PFI-TT: Acoustic Filters for 5G Handsets

Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh PA

Investigators

Abstract

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Partnerships for Innovation - Technology Translation (PFI-TT) project consists in addressing the growing demand for mobile data in the newly released 5th generation cellular network technology (5G). We will develop handset technology to meet these new 5G requirements. The proposed project aims at overcoming technological challenges to facilitate the translation of wideband lithium niobate acoustic filters for 5G systems. The lithium niobate thin-film resonator technology is already capable of a 5-fold increase in available bandwidth over any other handset filter technology, while keeping filter losses at a minimum in a small form factor. This PFI-TT project will extend the frequency of operation of these filters to those required by 5G standards and overcome the technological challenges to enable this lithium niobate acoustic resonator technology to be deployed at scale by quintuple the bandwidth of the acoustic filters in a radio’s front-end. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.