Description
Sc-alloyed AlN (ScAlN) has emerged as a promising candidate for next-generation piezoelectric materials, offering superior piezoelectric properties and thermal stability compared to traditional perovskite-based materials. However, the metastable nature of ScAlN and the challenges associated with achieving high-quality, phase-pure films, especially in multilayer stacks, have limited its practical applications.Here we present a significant advancement in ScAlN thin-film technology. By employing a carefully optimized process and a suitable buffer layer and electrode design, we have successfully fabricated high-quality Sc0.36Al0.67N films with excellent piezoelectric properties. The bilayer films exhibit comparable crystalline quality to single-layer films, demonstrating the potential for scaling up the fabrication complex ScAlN-based devices. By tuning the process parameters, we demonstrate the microstructural and stress tunability of ScAlN thin films. The average piezoelectric coefficient (e31,f) measured over a 200 mm wafer was found to be -2.9 C/m², highlighting the exceptional performance of these films. This breakthrough unlocks new possibilities and opportunities for advancing high-performance MEMS devices, including energy harvesters, resonators, sensors, and actuators that leverage the unique properties of ScAlN.
| Period | 13 Jul 2025 → 18 Jul 2025 |
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| Degree of Recognition | International |