Surface Acoustic Wave Resonators Research Articles

A new FEM-based approach on the modeling of stress-induced velocity shift of piezoelectric surface acoustic wave resonators

A new FEM-based approach on the modeling of stress-induced velocity shift of piezoelectric surface acoustic wave resonators

Graphene Decorated Shear Horizontal Surface Acoustic Wave Resonator as Humidity Sensor

Graphene Decorated Shear Horizontal Surface Acoustic Wave Resonator as Humidity Sensor

A spurious-free SAW filter employing a novel transducer structure on bulk LiNbO3 substrates

In order to cope with the ubiquitous wireless connections and the rapid transmission of data in communication systems, surface acoustic wave filters are required to have high performance. With a large electromechanical coupling coefficient (K2), conventional bulk 64°YX-LiNbO3 substrates are attractive for low-cost mass production of surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonators. However, the influence of the transverse modes restricts their practical application. In this work, a novel and simple tilted transducer is fabricated, and successfully achieved spurious-free passband SAW filters based on 64°YX-LN piezoelectric substrates. In this work, the transverse modes suppression method is theoretically studied and designed, and the effectiveness of the energy concentrated structure is verified. The optimal tilt IDT angle for eliminating the influence of transverse modes in Al/64 °YX-LN structure is about 6°. Subsequently, based on the above research, three types of tilted resonators were designed and fabricated, which not only verified the reliability of the aforementioned results but also enhanced the performance of the devices, compensating for the deficiency caused by the reduction of the Q factor due to the tilted structure. Finally, based on the double busbar tilted structure, a SAW filter was designed, which has a large 3 dB fractional bandwidth (FBW) and a spurious-free passband. The SAW filter designed in this work has low cost and excellent performance, and can be mass produced. In the field of low-cost RF devices, this work contributes to maintaining the competitive advantage of SAW technology.

Theoretical investigation of Rayleigh-type surface acoustic waves with high electromechanical coupling coefficient in c-axis-tilted ScAlN film/3C-SiC substrate structure

Surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonators are essential components of mobile communication technology. Advanced performance SAW resonators are needed to support beyond fifth-generation mobile communication technology, which aims to achieve unprecedentedly high data rates and low latency using wide frequency bands in the RF spectrum. This study theoretically investigates the propagation characteristics of a non-leaky Rayleigh-type SAW (RSAW) propagating in a c-axis-tilted ScAlN film/3C-SiC substrate structure. By appropriately selecting the c-axis tilt angle and the film thickness of the ScAlN film, a high electromechanical coupling coefficient (K2) value was obtained in the second-mode RSAW (Sezawa wave). The maximum K2 value for the Sezawa wave was 8.03%, with a phase velocity of 7456 m/s and a power flow angle of 0° under the structural conditions where the K2 value was maximized. These properties offer significant advantages for achieving wide frequency bands, high operating frequencies, and ease of design for SAW resonators. The structural conditions under which good propagation characteristics were obtained in the Sezawa waves were found to coincide with the conditions that maximize the electromechanical coupling coefficient of the quasi-longitudinal wave in the ScAlN film, and a significant increase in the shear vertical component of Sezawa wave particle displacement was observed. Additionally, ScAlN films with a 40% Sc concentration can be fabricated using sputtering and molecular beam epitaxy. Recent advancements have reported the production of high-quality 3C-SiC wafers and large 3C-SiC film/silicon wafers. Therefore, the c-axis-tilted ScAlN film/3C-SiC substrate structure shows great potential as a candidate for next-generation SAW resonators.

Performance analysis of shear horizontal one port surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonator for optimal liquid sensing based on finite element method

This paper presents the numerical study using finite element method for optimal liquid sensing performance of one port surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonator. Simulation shows that the extend of IDT-reflector gap can be optimized to contain most of the piezoelectric displacement. Various settings of liquid placement on the mentioned region yield distinct resonant frequency responses of the SAW sensor. For concentrated liquid with higher order of viscosity, magnitude of S-Parameter and phase of the propagating SAW can be applied to sense the liquid solutions. Based on the results, optimal liquid sensing performance of the device can be achieved when liquid droplet sized about 10 % of the aperture is placed in the middle position of the IDT-reflector gap conditioned at 1.5 λ. Using the formulated strategy, the one port SAW device distinguishes well 0 % to 100 % glycerine concentrations compared to limited detection range reported in the previous study. The finding includes equation of liquid turnover viscosity before shift in direction of the changes in S-Parameter measurement. The derived parameters can be set as reference to design the microfludic cell or lab-on-chip based on the one port SAW configuration for optimized liquid sensing performance.

Switchable SAW Resonators and Ladder Filters Composed of Interdigitated Combs.

