U.S. patent application number 09/317618 was filed with the patent office on 2002-04-04 for surface-acoustic-wave filter having an improved suppression outside a pass-band.
Invention is credited to KAWACHI, OSAMU, SUGA, AKIRA, UEDA, MASANORI.
Application Number | 20020039056 09/317618 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 15489517 |
Filed Date | 2002-04-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020039056 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
KAWACHI, OSAMU ; et
al. |
April 4, 2002 |
SURFACE-ACOUSTIC-WAVE FILTER HAVING AN IMPROVED SUPPRESSION OUTSIDE
A PASS-BAND
Abstract
A SAW-filter device includes a piezoelectric substrate carrying
thereon a first interdigital electrode pair connected to an input
terminal and a second interdigital electrode pair connected to an
output terminal. The first interdigital electrode pair is grounded
to a first ground pad, while the second interdigital electrode pair
is grounded to a second ground pad different from the first ground
pad. The piezoelectric substrate is accommodated into a space
formed in a package body, wherein the space is covered by a metal
cap member connected to one of the first and second ground
pads.
Inventors: |
KAWACHI, OSAMU;
(KAWASAKI-SHI, JP) ; UEDA, MASANORI;
(KAWASAKI-SHI, JP) ; SUGA, AKIRA; (KAWASAKI-SHI,
JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ARENT FOX KINTNER PLOTKIN & KAHN, PLLC
1050 CONNECTICUT AVENUE, N.W.
SUITE 400
WASHINGTON
DC
20036-5339
US
|
Family ID: |
15489517 |
Appl. No.: |
09/317618 |
Filed: |
May 25, 1999 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
333/193 ;
310/313B; 333/133; 333/195 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H03H 9/059 20130101;
H03H 9/6436 20130101; H03H 9/25 20130101; H01L 2924/16195 20130101;
H03H 9/6489 20130101; H01L 2224/16225 20130101; H03H 9/6469
20130101; H03H 9/1071 20130101; H03H 9/6483 20130101; H01L
2224/48227 20130101; H01L 2224/48091 20130101; H01L 2224/48091
20130101; H01L 2924/00014 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
333/193 ;
333/195; 333/133; 310/313.00B |
International
Class: |
H03H 009/64 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
May 29, 1998 |
JP |
10-150100 |
Claims
WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
1. A SAW-filter device, comprising: a piezoelectric substrate; a
SAW-filter circuit formed on said piezoelectric substrate, said
SAW-filter circuit including a plurality of interdigital electrode
pairs provided on said piezoelectric substrate; a package body
including therein a space, said package body accommodating said
piezoelectric substrate in said space together with said SAW
circuit, said package body carrying an input pad and an output pad,
said package body further carrying a plurality of ground pads
separated from each other, said plurality of ground pads including
a first ground pad and a second ground pad; and a conductor cap
member provided on said package body so as to close said space,
said cap member being electrically connected to one of said first
and second ground pads.
2. A SAW-filter device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
SAW-filter circuit includes a first interdigital electrode pair
formed on said piezoelectric substrate, said first interdigital
electrode pair including a first interdigital electrode and a
second interdigital electrode, said first interdigital electrode
being connected to an input terminal; a second interdigital
electrode pair formed on said piezoelectric substrate, said second
interdigital electrode pair including a third interdigital
electrode and a fourth interdigital electrode, said third
interdigital electrode being connected to an output terminal; said
piezoelectric substrate being mounted on said package body such
that said input terminal is connected to said input pad, said
output terminal is connected to said output pad, said second
interdigital electrode is connected to said first ground pad and
such that said fourth interdigital electrode is connected to said
second ground pad.
3. A SAW-filter device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said first
and second ground pads are electrically connected with each other
via an impedance.
4. A SAW-filer device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said impedance
is formed in said package body.
5. A SAW-filter device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said first
interdigital electrode pair and said second interdigital electrode
pair form together a cascaded SAW filter circuit including a first
SAW filter element and a second SAW filter element cascaded to said
second SAW filter element, said first SAW filter element including
said first interdigital electrode pair as an input interdigital
electrode pair, said second SAW filter element including said
second interdigital electrode pair as an output interdigital
electrode pair.
6. A SAW-filter device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said package
body includes a bottom plate and a frame member defining together
said space, said bottom plate carrying, on a top surface thereof,
said first ground pad, said second ground pad, said input pad, and
said output pad, wherein said bottom plate further carries, on a
bottom surface thereof, a ground foot pattern, an input foot
pattern, an output foot pattern, and an additional foot
pattern.
7. A SAW-filter device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said ground
foot pattern is connected to said first ground pad, said additional
foot pattern is connected to said second ground pad, said input
foot pattern is connected to said input pad, and said output foot
pattern is connected to said output pad, said additional foot
pattern being adapted for connection to a ground pattern formed on
a printed circuit board.
8. A SAW-filter device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said ground
foot pattern is connected to said first ground pad, said input foot
pattern is connected to said input pad, said output foot pattern is
connected to said output pad, and said additional foot pattern is
connected to said second ground pad, said output foot pattern and
additional foot pattern being adapted respectively for connection
to a first output pattern and a second output pattern formed a
printed circuit board.
9. A SAW-filter device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said SAW
circuit comprises a first SAW filter circuit and a second SAW
filter circuit, said first SAW filter circuit including: a first
interdigital electrode pair formed on said piezoelectric substrate,
said first interdigital electrode pair including a first
interdigital electrode and a second interdigital electrode, said
first interdigital electrode being connected to an input terminal;
and a second interdigital electrode pair formed on said
piezoelectric substrate, said second interdigital electrode pair
including a third interdigital electrode and a fourth interdigital
electrode, said third interdigital electrode being connected to a
first output terminal; said second SAW filter circuit including: a
third interdigital electrode pair formed on said piezoelectric
substrate, said third interdigital electrode pair including a fifth
interdigital electrode and a sixth interdigital electrode, said
fifth interdigital electrode being connected to said input terminal
commonly with said first interdigital electrode; a fourth
interdigital electrode pair formed on said piezoelectric substrate,
said fourth interdigital electrode pair including a seventh
interdigital electrode and an eighth interdigital electrode, said
seventh interdigital electrode being connected to a second output
terminal.
10. A SAW-filter device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said SAW
filter circuit comprises a ladder-type SAW filter circuit, said
ladder-type SAW filter circuit including: a signal path extending
from an input terminal to an output terminal provided on said
piezoelectric substrate, said signal path including at least a
first SAW-resonator adjacent to said input terminal and a second
SAW-resonator adjacent to said output path; a first shunting
SAW-resonator provided adjacent to said first SAW-resonator, said
first shunting SAW-resonator shunting said signal path to a first
ground terminal provided on said piezoelectric substrate; and a
second shunting SAW-resonator provided adjacent to said second
SAW-resonator, said second shunting SAW-resonator shunting said
signal path to a second ground terminal provided on said
piezoelectric substrate with a separation from said first ground
terminal, said piezoelectric substrate being mounted on said bottom
plate of said package body such that said input terminal is
connected to said input pad by a bonding wire, said output terminal
is connected to said output pad by a bonding wire, said first
ground terminal is connected to said first ground pad by a bonding
wire, and said second ground terminal is connected to said second
ground pad by a bonding wire.
11. A SAW-filter device, comprising: a piezoelectric substrate; a
SAW-filter circuit formed on said piezoelectric substrate, said
SAW-filter circuit including a plurality of interdigital electrode
pairs provided on said piezoelectric substrate; a package body
including therein a space, said package body accommodating said
piezoelectric substrate in said space, said package body carrying
an input pad and an output pad, said package body further carrying
a first ground pad and a second ground pad separated from said
first ground pad; and a conductor cap member provided on said
package body so as to close said space, said cap member being
electrically connected to each of said first and second ground pads
via first and second impedances.
