GaAs Monolithic SAW Devices for Signal Processing and Frequency Control

GaAs technology is rapidly maturing for application to digital and microwave integrated circuits, primarily because of its high mobility and large bandgap as compared to silicon. The present work considers t he additional capabilities offered by exploiting its inherent piezoelectricity for monolithic SAW device development. The approach followed here takes advantage of the improved quality of the semiinsulating substrate material required for GaAs IC development and concentrates on SAW device configurations which may eventually be integrated together with compatible electronics on the same substrate. The basic transduction and propagation characteristics for the Rayleigh wave on , (110) GaAs are reviewed for device o peration in the 100-200 MHz frequency range. Recent developments in the design and performance of 2-port resonator filters, tunable SAW phase shifters, and programmable matched filters are presented. Potential for further development of the technology is also addressed.