Scattering element for preventing coupling between or with electro-acoustic resonators

Abstract

An apparatus for preventing coupling with an electroacoustic resonator using a scattering element is provided. In one example, an apparatus includes: a piezoelectric layer including a shared surface; a first resonator including a first interdigital transducer disposed over the shared surface of the piezoelectric layer; a second resonator including a second interdigital transducer disposed over the shared surface of the piezoelectric layer; and a plurality of scattering elements (610G) positioned between the first resonator and the second resonator.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates throughout to electronic communications. For example, aspects of this disclosure relate to electroacoustic resonators, and more specifically to electroacoustic resonators including scattering elements to prevent coupling between electroacoustic resonators on a shared piezoelectric surface. Background Technology

[0002] Electronic devices include traditional computing devices such as desktop computers, laptops, tablets, smartphones, wearable devices such as smartwatches, and internet servers. These diverse electronic devices provide human users with information, entertainment, social interaction, security, safety, productivity, transportation, manufacturing, and other services. Many of the functions of these various electronic devices rely on wireless communication. Wireless communication systems and devices are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content, such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, and broadcasting.

[0003] Electronic devices can support communication with multiple users by sharing available communication resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). Examples of communication protocols include Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) systems, Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) systems, Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) systems, and Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) systems (e.g., Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems or New Radio (NR) systems).

[0004] The wireless communication transceivers used in these electronic devices typically include multiple radio frequency (RF) filters for filtering signals at specific frequencies or frequency ranges. Electroacoustic devices (e.g., "acoustic filters") are used in many applications to filter high-frequency (e.g., typically greater than 100 MHz) signals. Using piezoelectric materials as the vibrating medium, acoustic resonators operate by converting electrical signal waves propagating along an electrical conductor into sound waves propagating through the piezoelectric material. Sound waves propagate at speeds much smaller than the propagation speed of electromagnetic waves. Generally, the magnitude of the wave propagation speed is proportional to the wavelength of the wave. Therefore, after converting an electrical signal into an acoustic signal, the wavelength of the acoustic signal wave is significantly smaller than the wavelength of the electrical signal wave. The resulting smaller wavelength of the acoustic signal allows for the use of smaller filter devices to perform filtering. This permits the use of acoustic resonators in electronic devices with size constraints, such as those listed above (e.g., specifically portable electronic devices such as cellular phones). Summary of the Invention

[0005] Systems, apparatuses, methods, and computer-readable media for using scattering elements to prevent coupling with electroacoustic resonators are disclosed.

[0006] According to at least one example, a method for preventing coupling with a resonator using scattering elements is provided. The method includes: receiving a wireless communication signal at a filter including a resonator, wherein the filter includes: a piezoelectric layer including a first surface; a first resonator including a first interdigital transducer disposed above the first surface of the piezoelectric layer; and a plurality of scattering elements positioned adjacent to the first resonator; using the wireless communication signal to excite the resonator to generate acoustic energy in an acoustic mode of the resonator; and using the plurality of scattering elements to disperse the acoustic energy from the acoustic mode of the resonator.

[0007] Some of these aspects operate in the following condition: the piezoelectric layer also includes an edge, wherein the plurality of scattering elements are also located between the first resonator and the edge, and wherein the plurality of scattering elements are further configured to disperse the acoustic energy of the acoustic reflection from the acoustic mode of the first resonator, the acoustic reflection being reflected from the edge of the piezoelectric layer.

[0008] Some of these aspects operate in the following way: the piezoelectric layer further includes a second resonator, wherein the scattering element is positioned between the first resonator and the second resonator, and wherein the plurality of scattering elements are configured to disperse acoustic energy from an acoustic mode of the second resonator that is different from the acoustic mode of the first resonator. Some of these aspects operate in the following way: the shortest dimension of a scattering element across the plurality of scattering elements is greater than the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the first resonator or 0.1 times the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the second resonator; the longest dimension of a scattering element across the plurality of scattering elements is less than the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the first resonator or 10 times the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the second resonator; the shortest dimension between adjacent scattering elements among the plurality of scattering elements is greater than the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the first resonator or 0.1 times the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the second resonator; and the longest dimension between adjacent scattering elements among the plurality of scattering elements is less than the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the first resonator or 10 times the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the second resonator.

[0009] In another example, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes: a piezoelectric layer including a first surface and a first edge; a first resonator including a first interdigital transducer disposed above the first surface of the piezoelectric layer; and a plurality of scattering elements positioned between the first resonator and the first edge of the piezoelectric layer.

[0010] In another example, a device for preventing coupling with an electroacoustic device is provided. The device includes: a piezoelectric layer including a shared surface; a first resonator including a first interdigital transducer disposed above the shared surface of the piezoelectric layer; a second resonator including a second interdigital transducer disposed above the shared surface of the piezoelectric layer; and a plurality of scattering elements positioned between the first resonator and the second resonator.

[0011] In some respects, the plurality of scattering elements are configured to disperse the acoustic energy of the acoustic modes from the first resonator and the acoustic energy of the acoustic modes from the second resonator.

[0012] In some respects, the shortest dimension of the scattering element across the plurality of scattering elements is greater than 0.1 times the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the first resonator or the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the second resonator.

[0013] In some respects, the longest dimension of the scattering element across the plurality of scattering elements is less than 10 times the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the first resonator or the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the second resonator.

[0014] In some respects, the shortest dimension between adjacent scattering elements in the plurality of scattering elements is greater than 0.1 times the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the first resonator or the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the second resonator.

[0015] In some respects, the longest dimension between adjacent scattering elements in the plurality of scattering elements is less than 10 times the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the first resonator or the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the second resonator.

[0016] In some aspects, the first bus and the second bus, wherein the first interdigital transducer (IDT) includes a first plurality of IDT electrode fingers, the first plurality of IDT electrode fingers including a first IDT electrode finger extending from the first bus toward the second bus in an interdigital configuration and a second IDT electrode finger extending from the second bus toward the first bus.

[0017] In some respects, the plurality of scattering elements are aligned along a line perpendicular to the first and second generatrices, such that the extension of the track of the first resonator intersects the line.

[0018] In some respects, the plurality of scattering elements are positioned in a path extending from the orbit of the first resonator.

[0019] In some respects, the multiple scattering elements are positioned near the resonator independently of the resonator orientation.

[0020] In some respects, the plurality of scattering elements include voids within the piezoelectric layer.

[0021] In some respects, the plurality of scattering elements include a metal, dielectric, or semiconductor material disposed on the piezoelectric layer.

[0022] In some respects, the thickness of the plurality of scattering elements is at least 0.1 times the thickness of the metal layer of the first interdigital transducer.

[0023] In some respects, the metal contact is coupled to the first busbar, wherein the plurality of scattering elements are formed with the metal contact in a shared layer.

[0024] In some respects, the multiple scattering elements include a circular geometry.

[0025] In some respects, the plurality of scattering elements includes elements having two or more different geometries.

[0026] In some respects, a second plurality of scattering elements are positioned between the first resonator and the edge of the piezoelectric layer.

[0027] In some aspects, one or more of the devices described herein are, are part of, and / or include the following devices: mobile devices (e.g., mobile phones and / or mobile cell phones and / or so-called "smartphones" or other mobile devices), extended reality (XR) devices (e.g., virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, or mixed reality (MR) devices, head-mounted display (HMD) devices, vehicles or computing systems, devices, or components of vehicles), wearable devices (e.g., network-connected watches or other wearable devices), wireless communication devices, cameras, personal computers, laptop computers, server computers, another device, or combinations thereof. In some aspects, the device includes one or more cameras for capturing one or more images. In some aspects, the device also includes a display for displaying one or more images, notifications, and / or other displayable data. In some aspects, the aforementioned devices may include one or more sensors (e.g., one or more inertial measurement units (IMUs), such as one or more gyroscopes, one or more gyroscope testers, one or more accelerometers, any combination thereof, and / or other sensors).

