The present disclosure is related to radio frequency (RF) filtering circuitry, and in particular to RF filtering circuitry providing a notch filter response.
Filtering circuitry for radio frequency (RF) signals is a crucial component of modern communications devices. As wireless communications standards continue to evolve, the requirements placed on filtering circuitry for RF signals continue to increase in stringency. For example, filtering circuitry for communications devices conforming to fifth generation (5G) wireless communications standards are required to have high bandwidth, high selectivity, and low insertion loss. Conventional filtering circuitry generally offers a relatively poor tradeoff between these performance characteristics. Accordingly, there is a need for improved filtering circuitry for RF signals.
In one embodiment, radio frequency (RF) filtering circuitry includes an input node, an output node, a shunt node, a first bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonator, a second BAW resonator, a first inductor, and a second inductor. The first BAW resonator is coupled between the input node and the output node. The second BAW resonator is coupled between an intermediate node and the shunt node. The first inductor is coupled between the input node and the intermediate node. The second inductor is coupled between the output node and the intermediate node. Using BAW resonators in the RF filtering circuitry provides significant improvements in the filter response of the RF filtering circuitry when compared to conventional designs.
In one embodiment, a series resonance frequency of the first BAW resonator is less than a series resonance frequency of the second BAW resonator. Further, a coupling factor between the first inductor and the second inductor may be greater than or equal to zero. Providing the RF filtering circuitry in this way provides significant improvements in the filter response of the RF filtering circuitry when compared to conventional designs.
In one embodiment, a series resonance frequency of the first BAW resonator is greater than a series resonance frequency of the second BAW resonator. Further, a coupling factor between the first inductor and the second inductor may be less than or equal to zero. Providing the RF filtering circuitry in this way provides significant improvements in the filter response of the RF filtering circuitry when compared to conventional designs.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate the scope of the present disclosure and realize additional aspects thereof after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments in association with the accompanying drawing figures.
The accompanying drawing figures incorporated in and forming a part of this specification illustrate several aspects of the disclosure, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the disclosure.
The embodiments set forth below represent the necessary information to enable those skilled in the art to practice the embodiments and illustrate the best mode of practicing the embodiments. Upon reading the following description in light of the accompanying drawing figures, those skilled in the art will understand the concepts of the disclosure and will recognize applications of these concepts not particularly addressed herein. It should be understood that these concepts and applications fall within the scope of the disclosure and the accompanying claims.
It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element could be termed a second element, and, similarly, a second element could be termed a first element, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
It will be understood that when an element such as a layer, region, or substrate is referred to as being “on” or extending “onto” another element, it can be directly on or extend directly onto the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on” or extending “directly onto” another element, there are no intervening elements present. Likewise, it will be understood that when an element such as a layer, region, or substrate is referred to as being “over” or extending “over” another element, it can be directly over or extend directly over the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly over” or extending “directly over” another element, there are no intervening elements present. It will also be understood that when an element is referred to as being “connected” or “coupled” to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly connected” or “directly coupled” to another element, there are no intervening elements present.
Relative terms such as “below” or “above” or “upper” or “lower” or “horizontal” or “vertical” may be used herein to describe a relationship of one element, layer, or region to another element, layer, or region as illustrated in the Figures. It will be understood that these terms and those discussed above are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in addition to the orientation depicted in the Figures.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” and/or “including” when used herein specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. It will be further understood that terms used herein should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of this specification and the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.
In operation, RF signals are provided at the input node 12. The RF filtering circuitry 10 provides a notch filter response such that RF signals falling within an undesired frequency band are shunted from the input node 12 to the shunt node 16, while RF signals outside of the undesired frequency band are passed from the input node 12 to the output node 14. In some embodiments, the shunt node 16 is coupled to ground such that the RF signals within the undesired frequency band are shunted to ground. In other embodiments, the shunt node 16 may be connected to other circuitry.
The resonance frequency of the first BAW resonator 18 and the second BAW resonator 20 as well as the coupling factor k between the first inductor L1 and the second inductor L2 may be adjusted to change a filter response of the RF filtering circuitry 10. In some embodiments, a resonance frequency of the first BAW resonator 18 is different from a resonance frequency of the second BAW resonator 20. In particular, in a first embodiment a series resonance frequency of the first BAW resonator 18 may be below a series resonance frequency of the second BAW resonator 20. In such an embodiment, a coupling factor k between the first inductor L1 and the second inductor L2 may be greater than or equal to zero. In a second embodiment the series resonance frequency of the first BAW resonator 18 may be above the series resonance frequency of the second BAW resonator 20. In such an embodiment, the coupling factor k between the first inductor L1 and the second inductor L2 may be less than or equal to zero. In various embodiments, an inductance of the first inductor L1 and the second inductor L2 may be equal. However, the inductance of the first inductor L1 and the second inductor L2 may be different, for example, if an impedance at the input node 12 and the output node 14 are unequal.
