Use of Green’s Function Approach for Low Loss SAW fdter CAD System

Devel opment
Balashov S.M., Clovis Magi Cabreira, CClio Antonio Finardi,

Research & Development Centre Telecomunicapjes Brasileiras S/A - Telebras

Km 118, Rod. SP 340 - CP 1579 - CEP 13088-061Campinas, SP - Brazil

Abstract

Low loss filters based on Single Phase Unidirectional Transducers (SPUDT) could be characterized as
a separate class of Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) fdters because they overcome the main SAW filters
limitation - 6 dB bidirectional insertion loss. There are two different physical phenomena which could
be used to ensure low loss: acoustic reflection of SAW (used normally for substrate with small piezoe-
lectric cciupling coefficient A?) [l]and electric SAW regeneration (used for substrate with high 2)[2].
Although both effects finally give contribution to reflectivity of SAW Interdigital Transducer (IDT),
models used to account for them are completely different For SPUDT on the substrates with small k2
COM-theory is used [l], while for the substrate with high value of kz Green’s Function Model (GFM)
could be directly used [2]. GFM being applicable to IDT with arbitrary topology has two main disad-
vantages.,namely, it is difficult to find a set of consistent model parameters for practical use and compu-
tation time increases in power law with the growth of IDT length reaching very quickly unacceptable
values. In this paper we present CAD system for calculation of low loss SAW filters parameters based
on GFM. Floquet theorem being used for presentation of filter with long IDT, computation time
decreases dramatically. The method developed works both for high and low A? value substrates. Results
of calculation of SPUDT characteristicswith the help of method proposed are presented.
1. Introduction ..

Consider the main equation which links electric potential F(x) with charge distribution a(x) through
Green’s function G(x) [3]

Qo

F(x) = I G(x-x‘)o(x’)dx’ (EQ 1)

-00

As is well1 known [3] Fumer transform of Green’s function can be presented in Ingebrigtsen approxima-
tion as a sum of two additives in the form

where &a.- is dielectxic permittivity, k, - is the SAW wave vector, a and are the constants which char-
acterize ellectrostatic and SAW generation effects consequently.Normally F(x) is known in the points of
electrodes;locations and the problem of device characterization turns to solution of (1) with a(x) as
unknown function. It was shown that for GF, satisfying (2) solution of (1) could be presented in the
form a = lo-‘?&, where & - is electrostatic and cf - is SAW contribution to total charge density [3].
Direct solution of (1) for IDT containing 100 and more fingers is impractical due to big dimension of
the system of equations which has to be solved to get Q. From the other side solution of (1) for infinite
periodic IDT is well known and it was shown that it is necessary to consider only one period of such
infinite SbrUCtUre. Charge distribution (CD) for any other period of such IDT could be found using Flo-
quet theoxem which is based on symmetry consideration of this structure [3]. It is intuitively clear that
for finite but long IDTcentral region (‘‘core”) must approximately satisfy the same symmerry restric-

0-7803-4165-1/5~7/$10.00
0 1997 IEEE. 115 SBMO/IEEE MlT-S IMOC’97 Proceedings
tions as infinite one with accuracy increasins when periods number increase. In this paper we will use
symmetry consideration of infinite IDT for core of finite IDT to solve (1) which allows to decrease
computation time dramatically.

2. Charge distribution evaluation method

We wiII use the method of moments and discretize all fingers of IDT into N elementary charged
strips of constant width Ax [4]. Charge density within each elementaq strip is considered to be a con-
stant, thus, we substitute O(X) by step function. In this approximation integration in (1) could be done
analytically and we finally have[4] -

-
FIGURE 1. Process of core extraction algorithm use. la) model IDT.Regions 1 and 3 are
edge electrodes of real IDT, region 2 is one period of core. lb) In accordance with algorithm
right edge is shifted and core is repeated. IC)real IDT which can be represented by this
-
process. Regions 2 5 are geometrically equal to region 2 of model IDT.