This work presents the development of switchable surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonators fabricated on a LiNbO3 substrate, which uses the electrical Bragg bandgap concept to control the resonance frequency. The modification of the electrical condition of electrode arrays shifts their bandgap center frequency, which in turn changes the effective cavity length and resonance frequency of the resonator. This method uses the electrodes already present in SAW devices, thus reducing the complexity of potentially tunable SAW components. In this article, the electrodes that make up the cavity mirrors are connected into interdigitated comb pairs (IDCPs), reducing the necessary number of switches for operation. Finite-element method (FEM) simulations are used to analyze resonator operation and design difficulties are discussed. Frozen (with no possibility of switching) and switchable versions of a chosen resonator structure are fabricated to experimentally showcase resonator operation. It is found that it is possible to design switchable SAW resonators, which require a single switch and present a relative frequency jump of around 2.3%. Finally, frozen single-cell and four-cell ladder filters are fabricated as a proof of concept of a switchable SAW filter.

Gold as a Promising Electrode Material for LiNbO3-on-Insulator (LNOI) SH-SAW Resonators: An Experimental Study.

The need for wideband radio frequency front ends (RFFEs) with next-generation wireless protocols highlights the importance of electromechanical coupling [Formula: see text]. The hetero acoustic layered (HAL) surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonator with aluminum (Al) electrodes has shown superior performance compared to conventional SAW devices. Despite gold (Au) having excellent conductivity and stable properties, its high acoustic absorption and low phase velocity have made it less favorable for electrodes. This work demonstrates that high-performance shear horizontal (SH)-SAW resonators can be fabricated on the lithium niobate-on-insulator (LNOI) platform using a setup specifically designed for an Au electrodes. Experimental validation shows that the device achieves a high quality factor (Q) over 870, excellent [Formula: see text] up to 40%, and operates around 765 MHz. Unwanted transverse spurious modes are suppressed through adequate electrode design, and the temperature stability of LNOI SH-SAW with Au electrodes is discussed. This study highlights gold's potential as an electrode material for high [Formula: see text], clean spectrum, and wideband applications.

Heterogeneous Integration of 42°YX LiNbO₃/SiO₂/Quartz for Wideband and Spurious-Free SAW Resonators

Heterogeneous Integration of 42°YX LiNbO₃/SiO₂/Quartz for Wideband and Spurious-Free SAW Resonators

Interaction of acoustic waves with spin waves using a GHz operating GaN/Si SAW device with a Ni/NiFeSi layer between its IDTs.

A two port surface acoustic wave (SAW) device was developed to be used for the control and excitation via spin waves (SW). The structure was manufactured using advanced nanolithography techniques, on GaN/Si, enabling fundamental Rayleigh interdigitated transducer (IDT) resonances in GHz frequency range. The ferromagnetic resonance of the magnetostrictive Ni/NiFeSi layer placed between the IDTs of the SAW device can be tuned to the SAW resonance frequency by magnetic fields. Using structures with finger and interdigit spacing of 170 nm and 100 nm, fundamental Rayleigh IDT resonance frequencies of 6.4 and 10.4 GHz have been obtained. Coupling of SAW to SW was demonstrated through transmission measurements at the fundamental Rayleigh frequencies in a magnetic field, μ0H from -280 to +280 mT, at different angles (θ) between the SAW propagation direction and the magnetic field direction. For the 6.4 GHz resonator a maximum decrease of about 1.2 dB occurred in |S21|, at μ0H = 30 mT and at θ = 45. Time-gated processing of the frequency domain raw data was used to remove the direct electromagnetic cross talk and triple transit effects. Nonreciprocity associated to the coupling was analyzed for the two SAW structures. The quantitative influence of the magnetic field strength on the phase of the transmission parameters is also presented.

Design and Characterization of SAW-Based Wireless and Passive Temperature Sensing System

Abstract The Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) temperature sensor has received significant attention due to its wirelessly-powered, battery-free, and chipless capabilities. This paper proposes a wireless sensing system comprising a one-port SAW resonator, antennas, and transceiver circuit. The SAW resonator utilized in this system was based on Aluminum Nitride (AlN) thin film, which exhibits high SAW velocity and excellent piezoelectric properties. To completely investigate the performance of the SAW resonator, simulation and experiments were conducted. Upon connecting the SAW sensor to the temperature sensing system via the antenna, the reflection peak of the SAW resonator was clearly observed in the spectrum of the return signal. Additionally, during the temperature tests, the response frequency displayed almost linear behavior as the temperature increased from 30°C to 150°C. The fitted temperature coefficient of frequency (TCF) was 30.68ppm/°C, indicating that the wireless temperature sensing system has high temperature sensitivity.