12. A SAW-filter device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said
SAW-filter circuit comprises a first interdigital electrode pair
formed on said piezoelectric substrate, said first interdigital
electrode pair including a first interdigital electrode and a
second interdigital electrode, said first interdigital electrode
being connected to an input terminal; a second interdigital
electrode pair formed on said piezoelectric substrate, said second
interdigital electrode pair including a third interdigital
electrode and a fourth interdigital electrode, said third
interdigital electrode being connected to an output terminal; said
piezoelectric substrate being mounted on said package body such
that said input terminal is connected to said input pad, said
output terminal is connected to said output pad, said second
interdigital electrode is connected to said first ground pad and
such that said fourth interdigital electrode is connected to said
second ground pad.
13. A SAW-filer device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said first
and second impedances are formed in said package body.
14. A SAW-filter device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said input
interdigital electrode pair and said output interdigital electrode
pair form together a cascaded SAW filter circuit including a first
SAW filter element and a second SAW filter element cascaded to said
first SAW filter element, said first SAW filter element including
said first interdigital electrode pair as an input interdigital
electrode pair, said second SAW filter element including said
second interdigital electrode pair as an output interdigital
electrode pair.
15. A SAW-filter device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said
package body includes a bottom plate and a frame member defining
together said space, said bottom plate carrying, on a top surface
thereof, said first ground pad, said second ground pad, said input
pad, and said output pad, wherein said bottom plate further
carries, on a bottom surface thereof, a ground foot pattern, an
input foot pattern, an output foot pattern, and an additional foot
pattern.
16. A SAW-filter device as claimed in claim 15, wherein said ground
foot pattern is connected to said first ground pad, said additional
foot pattern is connected to said second ground pad, said input
foot pattern is connected to said input pad, and said output foot
pattern is connected to said output pad, said additional foot
pattern adapted for connection to a ground pattern formed on a
printed circuit board.
17. A SAW-filter device as claimed in claim 15, wherein said ground
foot pattern is connected to said first ground pad, said input foot
pattern is connected to said input pad, said output foot pattern is
connected to said output pad, and said additional foot pattern is
connected to said second ground pad, said output foot pattern and
additional foot pattern being adapted respectively for connection
to a first output pattern and a second output pattern formed a
printed circuit board.
18. A SAW-filter device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said SAW
circuit comprises a first SAW filter circuit and a second SAW
filter circuit, said first SAW filter circuit including: a first
interdigital electrode pair formed on said piezoelectric substrate,
said first interdigital electrode pair including a first
interdigital electrode and a second interdigital electrode, said
first interdigital electrode being connected to an input terminal;
and a second interdigital electrode pair formed on said
piezoelectric substrate, said second interdigital electrode pair
including a third interdigital electrode and a fourth interdigital
electrode, said third interdigital electrode being connected to a
first output terminal; said second SAW filter circuit including: a
third interdigital electrode pair formed on said piezoelectric
substrate, said third interdigital electrode pair including a fifth
interdigital electrode and a sixth interdigital electrode, said
fifth interdigital electrode being connected to said input terminal
commonly with said first interdigital electrode; a fourth
interdigital electrode pair formed on said piezoelectric substrate,
said fourth interdigital electrode pair including a seventh
interdigital electrode and an eighth interdigital electrode, said
seventh interdigital electrode being connected to a second output
terminal.
19. A SAW-filter device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said SAW
filter circuit comprises a ladder-type SAW filter circuit, said
ladder-type SAW filter circuit including: a signal path extending
from an input terminal to an output terminal provided on said
piezoelectric substrate, said signal path including at least a
first SAW-resonator adjacent to said input terminal and a second
SAW-resonator adjacent to said output path; a first shunting
SAW-resonator provided adjacent to said first SAW-resonator, said
first shunting SAW-resonator shunting said signal path to a first
ground terminal provided on said piezoelectric substrate; and a
second shunting SAW-resonator provided adjacent to said second
SAW-resonator, said second shunting SAW-resonator shunting said
signal path to a second ground terminal provided on said
piezoelectric substrate with a separation from said first ground
terminal, said piezoelectric substrate being mounted on said bottom
plate of said package body such that said input terminal is
connected to said input pad by a bonding wire, said output terminal
is connected to said output pad by a bonding wire, said first
ground terminal is connected to said first ground pad by a bonding
wire, and said second ground terminal is connected to said second
ground pad by a bonding wire.
20. A SAW-filter device, comprising: a piezoelectric substrate; a
SAW-filter circuit formed on said piezoelectric substrate, said
SAW-filter circuit including a plurality of interdigital electrode
pairs provided on said piezoelectric substrate; a package body
including therein a space, said package body accommodating said
piezoelectric substrate in said space, said package body carrying
an input pad and an output pad, said package body further carrying
a first ground pad and a second ground pad separated from said
first ground pad; and a conductor cap member provided on said
package body so as to close said space, said first and second
ground pads being electrically connected to each other via an
impedance.
21. A SAW-filer device as claimed in claim 20, wherein said
impedance is formed in said package body.
22. A SAW-filter device as claimed in claim 20, wherein said
SAW-filter circuit comprises a first interdigital electrode pair
formed on said piezoelectric substrate, said first interdigital
electrode pair including a first interdigital electrode and a
second interdigital electrode, said first interdigital electrode
being connected to an input terminal; a second interdigital
electrode pair formed on said piezoelectric substrate, said second
interdigital electrode pair including a third interdigital
electrode and a fourth interdigital electrode, said third
interdigital electrode being connected to an output terminal; said
piezoelectric substrate being mounted on said package body such
that said input terminal is connected to said input pad, said
output terminal is connected to said output pad, said second
interdigital electrode is connected to said first ground pad and
such that said fourth interdigital electrode is connected to said
second ground pad.
23. A SAW-filter device as claimed in claim 22, wherein said input
interdigital electrode pair and said output interdigital electrode
pair form together a cascaded SAW filter circuit including a first
SAW filter element and a second SAW filter element cascaded to said
first SAW filter element, said first SAW filter element including
said first interdigital electrode pair as an input interdigital
electrode pair, said second SAW filter element including said
second interdigital electrode pair as an output interdigital
electrode pair.
24. A SAW-filter device as claimed in claim 22, wherein said
package body includes a bottom plate and a frame member defining
together said space, said bottom plate carrying, on a top surface
thereof, said first ground pad, said second ground pad, said input
pad, and said output pad, wherein said bottom plate further
carries, on a bottom surface thereof, a ground foot pattern, an
input foot pattern, an output foot pattern, and an additional foot
pattern.
25. A SAW-filter device as claimed in claim 24, wherein said ground
foot pattern is connected to said first ground pad, said additional
foot pattern is connected to said second ground pad, said input
foot pattern is connected to said input pad, and said output foot
pattern is connected to said output pad, said additional foot
pattern being adapted for connection to a ground pattern formed on
a printed circuit board.
26. A SAW-filter device as claimed in claim 24, wherein said ground
foot pattern is connected to said first ground pad, said input foot
pattern is connected to said input pad, said output foot pattern is
connected to said output pad, and said additional foot pattern is
connected to said second ground pad, said output foot pattern and
additional foot pattern being adapted respectively for connection
to a first output pattern and a second output pattern formed a
printed circuit board.
