ScAlN-on-SiC K<i>ᵤ</i>-Band Sezawa Solidly-Mounted Bidimensional Mode Resonators

Abstract

This letter reports on Solidly-Mounted Bidimensional Mode Resonators (S2MRs) exploiting a highly-optimized Sezawa mode in 30% Scandium-doped Aluminum Nitride (ScAlN) on Silicon Carbide (SiC) and operating near 16 GHz. Experimental results demonstrate mechanical quality factors (<inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${Q}_{m}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) as high as 380, Bode quality factors (<inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${Q}_{\textit {Bode}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) approaching 500, electromechanical coupling coefficients (<inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${k}_{t}^{{2}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) of 4.5%, an overall Figure of Merit (<inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\textit {FOM} = {Q}_{m} \cdot {k}_{t}^{{2}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) exceeding 17, and power handling greater than 20 dBm for devices closely matched to <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$50~\Omega $ </tex-math></inline-formula>. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, S2MRs exhibit the highest Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) among solidly mounted resonators in the Ku-band, paving the way for the integration of nanoacoustic devices on fast substrates with high-power electronics, tailored for military and harsh-environment applications.