IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,191,843
Granted Patent B2
US 12,191,843 · App. 17/849,744 · Granted Jan 7, 2025

Wide-band acoustically coupled thin-film BAW filter

Inventors: Johanna Meltaus (Espoo, FI); Tuomas Pensala (Espoo, FI)
Assignee: Teknologian tutkimuskeskus VTT Oy
H03H9/547H03H9/564H03H9/568
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,191,843
App. No.
17/849,744
Granted
Jan 7, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

The invention relates to an acoustically coupled thin-film BAW filter, comprising a piezoelectric layer, an input-port on the piezoelectric layer changing electrical signal into an acoustic wave (SAW, BAW), and an output-port on the piezoelectric layer changing acoustic signal into electrical signal. In accordance with the invention the ports include electrodes positioned close to each other, and the filter is designed to operate in first order thickness-extensional TE1 mode.

Claims (49)

1. An acoustically coupled thin-film Bulk Acoustic Wave (BAW) filter, comprising;

a piezoelectric layer,

an input-port on the piezoelectric layer changing electrical signal into an acoustic wave, and

an output-port on the piezoelectric layer changing acoustic signal into electrical signal,

wherein

the ports include electrodes positioned such that acoustic coupling is achieved, the ports having an interdigital electrode structure such that the electrodes are connected alternatingly to the input port and the output port,

the filter is capable of operating in the first order thickness-extensional TE1 mode, and

wherein the number of electrodes is more than ten,

wherein the mass loading by the interdigital electrodes is such that the k=0 frequency of the outside region's TS2 mode is between 93% and 99.9% of the electrode region's TE1 cutoff frequency,

wherein the electrode width W is such that the wavelength of the lateral acoustic wave at the desired odd mode resonance, λodd, is obtained, and

wherein the electrode width W is between 25% and 50% of the desired odd mode resonance wavelength λ odd .

2. A filter in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the number of electrodes N, electrode width W and gap width G between the interdigital electrodes are designed such that the desired wavelength of the lateral acoustic wave at the even mode resonance frequency is achieved.

3. A filter in accordance with claim 2 , wherein N*W+N*G=λeven/2, where λeven is the wavelength of the lateral acoustic wave at the even mode resonance frequency, and that the highest-order mode trapped in the structure is the desired odd mode resonance.

4. A filter in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the gap width is between 20% and 120% of the evanescent acoustic wave's decay length in the gap at the desired even resonance mode, where the wave's decay length is expressed as the length at which amplitude A=A0*1/e of the original amplitude A0.

5. A filter in accordance with claim 2 , wherein matching to the system impedance level is achieved, while retaining a desired loss level within the passband by the combination of N, W, and electrode length L.

6. A filter in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the k=0 frequency of the outside region's TS2 mode is between 95% and 99% of the electrode region's TE1 cutoff frequency.

7. A filter in accordance with claim 6 , wherein the k=0 frequency of the outside region's TS2 mode is between 97% and 98% of the electrode region's TE1 cutoff frequency.

8. A filter in accordance with claim 1 , wherein there being one or more parallel resonator, and/or series resonators added to the filter.

9. A filter in accordance with claim 8 , wherein one or more of the resonators are coupled before and/or after the filter.

10. A filter in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the electrodes are positioned such that acoustic vibration in the lateral direction from one electrode to the other acoustically couples the electrodes.

11. A filter in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric layer is formed on an acoustic Bragg structure formed as a thin film stack or on an air-gap structure.

12. A filter in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the filter is capable of operating in the TE1 mode in a gigahertz (GHz) frequency range.

13. A filter in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the filter has type 1 dispersion.

14. A filter in accordance with claim 1 , wherein an acoustic Bragg mirror composed of alternating high and low acoustic impedance (Z) material layers serves to isolate the vibration in the piezoelectric thin film from the substrate.

15. A filter in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the gap width G is not constant.

16. An acoustically coupled thin-film Bulk Acoustic Wave filter, comprising;

an input-port for receiving an electrical input signal;

an output-port for outputting an electrical output signal;

a piezoelectric layer;

more than ten interdigital electrodes on the surface of the piezoelectric layer, the interdigital electrodes comprising a number of first electrodes spaced from each other by a spacing and a number of second electrodes such that one second electrode is located in each spacing between two consecutive first electrodes;

the first electrodes being connected to the input port for receiving the electrical input signal and causing a corresponding acoustic wave in the piezoelectric layer;

the second electrodes being connected to the output port for obtaining the electrical ouput signal from the acoustic wave in the piezoelectric layer;

wherein the filter is capable of operating in the first order thickness-extensional TE1 mode;

wherein the mass loading by the interdigital electrodes is such that the k=0 frequency of the outside region's TS2 mode is between 93% and 99.9% of the electrode region's TE1 cutoff frequency; and

wherein the width W of each interdigital electrode is between 25% and 50% of the wavelength of the lateral acoustic wave at the desired odd mode resonance wavelength λ odd .

17. A filter in accordance with claim 16 , wherein the filter is capable of operating in the TE1 mode in a gigahertz (GHz) frequency range.