[0028] This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used in isolation to define the scope of the claimed subject matter. This subject matter should be understood with reference to the appropriate portions of the entire specification, any or all drawings, and each claim.

[0029] The foregoing and other features and aspects will become more apparent from the following description, claims and accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Figure 1A This is a perspective view of an example of an electroacoustic resonator.

[0031] Figure 1B yes Figure 1A A side view of an electroacoustic resonator.

[0032] Figure 2A This is a top-view illustration of an example electrode structure for an electroacoustic resonator.

[0033] Figure 2B This is a top-view illustration of an example electrode structure for an electroacoustic resonator.

[0034] Figure 3A This is a perspective view of another example of an electroacoustic resonator.

[0035] Figure 3B yes Figure 3A A side view of an electroacoustic resonator.

[0036] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing an example electrode structure of an interdigital transducer (IDT) that can be used in a device having multiple electroacoustic resonators and scattering elements, according to the aspects described herein.

[0037] Figure 5 This is a diagram of a device comprising two electroacoustic resonators on a shared piezoelectric surface, according to various aspects described herein, which has a scattering element to prevent coupling.

[0038] Figures 6A to 6G Examples of a device comprising two electroacoustic resonators on a shared piezoelectric surface, according to aspects described herein, are illustrated, the device having a scattering element to prevent coupling.

[0039] Figure 7 Various aspects of scattering elements according to some of the aspects described herein are illustrated.

[0040] Figure 8A Examples of devices including scattering elements according to some aspects described herein are illustrated.

[0041] Figure 8B Examples of devices including scattering elements according to some aspects described herein are illustrated.

[0042] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating the operation method of the disclosed electroacoustic device according to the example described herein.

[0043] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of an example filter that can be used with the disclosed electroacoustic device according to the examples described herein.

[0044] Figure 11 This is a functional block diagram of at least a portion of an example of a simplified wireless transceiver circuit based on the examples described herein, in which the electroacoustic devices disclosed herein may be employed.

[0045] Figure 12 This is a diagram illustrating an environment including an electronic device, such as a wireless transceiver, as described in the examples herein. Figure 11 The transceiver circuit. Detailed Implementation

[0046] The detailed description set forth below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings is intended as a description of exemplary embodiments and is not intended to represent the only specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. The detailed description includes specific details for describing aspects of a device (e.g., a surface acoustic wave (SAW) device) in a configuration that includes scattering elements to suppress or prevent coupling between resonators on a shared piezoelectric surface.

[0047] Electroacoustic devices (e.g., “acoustic filters”) are used in many applications to filter high-frequency (e.g., typically greater than 100 MHz) signals. Electroacoustic filters are tuned to allow certain frequencies (e.g., frequencies within their passband) to pass and attenuate other frequencies (e.g., frequencies outside their passband). Using piezoelectric materials as the vibrating medium in the transducer, acoustic filters operate by converting electrical signal waves propagating along an electrical conductor into sound waves (e.g., acoustic signal waves) formed on the piezoelectric material. The sound waves are then converted back into an electrically filtered signal. Specifically, such electroacoustic devices are used in the cellular communications market. Within the cellular market, the market for wearable devices is growing at a very high rate. The aspects described herein can provide improvements to such wearable devices, where very lightweight and small devices with very high efficiency are preferred over devices that consume more power.

[0048] Considering the space value and reduced size of wireless communication devices, components within such devices are designed to be as close as possible while maintaining acceptable performance. Due to the close proximity of electroacoustic resonators, coupling between devices can occur, thus degrading device performance. Adding additional space between devices to limit coupling is not a preferred solution, as this increases the device size.

[0049] The aspects described herein include piezoelectric materials, wherein more than one resonator is disposed on the piezoelectric material. Two of the resonators can be positioned on either side of the scattering element to prevent or suppress coupling between the resonators. The scattering element operates to disperse sound waves beyond the range of each resonator to prevent sound waves from affecting adjacent resonators. Such scattering elements can operate in two directions, thereby reducing the energy in the sound waves from the two resonators on either side of the scattering element.

[0050] In some aspects, the scattering element can be a void in a piezoelectric layer or a material on a piezoelectric layer disposed in a generally linear position between two resonators (e.g., any signal-scattering material, including metals or any other such material that can cause scattering effects in the resonators as described herein). When an acoustic wave from one resonator interacts with the scattering element, a portion of the acoustic wave is reflected or deflected, thereby dispersing the energy of the acoustic wave from the originating resonator to limit the amount of energy affecting adjacent resonators. Within the scope of these aspects, scattering elements of different sizes and shapes are possible and can be specifically configured to the frequencies of the two resonators on either side of the scattering element.

[0051] Including such scattering elements in a device can reduce device size while improving amplitude ripple, roll-off, undesirable out-of-band dips, and other frequency performance of a single resonator. In some respects, such improvements can be achieved for a given electroacoustic design without additional stacking layers or manufacturing processes.

[0052] Various aspects of this disclosure will be described with reference to the figures.

[0053] Figure 1A This is a perspective view of an example of an electroacoustic transducer 100. The electroacoustic transducer 100 can be configured as a SAW resonator or as part of it. In some descriptions herein, the electroacoustic transducer 100 may be referred to as a SAW resonator. The electroacoustic transducer 100 includes an electrode structure 104, which may be referred to as an interdigital transducer (IDT), located on the surface of a piezoelectric material 102. The electrode structure 104 typically includes a first comb-shaped electrode structure and a second comb-shaped electrode structure (conductive and typically metallic), wherein electrode fingers extend from two busbars toward each other and are arranged in an interlocking manner between the two busbars (e.g., in an interdigital arrangement). An electrical signal excited (e.g., by applying an AC voltage) in the electrode structure 104 is converted into an acoustic wave 106, which propagates in a specific direction via the piezoelectric material 102. The acoustic wave 106 is converted back into an electrical signal and provided as an output. In many applications, the piezoelectric material 102 has a specific crystal orientation such that when the electrode structure 104 is arranged relative to the crystal orientation of the piezoelectric material 102, the acoustic waves propagate primarily in a direction perpendicular to the fingers (e.g., parallel to the generatrix).

[0054] Figure 1B yes Figure 1A Electroacoustic transducer 100 along Figure 1AA side view of section 107 is shown. The electroacoustic transducer 100 is exemplified by a simplified layer stack comprising a piezoelectric material 102, wherein an electrode structure 104 is disposed on the piezoelectric material 102. The electrode structure 104 is conductive and is typically formed of a metallic material. The piezoelectric material may be formed of a variety of materials such as quartz, lithium tantalate (LiTaO3), lithium niobate (LiNbO3), doped variants of these materials, or other piezoelectric materials. It should be understood that more complex layer stacks (e.g., four (4) layers, six (6) layers, etc.) comprising layers of various materials are possible within this stack. For example, alternatively, a temperature compensation layer 108 (indicated by dashed lines) may be disposed above the electrode structure 104. The piezoelectric material 102 may be extended with multiple interconnected electrode structures disposed thereon to form a multi-resonator filter or to provide multiple filters. Although not illustrated, a capping layer may be disposed above the electrode structure 104 when provided as an integrated circuit component. A capping layer is applied to form a cavity between the electrode structure 104 and the lower surface of the capping layer. Electrical vias or bumps may also be included to allow electrical connection of components to connectors on the substrate (e.g., via flip chips or other technologies).

[0055] Figure 2A This is a top view of an example of the electrode structure 204a of an electroacoustic transducer 100, which is configured with two reflectors 228 in a non-DMS configuration. Figure 2A A single-port configuration is generally illustrated. Electrode structure 204a has an IDT 205, which includes a first busbar 222 (e.g., a first conductive segment or conductive trunk) electrically connected to a first terminal 220 and a second busbar 224 (e.g., a second conductive segment or conductive trunk) spaced apart from the first busbar 222 and connected to a second terminal 230. A plurality of conductive fingers 226 are interdigitatedly connected to the first busbar 222 or the second busbar 224. The fingers 226 connected to the first busbar 222 extend toward the second busbar 224 but are not connected to the second busbar 224, such that a small gap exists between the ends of these fingers 226 and the second busbar 224. Similarly, the fingers 226 connected to the second busbar 224 extend toward the first busbar 222 but are not connected to the first busbar 222, such that a small gap exists between the ends of these fingers 226 and the first busbar 222.

