A method of manufacturing a patterned aluminum nitride layer includes growing an amorphous patterned layer on a seed layer, which promotes growth of a first type aluminum nitride layer that has a disordered crystallographic structure. The seed layer promotes growth of a second type aluminum nitride layer with a vertically oriented columnar crystal structure. The method also includes depositing an aluminum nitride layer over the amorphous patterned layer and the seed layer to form the first type aluminum nitride layer with the disordered crystallographic structure over the amorphous patterned layer and the second type aluminum nitride layer with the vertically oriented columnar crystal structure over the seed layer. The method also includes depositing a masking layer over the second type aluminum nitride layer and etching away the first type aluminum nitride layer.