Generation of broadband surface acoustic waves using a dual temporal-spatial chirp method

Wideband surface acoustic wave (SAW) generation with a spatial chirp-based interdigital transducer was optimized for non-destructive characterization and testing of coatings and thin layers. The use of impulse temporal excitation (Dirac-type negative pulse) leads to a wide band emitter excitation but with significantly limited SAW output amplitudes due to the piezoelectric crystal breakdown voltage. This limitation can be circumvented by applying a temporal chirp excitation corresponding in terms of frequency band and duration to the spatial chirp transducer configuration. This dual temporal-spatial chirp method was studied in the 20 to 125 MHz frequency range and allowed to obtain higher SAW displacement amplitudes with an excitation voltage lower than that of the impulse excitation.