[0056] Along a shared line parallel to generatrices 222 and 224, there exists an overlapping region comprising a central region (as illustrated by central region 225) where a portion of one of the fingers overlaps with a portion of an adjacent finger. This overlapping central region 225 may be referred to as an orifice, track, or active region, where an electric field is generated between the fingers 226 to allow sound waves to propagate in the piezoelectric material 102. The periodicity of the fingers 226 is referred to as the pitch of the IDT. The pitch can be indicated in various ways. For example, in some aspects, the pitch may correspond to the magnitude of the distance between the fingers in the central region 225. This distance may be defined, for example, as the distance between the center points of each of these fingers (and, when the fingers have a uniform thickness, is typically measured between the right (or left) edge of a finger and the right (or left) edge of an adjacent finger). As described herein, a "higher" pitch refers to a segment of an IDT where the electrode fingers have a larger distance between adjacent electrode fingers, while a "lower" pitch refers to a segment of an IDT where the electrode fingers have a smaller distance between adjacent electrode fingers. In some respects, the average distance between adjacent fingers can be used as the pitch. A given pitch characteristic that allows the electrode fingers in some segments of the IDT to have different pitch characteristics than those in other segments of the IDT will allow selection or control of the signal (e.g., a wave) propagating through that IDT. The frequency of the piezoelectric material's vibration is the self-resonant (also called "master resonance") frequency of the electrode structure 204a. This frequency is determined at least in part by the pitch of the IDT 205 and other characteristics of the electroacoustic transducer 100.

[0057] In some examples, the pitch characteristics of the IDT segments can be constant pitch, meaning the pitch does not vary significantly across the IDT segments (e.g., the variation is within manufacturing tolerances and designed for a constant average pitch). In other examples, the pitch characteristics of the IDT segments can include “chirped” pitch, meaning the pitch varies across the IDT segments in a predefined manner. For example, a chirped pitch can include an IDT segment where the pitch is designed to vary linearly across the IDT segment such that the pitch at one end of the IDT segment is a first value, the pitch at the opposite end of the IDT segment is a second value, and the pitch (e.g., the distance between electrode fingers) varies linearly between the two ends of the IDT segment. In other examples, other non-linear variations in the pitch values ​​across the IDT segments can be used. By combining IDT segments with different pitch characteristics (e.g., a constant pitch at a first value and a constant pitch at a second value, or a constant pitch at a first value in one IDT segment and a chirped pitch across a second IDT segment), resonator characteristics can be designed for a given performance as described herein.

[0058] An IDT 205 is arranged between two reflectors 228 that reflect sound waves toward the IDT 205 so that the sound waves are converted into electrical signals via the IDT 205 in the illustrated configuration, and loss is prevented (e.g., limiting and preventing sound wave escape). Each reflector 228 has two buses along a shared line, each having a corresponding bus for the IDT 205 and a grating structure of conductive fingers connected to the two buses respectively. The pitch of the reflectors may be similar to or the same as the pitch of the IDT 205 to reflect sound waves in the resonant frequency range. However, many configurations are possible.

[0059] When the signal is converted back to an electrical signal, the admittance or reactance measured between the two terminals (i.e., the first terminal 220 and the second terminal 230) is used as the signal for the electroacoustic transducer 100.

[0060] Figure 2B This is a top-view view of another example of an electrode structure 204b for an electroacoustic device. In this case, the electrode structure 204b includes a central IDT and a reflector 228 connected as illustrated herein. The electrode structure 204b is provided to illustrate various electrode structures and structural connectors that can be used according to the aspects described herein.

[0061] It should be understood that although a certain number of fingers 226 are illustrated, the actual number of fingers, as well as the length and width of the fingers 226 and the busbars, may differ in actual implementations. These parameters depend on the specific application of the filter and the desired frequency. Furthermore, the SAW filter may include multiple interconnect electrode structures, each including multiple IDTs to achieve the desired passband (e.g., multiple interconnect resonators or IDTs to form the desired filter transfer function).

[0062] Figure 3A This is a perspective view of another example of an electroacoustic device 300. The electroacoustic device 300 (e.g., which may be configured as a SAW resonator or part thereof) is similar to... Figure 1A An electroacoustic transducer 100, but with a different layer stack. Specifically, the electroacoustic device 300 includes a thin piezoelectric material 302 provided on a substrate 310 (e.g., silicon). The type of piezoelectric material 302 used (e.g., typically relative to...) determines the specific characteristics of the transducer. Figure 1A The electroacoustic transducer 100 has a higher coupling factor and a controlled thickness of the piezoelectric material 302, and the specific acoustic wave modes excited can be... Figure 1A The acoustic modes in the electroacoustic transducer 100 are slightly different. Based on the design (layer thickness and material selection, etc.), and... Figure 1A Compared to the electroacoustic transducer 100, the electroacoustic device 300 can have a higher Q factor. The piezoelectric material 302 can be, for example, lithium tantalate (LiTaO3) or some doped variant. Figure 3AAnother example of the piezoelectric material 302 could be lithium niobate (LiNbO3). Generally, the substrate 310 may be substantially thicker than the piezoelectric material 302 (for example, it may be about 50 to 100 times thicker, or more times thicker). The substrate 310 may include other layers such as 310-1, 310-2, and 310-3 (or other layers may be included between the substrate 310 and the piezoelectric material 302).

[0063] Figure 3B yes Figure 3A A side view of the electroacoustic device 300 shows an example of layer stacking (along section 307). Figure 3B In the aspects shown, substrate 310 may include sublayers that may have higher resistance (e.g., relative to other layers—high resistivity layers), such as substrate sublayer 310-1 (e.g., made of silicon). Substrate 310 may also include trap-rich layers 310-2 (e.g., polycrystalline silicon, aluminum nitride (AlN), silicon nitride (SiN4), diamond-like carbon (DLC), and dielectric films with high acoustic velocities). Substrate 310 may also include compensation layers (e.g., silicon dioxide (SiO2) or another dielectric material) that can provide temperature compensation and other properties. These sublayers may be considered as part of substrate 310 or as separate layers on their own. A relatively thin layer of piezoelectric material 302 is provided on substrate 310 at a specific thickness to provide specific acoustic modes (e.g., with...). Figure 1A Compared to the electroacoustic transducer 100, the thickness of the piezoelectric material 102 is not a critical design parameter exceeding a certain thickness, and with... Figure 3A and Figure 3B The piezoelectric material 302 of the electroacoustic device 300 may be thicker than it would typically be. The electrode structure 304 is positioned above the piezoelectric material 302. In addition, in some aspects, one or more layers (not shown) (e.g., a thin passivation layer) may be present above the electrode structure 304.

[0064] Based on the type, thickness, and overall layer stacking of the piezoelectric material, the electromechanical coupling to the electrode structure 304 and the sound velocity within the piezoelectric material in different regions of the electrode structure 304 can vary between different types of electroacoustic devices, such as... Figure 1A Electroacoustic transducer 100 and Figure 3A and Figure 3B The electroacoustic devices vary among the 300 models.

[0065] Figure 4This is a schematic diagram of an example electrode structure 400 for an interdigital transducer (IDT) that can be used in a DMS according to the aspects described herein. As described above, electrode structure 400 may be referred to as an IDT, which may be fabricated on the surface of a piezoelectric material as part of a resonator. Electrode structure 400 includes a first comb electrode and a second comb electrode. The comb teeth are located within a track 429 and are supported on one side by a busbar 402 and on the other side by a busbar 404. An electrical signal excited across the resonator by an electrical signal at input node 401 is converted into an acoustic wave propagating within the resonator. The acoustic wave is converted back into an electrical signal at output node 411. An external reflector (e.g., reflector 228) is used. Figure 4 (Not shown in the image) will have a similar configuration, but without barriers, allowing each finger of the reflector to couple across the track region to connect to the two busbars.

