Circular test structure for the determination of piezoelectric constants of Sc x Al 1−x N thin films applying Laser Doppler Vibrometry and FEM simulations

Abstract

Piezoelectric scandium aluminium nitride (ScxAl1−xN) thin films offer a large potential for the application in micro electromechanical systems, as advantageous properties of pure AlN thin films are maintained, but combined with an increased piezoelectric actuation and sensing potential. ScxAl1−xN thin films with x = 27% have been prepared by DC reactive magnetron sputtering to find optimized deposition parameters to maximize the piezoelectric constants d33 and d31. For the accurate and simultaneous measurement of these constants Laser Doppler Vibrometry has been applied and compared to finite element (FEM) simulations. The electrode design has been optimized to rotational symmetric structures enabling a 180° phase shifted excitation, so that a straight-forward comparison of experimental displacement curves with those obtained from FEM is feasible.