Solutions for Radio Frequency (RF)

As mobile handsets reach a greater portion of the earth’s population, the need for radio spectrums to communicate these devices to one another has skyrocketed. Five bands at the turn of the century has increased to more than 30 as we approach the 5G communication standard slated for 2020. Radio frequency (RF) front end modules and filters are key components to enabling 5G networks as 5G communication protocols are defined and implemented. RF and microwave filters represent a class of electronic filter, designed to operate on signals in the megahertz to gigahertz frequency ranges (medium frequency to extremely high frequency).

Acoustic wave technology, such as the popular Surface Acoustic Wave filter (SAW) and the higher technology Bulk Acoustic Wave (BAW) filter for more challenging interference environments, deliver interdigital transducers (IDTs) that provide some of the highest performance, smallest and lowest-cost filters in analog RF communication. Different filters trap acoustic energy in different ways. Manufacturers are increasingly coupling filters with amplifiers or an array of other devices to achieve even smaller form factors and higher functionality in the end package. The challenge for filter manufacturers is to safely plate and sputter metals on a variety of very fragile, small wafer sizes (ASMPT NEXX).