Method for manufacturing a piezoelectric device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10862018-B2
Application number	US-201715638861-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2017
Priority date	Jan 13, 2015
Publication date	Dec 8, 2020
Grant date	Dec 8, 2020

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a piezoelectric device that includes a substrate and a vibration portion that can include a membrane or a beam that is directly or indirectly supported by the substrate and arranged above the substrate. Moreover, the vibration portion includes a piezoelectric layer and the method includes forming the vibration portion and adjusting a resonance frequency of the vibration portion by locally subjecting a region including the vibration portion to heat treatment.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for adjusting a frequency of a piezoelectric device that includes a substrate and a vibration portion supported by the substrate, the vibration portion including a piezoelectric layer that is supported by the substrate, the method comprising:
adjusting a resonance frequency of the vibration portion by locally subjecting a region of the piezoelectric device that includes at least a part of the vibration portion to a heat treatment;
wherein:
a through hole or a recess is located in the substrate;
the substrate includes a support layer that at least partially covers the through hole or the recess; and
the piezoelectric layer of the vibration portion is supported by the substrate with the support layer interposed therebetween.

2. The method for adjusting the frequency of a piezoelectric device according to claim 1 , wherein the vibration portion is in a form of a membrane or a beam and is directly or indirectly supported by the substrate.

3. The method for adjusting the frequency of a piezoelectric device according to claim 1 , further comprising adjusting a stress in the vibration portion through the heat treatment to adjust the resonance frequency of the vibration portion.

4. The method for adjusting the frequency of a piezoelectric device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the vibration portion includes a residual stress displaced toward a tensile stress relative to a value for a residual stress corresponding to a target value for the resonance frequency; and
the residual stress in the vibration portion is modified during heat treatment toward a compressive stress to adjust the resonance frequency of the vibration portion.

5. The method for adjusting the frequency of a piezoelectric device according claim 1 , wherein the vibration portion includes a heater and the resonance frequency of the vibration portion is adjusted by driving the heater.

6. The method for adjusting the frequency of a piezoelectric device according to claim 1 , wherein the heat treatment comprises irradiating at least the part of the vibration portion with laser beams.

7. The method for adjusting the frequency of a piezoelectric device according to claim 6 , wherein:
the vibration portion includes a light reception portion for receiving the laser beams; and
the laser beams are emitted toward the light reception portion to irradiate, and thereby heat, at least the part of the vibration portion.

8. The method for adjusting the frequency of a piezoelectric device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
measuring the resonance frequency of the vibration portion; and
locally subjecting the region of the piezoelectric device to the heat treatment based on a result of the measuring of the resonance frequency.

9. The method for adjusting the frequency of a piezoelectric device according to claim 8 , further comprising performing another measuring of the resonance frequency after the adjusting of the resonance frequency of the vibration portion.

10. The method for adjusting the frequency of a piezoelectric device according to claim 1 , wherein:
opposed first and second electrodes sandwich the piezoelectric layer; and
a protective film covers both the first electrode and the piezoelectric layer.

11. The method for adjusting the frequency of a piezoelectric device according to claim 10 , wherein the first and second electrodes comprise at least one of W and Mo.

12. The method for adjusting the frequency of a piezoelectric device according to claim 10 , wherein the protective film comprises at least one of the group consisting of AlN, Si, and SiN.

13. The method for adjusting the frequency of a piezoelectric device according to claim 1 , wherein the support layer comprises at least one of the group consisting of AlN, Si, and SiN.

14. The method for adjusting the frequency of a piezoelectric device according to claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric layer comprises at least one of the group consisting of AlN, KNN, and PZT.

15. A method for manufacturing a piezoelectric device, the method comprising:
forming a vibration portion on a substrate;
forming a first electrode on a surface of the vibration portion;
forming a heater on the surface of the vibration portion to surround the first electrode;
forming a piezoelectric layer on the surface of the vibration portion, the first electrode and the heater;
forming a second electrode on a surface of the piezoelectric layer opposite the support layer;
forming a protective film on the surface of the piezoelectric layer and the second electrode;
forming a through hole or recess in the substrate opposite the vibration portion to expose the vibration portion; and
applying a heat treatment to the heater to set a resonance frequency of the vibration portion.

16. The method for manufacturing a piezoelectric device according to claim 15 , further comprising:
forming the vibration portion to include a residual stress displaced toward a tensile stress relative to a value for a residual stress corresponding to a target value for the resonance frequency, and
varying an amount of the residual stress in the vibration portion toward a compressive stress through the heat treatment to adjust the resonance frequency of the vibration portion.

17. The method for manufacturing a piezoelectric device according to claim 15 , further comprising:
measuring the resonance frequency of the vibration portion; and
locally subjecting the region of the piezoelectric device to the heat treatment based on a result of the measuring of the resonance frequency.

18. The method for manufacturing a piezoelectric device according to claim 17 , further comprising performing another measuring of the resonance frequency after the adjusting of the resonance frequency of the vibration portion.

19. The method for manufacturing a piezoelectric device according to claim 15 , further comprising adjusting a stress in the vibration portion through the heat treatment to adjust the resonance frequency of the vibration portion.

20. A method for adjusting a frequency of a piezoelectric device that includes a substrate and a vibration portion supported by the substrate, the vibration portion including a piezoelectric layer that is supported by the substrate, the method comprising:
adjusting a resonance frequency of the vibration portion by locally subjecting a region of the piezoelectric device that includes at least a part of the vibration portion to a heat treatment, the adjusting including (a) measuring the resonance frequency of the vibration portion, and (b) locally subjecting the region of the piezoelectric device to the heat treatment based on a result of the measuring of the resonance frequency.

Assignees

• Murata Manufacturing Co

Inventors

• Hada Takuo
• Yamamoto Kansho

Classifications

• B81C1/00682 Primary

  Treatments for improving mechanical properties, not provided for in B81C1/00658 - B81C1/0065 · CPC title

• B81B2201/032

  Bimorph and unimorph actuators, e.g. piezo and thermo · CPC title

• H04R2201/003

  Mems transducers or their use · CPC title

• H04R17/00

  Piezoelectric transducers; Electrostrictive transducers (piezoelectric or electrostrictive elements in general H10N30/00; details of piezoelectric or electrostrictive motors, generators or positioners {H10N30/00}) · CPC title

• B81B2201/0271

  Resonators; ultrasonic resonators · CPC title