AlN/sapphire layered structure has been investigated as a potential substrate for surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices operating at high temperatures up to 950 °C under air atmosphere. Frequency characterizations of the SAW delay lines based on this structure indicate a slight increase of 2 dB in the insertion losses after annealing for 30 min at 900 °C. Scanning electron and atomic force microscopy as well as x-ray diffraction measurements suggest that theses losses are due to the deterioration of the Pt/Ta electrodes and to a slight oxidation of the AlN film.

High-quality surface acoustic wave (SAW) filters based on aluminum nitride (AlN)/diamond layered structures were prepared using the nucleation side of polycrystalline chemical vapor deposition (CVD) diamond, removed from a silicon substrate by wet etching. Highly oriented AlN thin films with optimized piezoelectric properties and with various thicknesses were sputtered onto the nucleation side of freestanding diamond. The effect of AlN thickness on the SAW phase velocity, the coupling coefficient, and the device characteristics were investigated. Experimental results show that the Rayleigh wave and the higher modes are generated. These results agree well with calculated dispersion curves and demonstrate that a high electromechanical coupling coefficient together with a high phase velocity can be obtained by using the nucleation side of freestanding CVD diamond layer.

Very high frequency surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices based on AlN/diamond layered structures were fabricated by direct writing using e-beam lithography on the nucleation side of chemical vapor deposition diamond. The interdigital transducers made in aluminum with resolutions down to 500nm were patterned on AlN/diamond layered structure with an adapted technological process. Experimental results show that the Rayleigh wave and the higher modes are generated. The fundamental frequency around 5GHz was obtained for this layered structure SAW device and agrees well with calculated results from dispersion curves of propagation velocity and electromechanical coupling coefficient.

This paper explores the possibility of using AlN/sapphire piezoelectric bilayer structures for high-temperature SAW applications. To determine the temperature stability of AlN, homemade AlN/sapphire samples are annealed in air atmosphere for 2 to 20 h at temperatures from 700 to 1000°C. Ex situ X-ray diffraction measurements reveal that the microstructure of the thin film is not affected by temperatures below 1000°C. Ellipsometry and secondary ion mass spectroscopy investigations attest that AlN/sapphire is reliable up to 700°C. Beyond this temperature, both methods indicate ongoing surface oxidation of AlN. Additionally, Pt/Ta and Al interdigital transducers are patterned on the surface of the AlN film. The resulting SAW devices are characterized up to 500°C and 300°C, respectively, showing reliable frequency response and a large, quasi-constant temperature sensitivity, with a first-order temperature coefficient of frequency around -75 ppm/°C. Between room temperature and 300°C, both electromechanical coupling coefficient K ² and propagation losses increase, so the evolution of delay lines' insertion losses with temperature strongly depends on the length of the propagation path.

Aluminium nitride piezoelectric thin films grown on sapphire are strong candidates for high-temperature surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensors, due to their thermal stability, large bandgap, high acoustic velocity and suitable electromechanical coupling. However, thin-film resonators need more design efforts than those based on bulk crystals, due to the usually limited thickness of the piezoelectric films, and to acoustic properties disparities between the latters and their host substrate. This work presents an optimization of AlN/Sapphire-based SAW resonators with high quality factors for high-temperature applications. It combines specifically grown, 3 μm-thick aluminium nitride films, with the use of aluminium electrodes for their low density and resistivity, as an alternative to heavier electrodes like Pt. These electrodes allow for much lower mechanical losses and higher quality factors, in spite of needing passivation for increased lifetime. A standard resonator design is first presented and used for preliminary tests, in order to monitor the AlN/Sapphire structure with unprotected aluminium electrodes, for temperatures up to 600°C. A quasi-synchronous, optimized design is then proposed for higher quality factors and wireless sensing compliance. The high temperature characterizations confirmed that much larger quality factors can be retrieved from this optimized design. The quasi-synchronous resonators proposed in this study remain well-tuned for temperatures up to 400°C, and show high quality factors, as high as 3400 at 400°C.