27. A SAW-filter device as claimed in claim 20, wherein said SAW
circuit comprises a first SAW filter circuit and a second SAW
filter circuit, said first SAW filter circuit including: a first
interdigital electrode pair formed on said piezoelectric substrate,
said first interdigital electrode pair including a first
interdigital electrode and a second interdigital electrode, said
first interdigital electrode being connected to an input terminal;
and a second interdigital electrode pair formed on said
piezoelectric substrate, said second interdigital electrode pair
including a third interdigital electrode and a fourth interdigital
electrode, said third interdigital electrode being connected to a
first output terminal; said second SAW filter circuit including: a
third interdigital electrode pair formed on said piezoelectric
substrate, said third interdigital electrode pair including a fifth
interdigital electrode and a sixth interdigital electrode, said
fifth interdigital electrode being connected to said input terminal
commonly with said first interdigital electrode; a fourth
interdigital electrode pair formed on said piezoelectric substrate,
said fourth interdigital electrode pair including a seventh
interdigital electrode and an eighth interdigital electrode, said
seventh interdigital electrode being connected to a second output
terminal.
28. A SAW-filter device as claimed in claim 20, wherein said SAW
filter circuit comprises a ladder-type SAW filter circuit, said
ladder-type SAW filter circuit including: a signal path extending
from an input terminal to an output terminal provided on said
piezoelectric substrate, said signal path including at least a
first SAW-resonator adjacent to said input terminal and a second
SAW-resonator adjacent to said output path; a first shunting
SAW-resonator provided adjacent to said first SAW-resonator, said
first shunting SAW-resonator shunting said signal path to a first
ground terminal provided on said piezoelectric substrate; and a
second shunting SAW-resonator provided adjacent to said second
SAW-resonator, said second shunting SAW-resonator shunting said
signal path to a second ground terminal provided on said
piezoelectric substrate with a separation from said first ground
terminal, said piezoelectric substrate being mounted on said bottom
plate of said package body such that said input terminal is
connected to said input pad by a bonding wire, said output terminal
is connected to said output pad by a bonding wire, said first
ground terminal is connected to said first ground pad by a bonding
wire, and said second ground terminal is connected to said second
ground pad by a bonding wire.
29. A SAW-filter package, comprising: a piezoelectric substrate; a
SAW-filter circuit formed on said piezoelectric substrate, said
SAW-filter circuit including a plurality of interdigital electrode
pairs provided on said piezoelectric substrate; a package body
including therein a space, said package body accommodating said
piezoelectric substrate in said space together with said SAW
circuit, said package body carrying an input pad and an output pad,
said package body further carrying a plurality of ground pads
separated from each other, said plurality of ground pads including
a first ground pad and a second ground pad, said package body being
adapted to carry a conductor cap member thereon so as to close said
space, said package body including an electrical interconnection
structure adapted to connect said cap member, when said cap member
is provided on said package body, electrically to one of said first
and second ground pads.
30. A SAW-filter package, comprising: a piezoelectric substrate; a
SAW-filter circuit formed on said piezoelectric substrate, said
SAW-filter circuit including a plurality of interdigital electrode
pairs provided on said piezoelectric substrate; a package body
including therein a space, said package body accommodating said
piezoelectric substrate in said space, said package body carrying
an input pad and an output pad, said package body further carrying
a first ground pad and a second ground pad separated from said
first ground pad, said pacakge body being adapted to carry a
conductor cap member thereon so as to close said space, said
pacakge body including an electric interconnection structure
connecting said cap member, when said conductor cap member is
provided on said package body, electrically to each of said first
and second ground pads via first and second impedances.
31. A SAW-filter package, comprising: a piezoelectric substrate; a
SAW-filter circuit formed on said piezoelectric substrate, said
SAW-filter circuit including a plurality of interdigital electrode
pairs provided on said piezoelectric substrate; a package body
including therein a space, said package body accommodating said
piezoelectric substrate in said space, said package body carrying
an input pad and an output pad, said package body further carrying
a first ground pad and a second ground pad separated from said
first ground pad, said package body being adapted to carry a
conductor cap member thereon so as to close said space, said first
and second ground pads being electrically connected to each other
via an impedance.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention generally relates to SAW
(surface-acoustic-wave) filter devices and more particularly to a
SAW-filter device for use in ultra-high frequency applications
including the RF unit of portable telephone apparatuses.
[0002] SAW-filter devices are used extensively in the RF unit of
portable telephone apparatuses as a filter element. A SAW filter
device achieves the desired filtering of ultra-high frequency
signals by using a SAW excited on a piezoelectric substrate by
piezoelectric effect. In the application of a SAW-filter in
portable telephone apparatuses, it is required that the SAW-filter
device provides a pass-band of about 900 MHz and a sharp
attenuation outside the pass-band. Further, it is required that the
SAW-filter device is capable of effectively suppressing the
spurious frequency components having a much higher frequency, in
the order of several GHz. In the RF unit of portable telephone
apparatuses, in which a number of SAW-filter devices having
respective, different pass-bands are used in various parts such as
antenna duplexer, inter-stage filter circuit, IF filter circuit,
and the like, there is a case that a spurious component having such
a GHz-band frequency is formed as a result of the interference of
the SAW-filter devices. Thus, in order to ensure a proper operation
of the portable telephone apparatus, it is necessary to suppress
such a GHz-band spurious components by way of a SAW-filter
device.
[0003] Generally, a SAW-filter device includes a SAW-filter body
carrying various reflectors and interdigital electrodes on a
piezoelectric substrate in such a state that the SAW-filter body is
accommodated in a package body. Thereby, the SAW-filter device thus
accommodating therein the SAW-filter body is mounted on a printed
circuit board by soldering the soldering pads formed on the package
body.
[0004] Hereinafter, the reflectors and interdigital electrodes
formed on the piezoelectric substrate will be explained
briefly.
[0005] FIG. 1A shows the construction of a double-mode, single-type
SAW-filter 10.
[0006] Referring to FIG. 1A, the SAW-filter 10 includes an input
interdigital electrode pair 11 disposed at a center and output
interdigital electrode pairs 12 and 13 are disposed at both lateral
sides of the central interdigital electrode pair 11. Further,
reflectors 14 and 15 are disposed at further outer sides of the
output interdigital electrode pairs 12 and 13, respectively.
[0007] The input interdigital electrode pair 11 is formed of a
primary side electrode 11.sub.-1 connected to an input terminal 20
and a secondary side electrode 11.sub.-2 connected to a ground 21,
while the output interdigital electrode pair 12 includes a primary
side electrode 12.sub.-1 connected to an output terminal 22 and a
secondary side electrode 12.sub.-2 connected to a ground 23.
Further, the output interdigital electrode pair 13 includes a
primary side electrode 13.sub.-1 connected to the foregoing output
terminal 22 commonly to the electrode 12.sub.-1 and a secondary
side electrode 13.sub.-2 connected to a ground 24.
[0008] The SAW-filter 10 thus formed in a double-mode filter as
noted before and uses a first-order mode having a frequency f.sub.1
and a second-order mode having a frequency f.sub.3 both formed
between the reflectors 10A and l0B as represented in FIG. 1B.
Thereby, a frequency characteristic having a pass-band between the
frequency f.sub.1 and the frequency f.sub.3 is obtained as
represented in FIG. 2. It should be noted that FIG. 1B represents
the distribution of the SAW energy in the structure of FIG. 1A.
[0009] FIG. 3 shows the construction of a double-mode SAW-filter 40
in which two SAW-filters 10 each having the construction of FIG. 1A
are cascaded with each other. In the explanation below, those parts
corresponding to the parts described already with reference to FIG.
1A are designated by the same reference numerals and the
description thereof will be omitted.
