Improved surface acoustic wave structures (or elements) that can be used to realize any of a wide variety of dispersive or non-dispersive transversal SAW filters that are distinct from prior known means for producing such filters are disclosed. The devices and structures may include stepped acoustic wave delay modification elements that can be used to implement transversal filter impulse response functions in a manner analogous to the use of interdigital transducers. The structures disclosed are of particular usefulness to implement SAW devices at high frequencies where normal photolithographic resolution would prove limiting. Aspects and embodiments of the present invention would be useful to produce SAW devices for use in a wide variety of applications, including as components in cell phones, in radar and other communications and electronic systems, and as wired or wireless sensors or sensor-tags.

A SAW transducer and a SAW resonator are proposed composed of consecutively arranged unit cells of length L. Slight geometry or material variations such as variations of the metallization ration or the unit cell length L affecting the pitch) between these unit cells result in improved spurious mode suppression while the main mode performance is unaffected.

A coupled cavity filter structure that uses a surface acoustic wave, in particular, a guided surface acoustic wave, comprises an acoustic wave propagating substrate, at least one input transducer structure and one output transducer structure, provided over the substrate, each comprising inter-digitated comb electrodes, at least one reflecting structure comprising at least one or more metallic strips, positioned at a distance and in between the input and output transducer structures, in the direction of propagation of an acoustic wave. The acoustic wave propagating substrate is a composite substrate comprising a base substrate and a piezoelectric layer. In additional embodiments, a coupled cavity filter structure comprises a groove. In additional embodiments, a SAW ladder filter device comprises at least two coupled cavity filter structures as described herein, wherein the at least two coupled cavity filter structures are positioned on a single line.

An elastic wave device includes, on an elastic wave element substrate, an IDT electrode including electrode fingers, and reflectors. At least one electrode finger of each of the reflectors include a portion having a relatively large thickness in a longitudinal direction and a portion having a relatively small thickness in the longitudinal direction. The portion having the relatively large thickness each reflector is thicker than a thickness of the electrode fingers of the IDT electrode.

An elastic wave device includes, on an elastic wave element substrate, an IDT electrode including electrode fingers, and reflectors. At least one electrode finger of each of the reflectors include a portion having a relatively large thickness in a longitudinal direction and a portion having a relatively small thickness in the longitudinal direction. The portion having the relatively large thickness each reflector is thicker than a thickness of the electrode fingers of the IDT electrode.

A SAW transducer and a SAW resonator are proposed composed of consecutively arranged unit cells of length L. Slight geometry or material variations such as variations of the metallization ration or the unit cell length L affecting the pitch) between these unit cells result in improved spurious mode suppression while the main mode performance is unaffected.

A coupled cavity filter structure that uses a surface acoustic wave, in particular, a guided surface acoustic wave, comprises an acoustic wave propagating substrate, at least one input transducer structure and one output transducer structure, provided over the substrate, each comprising inter-digitated comb electrodes, at least one reflecting structure comprising at least one or more metallic strips positioned at a distance and in between the input and output transducer structures, in the direction of propagation of an acoustic wave. The acoustic wave propagating substrate is a composite substrate comprising a base substrate and a piezoelectric layer. In additional embodiments, a coupled cavity filter structure comprises a groove. In additional embodiments, a SAW ladder filter device comprises at least two coupled cavity filter structures as described herein, wherein the at least two coupled cavity filter structures are positioned on a single line.

A coupled cavity filter structure that uses a surface acoustic wave, in particular, a guided surface acoustic wave, comprises an acoustic wave propagating substrate, at least one input transducer structure and one output transducer structure, provided over the substrate, each comprising inter-digitated comb electrodes, at least one reflecting structure comprising at least one or more metallic strips positioned at a distance and in between the input and output transducer structures, in the direction of propagation of an acoustic wave. The acoustic wave propagating substrate is a composite substrate comprising a base substrate and a piezoelectric layer. In additional embodiments, a coupled cavity filter structure comprises a groove. In additional embodiments, a SAW ladder filter device comprises at least two coupled cavity filter structures as described herein, wherein the at least two coupled cavity filter structures are positioned on a single line.

Improved surface acoustic wave structures (or elements) that can be used to realize any of a wide variety of dispersive or non-dispersive transversal SAW filters that are distinct from prior known means for producing such filters are disclosed. The devices and structures may include stepped acoustic wave delay modification elements that can be used to implement transversal filter impulse response functions in a manner analogous to the use of interdigital transducers. The structures disclosed are of particular usefulness to implement SAW devices at high frequencies where normal photolithographic resolution would prove limiting. Aspects and embodiments of the present invention would be useful to produce SAW devices for use in a wide variety of applications, including as components in cell phones, in radar and other communications and electronic systems, and as wired or wireless sensors or sensor-tags.

A surface acoustic wave (SAW) device includes: a substrate, an interdigitated transducer including a plurality of interdigitated fingers disposed on a first surface of the substrate, and a reflector including a plurality of gratings also disposed on the first surface. At least one of: (1) a first group of the interdigitated fingers has a first finger pitch and a first finger metal pitch ratio, and a second group of the interdigitated fingers has a second finger pitch different from the first metal pitch and a second metal pitch ratio different from the first metal pitch ratio; and (2) a first group of the gratings has a first grating pitch and a first grating metal pitch ratio, and a second group of the gratings has a second grating metal pitch different from the first grating metal pitch and a second grating metal pitch ratio different from the first grating metal pitch ratio.