and specific crystallographic orientation of substrates, thus imposing a limitation on materials that could be used. In this paper we present a piezoelectrically transduced thickness mode acoustic resonator that employs piezoelectric (PMNPT) nanoparticles embedded in a polymer (SU8) matrix. This composite material is deposited using standard resist-spin coaters and is thus compatible with a variety of substrates. The device presented here uses a double side polished single crystal silicon wafer as the low loss acoustic substrate for the resonator and $1.7\mu m$ thick SU8-PMNPT composite film as the actuator, and exhibits large effective piezoelectric coefficient $(d_{33})$ of $216pm/V$, and we experimentally demonstrate efficient transduction of acoustic resonances at frequencies up to $1.5GHz$.