A coupled resonator filter includes a first resonator, a second resonator, one or more intervening layers, a first border ring, and a second border ring. The first resonator includes a first piezoelectric layer and a first electrode in contact with the first piezoelectric layer. The second resonator includes a second piezoelectric layer and a second electrode in contact with the second piezoelectric layer. The one or more intervening layers are between the first resonator and the second resonator and acoustically couple the first resonator and the second resonator. The first border ring is on the first electrode. The second border ring is on the second electrode. By providing both the first border ring and the second border ring, spurious modes in the coupled resonator filter may be suppressed, thereby improving the performance thereof.

A filter circuit includes a first input node and a second input node for receiving an input signal, and a first output node and a second output node for providing an output signal. A first series acoustic resonator is coupled in series between the first input node and the first output node. At least one coupled resonator filter (CRF) includes first and second transducers, which may be acoustically coupled to one another. The first transducer has a first electrode coupled to the first input node, a second electrode coupled to the second input node, and a first piezoelectric layer between the first electrode and the second electrode. A second transducer has a third electrode coupled to the first output node, a fourth electrode coupled to the second output node, and a second piezoelectric layer between the third electrode and the fourth electrode.

Techniques are disclosed implementing acoustic wave resonator (AWR) filter architectures to enable integrated solutions requiring significantly less passive components. The primary AWR filter topology leverages the use of parallel resonator branches, each having a relatively narrow bandwidth that may be combined to form an overall broadband filter response. This architecture may be further modified using electronically-controlled switching components to dynamically turn specific branches on or off to tune the filter, thus realizing a programmable broadband solution. Shunt resonators may also be added to the AWR filter topology, which may also be controlled with the use of electronically-controlled switching components to provide further control with respect to roll-off and the location and number of notch frequencies.

A resonator element for use in a filter is provided. The resonator element includes a first resonator acoustically coupled to a second or third resonator or both. The first resonator has terminals for incorporation in a filter structure. A tuning circuit is coupled to the second or third resonator or both to enable tuning of the resonator element. The tuning circuit includes a variable capacitor and an inductor.

In accordance with an embodiment, an RF system includes a transmit path having a transmit RF filter and an adjustable transmit phase shifter/matching network coupled between the transmit RF filter and a transmit antenna port, where the adjustable transmit phase shifter/matching network is configured to transform an impedance of the transmit RF filter at a receive frequency from a first lower impedance to a first higher impedance at the transmit antenna port; and a receive path having a receive RF filter and an adjustable receive phase shifter/matching network coupled between the receive RF filter and a receive antenna port, where the adjustable receive phase shifter/matching network is configured to transform an impedance of the receive RF filter at a transmit frequency from a second lower impedance to a second higher impedance at the receive antenna port.

A notch filter includes an inductor coupled between an input node and an output node, and a dual-resonator structure coupled between the input node, the output node, and ground.

A bandpass filter includes a capacitor coupled between an input node and an output node, and a dual-resonator structure coupled between the input node, the output node, and ground.

In accordance with an embodiment, a method of operating an RF system includes generating a first RF signal having a first frequency; filtering the generated first RF signal to form a first filtered transmitted signal; producing a first coupled signal and a first transmitted signal from the first filtered transmitted signal; transmitting the first transmitted signal; transmitting a second RF signal having a second frequency; bandpass filtering the first coupled signal to form a first tunable bandpass filtered signal; and measuring a parameter of the first tunable bandpass filtered signal.

A resonator element for use in a filter is provided. The resonator element includes a first resonator acoustically coupled to a second or third resonator or both. The first resonator has terminals for incorporation in a filter structure. A tuning circuit is coupled to the second or third resonator or both to enable tuning of the resonator element. The tuning circuit includes a variable capacitor and an inductor.

In accordance with an embodiment, a method of operating an RF system includes filtering a first wideband RF signal using a wideband filter bank. Filtering the first RF signal includes separating the first wideband RF signal into frequency cluster signals, where each frequency cluster signal of the frequency cluster signals includes different frequency ranges, the first wideband RF signal includes multiple RF bands, and each of the different frequency ranges comprises a plurality of RF bands of the multiple RF bands. The method further includes band stop filtering at least one of the frequency cluster signals to produce a band stopped frequency cluster signal.