RF Filters and Multiplexers Based on Acoustic Wave Technologies with Ladder-Type and Cross ...

172 Pages·2016·3.37 MB·English

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Department of Telecommunications and Systems Engineering
RF Filters and Multiplexers
Based on Acoustic Wave
Technologies with Ladder-Type
and Cross-Coupled Topologies
Designing Under a Systematic Strategy
Ph.D. Dissertation in Electrical and Telecommunications Engineering by
Alfred Raul Gim´enez Bonastre
E-mail: [email protected]
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Pedro de Paco Sa´nchez
E-mail: [email protected]
Universitat Auto`noma de Barcelona (UAB)
Escola d’Enginyeria
September, 2016

“The truths are easy to
understand once they are
discovered. The point is to
discover them.”
Galileo Galilei
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Abstract
The mobile technology has emerged as the most successful platform for the introduction of
innovative services and user applications from both a technological and economical perspective.
Mobile devices are changing the habits of the people and it is possible to see how, in this sense,
our society is continuously improving. With the 4G network in process of deployment and the
future 5G standards under development, global demand for broadband data services has been
subjected to a series of unstoppable growth. And it will continue increasing pushed by the
ubiquity of the service, according to Cisco’s forecasts. The most important is that this growth
undoubtedly demonstrates the importance of broadband services for the people, society, and
economy, while it is drawing a major challenge for the network service providers.
Theaimofthisworkistodevelopsynthesistechniquesforthedesignoffilteringdevicesbased
on micro-acoustic technologies, focusing therefore the great challenge of frequency spectrum
management in the user segment. In general, the design of these filtering devices is based on
optimization techniques because of the stringent requirements imposed by the technological
feasibility of acoustic resonators and the tight performance specifications of the device. For
this reason, the design and manufacture of filters and duplexers based on acoustic resonators
becomesahugechallengeincreasinglydifficulttoachieve.Inthiswork,systematicmethodologies
are presented in order to improve and make more efficient the design of filtering devices based
on micro-acoustic technologies.
The most important consideration during the synthesis of filters and duplexers is that the
resonators must be technologically feasible. The methodologies presented in this work are use-
ful for the design of ladder-type filters and cross-coupled prototypes in which the technological
feasibility is an essential requirement for all the provided solutions. The effective coupling coef-
ficient of each resonator, the resonant frequencies, the quality factor, the stored energy, or the
chip size are parameters to consider during the design of micro-acoustic filters. By means of the
techniques provided in this work, all these restrictions are analytically managed, and optimum
results are obtained with a minimum time and computational effort.
Moreover, the use of these synthesis techniques allows the control of the phase parameters,
whichareessentialforthedesignofmultiplexerdevices.Theseareconsideredthemaindevicefor
the future radio-frequency front-end modules ready to work with Carrier Aggregation and the
4G-Advancedand5Gstandards.Stand-alonefilteringdevices,duplexers,andmultiplexers,ready
to accommodate the micro-acoustic technological requirements and satisfying the frequency
mask specifications, as long as possible, are the result of the proposed methodologies in this
work.
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Resum
Latecnologiam`obilhaemergitcomlaplataformademajor`exitperalaimplantaci´odeserveisin-
novadors i aplicacions d’usuari tant des d’un punt de vista tecnol`ogic com econ`omic. Els disposi-
tius m`obils estan modificant els h`abits de comportament de les persones i veiem cont´ınuament
com, en aquest sentit, la nostra societat millora dia a dia. Amb la xarxa 4G en ple proc´es de
desplegamentielsfutursest`andards5Genpledesenvolupament,lademandaglobalperalservei
de dades de banda ampla ha estat sotmesa a un cicle de creixement imparable. I continuar`a aix´ı
alimentat per la ubiqu¨itat del servei, segons les previsions del Cisco. El m´es important ´es que
aquestcreixementindubtablementdemostralaimport`anciadelabandaamplaperalsciutadans,
la societat i l’economia, mentre dibuixa un gran repte als prove¨ıdors de serveis de xarxa.
L’objectiu d’aquest treball est`a centrat en el desenvolupament de t`ecniques de s´ıntesi per al
dissenydedispositiusfiltrantsbasatsentecnologiesmicro-acu´stiques,enfocantaix´ıelgranrepte
