Method and apparatus for determining and/or improving high power reliability in thin film resonator devices, and a thin film resonator device resultant therefrom

Abstract

The effects of electromigration have been shown to lead to damage of metal electrodes of electronic devices such as thin film resonator (TFR) devices in only a few hours, for a test input power that is within the operational range of these devices. It has been determined that this failure is sensitive to the frequency of the input power. The present invention provides a method and apparatus for determining high power reliability in electronic devices, so as to enable an accurate determination of the failure time of the electronic device, and hence projected lifetime. This determination is independent from the frequency of an input power applied to the electronic device as part of the method for testing the device. Based on the above results, a TFR device has been developed, which includes a protective or electromigration-reducing layer such as titanium being deposited atop an electrode of the device. The TFR device with the modified electrode structure can operate at higher power levels and has a longer operational lifetime than what is currently available.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.