Low-Loss and Wide-Band Double-Mode Surface Acoustic Wave Filters Using Pitch-Modulated Interdigital Transducers and Reflectors

This paper proposes use of pitch-modulated interdigital transducers (IDTs) and reflectors for the realization of low-loss and wideband longitudinally coupled double-mode surface acoustic wave (DMS) filters. This technique offers drastic improvement of the device performances through the introduction of a sufficient number of degrees of freedom in the DMS filter design. Namely, the pass-band becomes wide and flat, and insertion loss can be reduced through the suppression of the bulk acoustic wave (BAW) scattering. First, it is shown how the BAW scattering loss can be reduced by the use of the pitch-modulated structure. The DMS filter with this structure is designed so that the frequency response becomes similar to that of the filter with the conventional unmodulated structure, and device performances are compared both theoretically and experimentally. It then is demonstrated how the total device performances are improved by the use of this technology when the device is designed optimally for given specifications. Adding to the reduced bulk wave scattering loss, various distinctive features offer drastic improvement of total device performances.