Numerical and experimental analysis of complex surface acoustic wave fields

Sophisticated high frequency signal processing as well as sensor applications based on surface acoustic waves (SAW) often require a complex transducer layout. We present a simple numerical technique based on a Huygens-type construction to calculate acoustic wave fields for an arbitrary given transducer layout. Approximating the slowness curve of different substrate materials by a parabolic function, we calculate the SAW far field with superposition of circular waves emitted by distributed point sources. Our numerical results for different transducer geometries are in excellent agreement with measurements of the acoustic wave field by an X-ray topographic technique