Microwave Acoustic Wave Devices: Principles, Design, and Emerging Trends

Dr. Amelie Hagelauer
Professor
Technical University of Munich, Germany

Abstract: Microwave acoustic wave devices are essential components in modern high-frequency communication systems. This presentation provides a comprehensive overview of the advancements in surface acoustic wave (SAW) and bulk acoustic wave (BAW) devices over the past 15 years, emphasizing significant milestones and breakthroughs in the field. Fundamental principles of acoustic wave propagation, key design considerations, and challenges such as minimizing losses—particularly in BAW devices—are discussed in detail. The evolution of materials, including the adoption of novel compounds like AlScN for enhanced performance and higher operating frequencies, is highlighted. Additionally, the effects of non-linearities in SAW devices and their advanced modeling approaches are explored. Finally, the talk offers an insight into the future of microwave acoustic devices.

Speaker’s Bio: Amelie Hagelauer (Senior Member, IEEE) received the Dipl.-Ing. degree in mechatronics and Dr.- Ing. degree in electrical engineering from the FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany, in 2007 and 2013, respectively. In November 2007, she was with the FAU Institute for Electronics Engineering, where she researched on BAW resonators and filters toward the Ph.D. degree. Since 2013, she has been focusing on SAW/BAW and RF MEMS components, as well as on microwave-integrated circuits for frontends. From 2016 to 2019, she was leading a Research Group on electronic circuits and from August 2019 to September 2021 she was a Full Professor with the University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany. In September 2021, she was with the Technical University of Munich as a Full Professor and became the Co-Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Microsystems and Solid State Technologies EMFT, Munich, Germany. She has authored or co-authored more than 150 peer-reviewed publications in her research fields, which include research and development of microwave theory and technology, electronic circuits and systems, and communication and sensing systems. She was the Guest Editor for a special issue of IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MICROWAVE THEORY AND TECHNIQUES on the topic RF Frontends for Mobile Radio and an Associate Editor for IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MICROWAVE THEORY AND TECHNIQUES.