[0010] Referring to FIG. 3, it can be seen that two SAW-filter
elements 10.sub.-1 and 10.sub.-2, each having a construction
similar to that of the SAW-filter 10 of FIG. 1A, are cascaded in
series in the SAW-filter 40, wherein the SAW-filter element
10.sub.-1 is a single type SAW-filter element and includes a
central input electrode pair corresponding to the input electrode
pair 11 of FIG. 1A and thus designated by the same reference
numeral 11. In the construction of FIG. 3, the input electrode pair
11 is surrounded laterally by a pair of output electrode pairs
corresponding to the output electrode pairs 12 and 13 of FIG. 1A
and thus designated by the reference numerals 12 and 13. Further,
reflectors corresponding to the reflectors 14 and 15 of FIG. 1A and
designated by the same reference numerals of 14 and 15 are disposed
at further outer sides of the output electrode pairs 12 and 13. In
the SAW-filter element 10.sub.--1, the primary side interdigital
electrode 11.sub.-1 of the central input electrode pair 11 is
connected to the input terminal 20.
[0011] On the other hand, the SAW-filter element 10.sub.-2 is a
single type SAW-filter element similar to the SAW-filter element
10.sub.-1 and includes a central output electrode pair 41
surrounded laterally by a pair of input electrode pairs 42 and 43,
and a pair of reflectors 44 and 45 are disposed at further outer
sides of the input electrode pairs 42 and 43. The central output
electrode pair 41 includes a primary side interdigital electrode
41.sub.-1 and a secondary side interdigital electrode 41.sub.-2,
wherein the primary side interdigital electrode 41.sub.-1 is
connected to an output terminal 46 and the secondary side
interdigital electrode 41.sub.-2 is connected to a ground 47.
Further, the input electrode pair 42 includes a primary side
interdigital electrode 42.sub.-1 connected to the primary side
interdigital electrode 12.sub.-1 of the output electrode pair 12
constituting the SAW-filter unit 10 and a secondary side
interdigital electrode 42.sub.-2 connected to a ground 48.
Similarly, the input electrode pair 43 includes a primary side
interdigital electrode 43.sub.-1 connected to the primary side
interdigital electrode 13.sub.-1 of the output electrode pair 13
constituting the SAW-filter unit 10 and a secondary side
interdigital electrode 43.sub.-2 connected to a ground 49.
[0012] The SAW-filter 40 of FIG. 3 has a frequency characteristic
improved over the frequency characteristic of the SAW-filter 10 of
FIG. 1.
[0013] FIG. 4, FIGS. 5A-5C, FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 show the construction
of another conventional SAW-filter package device 60, wherein FIG.
4 shows the SAW-filter package device 60 in an exploded state while
FIGS. 5A-5C show the SAW-filter respectively in a top plan view, a
side view and a bottom plan view. Further, FIG. 6 shows the
SAW-filter package device 60 in a cross-sectional view taken along
a line VI-VI of FIG. 5A, while FIG. 7 shows the electrical
interconnection formed in the SAW-filter package device 60.
[0014] Referring to the drawings, the SAW-filter package device 60
includes a rectangular package body 62 accommodating therein a
SAW-filter body 101 to be described with reference to FIG. 12 and a
cap 63 sealing the package body 62. The SAW-filter body 101 carries
thereon ground terminals 21A, 23A, 47A and 48A as represented in
FIG. 12.
[0015] The package body 62, in turn, includes a bottom plate 64 and
a rectangular frame member 65 holding therein the bottom plate 64,
wherein the bottom plate 64 carries, on a top surface thereof, a
ground pad 70, an input pad 71 and an output pad 72 as represented
also in FIG. 7. Further, the bottom plate 64 carries, on a bottom
surface thereof, a pair of ground foot patterns 73 and 74 so as to
face each other diagonally on a first diagonal line, wherein the
bottom plate 64 further carries, on the bottom surface thereof, an
input foot pattern 75 and an output foot pattern 76 so as to face
each other diagonally on a second diagonal line. The ground foot
pattern 73 is thereby connected to the ground pad 70 by a via-hole
77, while the ground foot pattern 74 is connected to the ground pad
70 by a via-hole 78. Further, the input pad 71 is connected to the
input foot pattern 75 by a via-hole 79, and the output pad 72 is
connected to the output foot pattern 76 by a via-hole 80. The
ground pad 70 has a generally H-shaped form and forms an
electrically unitary body in which each point in the ground pad 70
is electrically connected to an arbitrary point included in the
ground pad 70. It should be noted that the SAW-filter body 101 is
thereby mounted on the bottom plate 64 in such a state that the
interconnection terminals of the SAW-filter body 101 are connected
to corresponding electrode pads 70, 71 and 72.
[0016] It should be noted that, in the SAW-filter package device
60, the entire ground terminals 21A, 23A, 47A and 48A (see FIG. 12)
are connected to the ground pad 70 commonly. In the example of the
device 10 of FIG. 1A, the grounds 23, 24 and 21 are connected with
each other to the ground pad 70.
[0017] The ground pad 70, in turn, is connected to the cap 63 by
way of via-holes 81 and 82 formed in the frame member 65.
[0018] The SAW-filter package device 60, in turn, is mounted on a
printed circuit board by soldering the ground foot patterns 73 and
74, the input foot pattern 75 and the output foot pattern 76 to
respective, corresponding pads formed on the printed circuit
board.
[0019] FIG. 13 shows the frequency characteristic of various
SAW-filters including the SAW-filter package device 60 in the state
that the SAW-filters are mounted on a printed circuit board in an
enlarged scale including the pass-band frequency of 950 MHz,
wherein the curve Ia of FIG. 13 represents the result of the
measurement for the SAW-filter package device 60 thus mounted on
the printed circuit board. Further, the FIG. 14 shows the frequency
characteristic of the SAW-filters over a wider frequency range,
wherein the curve IIa of FIG. 14 shows the frequency characteristic
for the SAW-filter package device 60 mounted on the printed circuit
board.
[0020] Referring to FIG. 13, it will be noted from the curve Ia
that the magnitude of suppression or attenuation of the frequency
components outside the SAW-filter pass-band is in the order of -50
dB, while it is desired, particularly in relation to the
applications to portable telephones, that this magnitude of
suppression is increased further.
[0021] Further, the curve IIa of FIG. 14 indicates that the
magnitude of suppression in the frequency range of 2-3 GHz is in
the order of -30 dB, while this magnitude of suppression not
satisfactory for the applications to portable telephones.
[0022] The reason of this unsatisfactory attenuation of the
SAW-filter package device 60 is attributed to the construction of
the SAW-filter package device 60 that uses a common ground for the
SAW-filter body 101. In such a construction, there may occur an
interference between the impedance of the SAW-filter body 101 and
the impedance of the package body 62 on the SAW-filter package
device 60. More specifically, there may be a very small, but
nevertheless non-infinitesimal, potential difference for the ground
level between the input interdigital electrode pair and the output
interdigital electrode pair, and that the interference between
these two different ground levels may reduce the foregoing
magnitude of attenuation outside the pass-band.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0023] Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention
to provide a novel and useful SAW-filter wherein the foregoing
problems are eliminated.
[0024] Another and more specific object of the present invention is
to provide a SAW-filter device, comprising:
[0025] a piezoelectric substrate;
[0026] a SAW-filter circuit formed on said piezoelectric substrate,
said SAW-filter circuit including a plurality of interdigital
electrode pairs provided on said piezoelectric substrate;
[0027] a package body including therein a space, said package body
accommodating said piezoelectric substrate in said space together
with said SAW circuit, said package body carrying an input pad and
an output pad, said package body further carrying a plurality of
ground pads separated from said first ground pad, said plurality of
ground pads including a first ground pad and a second ground pad;
and
[0028] a conductor cap member provided on said package body so as
to close said space,
[0029] said cap member being electrically connected to one of said
first and second ground pads.
