Optimization of wafer orientation and electrode materials for LGS high-temperature SAW sensors

Resonators with different designs and different resonance frequencies were fabricated on LGS. Resonators were studied at a temperature of 650°C. Annealing of LGS sensors was carried out in a furnace during 1000 hours. Dependences of the resonators behavior versus temperature were obtained. It was found that the first 100-300 hours of thermal annealing lead to the largest change in resonator properties, while further changes over the next hours are much smaller. Pt/Ti based resonators and Ir based resonators showed slow ageing trends, while Pt/Ti resonators passivated with an Al₂O₃ thin film with a thickness of 160 nm demonstrated steeper initial frequency changes. In spite of the obvious damage to electrodes, resonator properties remained reasonably robust to such kinds of degradation and clearly proved the possibility of long-term measurements with LGS based SAW sensor structures. The results showed that initial annealing of high temperature sensors is required to stabilize their ageing behavior. Using the XRD technique, we observed the process of oxidation of Ir and Pt electrodes of SAW-resonators during the first 100 hours of thermal annealing.