Enhancement in performance of SAW resonator on LN/SiC substrate by take slowness asymmetry into account

Abstract Layered structures comprising high-coupling lithium niobate (LiNbO3, LN) piezoelectric thin plates bonded to high-velocity SiC substrates have attracted much attention of high-performance surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices. However, such these layered structures exhibit severe Rayleigh mode spurious responses that degrade the performances of SAW devices. This paper explores the generation mechanism of spurious modes on LN/SiC layered structure, and proposes an optimized layered structure with suppressed Rayleigh spurious modes. The investigation involves deriving the Euler angle range of LN by analysing the slowness surface of both LN and SiC. In addition, it is worth noting that slowness surface overlaps at some Euler angle ranges, which will cause coupling between different modes, thus generating spurious mode. Simulation result shows the frequency characteristics of SAW resonator at resonant and anti-resonant frequencies of 4.3 GHz and 4.88 GHz of SH mode, achieving a K 2 of up to 26.5% and a quality factor Q of 828. It is proved that the optimization structure offering larger K 2, higher velocity and improved Q values and Rayleigh spurious mode suppression, which is favourable for wideband and high frequency SAW devices applications.

A New Method for Temperature Dependent COM Parameters Extraction and Its Application to Simulation of SAW Devices

Abstract Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) filters are widely used in mobile communication systems due to their superior performance. Yet, application scenarios for these SAW devices can be limited by temperature stability. The coupling of modes (COM) model is proved to be an efficient modeling approach to design SAW devices at present. However, temperature dependent COM parameter extraction is still absent. This work proposed a new method combining COM model with quasi-3D periodic finite element method (FEM) model coupled with thermal field, which can accurately and rapidly simulate and optimize the temperature stability of SAW devices. The COM parameters extraction method used in this study mainly depends on harmonic admittance. For a given temperature (T), the thermal effect can be computed by incorporating the linear thermal expansion coefficients and temperature coefficients of elasticity into the model. For validation, the admittance responses of a finite-length SAW resonator and the S-parameter of a double-mode SAW (DMS) for 42º YX-LiTaO3 piezoelectric substrate are calculated by using P-Matrix with the extracted COM parameters. For validation, the admittance responses of a SAW resonator on 42º YX-LiTaO3 under different temperature conditions is calculated. Furthermore, the temperature behaviors of a DMS filter on 42º YX-LiTaO3 are also analyzed based on the proposed method. Accurate predictions of the temperature behaviors for both resonator and filter were achieved and discussed. This investigation provides guidelines for design of high-performance SAW devices with good temperature stability.

High Order Rayleigh-Type SAW Devices for Advanced 5G Front-ends with Improved Performance

Abstract This paper presents a piezoelectric layered structure composed of a rotated LiNbO3 thin film combined with a diamond film for improved comprehensive performance SAW devices. Theoretical analysis of SAW resonator on the proposed structure is performed to calculate its SAW characteristics including electromechanical coupling coefficient (K2 ), frequency (f), and quality factor (Q). It is found that a high-order Rayleigh mode is effectively excited and exhibits not only high frequency but also large K2 and high Q. The influences of the Euler angles, layer stack configurations of LiNbO3, and the electrode on the SAW properties are investigated systematically to optimize the device performance of the proposed structure. The results show the resonator can operate at frequency of 6.6 GHz with a large K2 of 13.58% and high Q of 2134, which makes the proposed layered structure a good potential solution for high-performance wideband SAW filters operating over 5 GHz.

Effects of interlayer SiO2 or Au on the performances of LNOS-SAW

Abstract Surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonators and filters based on lithium niobate (LN) or lithium tantalate crystals have been widely used in modern wireless communication systems. However, acoustic energy in these kinds of devices is lost in the substrate due to longitudinal attenuation. The enhancements of quality factor and coupling coefficient are still in demand for further applications. This work proposes a SAW based on LN thin film on a sapphire substrate (LNOS). Besides, we explored the effects of using different bonding materials on the LNOS-SAW performances. The presence of the interlayer not only plays a role in bonding but also has an impact on the performance of the resonator. Considering the compatibility of the process in this method, 2 μm-thick silicon dioxide (SiO2) or 1 μm-thick gold (Au) is designed as the interlayer. As the displacement diagrams show, the acoustic energy of the SAW with interlayer is reflected at the interface, and the energy leakage is suppressed. The simulation results show that the presence of SiO2 or Au causes a decrease in resonant frequencies of the resonators, and the effect is more pronounced with Au. Significantly, the presence of SiO2 enhances the coupling efficiency of the resonator while the Au interlayer brings a more obvious improvement in the quality factor.

Improvement of SAW Resonator Performance by Petal-like Topological Insulator.

