A LARGE SCALE PRODUCTION TEST OF THIN FILM Ba_xSr_1−xTiO₃ MICROWAVE PHASE SHIFTERS FABRICATED ON LaAlO₃ SUBSTRATES

ABSTRACT

Many individual tunable ferroelectric-based microwave components have demonstrated excellent performance. However data on the production of many identical devices has been lacking. This paper will present data from NASA Glenn Research Center's fabrication of 822 phase shifters using commercially obtained pulsed laser deposited Ba_xSr_1-xTiO₃ (BST) thin films. These phase shifters of identical design were fabricated on 31 BST-coated LaAlO₃ wafers. Issues of phase shifter performance, repeatability, yield, and long term stability will be addressed. Phase shifter tunability and insertion losses will be compared with BST microstructural film characteristics and also with manufacturing induced physical variations in the electrodes.

Keywords:

• Ferroelectric
• BST
• microwave
• tunable
• phase shifter

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors gratefully acknowledge the technical support of Elizabeth McQuaid and Bruce Viergutz. Two of the authors (F.W.V.K and C.H.M) acknowledge the support of NASA via grant # NCC3-757 and contract number NAS3-00145 respectively.