Self-Heating Study of Bulk Acoustic Wave Resonators Under High RF Power

B. Ivira (1, 2) , R.-Y. Fillit (3) , F. Ndagijimana (1) , Ph. Benech (1) , G. Parat (2) , P. Ancey (4)

1 IMEP-LAHC - Institut de Microélectronique, Electromagnétisme et Photonique - Laboratoire d'Hyperfréquences et Caractérisation
2 CEA-LETI - Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives - Laboratoire d'Electronique et de Technologie de l'Information
3 PECM-ENSMSE - Plasticité, Endommagement et Corrosion des Matériaux
4 ST-CROLLES - STMicroelectronics [Crolles]

The present work first provides an experimental technique to study self-heating of bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonators under high RF power in the gigahertz range. This study is specially focused on film bulk acoustic wave resonators and solidly mounted resonators processed onto silicon wafers and designed for wireless systems. Precisely, the reflection coefficient of a one-port device is measured while up to several watts are applied and power leads to electrical drifts of impedances. In the following, we describe how absorbed power can be determined from the incident one in real time. Therefore, an infrared camera held over the radio frequency micro electromechanical system (RF-MEMS) surface with an exceptional spatial resolution reaching up to 2 µm/pixels gives accurate temperature mapping of resonators after emissivity correction. From theoretical point of view, accurate three-dimensional (3-D) structures for finite-element modeling analyses are carried out to know the best materials and architectures to use for enhancing power handling. In both experimental and theoretical investigations, comparison is made between film bulk acoustic wave resonators and solidly mounted resonators. Thus, the trend in term of material, architecture, and size of device for power application such as in transmission path of a transceiver is clearly identified.

Mots clés: acoustic resonators; bulk acoustic wave devices; emissivity; finite element analysis; micromechanical resonators; thin film devices; BAW resonators; RF power; RF-MEMS; bulk acoustic wave resonators; emissivity correction; finite-element modeling; gigahertz range; impedance; infrared camera; power application; radio frequency microelectromechanical system; reflection coefficient; self-heating study; silicon wafers; solidly mounted resonators; transceiver; wireless systems; Computer Simulation; Computer-Aided Design; Energy Transfer; Equipment Safety; Heat; Models; Theoretical; Radio Waves; Radiometry; Scattering; Radiation; Transducers; Ultrasonography

Domaines: Electromagnétisme; Matériaux

B. Ivira, R.-Y. Fillit, F. Ndagijimana, Ph. Benech, G. Parat, et al.. Self-Heating Study of Bulk Acoustic Wave Resonators Under High RF Power. IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control, 2008, 55 (1), pp.139-147. ⟨10.1109/TUFFC.2008.623⟩. ⟨hal-00397186⟩