Here g k , c k are potential and charge density in the point xk. where xk is the coordinate of center of ele-
mentary strip with number k. Ank depends on Ixn-xd and parameters of (2). Detailed descriptions of
this coefficients could be found in [4,5].Here for computation we used formula from [5] which takes
into account electrostatic and SAW generated component of CD.

3. IDT core extraction and computation algorithm

Consider the situation when IDT has a big number of periods, say more than 20. In this case we can
expect that edge effects don't disturb charge distribution of the core periods very much. So we can con-
sider that the periods with numbers m,where
leMsSmSMM,<M

-
(A4 total number of periods in IDT,M, and Me shapes the size of core) satisfy symmetry conditions for
infinite IDT.For oethese conditions could be written as follows

116
where xi: belongs to the period with number Ms. These equation means that in core region of IDT elec-
trostatic charge distribution is a pure periodic function. This periodicity comes from the fact that in elec-
trostatic approximation IDT is a pure capacity composed of periodic sections, oeis real function and the
only possible form of oecompatible with pure periodic geometry is pure periodic function.

For SAW charge distribution situation becomes more complicate because we have to find vector func-
tion which suits geometry periodicity of IDT.This function could be found with the help of Floquet the-
orem [3] and finally we have

where Ab;,Bk and c k are complex frequency dependent constants. The first term in this equation corre-
sponds to charge generating by SAW reaching given point xk+pD from the left side, the second term
corresponds to SAW reaching the same point from the right side. Ck describes “self absorption” of
SAW. It means that if electrical potential applied to this point SAW is generated but small part of it is
immediately absorbed back in the same point This process is frequency dependent but independent
from geometry. Actually electrostatic contribution could be included in Ck Substituting (4,5) into (3)
one has

R R+l+t N

‘p, =
k= 1
Ankok + c
k=R+l
(R,k (ko? A k ) + Rnk (kOy Bk) ok + c
k=M,t+l
Ankck (EQ 6 )

where n=l, ..., N, t - is the number of elementary samples in one period, R=(M,-l)t and

To clarify this process consider for example that IDT consists of 100 periods of U4 ordinary strips
and each strip is divided into 5 elementary strips. Thus for exact solution of (3) it is necessary to solve
system of equations with dimension N=100x5x2=1000. From the other side one can say that for the
periods with numbers from 10 to 90 the influence of edge effects is smaII, thus M,=IO and Me=90 and
R=9x2x5:=90. For each elementary strip of the core it is necessary to determine 3 constants A,, Bk, and
Ck in accordance with (5). It means that (6) contains Nr=R+tx3x2+ (N-Ma(t)=90+5x3x2+( 1000-
9Ox2x5)=:220 unknown variables. This difference between N and N, drops down computation time
approximiitely 25 times. Actually in (6) we came to the situation when number of equations N is much
more than number of unknown variables N, It means that during the process of solving (6) one should
use ipn which belongs to left edge (n I (M, - 1) t ), to the right edge (Met + 1 S n 5 N ) and cp, which cor-
responds to 3 arbitrary periods in the core. We normally take periods with numbers m-1, m, m+l where
m=(Me-M,)/2. Of course all not included equations from (6) should be valid “automatically”. Validity
of the rest equations could be a test of correctness of the core choice. Various numerical experiments
show that for practically arbitrary structure &=N-Me=10 is enough for (6)to be valid for all n with the
error less then 0.5% independently from m, which proves that representation (5) is correct. Equation (6)
is valid for SAW generation taken into account. For electrostatic approximation situation becomes more
simple because and only one period from the core should be considered.

Practicall way of use of this algorithm in CAD system is shown in Fig. 1. Before analysis of real IDT
the user should determine its core size i.e. determine Me and w.
Then instead of specifying real IDT it
is necesay to specify the model one which contains only not included in the core edge parts. Note that
here arbitrary combinations of electrodes like, for example, guard electrodes could be specified.
Between them the core repetition block (one period) should be placed (Fig. la). Then the number of
periods in the core should be introduced. After this CAD system automatically shifts edges in proper
position determines coordinates of only those periods of core which are necessary to solve (6)and
solves it (Fig. lb). Resulting solution with the help of (4) or (5) describes initial long IDT (Fig. IC). This

117
algorithm could be applied for calculation of long SPUDT with floating electrodes on the substrate with
high value of piezoelectric coupling coefficient.

