Niobate-on-Niobate Resonators with Aluminum Electrodes

TL;DR

This paper reports on the development of high-quality, stable niobate-on-niobate resonators with aluminum electrodes on a LN-on-LN platform, demonstrating promising performance for sensitive uncooled sensors.

Contribution

It introduces a novel LN-on-LN resonator fabrication with vapor-HF release, achieving high Q, coupling, and stability, advancing integrated resonator technology.

Findings

Resonators achieved Q factors up to 2600.

Coupling coefficient $k_{eff}^2$ up to 13.9%.

Stable temperature coefficient of frequency (TCF).

Abstract

In this work, we have successfully engineered and examined suspended laterally vibrating resonators (LVRs) on a lithium niobate thin film on lithium niobate carrier wafer (LN-on-LN) platform, powered by aluminum interdigital transducers (IDTs). Unlike the lithium niobate-on-silicon system, the LN-on-LN platform delivers a stress-neutral lithium niobate thin film exhibiting the quality of bulk single crystal. The creation of these aluminum-IDTs-driven LN-on-LN resonators was achieved utilizing cutting-edge vapor-HF release techniques. Our testing revealed both symmetric (S0) and sheer horizontal (SH0) lateral vibrations in the LVR resonators. The resonators displayed a quality factor (Q) ranging between 500 and 2600, and coupling coefficient $k_{eff}^2$ up to 13.9%. The figure of merit (FOM) $k_{eff}^2 \times Q$ can reach as high as 294. The yield of these devices proved to be impressively reliable. Remarkably, our LN-on-LN devices demonstrated a consistently stable temperature coefficient of frequency (TCF) and good power handling. Given the low thermal conductivity of lithium niobate, our LN-on-LN technology presents promising potential for future applications such as highly sensitive uncooled sensors using monolithic chip integrated resonator arrays.