[0066] Figure 5 This is a diagram of a device 500 comprising two electroacoustic resonators 502, 504 on a shared substrate 501, according to various aspects described herein, which has a scattering element in region 510 to prevent coupling. Resonators with interdigital transducers formed on a piezoelectric substrate, as described above, may experience inter-resonator coupling, where acoustic energy from adjacent resonators interferes with resonator operation. Specifically, such coupling can cause perturbations in passband behavior, resulting in dips in the transfer function of filters including the resonators. Such behavior increases passband amplitude ripple or affects linearity, thereby degrading performance. Inter-resonator coupling can also cause dips and out-of-band spikes in the passband skirt, which can further degrade performance via effects on in-band operation and cross-element isolation.

[0067] like Figure 5 As shown, adjacent resonators 502 and 504 are positioned on a shared substrate 501, which will include a piezoelectric layer, wherein the IDTs of resonators 502 and 504 are disposed on a shared surface of the piezoelectric layer. Figure 5 Region 510 is illustrated, which can be a region used to locate scattering elements. Specifically, this region at the end of the resonator track may be a path for acoustic energy escaping from the individual resonators. Existing systems use trenches or reflective objects in region 510 to limit coupling between devices. For example, a single large trench or metal rod in region 510 can be used to limit coupling. However, such individual element designs for reducing coupling can lead to reflections or other negative device effects, which may degrade device performance.

[0068] Instead of using a single large trench or decoupling element, the aspects described herein employ multiple scattering elements in region 510 between adjacent resonators (such as resonators 502 and 504) to scatter acoustic energy. This type of scattering avoids strong reflections that could cause unexpected and / or undesirable effects on other parts of the design. By using multiple scattering elements, acoustic energy is distributed in a way that makes it less likely to cause unexpected spikes or couplings in undesirable parts of the design.

[0069] To achieve effective scattering, small geometries are used for the scattering elements, where the size of each scattering element is between 0.1 and 10 times the wavelength of the sound waves from adjacent resonators. Similarly, the distance between the scattering elements is between 0.1 and 10 times the wavelength of the sound waves generated by adjacent resonators (e.g., the wavelength of the dominant resonant mode of any resonator). Using such geometries results in the scattering of acoustic energy. Smaller geometries may result in acoustic energy passing through the scattering elements with limited impact, limited scattering, and limited inter-resonator coupling suppression. Larger geometries may result in reflection, leading to undesirable performance degradation or reflective coupling.

[0070] Furthermore, while the aspects described herein focus on suppressing acoustic energy between adjacent resonators, in some respects, reflections from the edges of piezoelectric surfaces or substrates can lead to similar performance degradation. Scattering elements, as described herein, can be used between resonators and chip edges to scatter and diffuse acoustic energy, which can degrade performance at substrate edges due to reflections at the substrate edges.

[0071] In addition, although Figure 5 The examples illustrate a piezoelectric layer disposed on a separate substrate layer; however, in some respects, a piezoelectric material may be used as a substrate, or a piezoelectric material may be implemented without a separate substrate layer. In such respects, the examples described herein can be configured to operate in conjunction with any specific implementation described, but without a separately described substrate layer.

[0072] Figure 6A An example device 600A comprising two electroacoustic resonators 602, 604 on a shared substrate 601 is illustrated according to aspects described herein. This device has a scattering element 610A to prevent coupling. As shown, the scattering element 610A comprises a plurality of circular elements. Other geometries may be used, as detailed below. Similarly, the scattering element 610A is illustrated as being positioned on a line between the resonators 602 and 604, wherein the geometry of each scattering element and the geometry between the scattering elements are based on the operating wavelengths of the resonators 602, 604. Alternative relative positioning of the scattering elements is also possible, as detailed below.

[0073] The use of such a single scattering element 610A allows for a compact placement of resonators 602, 604 to limit the size of device 600A. Compared to trenches, using multiple small geometries of scattering elements 610A also allows for confinement of the scattering elements to a small area (e.g., region 510) while providing scattering and dispersion of acoustic energy, where an angular offset of the region may be required to avoid reflection back to the resonators, and where such angular offset requires additional space on the surface area to be designed. Using such small geometries of scattering elements 610A helps to confine the position of scattering elements 610A to a narrow region between resonators 602, 604.

[0074] Figures 6B to 6F Alternative scattering element geometries and placements according to some aspects described herein are described. Device 600B includes a scattering element 610B with a square geometry. Device 600C includes a scattering element 610C with a rhomboid geometry. Device 600D includes a scattering element 610D with a hexagonal geometry. Device 600E includes a scattering element 610E with a triangular geometry. While a particular set of individual scattering element geometries is described herein, any such geometry satisfying the above criteria may be used (e.g., the longest length across a single scattering element is less than 10 times the wavelength of an adjacent resonator, and the shortest length across a single scattering element is greater than 0.1 times the wavelength of an adjacent resonator). In some aspects, the geometry is selected based on the available manufacturing operations for a particular device. In other aspects, the geometry is selected based on design operations to select the geometry for a single specific implementation or chip layout that results in target performance. In some aspects, such as devices 600C-600E, the orientation of the individual scattering elements is selected such that the straight edges of the resonator geometry are not parallel to the fingers of adjacent IDT resonators. Especially for larger geometries (e.g., close to 10 times the wavelength of adjacent resonators), such orientations can reduce the amount of acoustic energy reflected back to the resonator adjacent to the scattering element.

[0075] In addition, Figures 6B to 6E In this embodiment, the relative placement of scattering elements 610B-610E is approximately along a line between adjacent resonators of corresponding devices 600B-600E. In other embodiments, nonlinear placement of the scattering elements may be used. For example, Figure 6F An example is a device 600F with a scattering element 610F positioned approximately along two lines between adjacent resonators, wherein the scattering element along each line is offset from the scattering element along the adjacent line. This positioning of the scattering element 610F may result in increased coupling suppression and greater acoustic energy dispersion at the cost of increased device size. Similarly, Figure 6GAn example is device 600G, in which the individual scattering elements in scattering element 610G are non-uniformly distributed in the region between adjacent resonators, and there are more than one geometry of scattering elements in the same group (e.g., two or more different geometries, such as hexagons and squares, or circles and stadium / stretched circular geometries). Such a specific implementation can again provide increased scattering performance at the expense of device size and can be used to meet target performance criteria to reduce coupling between adjacent resonators. Additionally, in some aspects, the placement of nonlinear scattering elements as described can achieve effective scattering of scattering element sizes or spacings less than 0.1 times the acoustic mode wavelength or greater than 10 times the acoustic mode wavelength, depending on the specific configuration of the scattering elements to avoid reflection and thus sufficiently disperse acoustic energy.

[0076] Figure 7 Various aspects of the scattering element 710 according to some of the aspects described herein are illustrated. As indicated above, the scattering element can be formed by adding material to a piezoelectric substrate or by forming voids in a device substrate.

[0077] Figure 7 The device 700 shows a cross-section through a scattering element 710 formed on a piezoelectric substrate 704, which is formed on a substrate 706. Figure 7 Substrate 706 and piezoelectric substrate 704 are shown, but any material stack can be used in different aspects (e.g., as mentioned above). Figure 3B As mentioned above. Figure 5 and Figures 6A to 6G As described, multiple scattering elements will be positioned between resonators 712 and 714. Other similar cross-sections of device 700 will not include gap cross-sections (e.g., at locations between the individual scattering elements), or may include multiple gap cross-sections (e.g., in specific embodiments similar to devices 600F and 600G). Device 700 illustrates contacts 720 for transmitting or receiving electrical signals to or from the resonators of device 700. Scattering element 710 may have a size between approximately 0.1 and 10 times the wavelength of the acoustic mode of resonator 712 or resonator 714 (e.g., depth below the top surface of the piezoelectric substrate supporting resonators 712, 714, opening size at the top surface, etc.). In some aspects, the depth through which the scattering element penetrates piezoelectric substrate 704 and / or substrate 706 (e.g., for specific embodiments including substrate 706 rather than just piezoelectric substrate 704) may have a size greater than 10 times the resonant wavelength.