[0030] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
SAW-filter device, comprising:
[0031] a piezoelectric substrate;
[0032] a SAW-filter circuit formed on said piezoelectric substrate,
said SAW-filter circuit including a plurality of interdigital
electrode pairs;
[0033] a package body including therein a space, said package body
accommodating said piezoelectric substrate in said space, said
package body carrying an input pad and an output pad, said package
body further carrying a first ground pad and a second ground pad
separated from said first ground pad; and
[0034] a conductor cap member provided on said package body so as
to close said space,
[0035] said cap member being electrically connected to each of said
first and second ground pads via first and second resistances.
[0036] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
SAW-filter device, comprising:
[0037] a piezoelectric substrate;
[0038] a SAW-filter circuit formed on said piezoelectric substrate,
said SAW-filter circuit including a plurality of interdigital
electrode pairs;
[0039] a package body including therein a space, said package body
accommodating said piezoelectric substrate in said space, said
package body carrying an input pad and an output pad, said package
body further carrying a first ground pad and a second ground pad
separated from said first ground pad; and
[0040] a conductor cap member provided on said package body so as
to close said space,
[0041] said first and second ground pads being electrically
connected to each other via a resistance.
[0042] According to the present invention, the problem of
fluctuation of the ground level occurring in the second
interdigital electrode and in the fourth interdigital electrode is
effectively eliminated by grounding the second interdigital
electrode and the fourth interdigital electrode separately to the
first ground pad and to the second ground pad on the package body.
Thereby, the suppression of the frequency components outside the
pass-band is improved substantially. When the second interdigital
electrode and the fourth interdigital electrode are connected to a
common ground pattern, it seems that there occurs an interference
between the second and fourth interdigital electrodes via the
common ground pattern. In the present invention, the first and
second ground pads may be connected electrically by a
resistance.
[0043] In the present invention, the suppression of the frequency
components outside the pass-band is improved further by grounding
the conductor cap member to one of the first and second grounding
pads. By doing so, the effect of electromagnetic shielding of the
SAW-filter body accommodated inside the package body is improved
and the interference from external circuit devices is minimized. In
a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the conductor cap
member is connected to both the first and second ground pads of the
package body via respective resistances.
[0044] Other objects and further features of the present invention
will become apparent from the following detailed description when
read in conjunction with the attached drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0045] FIGS. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing the principle of a
conventional double-mode, single-type SAW-filter;
[0046] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the frequency characteristic of
the SAW-filter of FIGS. 1A and 1B;
[0047] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the principle of a conventional
double-mode, cascaded-type SAW-filter;
[0048] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the construction of a
conventional SAW-filter package device in an exploded state;
[0049] FIGS. 5A-5C are diagrams showing the SAW-filter package
device of FIG. 4 respectively in a to plan view, a side view and a
bottom view;
[0050] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the construction of the
SAW-filter package device of FIG. 4 in a cross-sectional view;
[0051] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the electrical interconnection
system used in the SAW-filter package device of FIG. 4;
[0052] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the construction of a SAW-filter
package device according to a first embodiment of the present
invention;
[0053] FIGS. 9A-9C are diagrams showing the SAW-filter package
device of FIG. 8 respectively in a to plan view, a side view and a
bottom view;
[0054] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the construction of the
SAW-filter package device of FIG. 8 in a cross-sectional view;
[0055] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the electrical interconnection
system used in the SAW-filter package device of FIG. 8;
[0056] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the construction of a
SAW-filter body used in the SAW-filter package device of FIG. 8 in
a bottom view;
[0057] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the frequency characteristic of
the SAW-filter package device according to various embodiments of
the present invention;
[0058] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the frequency characteristic of
the SAW-filter package device of FIG. 8 over an expanded frequency
range;
[0059] FIGS. 15A and 15B are diagrams showing the details of
mounting of the SAW-filter body on a package body in the SAW-filter
package device of FIG. 8 in comparison with the case of the
conventional SAW-filter package device of FIG. 4;
[0060] FIGS. 16A-16F are diagrams showing the details of a cap
member used in the SAW-filter package device of FIG. 8 in
comparison with the cap member used in the SAW-filter package
device of FIG. 4;
[0061] FIG. 17 is a diagram showing the construction of a
SAW-filter package device according to a second embodiment of the
present invention;
[0062] FIG. 18 is a diagram showing the electrical system of the
SAW-filter package device of FIG. 17;
[0063] FIG. 19 is a diagram showing the construction of a
SAW-filter body used in the SAW-filter package device of FIG. 17 in
a bottom view;
[0064] FIG. 20 is a diagram showing the construction of a
SAW-filter package device according to a third embodiment of the
present invention;
[0065] FIG. 21A-21D show the SAW-filter package device of FIG. 20
respectively in a top plan view, a side view, a bottom plan view,
and in an equivalent circuit diagram;
[0066] FIG. 22 is a diagram showing the electrical interconnection
system used in the SAW-filter package device of FIG. 20;
[0067] FIG. 23 is a diagram showing the construction of the
SAW-filter package device of FIG. 20 in a cross-sectional view;
[0068] FIGS. 24A-24E are diagrams showing a mounting of the
SAW-filter package device of FIG. 20 on a printed circuit
board:
[0069] FIG. 25 is a diagram showing the frequency characteristic of
the SAW-filter package device of FIG. 20;
[0070] FIG. 26 is a diagram showing the construction of a
SAW-filter according to a fourth embodiment of the present
invention;
[0071] FIGS. 27A-27D are diagrams showing the construction of a
SAW-filter package device according to a fifth embodiment of the
present invention;
[0072] FIGS. 28A and 28B are diagrams showing the construction of a
SAW-filter body used in the SAW-filter package device of the fifth
embodiment;
[0073] FIGS. 29A-29D are diagrams showing the construction of a
SAW-filter package device according to a sixth embodiment of the
present invention;
[0074] FIG. 30 is a diagram showing the frequency characteristic of
the SAW-filter package device of the sixth embodiment;
[0075] FIGS. 31A-31D are diagrams showing the construction of a
SAW-filter package device according to a seventh embodiment of the
present invention;
[0076] FIGS. 32A and 32B are diagrams showing the construction of a
SAW-filter body used in the SAW-filter package device of the
seventh embodiment; and
[0077] FIGS. 33A and 33B are diagrams showing the frequency
characteristic of the SAW-filter package device of the seventh
embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0078] [FIRST EMBODIMENT]
[0079] FIG. 8, FIGS. 9A-9C, FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 show the
construction of a SAW-filter package device 100 according to a
first embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 8 shows the
SAW-filter package device 100 in an exploded state while FIGS.
9A-9C show the SAW-filter package device 100 respectively in a top
plan view, a side view and a bottom plan view. Further, FIG. 10
shows the SAW-filter package device 100 in a cross-sectional view
taken along a line X-X of FIG. 9A, while FIG. 11 shows the
electrical interconnection formed in the SAW-filter package device
100.
[0080] Referring to the drawings, the SAW-filter package device 100
includes a rectangular package body 102 accommodating therein the
SAW-filter body 101 shown in FIG. 12 and a conductor cap member 103
sealing the package body 102 similarly to the conventional
SAW-filter package device 60. The SAW-filter body 101 carries
thereon the ground terminals 21A, 23A, 47A and 48A as represented
in FIG. 12.