4. Numerical results and experimental verification

As an examples of using of method proposed two structures were analysed. The fxst one was ordinary
U4 IDT on YZ-cut of LiNbO, with parameters taken from [6]. It consists of 40 periods and, LiNb03
being strong piezoelectric, strong electrical regeneration of SAW disturbs IDT admittance. Result of
IDT admittance calculation with the help of method proposed is shown in Fig. 2. Admittance distortion
due to SAW regeneration is clearly seen. This result is in a good agreement with experimental measure-
ments form [6].To obtain this result the following procedure was used: model IDT consisting of 11
periods was taken. Periods form 1 to 5 and from 7 to 11 were declared as edges and the 6-th period was
repeated as a core 30 times.

3,17E+O1 3.29301 3,40301

Frequency (MHz)

FIGURE 2. Real part (solid line) and imagine part (dashed line) of electrical admittance of
IDT from [a.

The second structure is a filter, consisting from two identical SPUDT, which was analysed in [7].
Each IDT in this filter is SPUDT with floating electrodes, having 40 periods. The substrate was YX-
128O-cut of LiNbO,. Admittance of IDT of such filter is shown in Fig. 3, and insertion 10s - in Fig. 4.To
obtained these results model IDT with 11 period was used. Its core was extracted in the same way that
in previous case. The results obtained are in a good agreement with experimental results from [7].

118
 2,0oE+01

1,5CE+01

1 ,on+o1

s.on+oo

O.OE+OO

-5,OE+OO ! I
9,SC€+O1 9,7€€+01 1,OE+02 1,032+02

Frequency (MHz)

FIGURE 3. Real part (solid line) and imagine part (dashed line) of SUDT electric admittance
from [7J

o.ooE*oo
n

-3” 4
s.sawn s.7ecm 1.04*02

Frequency (MHz)

-
-
FIGURE 4. Insertion loss of filter consisting from two SPUDT from 173. Solid line forward to
forward acoustic ports of IDTs connection. Dashed line backward to backward acoustic ports
of IDTs connection.

5. Conclusions

Procediure for rapid and accurate evaluation of charge distribution and all related characteristics of
SPUDT with arbitrary number of periods and electrodes topology is proposed. Method takes into
account SAW generation and allows one to treat IDT with arbitrary number of periods without essential
increase crf computation time.

6. REFERENCES

1. Abbot lB.P., Hartmann C.S., Malocha D.C. “Matching of Single-phase Unidirectional SAW Trans-
ducers and Demonstration Using a Low-Loss EWC/SPUDT Filter ’’, 1990 Ultrasonic Symp. p. 49 - 54.

2. Hashintoto K., YamaguchiM. “Derivation of Coupling-of-Modes Partameters for SAW Device Anal-
ysis by Means of Boundary Element Method”, 1995 Ultrasonic Symp. p. 297 - 300.

3. Morgan D.P. “Surface-Wave Devices for Signal processing”, 1985 ELSEVIER,432 p.

119
4. S. Balashov, T. Kurach, V. Plessky. “Selfconsistentcalculations of characteristics of IDT with float-
ing and connected electrodes”, Preprint IRE N1(552), Moscow 1991, 39 p.

5 . Balashov S.M., Clovis Magri Cabreira, Cdio Antonio Finardi, Antonio Marini de Almeida. “Green’s
function approach to the design of SAW filters, containing long unidirectiotional transducers”. Proc.
SBMO/IEEE MTT-S International Microwave and Optoelectronic Conference, p. 277 - 282.

6. P.R. Emtage “Self-consistent theory of interdigital transducer” Proc. Ultrasonic. Symp. 1972, p. 397.

7. Takeuchi M., Yamanouchi K. IEEE Trans. Sonics Tntasonics,Ferroelectrics-and Frequency Control,

V 40, pp. 643 - 658, 1993.