[0078] Figure 8A An example is shown: a device 800A having a scattering element 810 formed using a metal layer. As described above, Figure 8AA cross-section is shown, in which a piezoelectric substrate 804 is on a substrate 806, and the IDT fingers of resonators 812 and 814 are separated by a scattering element 810. A contact 820 is also shown. The cross-section of the scattering element 810A shows a cross-section that can pass through a metal layer, dielectric layer, semiconductor layer, or any other material supporting the scattering of acoustic energy between resonators 812 and 814. In some aspects, the scattering element 810A of device 800A may be formed in a shared process and a shared layer with the contact 820. The metal thickness of such a scattering element 810 will be significantly greater than the thickness of the IDT fingers of resonator 812. For example, in some aspects, the IDT fingers of resonators 812 and 814 may have a thickness of approximately 500 nanometers (nm), while the scattering element 810 may have a thickness of 500 nm, 5000 nm, or greater to provide effective scattering and suppression of inter-resonator coupling.

[0079] Figure 8B A similar device 800B is illustrated, but it features a set of thinner scattering elements 810B, which have greater scattering power than... Figure 8A The scattering element 810A has a thinner profile and does not have a separate substrate (e.g., substrate 806) supporting the piezoelectric substrate 804. In some aspects, the thickness of such a scattering element may be approximately one-tenth (e.g., 0.1 times) the thickness of the metal layer of the IDT fingers of the resonators 812, 814. In other aspects, a thickness greater than the thickness of the IDT fingers or 0.1 times the thickness of the IDT fingers is used for the scattering element 810B. In some aspects, specific dielectric materials may be used, or other such materials may be used, wherein the thickness of the scattering element 810B is based on the properties of the material such that the thickness of the scattering element 810B, as well as other geometries (e.g., length, width, thickness, etc.), is sufficient to disperse acoustic energy between the resonators or between the resonators and the edges of the substrate to meet device performance standards.

[0080] Furthermore, while the above aspects illustrate the acoustic energy dispersion between two resonators, in other respects, a single resonator can interfere with itself via acoustic reflections from the edges of the piezoelectric substrate, the IC edge, or other such edges of the device. Any of the above aspects (e.g., Figure 7 , Figure 8A , Figure 8B This can be achieved using scattering elements between the resonator and the device edge (e.g., the edge of the piezoelectric layer, the edge of the IC, etc.), including gap elements such as scattering element 710 or material scattering elements 810A or 810B. In this respect, the scattering element can be positioned relative to an edge as shown, which will be similar to the edge positioning of an adjacent resonator (e.g., the edge at the first IDT of resonator 714 is close to scattering element 710, etc.).

[0081] Based on the aspects described herein, specific implementations may include a substrate (e.g., a Si substrate implemented as substrate 706, substrate 806, etc.) and a piezoelectric layer disposed on the substrate (e.g., piezoelectric substrate 704, piezoelectric substrate 804, etc.). In other aspects, the piezoelectric layer may be implemented without a separate substrate (e.g., a piezoelectric substrate implemented without a Si substrate 706, such as...). Figure 8B As shown, there is no Si substrate. Such devices or apparatuses may include a first resonator and a second resonator, the first resonator including a first interdigital transducer disposed above a shared surface of the piezoelectric layer, and the second resonator including a second interdigital transducer disposed above a shared surface of the piezoelectric layer (e.g., the above-mentioned). Figure 5 , Figures 6A to 6G , Figure 7 Adjacent resonators in any of Figure 8, etc. Each aspect also includes multiple scattering elements positioned between the first and second resonators (e.g., those mentioned above). Figure 5 , Figures 6A to 6G , Figure 7 (Scattering elements in any of Figures 8, etc.). Such scattering elements are configured to disperse the acoustic energy from the acoustic modes of the first resonator and the acoustic energy from the acoustic modes of the second resonator. The geometry and placement of the scattering elements are selected to prevent coupling and disperse acoustic energy, and may be selected such that the shortest dimension of the scattering element across the plurality of scattering elements is greater than 0.1 times the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the first resonator or the resonant frequency of the second resonator, the longest dimension of the scattering element across the plurality of scattering elements is less than 10 times the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the first resonator or the resonant frequency of the second resonator, the dimension between adjacent scattering elements among the plurality of scattering elements is greater than 0.1 times the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the first resonator or the resonant frequency of the second resonator, and / or the longest dimension between adjacent scattering elements among the plurality of scattering elements is less than 10 times the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the first resonator or the resonant frequency of the second resonator.

[0082] According to the resonator structure described herein, each resonator may include a first bus and a second bus, and the associated first interdigital transducer (IDT) of each resonator includes a first plurality of IDT electrode fingers, the first plurality of IDT electrode fingers including first IDT electrode fingers extending from the first bus toward the second bus in an interdigitated configuration and second IDT electrode fingers extending from the second bus toward the first bus. With such a resonator structure, scattering elements between the resonators can be aligned along a line perpendicular to the first and second bus, such that the extension of the track of the first resonator intersects this line. For example, if Figure 4If the track 429 extends beyond the ends of the busbars 402 and 404, the scattering element can be placed across the extension of the track to disperse the acoustic energy escaping from the ends of the track, thereby preventing interference with adjacent resonators.

[0083] In some respects, acoustic energy from acoustic modes can leak from different alignments beyond the aforementioned orbital extensions. For example, in some respects, the location of a resonator or device element may involve acoustic energy leaking from the resonator to anywhere in its vicinity (e.g., close enough to the resonator that the acoustic energy affects the performance of adjacent elements). In various respects, scattering elements may be positioned independently of the resonator orientation near the resonator to disperse the acoustic energy from it.

[0084] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating an example method 900 performed by a device comprising at least two electroacoustic resonators separated by a plurality of scattering elements, according to various aspects described herein. Method 900 is described in the form of a set of blocks specifying operable operations. However, the operations are not necessarily limited to... Figure 9 The order shown or described herein is not specified, as these operations can be implemented in an alternative order or in a manner that is wholly or partially overlapping. Furthermore, more, fewer, and / or different operations can be implemented to perform method 900 or alternative processes. In some aspects, method 900 can be performed by a device including circuitry configured for the operation of method 900. In some aspects, control circuitry of the device or one or more processors can be configured to perform the operations. In some aspects, method 900 can be implemented as instructions in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that, when executed by one or more processors of the device, cause the device to perform the operations of method 900.

[0085] At block 902, method 900 includes receiving a wireless communication signal at a filter including a resonator, wherein the filter includes: a piezoelectric layer including a first surface; a first resonator including a first interdigital transducer disposed above the first surface of the piezoelectric layer; and a plurality of scattering elements positioned adjacent to the first resonator. At block 904, method 900 includes using the wireless communication signal to excite the resonator to generate acoustic energy in the acoustic mode of the resonator. At block 906, method 900 includes using the plurality of scattering elements to disperse the acoustic energy from the acoustic mode of the resonator.

[0086] In some respects, method 900 may operate in the following manner: the piezoelectric layer further includes an edge, wherein the plurality of scattering elements are also located between the first resonator and the edge, and wherein the plurality of scattering elements are further configured to disperse acoustic energy of acoustic reflections from the acoustic mode of the first resonator, the acoustic reflections being reflected from the edge of the piezoelectric layer.

[0087] In some respects, method 900 can operate with the piezoelectric layer further including a second resonator, wherein scattering elements are positioned between the first and second resonators; and wherein the plurality of scattering elements are configured to disperse acoustic energy from an acoustic mode of the second resonator that is different from the acoustic mode of the first resonator.

[0088] In other respects, the method 900 or other similar methods according to the aspects described herein may be operated using repeating elements, intermediate elements or any structure according to any aspect described herein.