[0081] The package body 102, in turn, includes a bottom plate 104
and a rectangular frame member 105 holding the bottom plate 104
thereon, wherein the bottom plate 104 carries, on a top surface
thereof, ground pads 110.sub.-1 and 110.sub.-2, an input pad 111
and an output pad 112 as represented also in FIGS. 10 and 11.
Further, the bottom plate 104 carries, on a bottom surface thereof,
a pair of ground foot patterns 113 and 114 so as to face each other
diagonally on a first diagonal line, wherein the bottom plate 104
further carries, on the bottom surface thereof, an input foot
pattern 115 and an output foot pattern 116 so as to face each other
diagonally on a second diagonal line. The ground foot pattern 113
is thereby connected to the ground pad 110.sub.-1 by a via-hole
117, while the ground foot pattern 114 is connected to the ground
pad 110.sub.-2 by a via-hole 118. Further, the input pad 111 is
connected to the input foot pattern 115 by a via-hole 119, and the
output pad 112 is connected to the output foot pattern 116 by a
via-hole 120.
[0082] In the present embodiment, the ground pad 110.sub.-1 and the
ground pad 110.sub.-2 are separated from each other on the bottom ,
and the SAW-filter body 101 is mounted on the bottom plate 104 in
such a state that the interconnection terminals of the SAW-filter
body 101 are connected to corresponding electrode pads 110.sub.-1
110.sub.-2, 111 and 112.
[0083] As represented in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 10, the
frame member 105 includes therein a via-hole 125 for
interconnecting the ground pad 110.sub.-1 to the conductor cap 103.
On the other hand, the ground pad 110.sub.-2 is not connected to
the cap 103.
[0084] FIG. 12 shows the construction of the SAW-filter body 101 in
a bottom plan view, wherein those terminals corresponding to the
terminals represented in FIG. 1A are designated with the same
reference numerals attached with a suffix "A."
[0085] Referring to FIG. 12, the SAW-filter body 101 includes a
piezoelectric substrate 130 carrying, on a bottom surface thereof,
a SAW electrode structure corresponding to the SAW electrode 40 of
FIG. 3, wherein the SAW electrode structure thus formed is a double
mode type device and includes a cascaded connection of the
SAW-filters 10.sub.-1 and 10.sub.-2.
[0086] As represented in FIG. 12, the bottom surface of the
piezoelectric substrate 130 carries thereon an input terminal 20A,
an output terminal 22A, a ground terminal 21A for the input-side
interdigital electrode pair 11 constituting the first stage
SAW-filter 10.sub.-1, a ground terminal 47A for the output
interdigital electrode pair 41 constituting the second stage
SAW-filter 10.sub.-2, a ground terminal for the grounds 23A and 24A
respectively for the output-side interdigital electrode pairs 12
and 13 constituting the first stage SAW-filter 10.sub.-1, a ground
terminal for the grounds 43A and 44A respectively for the
output-side interdigital electrode pairs 42 and 43 of the second
stage SAW-filter 10.sub.-2, input and output signal line patterns
131 and 132 represented with hatching, and dummy terminals 133 and
136 for the purpose of balancing. As represented in FIG. 12, these
input terminal 20A, output terminal 46A, ground terminals 21A, 23A,
43A and 47A, and dummy terminals 133 and 136 are disposed on the
bottom surface of the piezoelectric substrate 130 with a mutual
separation. It should be noted that each of the foregoing terminals
carries a solder bump (see FIG. 15A) for the purpose of flip-chip
mounting.
[0087] The piezoelectric substrate 130 is typically formed of a
Y-rotated LiTaO.sub.3 single crystal slab with a rotational angle
in the range of 40.degree. Y to 44.degree. Y. The interdigital
electrode pairs are formed of a metal containing A1 as a primary
component and may have a thickness corresponding to 5-10% of the
wavelength of the SAW excited on the substrate 130. Alternatively,
the piezoelectric substrate 130 may be formed of a Y-rotated
LiNbO.sub.3 single crystal slab, with a rotational in the range of
66.degree. Y to 74.degree. Y. In this case, too, the interdigital
electrodes are formed of a metal containing Al as a primary
component and may have a thickness corresponding to 4-12% of the
SAW wavelength on the substrate 130.
[0088] As represented in FIG. 10, the SAW-filter body 101 is
mounted on the bottom plate 104 of the package body 102 by a
flip-chip mounting process. Thereby, the input terminal 20A is
connected to a part 111a of the input pad 111, the output terminal
46A is connected to a part 112a of the output pad 112, the ground
terminal 21A is connected to a part 110.sub.--2a of the ground pad
110.sub.--2, the ground terminals 23A and 24A are connected to a
part 110.sub.-1a of the ground pad 110.sub.-1the dummy terminal 133
is connected to a part 110.sub.-2b of the ground pad 110.sub.-2,
the ground terminal 47A is connected to a part 110.sub.-1b of the
ground pad 110.sub.-1, the ground terminal 48A is connected to a
part 110.sub.-2c of the ground pad 110.sub.-2, and the dummy
terminal 136 is connected to a part 110.sub.-1c of the ground pad
110.sub.-1.
[0089] The SAW-filter package device 100 is mounted on a printed
circuit board P in such a manner that the ground foot patterns 113
and 114, the input foot pattern 115 and the output foot pattern 116
are soldered to respective, corresponding pads on the printed
circuit board P.
[0090] FIG. 13 shows the result of the frequency characteristic
measurement conducted on the SAW-filter package device 100 in the
state that the SAW-filter package device 100 is thus mounted on the
printed circuit board P.
[0091] Referring to FIG. 13, the curve Ia represents the result for
a conventional case in which the ground pad 110.sub.-1 and the
ground pad 110.sub.-2 are connected electrically to the same
potential level and in which the conductor cap 103 is also grounded
to the ground pads 110.sub.-1 and 110.sub.-2. Thus, the curve Ia
corresponds to the result for the SAW-filter package device 60 of
FIG. 6. Further, it should be noted that FIG. 13 shows, with the
curve Ib, the result for the SAW-filter package device 100 of the
present embodiment, except that the grounding of the conductor cap
member 103 is eliminated. Further, the curve Ic represents the
result of the SAW-filter package device of the present embodiment
as represented in FIG. 10. The curve Id will be explained later
with reference to a different embodiment.
[0092] As can be seen from FIG. 13, the SAW-filter package device
has a pass-band in the vicinity of 900 MHz, wherein the suppression
of the signal components outside the pass-band of the SAW-filter is
increased in the order of the curve Ia, the curve Ib and the curve
Ic, clearly indicating the effect of separation of the ground pads
110.sub.-1 and 110.sub.-2 (curve Ib) and further the effect of
grounding the conductor cap member 103 to any one of the ground
pads 110.sub.-1 and 110.sub.-2. By comparing the curve Ia and the
curve Ic, it can be seen that the degree of suppression of the
frequency component outside the pass-band is improved by about 10
dB by using the construction of the present embodiment.
[0093] FIG. 14 shows the same frequency characteristic represented
by the curve Ia and the curve Ic for a wider frequency range,
wherein the curve IIa corresponds to the curve Ia of FIG. 13 while
the curve IIc corresponds to the curve Ic.
[0094] Referring to FIG. 14, it can be seen that a suppression of
as much as 10 dB is obtained even in the case the frequency reaches
3 GHz, by employing the construction of the SAW-filter package
device 100 of the present embodiment, as compared with the case of
the SAW-filter package device 60. Thus, the present embodiment is
extremely effective for cutting the unwanted high-frequency
components or harmonic noise that are generated as a result of the
interference of different SAW-filters of respective, different
frequencies, as in the case of portable telephones.
