A method reducing the time of RF test for Coupled Resonator Filters

The development of radiofrequency transmission systems is going towards integration of all functions including filtering. In this domain, filters using BAW (bulk acoustic wave) resonators are being studied increasingly in advanced structures such as coupled resonator filter (CRF). The industrial testing of these devices, and generally the test of analog components, remains an unexplored field. A new method for testing the devices using a VNA is proposed. The main idea is to reduce the time that the characterization of a filter requires. The solution specifies a limited number of points that could characterize the filters. For this purpose a series of filters was characterized and the method was validated on 5 to 11 measured points. This procedure defines the number of points requested to discriminate the defected filters. As a final step, simulations are done using an electrical model in broadband; this approach gives physical information of the measurements and contributes to build a library of defected filter models.