[0089] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of an example filter 1000, which may employ multiple resonators on a shared piezoelectric surface, with scattering elements positioned between at least one pair of resonators. Filter 1000 includes a trapezoidal arrangement of acoustic SAW resonators Rs and Rp (where Rs is a series resonator and Rp is a parallel resonator).

[0090] The trapezoidal structure of filter 1000 comprises multiple basic segments. Each basic segment includes at least one series resonator Rs and at least one parallel resonator Rp. The required number of basic segments to achieve the desired selectivity are connected in series. Series resonators Rs belonging to adjacent basic segments can be combined into a common series resonator Rs, and parallel resonators Rp can also be combined if they are directly adjacent and belong to different basic segments. A basic segment provides a basic filter. More basic segments can be added to provide sufficient selectivity associated with the specific resonators used in that segment.

[0091] Figure 11This is a functional block diagram of at least a portion of an example of a simplified wireless transceiver circuit 1100 in which a resonator sharing a piezoelectric surface with a scattering element may be employed. The transceiver circuit 1100 is configured to receive signals / information (shown as I and Q values) for transmission, which are provided to one or more baseband filters 1112. The filtered output is provided to one or more mixers 1114. The output from the one or more mixers 1114 is provided to a driver amplifier 1116, the output of which is provided to a power amplifier 1118 to generate an amplified signal for transmission. The amplified signal is output to an antenna 1122 through one or more filters 1120 (e.g., a duplexer (if used as a frequency division duplex transceiver) or other filters). The one or more filters 1120 may include the disclosed DMS resonator. The antenna 1122 can be used for both wirelessly transmitting and receiving data. The transceiver circuit 1100 includes the following receiving path: before the signal is further processed (e.g., provided to an analog-to-digital converter and then demodulated or otherwise processed in the digital domain), it passes through one or more filters 1120 to be provided to a low-noise amplifier (LNA) 1124 and an additional filter 1126, and then down-converts from the receiving frequency to the baseband frequency via one or more mixer circuits 1128. Separate filters for the receiving circuit may be available, which can be implemented using the disclosed resonators that share a piezoelectric surface with the scattering element (e.g., the receiving circuit may have a separate antenna or a separate receiving filter).

[0092] Figure 12 This is a diagram of an environment 1200 including electronic device 1202, which includes wireless transceiver 1296, such as Figure 11 The transceiver circuit 1100. In some aspects, electronic device 1202 includes a display screen 1299, which can be used to display information associated with data transmitted via wireless link 1206 and processed using components of electronic device 1202 as described below. Other aspects of electronic devices using low-phase delay filters for multi-band communication according to the aspects described herein may not be configured with a display screen. In environment 1200, electronic device 1202 communicates with base station 1204 via wireless link 1206. As shown, electronic device 1202 is depicted as a smartphone. However, electronic device 1202 can be implemented as any suitable computing electronic device or other electronic device, such as a cellular base station, broadband router, access point, cellular or mobile phone, gaming device, navigation device, media device, laptop computer, desktop computer, tablet computer, server computer, network attached storage (NAS) device, smart appliance, automobile including vehicle-based communication systems, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, sensors or security devices, asset trackers, etc.

[0093] Base station 1204 communicates with electronic device 1202 via wireless link 1206, which can be implemented as any suitable type of wireless link. Although depicted as a base station tower of a cellular radio network, base station 1204 can represent or be implemented as another device, such as a satellite, terrestrial broadcast tower, access point, peer device, mesh network node, fiber optic line, or another electronic device generally as described above. Therefore, electronic device 1202 can communicate with base station 1204 or another device via wired connection, wireless connection, or a combination thereof. Wireless link 1206 can include a downlink transmitting data or control information from base station 1204 to electronic device 1202, and an uplink transmitting other data or control information from electronic device 1202 to base station 1204. Wireless link 1206 can use any suitable communication protocol or standard, such as 3GPP LTE, 3GPP NR 5G, IEEE 802.11, IEEE 802.16, Bluetooth, etc. ™ (etc.) to achieve this.

[0094] Electronic device 1202 includes processor 1280 and memory 1282. Memory 1282 may be part of or form part of a computer-readable storage medium. Processor 1280 may include any type of processor, such as an application processor or a multi-core processor, configured to execute processor-executable instructions (e.g., code) stored in memory 1282. Memory 1282 may include any suitable type of data storage medium, such as volatile memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM)), non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory), optical media, magnetic media (e.g., magnetic disk or magnetic tape), etc. In the context of this disclosure, memory 1282 is implemented to store instructions 1284, data 1286, and other information of electronic device 1202, and therefore, when configured as a computer-readable storage medium or part thereof, memory 1282 does not include transient propagation signals or carrier waves.

[0095] Electronic device 1202 may also include input / output port 1290. I / O port 1290 enables data exchange or interaction with other devices, networks, or users, or between components of the device.

[0096] Electronic device 1202 may also include a signal processor (SP) 1292 (e.g., such as a digital signal processor (DSP)). The signal processor 1292 may function similarly to a processor and may be able to execute instructions and / or process information in conjunction with memory 1282.

[0097] For communication purposes, electronic device 1202 also includes a modem 1294, a wireless transceiver 1296, and an antenna (not shown). The wireless transceiver 1296 uses radio frequency (RF) wireless signals to provide connectivity to a given network and other electronic devices connected to those networks, and may include... Figure 11 The transceiver circuit 1100. The wireless transceiver 1296 can facilitate communication on any suitable type of wireless network, such as wireless local area network (LAN) (WLAN), peer-to-peer (P2P) network, mesh network, cellular network, wireless wide area network (WWAN), navigation network (e.g., North American Global Positioning System (GPS) or another Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)) and / or wireless personal area network (WPAN).

[0098] The various operations of the methods described above can be performed by any suitable component capable of performing the corresponding function. This component may include various hardware and / or software components and / or modules, including but not limited to circuits, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or processors.

[0099] In this respect, the elements described herein, or any portion thereof, or any combination thereof, may be implemented as a “processing system” including one or more processors. Aspects of a processor include microprocessors, microcontrollers, graphics processing units (GPUs), central processing units (CPUs), application processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processors, system-on-a-chip (SoCs), baseband processors, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), state machines, gated logic devices, discrete hardware circuitry, and other suitable hardware configured to perform the various functionalities described throughout this disclosure. One or more processors in the processing system can execute software. Whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or other names, software should be broadly interpreted as meaning instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subroutines, software components, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, threads of execution, procedures, functions, etc.

[0100] Therefore, in one or more embodiments, the described function or circuit block can be implemented in hardware, software, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the function can be stored or encoded as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media includes computer storage media. Storage media can be any available medium accessible to a computer. In an aspect, and not a limitation, such computer-readable media can include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), optical disc storage devices, magnetic disk storage devices, other magnetic storage devices, combinations of computer-readable media of the foregoing types, or any other medium that can be used to store computer-executable code in the form of computer-accessible instructions or data structures. In some aspects, components described as circuits can be implemented in hardware, software, or any combination thereof.

[0101] The phrase “coupled to” and the term “coupled” refer to any component being physically connected directly or indirectly to another component and / or any component communicating directly or indirectly with another component (e.g., connected to another component via a wired or wireless connection and / or other suitable communication interface).

[0102] Generally speaking, when the operations illustrated in the accompanying drawings exist, those operations may have corresponding parts and functional components with similar numbers.

[0103] As used herein, the term "determine" encompasses a wide variety of actions. In some respects, "determine" can include operations, calculations, processing, derivations, investigations, searches (e.g., searching in a table, database, or other data structure), assertions, etc. Furthermore, "determine" can include receiving (e.g., receiving information), accessing (e.g., accessing data in memory), etc. Additionally, "determine" can include parsing, selecting, picking, building, etc.

