Tunable 5.2 GHz bulk acoustic wave resonators utilizing Ba(x)Sr(1-x)TiO(3) ferroelectric films with similar intrinsic properties but different interface roughness are fabricated and characterized. Increase in roughness from 3.2 nm up to 6.9 nm results in reduction in Q-factor from 350 down to 150 due to extrinsic acoustic losses caused by wave scattering at reflections from rough interfaces and other mechanisms associated with roughness. The increased roughness is a result of distortion of Pt bottom electrode caused by formation of heterogeneous enclosures of TiO(2-x) in the Pt layer. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3610513]

A switchable and tunable bulk acoustic wave resonator based on a paraelectric phase Ba0.25Sr0.75TiO3 thin film and an all-dielectric HfO2/SiO2 Bragg reflector is presented. The achieved tuning range (3.8%) and effective electromechanical coupling coefficient (7.1%) are the highest reported for solidly mounted tunable bulk acoustic wave resonators. The non-conductive Bragg reflector stack provides excellent integration possibilities.

Paraelectric phase BaxSr1-xTiO3 (BSTO) is due to the pronounced field induced piezoelectric effect a promising candidate to realize hysteresis-free tunable thin film bulk acoustic wave resonators (TFBARs) at GHz frequencies. Compared to the conventional fixed-frequency TFBAR technology, mainly based on piezoelectric AlN films, the design of tunable BSTO based resonators require additional considerations due to the demanding conditions necessary for the growth of the BSTO active layer (high temperature, O2 ambient). In this work a number of problems and possible solutions are presented for the specific case of solidly mounted resonators based on an acoustic Bragg reflector structure. Simulation results for a proposed tunable resonator based on a BSTO film and a SiO2/HfO2 reflector stack co-optimized for both longitudinal and shear waves are presented and compared to simulations and existing experimental data from other structures.

Integration possibilities of BaxSr1-xTiO3 (BST) based tunable Thin Film Bulk Acoustic Wave Resonators (TFBAR) using all-dielectric SiO2/AlN Bragg reflectors deposited on a high resistivity silicon substrate are considered. SiO2/AlN reflectors withstand the high deposition temperature (>600C) of the BST films opening up possibilities for heterogeneous integration of complex microwave circuits. © 2010 IEEE.

Parallel-plate capacitors based on ferroelectric thin films are considered as high density capacitors and varactors. Due to the small thickness of the ferroelectric films, typically less than 1.0 mu m, high electric fields are generated even at relatively low voltages inducing piezoelectric effect associated with electrostriction. This induced piezoelectric effect has negative impact on ferroelectric capacitors since it causes extra loss (electroacoustic transformation of microwave energy). In this work the use of Bragg reflectors between the substrate and ferroelectric film is proposed as a possible way of suppression of the enhanced losses associated with the piezoelectric activity of the ferroelectric film.