AlScN-on-SiC microelectromechanical Lamb wave resonators operating at high temperature up to 800 °C

Abstract

We report on the experimental demonstration of aluminum scandium nitride (AlScN)-on-cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC) Lamb wave resonators (LWRs) realized via microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology, operating at high temperature (T) up to T = 800 °C, while retaining robust electromechanical resonances at ∼27 MHz and good quality factor of Q ≈ 900 even at 800 °C. Measured resonances exhibit clear consistency and stability during heating and cooling processes, validating the AlScN-on-SiC LWRs can operate at high T up to 800 °C without noticeable degradation in moderate vacuum (∼20 mTorr). Even after undergoing four complete thermal cycles (heating from 23 to 800 °C and then cooling down to 23 °C), the devices exhibit robust resonance behavior, suggesting excellent stability and suitability for high-temperature applications. Q starts to decline as the temperature exceeds 400 °C, which can be attributed to energy dissipation mechanisms stemming from thermoelastic damping and intrinsic material loss originating from phonon–phonon interactions.