[0104] The methods disclosed herein include one or more steps or actions for implementing the described methods. The steps and / or actions of the methods may be interchanged without departing from the scope of the claims. In other words, unless a specific order of steps or actions is specified, the order and / or use of a particular step and / or action may be modified without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0105] It should be understood that the claims are not limited to the precise configurations and components illustrated above. Various modifications, alterations, and variations may be made to the arrangement, operation, and details of the methods and apparatus described above without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0106] Claim language or other languages ​​that state "at least one of" and / or "one or more of" in a set indicate that one member of the set or multiple members of the set (in any combination) satisfy the claim. For example, claim language stating "at least one of A and B" or "at least one of A or B" means A, B, or A and B. In another example, claim language stating "at least one of A, B, and C" or "at least one of A, B, or C" means A, B, C, or A and B, or A and C, or B and C, A and B and C, or any repeating information or data (e.g., A and A, B and B, C and C, A and A and B, etc.), or any other ordering, repetition, or combination of A, B, and C. The language "at least one of" and / or "one or more of" in a set does not limit the set to the items listed in the set. For example, the language of a claim stating "at least one of A and B" or "at least one of A or B" may refer to A, B, or A and B, and may additionally include items not listed in the set of A and B. The phrases "at least one" and "one or more" are used interchangeably herein.

[0107] Claims using phrases such as "at least one processor, the at least one processor being configured to," "at least one processor being configured to," "one or more processors, the one or more processors being configured to," or "one or more processors being configured to," or other languages, indicate that one or more processors (in any combination) are capable of performing associated operations. For example, a claim using the phrase "at least one processor, the at least one processor being configured to: X, Y, and Z" means that a single processor can be used to perform operations X, Y, and Z; or that multiple processors are each assigned a specific subset of tasks to perform operations X, Y, and Z, such that the multiple processors together perform X, Y, and Z; or that a group of multiple processors work together to perform operations X, Y, and Z. In another example, a claim using the phrase "at least one processor, the at least one processor being configured to: X, Y, and Z" could mean that any single processor can perform only at least one subset of operations X, Y, and Z.

[0108] When referring to one or more elements that perform functions (e.g., steps of a method), one element may perform all functions, or more than one element may jointly perform these functions. When more than one element jointly performs these functions, each function does not need to be performed by every single element (e.g., different functions may be performed by different elements), and / or each function does not need to be performed by only one element as a whole (e.g., different elements may perform different sub-functions of a function). Similarly, when referring to one or more elements configured to cause another element (e.g., a device) to perform functions, one element may be configured to cause another element to perform all functions, or more than one element may be jointly configured to cause another element to perform these functions.

[0109] When referring to an entity that performs or is configured to perform functions (e.g., steps of a method) (e.g., any entity or device described herein), the entity may be configured to cause one or more elements (individually or collectively) to perform those functions. One or more components of the entity may include at least one memory, at least one processor, at least one communication interface, another component configured to perform one or more of those functions, and / or any combination thereof. When referring to an entity that performs functions, the entity may be configured to cause one component to perform all functions, or to cause more than one component to perform those functions collectively. When the entity is configured to cause more than one component to perform those functions collectively, each function does not need to be performed by every single component (e.g., different functions may be performed by different components), and / or each function does not need to be performed by only one component as a whole (e.g., different components may perform different sub-functions of a function).

[0110] The following is a set of non-limiting aspects based on the details provided herein:

[0111] Aspect 1. An apparatus comprising: a piezoelectric layer including a shared surface; a first resonator including a first interdigital transducer disposed above the shared surface of the piezoelectric layer; a second resonator including a second interdigital transducer disposed above the shared surface of the piezoelectric layer; and a plurality of scattering elements positioned between the first resonator and the second resonator.

[0112] Aspect 2. The apparatus according to aspect 1, wherein the plurality of scattering elements are configured to disperse acoustic energy from the acoustic modes of the first resonator and to disperse acoustic energy from the acoustic modes of the second resonator.

[0113] Aspect 3. The apparatus according to any one of Aspects 1 to 2, wherein the shortest dimension of the scattering element across the plurality of scattering elements is greater than 0.1 times the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the first resonator or the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the second resonator.

[0114] Aspect 4. The apparatus according to any one of Aspects 1 to 3, wherein the longest dimension of the scattering element across the plurality of scattering elements is less than 10 times the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the first resonator or the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the second resonator.

[0115] Aspect 5. The apparatus according to any one of Aspects 1 to 4, wherein the shortest dimension between adjacent scattering elements of the plurality of scattering elements is greater than 0.1 times the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the first resonator or the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the second resonator.

[0116] Aspect 6. The apparatus according to any one of Aspects 1 to 5, wherein the longest dimension between adjacent scattering elements of the plurality of scattering elements is less than 10 times the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the first resonator or the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the second resonator.

[0117] Aspect 7. The apparatus according to any one of Aspects 1 to 6, wherein the first resonator further comprises: a first bus; and a second bus; wherein the first interdigital transducer (IDT) comprises a first plurality of IDT electrode fingers, the first plurality of IDT electrode fingers comprising a first IDT electrode finger extending from the first bus toward the second bus in an interdigital configuration and a second IDT electrode finger extending from the second bus toward the first bus.

[0118] Aspect 8. The apparatus according to aspect 7, wherein the plurality of scattering elements are aligned along a line perpendicular to the first and second busbars, such that an extension of the track of the first resonator intersects the line.

[0119] Aspect 9. The apparatus according to aspect 7, wherein the plurality of scattering elements are positioned in a path extending from the track of the first resonator.

[0120] Aspect 10. The apparatus according to aspect 7, wherein the plurality of scattering elements are positioned near the resonator independently of the resonator orientation.

[0121] Aspect 11. The apparatus according to aspect 7, the apparatus further comprising a metal contact coupled to the first busbar, wherein the plurality of scattering elements are formed with the metal contact in a shared layer.

[0122] Aspect 12. The apparatus according to any one of Aspects 1 to 11, wherein the plurality of scattering elements includes voids within the piezoelectric layer.

[0123] Aspect 13. The apparatus according to aspect 12, wherein the thickness of the plurality of scattering elements is at least 0.1 times the thickness of the metal layer of the first interdigital transducer.

[0124] Aspect 14. The apparatus according to any one of Aspects 1 to 13, wherein the plurality of scattering elements comprises a metal, dielectric, or semiconductor material disposed on the piezoelectric layer.

[0125] Aspect 15. The apparatus according to any one of aspects 1 to 14, wherein the plurality of scattering elements comprises a circular geometry.

[0126] Aspect 16. The apparatus according to any one of Aspects 1 to 15, wherein the plurality of scattering elements comprises elements having two or more different geometries.

[0127] Aspect 17. The apparatus according to any one of aspects 1 to 16, the apparatus further comprising a second plurality of scattering elements positioned between the first resonator and the edge of the piezoelectric layer.

[0128] Aspect 18. An apparatus comprising: a piezoelectric layer including a first surface and a first edge; a first resonator including a first interdigital transducer disposed above the first surface of the piezoelectric layer; and a plurality of scattering elements positioned between the first resonator and the first edge of the piezoelectric layer.

[0129] Aspect 19. The apparatus according to aspect 18, wherein the plurality of scattering elements are configured to disperse acoustic energy of an acoustic mode from the first resonator and to disperse acoustic energy of acoustic reflections of the acoustic mode from the first resonator, the acoustic reflections being reflected from the first edge of the piezoelectric layer.

[0130] Aspect 20. The apparatus according to any one of Aspects 18 to 19, wherein the first resonator further comprises: a first bus; and a second bus; wherein the first interdigital transducer (IDT) includes a first plurality of IDT electrode fingers, the first plurality of IDT electrode fingers including a first IDT electrode finger extending from the first bus toward the second bus in an interdigital configuration and a second IDT electrode finger extending from the second bus toward the first bus.

[0131] Aspect 21. The apparatus according to aspect 20, wherein the plurality of scattering elements are aligned along a line perpendicular to the first generatrix and the second generatrix, such that an extension of the track of the first resonator intersects the line.