At frequencies lower than the series resonance frequency of the first BAW resonator 18 and higher than the parallel resonance frequency of the second BAW resonator 20, the first BAW resonator 18 and the second BAW resonator 20 appear as capacitive elements in the RF filtering circuitry 10. An equivalent circuit for the RF filtering circuitry 10 at these frequencies is shown in
At the series resonance frequency of the first BAW resonator 18, an impedance of the first BAW resonator 18 is at a low point, such that the first BAW resonator 18 essentially acts as a short circuit. The second BAW resonator 20 still appears as a capacitive element. An equivalent circuit for the RF filtering circuitry 10 at the series resonant frequency of the first BAW resonator 18 is shown in
At the parallel resonance frequency of the first BAW resonator 18, an impedance of the first BAW resonator 18 is at a high point, such that the first BAW resonator 18 essentially acts as an open circuit. The second BAW resonator 20 still appears as a capacitive element. An equivalent circuit for the RF filtering circuitry 10 at the parallel resonant frequency of the first BAW resonator 18 is shown in
At the series resonance frequency of the second BAW resonator 20, an impedance of the second BAW resonator 20 is at a low point, such that the second BAW resonator 20 essentially acts as a short circuit. The first BAW resonator 20 still appears as a capacitive element. An equivalent circuit for the RF filtering circuitry 10 at the series resonance frequency of the second BAW resonator 20 is shown in
At the parallel resonance frequency of the second BAW resonator 20, an impedance of the second BAW resonator 20 is at a high point, such that the second BAW resonator 20 acts as an open circuit. The first BAW resonator 18 still appears as a capacitive element. An equivalent circuit for the RF filtering circuitry 10 at the parallel resonance frequency of the second BAW resonator 20, fp2, is shown in
The combined inductance of the first inductor L1 and the second inductor L2 may need to be different to achieve the desired resonance responses between the inductors, the first BAW resonator capacitance C1, and the second BAW resonator capacitance C2 for each one of the equivalent circuits discussed above. Introducing coupling (i.e., magnetic coupling) between the first inductor L1 and the second inductor L2 may make this possible. By introducing positive coupling (i.e., a positive coupling factor k) between the first inductor L1 and the second inductor L2, the combined inductance of the first inductor L1 and the second inductor L2 may be greater in the equivalent circuit shown in
At frequencies lower than the parallel resonance frequency of the second BAW resonator 20 and higher than the series resonance frequency of the first BAW resonator 18, the first BAW resonator 18 and the second BAW resonator 20 appear as capacitive elements in the RF filtering circuitry 10. An equivalent circuit for the RF filtering circuitry 10 at these frequencies is shown in
At the series resonance frequency of the second BAW resonator 20, an impedance of the second BAW resonator 20 is at a low point, such that the second BAW resonator 20 essentially acts as a short circuit. The first BAW resonator 18 still appears as a capacitive element. An equivalent circuit for the RF filtering circuitry 10 at the series resonant frequency of the second BAW resonator 20 is shown in
At the parallel resonance frequency of the second BAW resonator 20, an impedance of the second BAW resonator 20 is at a high point, such that the second BAW resonator 20 essentially acts as an open circuit. The first BAW resonator 18 still appears as a capacitive element. An equivalent circuit for the RF filtering circuitry 10 at the parallel resonant frequency of the second BAW resonator 20 is shown in
At the series resonant frequency of the first BAW resonator 18, an impedance of the first BAW resonator 18 is at a low point, such that the first BAW resonator 18 essentially acts as a short circuit. The second BAW resonator 20 still appears as a capacitive element. An equivalent circuit for the RF filtering circuitry 10 at the series resonant frequency of the first BAW resonator 18 is shown in
At the parallel resonance frequency of the first BAW resonator 18, an impedance of the first BAW resonator 18 is at a high point, such that the first BAW resonator 18 essentially acts as an open circuit. The second BAW resonator 20 still appears as a capacitive element. An equivalent circuit for the RF filtering circuitry 10 at the parallel resonance frequency of the first BAW resonator 18 is shown in
As discussed above, the combined inductance of the first inductor L1 and the second inductor L2 may need to be different to achieve the desired resonance responses between the inductors, the first BAW resonator capacitance C1, and the second BAW resonator capacitance C2 for each one of the equivalent circuits discussed above. Introducing coupling (i.e., magnetic coupling) between the first inductor L1 and the second inductor L2 may make this possible. By introducing negative coupling (i.e., a negative coupling factor k) between the first inductor L1 and the second inductor L2, the combined inductance of the first inductor L1 and the second inductor L2 may be less in the equivalent circuit shown in
Decreasing the coupling factor k between the first inductor L1 and the second inductor L2 below zero may significantly improve the characteristics of the filter response of the RF filtering circuitry 10 in the configuration discussed above with respect to
Those skilled in the art will recognize improvements and modifications to the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure. All such improvements and modifications are considered within the scope of the concepts disclosed herein and the claims that follow.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62925489 | Oct 2019 | US |