[0095] The SAW-filter package device 100 is the following
features.
[0096] (1) MUTUALLY SEPARATED GROUND PADS
[0097] As represented in FIG. 11, the ground pads 110.sub.-1 and
110.sub.-2 are separated by an intervening cutout part 140 on the
top surface of the bottom plate 104. Thus, with regard to the
package body 102, the grounding of the SAW-filter body 101 is
achieved via a first ground system including the ground pad
110.sub.-1, the via-hole 117 and the ground foot pattern 113, and
further via a second ground system including the ground pad
110.sub.-2, the via-hole 118 and the ground foot pattern 114.
[0098] The SAW-filter body 101 itself is mounted on the top surface
of the bottom plate 104 in such a state that the ground terminal
21A for the input-side interdigital electrode pair 11 of the
single-type SAW-filter element 10.sub.-1 of the first stage is
connected to the ground pad 110.sub.-2 and that the ground terminal
41A for the output-side interdigital electrode pair 46 of the
single-type SAW-filter element 10.sub.-2 of the second stage is
connected to the ground pad 110.sub.-1.
[0099] In other words, the first ground system and the second
ground system of the SAW-filter body 101 are not common but are
separated from each other. In the representation of FIG. 3, the
ground 21 of the SAW interdigital electrode pair 11 is isolated
from the ground 47 of the interdigital electrode pair 41.
[0100] Because of the separation of the ground 21 and the ground
47, the problem of interference of ground potential between the
SAW-filter element 10.sub.-1 and the SAW-filter element 10.sub.-2
is successfully eliminated. Thereby, the desired suppression of
unnecessary frequency components is achieved not only in the
vicinity of the pass-band but also in the higher frequency band of
several GHz.
[0101] (2) MUTUAL SEPARATION BETWEEN SIGNAL PATTERN 131 (132) OF
SAW FILTER BODY AND GROUND PAD 110.sub.-1 (110.sub.-2) OF PACKAGE
BODY 102
[0102] As represented in detail in an enlarged view of FIG. 15A,
each terminal such as the ground terminal 21A and the dummy
terminal 134 of the SAW-filter body 101 carries a dual bump
structure including stacked bumps 150 and 151. Further, the part of
the package body 102 (such as the part 110.sub.-1b and 110.sub.-2a)
on which an electric interconnection to a corresponding terminal of
the SAW-filter body 101 is provided with plated Au patterns 152 and
153. It should be noted that the Au patterns 152 and 153
constitutes a projection on the top surface of the bottom plate
104. On the other hand, the stacked bump structure on the
SAW-filter body 101 is formed by first forming a bump and then
stacking another bump on the foregoing bump thus formed previously.
The Au patterns 152 and 153 may be formed by a screen printing
process.
[0103] As represented in FIG. 15A, the SAW-filter body 101 is
mounted on the bottom plate 104 of the package body 102 by engaging
the stacked bump structures 150 and 151 with the Au patterns 152
and 153, respectively.
[0104] FIG. 15B, on the other hand, shows a conventional
construction in which a single bump 155 is connected with a pad 156
directly. In FIG. 15B, those parts corresponding to the parts
described previously are designated by the same reference numerals
and the description thereof will be omitted.
[0105] In the case of FIG. 15B, it will be noted that the distance
from the signal pattern 131 or 132 to the ground pad is represented
by "a.sub.1," while this distance a.sub.1 is substantially smaller
than a distance a.sub.2 between the signal pattern 131 or 132 on
the SAW-filter body 101 and the ground pad 110.sub.-1 or
110.sub.-2. In other words, the distance a.sub.2 is more than twice
as large as the distance a.sub.1, and the interference between the
signals on the SAW-filter body 101 and the ground potential on the
package body 102 is effectively suppressed. As a result of such a
successful suppression of the interference, the SAW-filter package
device 100 of the present invention can suppress the frequency
components outside the pass-band effectively.
[0106] In the SAW-filter package device 100 of FIG. 15A, it is also
possible to eliminate the plated Au pattern 152 or 153. In such a
construction, the separation a.sub.2 is reduced construction as
compared with the construction of FIG. 15A, while such a
modification is still effective for suppressing the interference.
Alternatively, it is also possible to provide the Au patterns 152
and 153 while using the single bump structure in the construction
of FIG. 15A.
[0107] Because of the increased distance between the bottom surface
of the SAW-filter body 101 and the top surface of the bottom plate
104 in the package body 102, the problem of accidental contact of
the electrode structure on the SAW-filter body 101 with the top
surface of the bottom plate 104 is positively prevented, even in
such a case the SAW-filter is mounted in a tilted state. In other
words, a larger tilting angle is allowed for the SAW-filter body
101 on the bottom plate 104 of the package body 102 in the present
embodiment as compared with the conventional SAW-filter package
device 60 explained before with reference to FIG. 6. Thereby, the
yield of production of the SAW device is improved substantially by
employing the structure of the SAW-filter package device 100 of the
present embodiment.
[0108] (3) SEAL RING
[0109] As represented in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9A, there is provided a
seal ring 160 on a top surface 105a of the rectangular frame member
105. As represented in FIG. 16A, the seal ring 160 has a
semi-circular cross-section and projects in the upward direction
from the top surface 105a of the frame member 105. The seal ring
160 extends continuously along the top surface 105a at a laterally
central part thereof, to form a closed, rectangular ring.
[0110] Typically, the seal ring 160 is formed of W and is provided
so as to form a space for accommodating therein a solder layer.
More specifically, the seal ring 160 has a width w.sub.2
substantially smaller than a width w.sub.1 of the frame member 105
and projects in the upward direction by a height h.sub.1 as
measured from the top surface 105a. It should be noted that the top
surface 105a and the seal ring 160 are covered by a plated Au layer
161, while a layer 162 of an Au-Sn solder alloy is formed
underneath the conductor cap member 103. The Au-Sn solder layer
extends continuously along the top surface 105a of the frame member
105.
[0111] It should be noted that the cap member 103 soldered upon the
frame member 105 by placing the cap member 103 on the top surface
105a of the frame member 105 and then causing the frame member 105
to pass through a reflowing furnace. Thereby, the layer 162 of the
Au-Sn solder alloy undergoes melting and the cap member 103 is
soldered on the frame member 105 as represented in FIGS. 16B and
16C. Thereby, the SAW-filter body 101 is hermetically sealed in the
package body 102. As a result of the melting of the solder alloy
layer 162, there is formed a molten solder layer such that the
molten solder layer fills a space 163 formed on the top surface
105a of the frame member 105 adjacent to the seal ring 160 with a
height h.sub.1. Thereby, the cap member 103 is mechanically
supported by the seal ring 160, while the seal ring 160
simultaneously functions to prevent the escape of the molten solder
alloy.
[0112] Contrary to the present invention, the conventional
SAW-filter package device 60 explained before lacks the seal ring
as represented in FIGS. 16D-16F Thereby the molten solder alloy 164
spreads laterally on the top surface of the frame member 65, while
the construction of FIGS. 16D-16F requires a substantial width
w.sub.3 for achieving a reliable contact between the cap member 63
and the frame member 65. In the SAW-filter package device 100 of
the present embodiment, on the other hand, the width w.sub.1 of the
frame member 105 can be reduced substantially over the conventional
width w.sub.3, and hence the overall size of the SAW-filter package
device 100 is reduced to w.sub.10 as compared with the overall size
w.sub.11 for the SAW-filter package device 60. Because of the
reduced size, the SAW-filter package device 100 is suitable for
mounting on the printed circuit board with an increased
density.
