Calculation of surface acoustic waves in a multilayered piezoelectric structure

Abstract

The propagation properties of the surface acoustic waves (SAWs) in a ZnO—SiO2—Si multilayered piezoelectric structure are calculated by using the recursive asymptotic method. The phase velocities and the electromechanical coupling coefficients for the Rayleigh wave and the Love wave in the different ZnO—SiO2—Si structures are calculated and analyzed. The Love mode wave is found to be predominantly generated since the c-axis of the ZnO film is generally perpendicular to the substrate. In order to prove the calculated results, a Love mode SAW device based on the ZnO—SiO2—Si multilayered structure is fabricated by micromachining, and its frequency responses are detected. The experimental results are found to be mainly consistent with the calculated ones, except for the slightly larger velocities induced by the residual stresses produced in the fabrication process of the films. The deviation of the experimental results from the calculated ones is reduced by thermal annealing.