Filter out the noise
In the past decade, worldwide demand for wireless telecommunications has increased rapidly, first in the form of cellphones, then as wireless data transfer. A key component in all wireless systems is the filter, which selects the frequency band for broadcasting and receiving. Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) filters, initially used for this purpose, have been gradually supplanted by micron-sized devices that reduce the filter’s physical size and power consumption to comply with more demanding frequency tolerance specifications.

PZFlex analyzes most filter designs in ranges from megahertz to gigahertz, whether the active component is piezoelectric or electrostatic. Included are the latest film bulk acoustic resonators (FBARs), surface-mounted resonators (SMRs), and filters based on electrostatic principles. The newest devices work well at low power, fit into today’s slimline phones, and can be integrated with silicon chip manufacture. PZFlex models the devices fully in 3D to produce the impedance data and dispersion curves that are required by designers for eliminating inherent spurious frequency modes and achieving optimal space, power, and thermal performance.