Niobate Films for Microwave Applications

Abstract

ABSTRACTSubmicron thick niobate films, Na0.5K0.5NbO3 (NKN) and Ag0.9Ta0.42Nb0.58O3-δ (ATN), have been pulsed laser deposited on MgO, Pt80Ir20, and Si substrates for microwave device applications. Strong bi-axial (001)-(011) texture observed in both films on MgO substrates indicates that there are major similarities in the growth mechanisms in these films. The dielectric permittivity ε′ of NKN film increases monotonously with temperature, while that of ATN shows a weak temperature dependence (about 21% of variation) in a wide temperature range from 77 K to 400 K. Measured tunability Δε′/ε′ and dielectric loss tanδ for niobate/MgO interdigital capacitors have been found to be (Δε′/ε′)NKN = 40%, tanδNKN = 1.4-2.3% and (Δε′/ε′)ATN = 4.3%, tanδATN = 0.23-0.25% at 1 MHz under maximum electric field of 100 kV/cm. Microwave spectroscopy studies for NKN/Si varactors show (Δε′/ε′)NKN/Si of 13% and tanδNKN/Si = 1.2-6.6% at 40 GHz @ 200 kV/cm.