de gesti´o de l’espectre frequ¨encial en el segment d’usuari. En general, el disseny d’aquest tipus
de dispositius es basa en t`ecniques d’optimitzaci´o degut a les rigoroses limitacions imposades
per la viabilitat tecnol`ogica dels ressonadors acu´stics, aix´ı com a les exigents especificacions de
rendiment del dispositiu. E´s per aquests motius que el disseny i fabricaci´o de filtres i duplexors
basatsentecnologiaacu´sticacreenungranreptecadacopm´esdif´ıcild’assolir.Enaquesttreball
es proporcionen metodologies sistem`atiques enfocades en millorar i fer m´es eficient el disseny de
dispositius filtrants basats en ressonadors acu´stics.
El m´es important durant el disseny de filtres i duplexors basats en tecnologia acu´stica´es que
els ressonadors siguin viables tecnol`ogicament. Les diferents metodologies presentades en aquest
treball s´on u´tils per a la s´ıntesi de topologies en escalera o xarxes amb acoblaments creuats on
la viabilitat tecnol`ogica ´es un requisit indispensable en totes les solucions proporcionades. El
coeficient d’acoblament de cada ressonador, les frequ¨`encies de resson`ancia, el factor de qualitat,
l’energia emmagatzemada, o l’ `area del xip s´on par`ametres que es tenen en compte durant
el disseny d’aquest tipus de dispositius. Mitjan¸cant les t`ecniques de s´ıntesi proporcionades en
aquest treball, no nom´es es controlen anal´ıticament aquestes restriccions, sin´o que s’obtenen
resultats `optims en el m´ınim temps i cost computacional.
L’u´s d’aquestes t`ecniques, a m´es, permet un control dels par`ametres de fase essencial per al
disseny de multiplexors, els quals estan en el punt de mira com a dispositiu indispensable dins
les cap¸caleres dels futurs sistemes sense fils preparats per treballar amb el protocol de Carrier
Aggregation dinselsest`andards4G-Advancedi5G.Dispositiusfiltrants,duplexorsimultiplexors
viables tecnol`ogicament i complint amb les especificacions de m`ascara frequ¨encials s´on resultat
de l’u´s de les metodologies proposades en aquest treball.
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Acknowledgements
I am indebted with many people who have contributed to this work with their support, collabo-
ration, and guidance. First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my supervisor,
Prof. Pedro de Paco, for his kind support and patience. He gave me the opportunity to start
my research in the fascinating world of micro-acoustic filters, and his encouragement and guide-
lines throughout this work have been very valuable during these years. He shared his immense
knowledge and kept me motivated through tough times. His door was always open whenever I
needed him.
Besides my supervisor, I would like to thank the rest of Antenna and Microwave Systems
Group members for their insightful comments and encouragement. Specially to Jordi Verdu´ and
Ed´en Corrales for their inputs and passionate participation. I also want to thank Dr. O´scar
Men´endez, who introduced me to the field of BAW filters and encouraged me to start my Ph.D.
degree. Ernesto D´ıaz must also be mentioned here, for his constant assistance in the laboratory.
I would like to thank my current and past roommates Mercedes, Iuliia, A´ngel, M´onica, and
Jordi for all the fun we have had during these years. In particular, I am grateful to Sergi for his
continuous happiness and friendship. I would like to extend my gratitude to my other colleagues
Alex, Marc, Mart´ı, Pau, Dani, Yi, Guillermo, Jose, David, Vicente, Toni, Sergi, U´rsula, and
everyone who have made the time I spent in the university something nice and fun.
My sincere thanks to EPCOS AG, a TDK group company, for funding and follow this
work with great interest. Thanks to Dr. Karl Wagner, Vice-President of Advanced Development
Discrete Components Systems, Acoustics, Waves Business Group, for giving me the opportunity
to make an internship in his group. I would like to give a special mention to Dr. Thomas Bauer
for his support, knowledge, and interest in my work. Work apart, he also offered all his help and
support during my stay in Munich. Thank you, Thomas and Emi.
Last but not the least, I would like to acknowledge my family. Thanks to my parents, Rosa
and Josep, and my grandparents Pilar and Alfredo, for providing me with unfailing support
and continuous encouragement throughout my years of study and research. Thanks to Magda,
Paqui, Jose, and my sisters Meri and Ester for being always there. And of course, to Montse
and Mariano and all my cousins, uncles, and aunts for supporting me spiritually throughout my
life in general.
I hope not to miss anyone, but I want to thank everybody who offered me his unconditional
support,time,andlove.Thisaccomplishmentwouldnothavebeenpossiblewithoutyou.Thanks.
ALFRED
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