18. A filter in accordance with claim 16 , wherein the piezoelectric layer is formed on an acoustic Bragg structure formed as a thin film stack or on an air-gap structure.

19. An acoustically coupled thin-film Bulk Acoustic Wave filter, comprising;

an input-port for receiving an electrical input signal;

an output-port for outputting an electrical output signal;

an acoustic Bragg structure comprising layers of at least two different materials such that the first material has a higher acoustic impedance than the second material;

a piezoelectric layer on the acoustic Bragg structure;

more than ten interdigital electrodes on the surface of the piezoelectric layer, the interdigital electrodes comprising a number of first electrodes spaced from each other by a spacing and a number of second electrodes such that one second electrode is located in each spacing between two consecutive first electrodes;

the first electrodes being connected to the input port for receiving the electrical input signal and causing a corresponding acoustic wave in the piezoelectric layer;

the second electrodes being connected to the output port for obtaining the electrical ouput signal from the acoustic wave in the piezoelectric layer;

wherein the filter is capable of operating in the first order thickness-extensional TE1 mode;

wherein the mass loading by the interdigital electrodes is such that the k=0 frequency of the outside region's TS2 mode is between 93% and 99.9% of the electrode region's TE1 cutoff frequency; and

wherein the width W of each interdigital electrode is between 25% and 50% of the wavelength of the lateral acoustic wave at the desired odd mode resonance wavelength λ odd .

20. A filter in accordance with claim 19 , wherein the filter is capable of operating in the TE1 mode in a gigahertz (GHz) frequency range.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 7, 2022
From: MELTAUS, JOHANNA; PENSALA, TUOMAS
To: TEKNOLOGIAN TUTKIMUSKESKUS VTT OY
Reel/Frame 061536/0053 →
Priority Claims (1)
FI 20106063 · Oct 14, 2010 · national
Continuity (5)
Continuation 17008077 · Aug 31, 2020
Continuation 15893717 · Feb 12, 2018
Continuation 13879028
Provisional Application 61392955 · Oct 14, 2010
Related Publication 20220407500A1 · Dec 22, 2022
References Cited (32)
US 3564463A · Beaver et al. · 1971 [cited by applicant]
US 3944951A · Kurth · 1976 [cited by applicant]
US 6509814B2 · Milsom · 2003 [cited by applicant]
US 7474174B2 · Milsom et al. · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 8008993B2 · Milsom et al. · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 8058768B2 · Milsom et al. · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 9893712B2 · Meltaus et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 10778186B2 · Meltaus et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20010052831A1 · Milsom · 2001 [cited by applicant]
US 20060091978A1 · Wang et al. · 2006 [cited by applicant]
US 20080051039A1 · Iwasaki et al. · 2008 [cited by applicant]
US 20080079515A1 · Ayazi et al. · 2008 [cited by applicant]
US 20080129414A1 · Lobl et al. · 2008 [cited by applicant]
US 20080180193A1 · Iwasaki et al. · 2008 [cited by applicant]
US 20080297279A1 · Thalhammer et al. · 2008 [cited by applicant]
US 20120062068A1 · Wathen et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 20130278356A1 · Meltaus et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
CN 1695298A · 2005 [cited by applicant]
CN 101185241A · 2008 [cited by applicant]
JP 2008079294A · 2008 [cited by applicant]
JP 2008543157A · 2008 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2006126168A1 · 2006 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2007060557A1 · 2007 [cited by applicant]
Allah et al. “Solidly Mounted Resonators with Layer-Transferred AlN using Sacrificial Crystalline Surfaces”, IEEE, 2009. [cited by applicant]
Fattinger et al. “Single-to-balanced Filters for Mobile Phones using coupled Resonator BAW Technology”, 2004 IEEE Ultrasonics Symposium, pp. 416-419. [cited by applicant]
Meltaus et al. “Laterally Coupled BAW Filters With 5% Bandwidth”, 2010 IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium Proceedings, pp. 966-969. [cited by applicant]
Meltaus et al. “Laterally Coupled Solidly Mounted BAW Resonators at 1.9 GHz”, 2009 IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium Proceedings, 2009. pp. 847-850. [cited by applicant]
Pan et al. “A low-loss 1.8GHz monolithic thin-film piezoelectric-on-substrate filter”, MEMS 2008, Tucson, AZ, USA, Jan. 13-17, 2008, pp. 176-179. [cited by applicant]
Qin et al. “Mass sensitivity of thin film bulk acoustic wave resonator based on c-Axis ZnO Film”. In Proceedings of IEEE International Ultrasonic Symposium 2010, Oct. 11-14, 2010, pp. 1267-1271. [cited by applicant]
Fattinger et al. “Optimization of Acoustic Dispersion for High Performance Thin Film BAW Resonators”, 2005 IEEE Ultrasonics Symposium, pp. 1175-1178. [cited by applicant]
Munir et al: “A GHz range, single structure, multi-mode ZnO, solidly-mounted bulk acoustic resonator”, 2010 IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium, 2010, pp. 853-856. [cited by applicant]
Wathen et al: “A high-Q hybrid acoustic mode in thin film ZnO solidly mounted resonators”, Applied Physics Letters, 2009, vol. 95. [cited by applicant]