High-frequency SAW filters based on diamond films

We have developed a diamond SAW resonator capable of operating at frequencies over 3 GHz using a SiO₂/ interdigital transducer (IDT)/AlN/diamond structure. This structure is expected to have a high Q value and a zero temperature coefficient of frequency (TCF) over 3 GHz, based on the high acoustic velocity of AlN. The SAW characteristics of various layered structures composed of SiO₂/IDT/AlN/diamond substrates were studied both theoretically and experimentally. The SiO₂/IDT/AlN/diamond substrate structure allows for a thicker IDT metal layer compared with other SAW device designs, such as the SiO₂/IDT/ZnO/diamond structure. The thicker metal IDT in the present design leads to a lower series resistance and, in turn, a low insertion loss for SAW devices over 3 GHz. Using a second-mode (Sezawa-mode) SAW, the phase velocity and electromechanical coupling coefficient of the SiO₂/IDT/AlN/diamond substrate reached the larger values of 11 150 m/s and 0.5%, respectively, and a zero TCF characteristic at 25°C was achieved. One-port SAW resonators fabricated from diamond substrates showed a high Q of 660 at 5.4 GHz. The frequency drift over a temperature range of -25°C to 80°C was about 90 ppm, even less than that for ST-quartz SAW substrates. A two-port resonator showed a low insertion loss of 8 dB at 5.4 GHz. Finally, we designed a 5-GHz band-stop SAW filter. A 30-MHz-wide stopband at a -6-dB rejection level was achieved while keeping the passband insertion loss to 0.76 dB. These characteristics of these filters show good potential for SHF-band filters.