ScAlN film is attractive for the BAW and SAW resonators because of its large piezoelectric constants compared with AlN and ZnO. However, the shear and longitudinal elastic properties perpendicular to the c-axis, which are required for SAW and BAW analyses, have not been reported. In this study, we measured shear and longitudinal wave velocities propagating perpendicular to the c-axis [v S = (c 66 /ρ) 1/2 and v L = (c 11 /ρ) 1/2 ] in ScAlN films with various Sc concentrations using microBrillouin scattering technique. The shear and longitudinal wave velocities in the Sc 0.41 Al 0.59 N films decreased to 69% and 81% of those in a pure AlN film, respectively. The shear wave velocity in the film with Sc concentration more than 50% increased with increasing of Sc concentration.
We have experimentally investigated wave velocities and refractive indices in bulk and film samples [a GaN single crystal plate and c-axis-oriented ScxAl(1-x)N (x = 0.00-0.63) films] by Brillouin scattering. All of the piezoelectrically unstiffened elastic constants and the ordinary refractive index of the GaN single crystal plate were determined from the reflection induced A (RIA) scattering geometry and the combination of 90R and 180° scattering geometries. The uncertainties of the measured wave velocities were approximately 0.17% (RIA) and 2.5% (combination technique). In addition, the longitudinal wave velocities of ScxAl(1-x)N films propagating in the normal direction were obtained by the combination technique. The maximum uncertainty was approximately 3.3%. The shear wave velocities and refractive indices of ScxAl(1-x)N films were also investigated by the 90R scattering geometry using velocities measured by high-overtone bulk acoustic resonators. The softening trends of the elasticity were obtained from the measured longitudinal and shear wave velocities, although there were large uncertainties in the Brillouin measurement system owing to thermal instability.
Photoacoustic microscopy (PAM) has attracted increasing attention for non-invasive functional imaging in biomedicine and biomedical studies. The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor is a potential acoustical detector with high sensitivity and wide bandwidth for use in high-resolution 3D PAM. In this study, we investigated a simple Kretschmann SPR sensor, demonstrating highly sensitive stress detection in the sub-nanosecond timescale by directly inducing photo-thermal transient stress. To do this, we designed and used a sub-nanosecond pump probe system. The SPR sensor clearly detected the transient response from the thermal elastic effect, while a simple pump-probe sensor without SPR did not detect it. Our experimental results demonstrate a simple SPR sensor that can detect stress with high sensitivity and sub-nanosecond time resolution. This technique could be used in high-resolution 3D PAM by mounting a small biomedical sample on the sensor.
It is difficult to perform 2-D imaging of elastic properties using the Brillouin scattering technique because the weak thermal phonon signal in the sample leads to low measurement accuracy and long measurement times. To improve the phonon signal, we artificially induced acoustic phonons using a ScAlN thin-film piezoelectric transducer, which has a giant piezoelectricity. The film was grown using RF magnetron sputtering of a ScAl alloy target on a silica glass bar sample. Using a microwave probe, the electric power applied to the film was 1 mW at 875 MHz. We obtained the enhancement of the Brillouin scattering signal in the silica glass bar sample due to the induced phonons. Compared with and without the induced phonons from the ScAlN film transducer, the peak intensity improved by nearly 3 orders of magnitude. This technique can significantly shorten the time required for the Brillouin scattering measurements.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.