[0132] Aspect 22. The apparatus according to aspect 20, wherein the plurality of scattering elements are positioned near the resonator independently of the resonator orientation.

[0133] Aspect 23. The apparatus according to any one of aspects 18 to 22, wherein the plurality of scattering elements includes voids within the piezoelectric layer.

[0134] Aspect 24. The apparatus according to any one of aspects 18 to 23, wherein the plurality of scattering elements comprises a material disposed on the piezoelectric layer.

[0135] Aspect 25. The apparatus according to aspect 24, wherein the thickness of the plurality of scattering elements is at least one-tenth the thickness of the metal layer of the first interdigital transducer.

[0136] Aspect 26. The apparatus according to any one of aspects 18 to 25, wherein the plurality of scattering elements comprises elements having two or more different geometries.

[0137] Aspect 27. A method comprising: receiving a wireless communication signal at a filter including a resonator, wherein the filter includes: a piezoelectric layer including a first surface; a first resonator including a first interdigital transducer disposed above the first surface of the piezoelectric layer; and a plurality of scattering elements positioned adjacent to the first resonator; using the wireless communication signal to excite the resonator to generate acoustic energy in an acoustic mode of the resonator; and using the plurality of scattering elements to disperse the acoustic energy from the acoustic mode of the resonator.

[0138] Aspect 28. The method according to aspect 27, wherein the piezoelectric layer further includes an edge; wherein the plurality of scattering elements are further positioned between the first resonator and the edge; and wherein the plurality of scattering elements are further configured to disperse acoustic energy of acoustic reflections from the acoustic mode of the first resonator, the acoustic reflections being reflected from the edge of the piezoelectric layer.

[0139] Aspect 29. The method according to aspect 27, wherein the piezoelectric layer further includes a second resonator, wherein the scattering element is positioned between the first resonator and the second resonator; and wherein the plurality of scattering elements are configured to disperse acoustic energy from an acoustic mode of the second resonator, the acoustic mode being different from the acoustic mode of the first resonator.

[0140] Aspect 30. The method according to aspect 29, wherein the shortest dimension of a scattering element across the plurality of scattering elements is greater than 0.1 times the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the first resonator or the resonant frequency of the second resonator; wherein the longest dimension of a scattering element across the plurality of scattering elements is less than 10 times the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the first resonator or the resonant frequency of the second resonator; wherein the shortest dimension between adjacent scattering elements among the plurality of scattering elements is greater than 0.1 times the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the first resonator or the resonant frequency of the second resonator; and wherein the longest dimension between adjacent scattering elements among the plurality of scattering elements is less than 10 times the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the first resonator or the resonant frequency of the second resonator.

[0141] Aspect 31. The method according to any one of aspects 27 to 29, wherein the method is performed using any of the means described in aspects 1 to 26 above.

Claims

1. An apparatus, the apparatus comprising: A piezoelectric layer, the piezoelectric layer including a shared surface; The first resonator includes a first interdigital transducer disposed above the shared surface of the piezoelectric layer; The second resonator includes a second interdigital transducer disposed above the shared surface of the piezoelectric layer; and Multiple scattering elements are positioned between the first resonator and the second resonator.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of scattering elements are configured to disperse acoustic energy from the acoustic modes of the first resonator and to disperse acoustic energy from the acoustic modes of the second resonator.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the shortest dimension of the scattering element across the plurality of scattering elements is greater than 0.1 times the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the first resonator or the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the second resonator.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the longest dimension of the scattering element across the plurality of scattering elements is less than 10 times the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the first resonator or the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the second resonator.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the shortest dimension between adjacent scattering elements in the plurality of scattering elements is greater than 0.1 times the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the first resonator or the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the second resonator.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the longest dimension between adjacent scattering elements of the plurality of scattering elements is less than 10 times the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the first resonator or the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the second resonator.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first resonator further comprises: First busbar; and Second busbar; The first interdigital transducer (IDT) includes a first plurality of IDT electrode fingers, the first plurality of IDT electrode fingers including a first IDT electrode finger extending from the first busbar toward the second busbar in an interdigital configuration and a second IDT electrode finger extending from the second busbar toward the first busbar.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the plurality of scattering elements are aligned along a line perpendicular to the first and second busbars such that an extension of the track of the first resonator intersects the line.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the plurality of scattering elements are positioned in a path extending from the track of the first resonator.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the plurality of scattering elements are positioned near the resonator independently of the resonator orientation.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of scattering elements comprises voids within the piezoelectric layer.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of scattering elements comprises a metal, dielectric, or semiconductor material disposed on the piezoelectric layer.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the thickness of the plurality of scattering elements is at least 0.1 times the thickness of the metal layer of the first interdigital transducer.

14. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a metal contact coupled to the first busbar, wherein the plurality of scattering elements are formed with the metal contact in a shared layer.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of scattering elements comprises a circular geometry.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of scattering elements comprises elements having two or more different geometries.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second plurality of scattering elements positioned between the first resonator and the edge of the piezoelectric layer.

18. An apparatus comprising: A piezoelectric layer, the piezoelectric layer comprising a first surface and a first edge; The first resonator includes a first interdigital transducer disposed above the first surface of the piezoelectric layer. and Multiple scattering elements are positioned between the first resonator and the first edge of the piezoelectric layer.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the plurality of scattering elements are configured to disperse acoustic energy of an acoustic mode from the first resonator and to disperse acoustic energy of acoustic reflections of the acoustic mode from the first resonator, the acoustic reflections being reflected from the first edge of the piezoelectric layer.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the first resonator further comprises: First busbar; and Second busbar; The first interdigital transducer (IDT) includes a first plurality of IDT electrode fingers, the first plurality of IDT electrode fingers including a first IDT electrode finger extending from the first busbar toward the second busbar in an interdigital configuration and a second IDT electrode finger extending from the second busbar toward the first busbar.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the plurality of scattering elements are aligned along a line perpendicular to the first and second generatrices such that an extension of the track of the first resonator intersects the line.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the plurality of scattering elements are positioned near the resonator independently of the resonator orientation.

23. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the plurality of scattering elements includes voids within the piezoelectric layer.

24. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the plurality of scattering elements comprises a material disposed on the piezoelectric layer.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the thickness of the plurality of scattering elements is at least one-tenth the thickness of the metal layer of the first interdigital transducer.

26. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the plurality of scattering elements comprises elements having two or more different geometries.

27. A method, the method comprising: A wireless communication signal is received at a filter including a resonator, wherein the filter includes: a piezoelectric layer including a first surface; a first resonator including a first interdigital transducer disposed above the first surface of the piezoelectric layer; and a plurality of scattering elements positioned adjacent to the first resonator. The wireless communication signal is used to excite the resonator to generate acoustic energy in the acoustic mode of the resonator; and The plurality of scattering elements are used to disperse the acoustic energy of the acoustic mode from the resonator.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein: The piezoelectric layer also includes an edge; and The plurality of scattering elements are also positioned between the first resonator and the edge; and The plurality of scattering elements are further configured to disperse the acoustic energy of acoustic reflections from the acoustic mode of the first resonator, the acoustic reflections being reflected from the edge of the piezoelectric layer.

29. The method according to claim 27, wherein: The piezoelectric layer further includes a second resonator, wherein the plurality of scattering elements are positioned between the first resonator and the second resonator; and The plurality of scattering elements are configured to disperse the acoustic energy from the acoustic mode of the second resonator, which is different from the acoustic mode of the first resonator.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein: The shortest dimension of the scattering element across the plurality of scattering elements is greater than 0.1 times the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the first resonator or the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the second resonator; The longest dimension of the scattering element among the plurality of scattering elements is less than 10 times the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the first resonator or the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the second resonator; The shortest dimension between adjacent scattering elements in the plurality of scattering elements is greater than 0.1 times the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the first resonator or the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the second resonator; and The longest dimension between adjacent scattering elements in the plurality of scattering elements is less than 10 times the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the first resonator or the wavelength of the resonant frequency of the second resonator.

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