This article introduces a novel petal-like SAW topology insulator, which can transmit sound waves with low loss and high flexibility in an ultra-wide frequency band by simultaneously adjusting multiple structural parameters of phononic crystals. Using finite element analysis, it was found that adjusting these parameters can generate a broadband gap of 55.8-65.7 MHz. This structure can also achieve defect immunity and sharp bending in waveguide transmission. When this topology insulator is applied to resonators, compared to traditional designs, the insertion loss is reduced by 22 dB, the on-load quality factor is increased by 227%, the off-load quality factor is increased by 1024.5%, and the quality sensitivity is improved by 3.7 times compared to bare devices.

Strain Characteristics of Surface Acoustic Wave Resonators on X-Cut LiTaO3

Strain Characteristics of Surface Acoustic Wave Resonators on X-Cut LiTaO₃

Frequency‐Locked Wireless Multifunctional Surface Acoustic Wave Sensors

AbstractSurface acoustic waves (SAWs) have shown great potential for developing sensors for structural health monitoring (SHM) and lab‐on‐a‐chip (LOC) applications. Existing SAW sensors mainly rely on measuring the frequency shifts of high‐frequency (e.g., >0.1 GHz) resonance peaks. This study presents frequency‐locked wireless multifunctional SAW sensors that enable multiple wireless sensing functions, including strain sensing, temperature measurement, water presence detection, and vibration sensing. These sensors leverage SAW resonators on piezoelectric chips, inductive coupling‐based wireless power transmission, and, particularly, a frequency‐locked wireless sensing mechanism that works at low frequencies (e.g., <0.1 GHz). This mechanism locks the input frequency on the slope of a sensor's reflection spectrum and monitors the reflection signal's amplitude change induced by the changes of sensing parameters. The proof‐of‐concept experiments show that these wireless sensors can operate in a low‐power active mode for on‐demand wireless strain measurement, temperature sensing, and water presence detection. Moreover, these sensors can operate in a power‐free passive mode for vibration sensing, with results that agree well with laser vibrometer measurements. It is anticipated that the designs and mechanisms of the frequency‐locked wireless SAW sensors will inspire researchers to develop future wireless multifunctional sensors for SHM and LOC applications.

Detecting low-concentration ammonia with a surface acoustic wave sensor using a silver nanoparticles–graphene–polypyrrole hybrid nanocomposite film

In this study, a surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonator coated with graphene/polypyrrole hybrid nanocomposite films decorated with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs-G/PPy) is proposed for detecting ammonia (NH3) in parts-per-billion concentrations. The AgNPs-G/PPy hybrid nanocomposite film was synthesized via in situ chemical oxidative polymerization. Scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction were used to characterize the AgNPs-G/PPy hybrid nanocomposite film, confirming its successful synthesis and identifying a wrinkled multilayered structure. The AgNPs-G/PPy hybrid nanocomposite film was spin-coated onto the surface of a stress-compensated temperature-cut quartz SAW resonator having an operating frequency of 98.5 MHz to create an NH3 gas sensor. NH3 adsorption by the AgNPs-G/PPy hybrid nanocomposite film modulated the acoustic wave velocity, and the corresponding frequency shift served as a sensing signal. The synergistic interaction between the three constituent materials (AgNPs, graphene, and polypyrrole) enhanced the sensitivity, selectivity, and response speed of the sensor for NH3 detection. At room temperature, the proposed sensor exhibited a positive frequency shift of 568 Hz when exposed to 50 ppb of NH3 gas and a rapid response time of less than 60 s. In addition, the SAW sensor exhibited excellent selectivity.

Tunable coupling of a quantum phononic resonator to a transmon qubit via galvanic-contact flip-chip architecture

A hybrid system with tunable coupling between phonons and qubits shows great potential for advancing quantum information processing. In this work, we demonstrate strong and tunable coupling between a surface acoustic wave resonator and a transmon qubit based on the galvanic-contact flip-chip technique. The coupling strength varies from 2π× 7.0 to −2π× 20.6 MHz, which is extracted from different vacuum Rabi oscillation frequencies. The phonon-induced ac Stark shift of the qubit at different coupling strengths is also shown. Our approach offers a good experimental platform for exploring quantum acoustics and hybrid systems.

Circular SAW Resonators: Influence of Sensitive Element Dimensions on Strength Characteristics and First Experimental Samples.

In preceding research endeavors, the frequency characteristics of a ring resonator on surface acoustic waves made of various materials were studied. Investigations encompassed fixation techniques within the housing, the impact of external variables on these components, and the most efficient configuration of the interdigital transducer within the ring resonator to curtail bandwidth. This current study is dedicated to investigating the correlation between sensitivity and the highest measurable acceleration concerning the dimensions of these sensitive elements. Furthermore, it involves assessing the attributes of produced experimental samples to verify the simulation results. The results obtained represent the possibility of creating a micromechanical accelerometer that can be used in the automotive industry as a g-sensor shock, as well as in industries where the numerical value of high overloads is required.