A novel reflector-filter using a SAW waveguide directional coupler

The SAW waveguide technique was used to form a novel reflector-filter for the realization of compact IF filters in CDMA handsets. The reflector-filter design is an attractive technique to obtain characteristics with steep skirts in a short device length, because the SAW propagation path is folded and the frequency response is synthesized by utilizing both IDT and reflector responses. In this paper, we propose a new reflector-filter structure using a SAW waveguide directional coupler. For the implementation of the proposed reflector-filter, the key technology is the design of SAW waveguides. We have formed SAW waveguides using Al gratings loaded on the surface of the substrate. The pitch of the Al gratings has been chosen unequal to half the acoustical wavelength to avoid the occurrence of the gratings stopband at the filters passband position. Using the proposed reflector-filter structure, PCS-CDMA IF filters were fabricated on quartz substrates. The filter exhibited an insertion loss of 8.5 dB, a 5 dB bandwidth of 1.45 MHz, and a rejection of more than 33 dB at the center frequency +/-1.25 MHz with the package size of 4.8x9.1 mm (2). i.e., half the size of a conventional transversal filter was achieved using the proposed reflector-filter technique.