[0113] As represented in FIG. 16F, the conventional SAW-filter
package device 60 is provided a cut or notch 65b at each corner of
the frame member 65 with a size b.sub.1 for accepting excessive
molten solder. In the SAW-filter 100 of the present embodiment, on
the other hand, the frame member 105 is formed with a notch or cut
105b having a size b.sub.2, wherein the primary purpose of the
notch 105b is not to accept the molten solder but to merely confirm
the proper mounting of the SAW-filter package device 100 on the
printed circuit board. Thereby, the size b.sub.2 for the SAW-filter
package device 60 can be formed substantially smaller than the size
b.sub.1 of the SAW-filter package device 60. Thereby, the problem
of decrease in the mechanical rigidity of the package body 102,
caused by the notch 105b, is successfully eliminated in the
SAW-filter 100.
[0114] [SECOND EMBODIMENT]
[0115] FIGS. 17-19 show the construction of a SAW-filter package
device 100A according to a second embodiment of the present
invention, wherein those parts corresponding to the parts described
previously are designated by the same reference numerals and the
description thereof will be omitted.
[0116] Referring to the drawings, the SAW-filter package device
100A uses a SAW-filter body 101A of FIG. 19 in place of the
SAW-filter body 101 of FIG. 8, wherein the SAW-filter body 101A is
mounted on the bottom plate 104 of the package body by a flip-chip
bonding process.
[0117] Referring to FIG. 19, the SAW-filter body 101A includes the
piezoelectric substrate 130, wherein the piezoelectric substrate
130 carries, on a bottom surface thereof, the double-mode
SAW-filter element 10 of the single-type explained with reference
to FIG. 1A. In FIG. 19, it can be seen that there are formed, on
the bottom surface of the piezoelectric substrate 130, the input
terminal 20A, the output terminal 22A, the ground terminal 21A for
the input-side interdigital electrode pair 11, and the ground
terminals 23A and 24A for the output-side interdigital electrode
pair 12 or 13. Further, the input signal pattern 131, the output
signal pattern 132, and the dummy patterns 133 -136 are formed as
represented in FIG. 19, wherein it will be noted that each of the
input terminal 20A, the output terminal 22A, the ground terminals
21A and 23A, and the dummy terminals 133-136 is disposed with a
separation from each other. Further, each terminal carries thereon
a bump electrode for flip-chip mounting. See FIG. 15A.
[0118] Referring to FIG. 18, it will be noted that the SAW-filter
body 101A is mounted on the bottom plate 104 of the package body
102 by a flip-chip bonding process, wherein the mounting of the
SAW-filter body 101A is achieved such that input terminal 20A is
connected to the part 111a of the input pad 111, the output
terminal 22A is connected to the part 112a of the output pad 112,
the ground terminal 21A is connected to the part 110.sub.-2a of the
ground pad 110.sub.-2, the ground terminals 23A and 24A are
connected to the part 110.sub.-1a of the ground pad 110.sub.-1, the
dummy terminal 133 is connected to the part 110.sub.-2b of the
ground pad 110.sub.-2, the dummy terminal 134 is connected to the
part 110.sub.-1b of the ground pad 110.sub.-1, the dummy terminal
135 is connected to the part 110.sub.-2c of the ground pad
110.sub.-2, and the dummy terminal 136 is connected to the part
110.sub.-1c of the ground pad 110.sub.-1. Thus, in the mounted
state of the SAW-filter body 101A on the bottom plate 104, the
ground terminal 21A of the input-side interdigital electrode pair
11 is connected to the ground pad 110.sub.-2 and the ground
terminals 23A and 24A of the output interdigital electrode pair 12
and 13 are connected to the ground pad 110.sub.-1.
[0119] As will be understood, the ground for the input interdigital
electrode pair 11 is not common in the SAW-filter package device
100A before the mounting on the printed circuit board with the
ground for the output interdigital electrode pair 12 or 13. In the
diagram of FIG. 1A, the ground 23 or 24 is disconnected from the
ground 21.
[0120] By separating the ground for the input interdigital
electrode pair 11 and the ground for the output interdigital
electrode pair 12 or 13 as such, the problem of interference
between the ground potential of the input-side interdigital
electrode pair and the ground potential of the output-side
interdigital electrode pair, is successfully eliminated.
[0121] [THIRD EMBODIMENT]
[0122] FIG. 20, FIGS. 21A-21D, FIG. 22 and FIG. 23 show the
construction of a SAW-filter package device 100B according to a
third embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 20 shows
the SAW-filter package device 100B in an exploded view, FIGS.
21A-21C show the SAW-filter package device 100B respectively in a
top plan view, a side view and a bottom plan view, FIG. 21D shows
the equivalent circuit diagram, FIG. 22 shows the electrical
interconnection formed in the SAW-filter package device 100B, while
FIG. 23 shows the SAW-filter package device 100B in a
cross-sectional view. In the drawings, those parts corresponding to
the parts described previously are designated by the same reference
numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.
[0123] Referring to the drawings, the SAW-filter package device
100B uses a package body 102B including therein a bottom plate 104B
in place of the package body 102 and the bottom plate 104 of the
previous embodiment, wherein the SAW-filter package device 100B is
distinguished over the SAW-filter package device 100 of FIG. 8 only
in the shape of the bottom plate 104B. The same SAW-filter body 101
of FIG. 12 is used also in the present embodiment.
[0124] Referring to the drawings, the bottom plate 104B carries, on
a top surface thereof, a first ground pad 410.sub.-1, a pad
410.sub.-2, second ground pads 410.sub.-3 and 410.sub.-4, an input
pad 411, and further an output pad 412, wherein the first ground
pad 410.sub.-1 and the pad 410.sub.-2 are separated from each
other. Further, the second ground pad 410.sub.-3 and 410.sub.-4 are
separated from each other. The second ground pads 410.sub.-3 and
410.sub.-4 are separated from the pad 410.sub.-2. As will be
explained later, while the first ground pad 410.sub.-1 is
geometrically separated from the ground pad 410.sub.-3 or
410.sub.-4, the first ground pad 410.sub.-1 is connected
electrically to the ground pads 410.sub.-3 and 410.sub.-4 via a
predetermined resistance, more precisely an impedance.
[0125] Further, the bottom plate 104B carries, on a bottom surface
thereof, the ground foot pattern 113 and a foot pattern 114B so as
to oppose with each other on a diagonal line. Further, the input
foot pattern 115 and the output foot pattern 116 are disposed on
another diagonal line.
[0126] In the bottom plate 104B, there is provided a via-hole 417
connecting the first ground pad 410.sub.-1 and the ground foot
pattern 113, and another via-hole 418 connects the pad 410.sub.-2
to the foot pattern 114B. Further, a via-hole 419 is provided so as
to connect the input pad 411 and the input foot pattern 115, and a
via-hole 420 is provided so as to connect the output pad 412 and
the output foot pattern 116.
[0127] As represented in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 23, the
frame member 105 is formed with an internal via-hole 125 connecting
the first ground pad 410.sub.-1 and the cap member 103. Similarly,
there is provided another internal via-hole 125B in the frame
member 105 wherein the internal via-hole 125B connects the second
ground pads 410.sub.-3 and 410.sub.-4 to the cap member 103.
Thereby, it will be noted that the first ground pad 410.sub.-1 is
connected to the second ground pad 410.sub.-3 and 410.sub.-4 via
the via-hole 125, the cap member 103 (including the seal ring 160)
and the via-hole 125B, with a predetermined resistance, more
precisely an impedance. Typically, the via-holes 125A and 125B are
filled with W having a resistivity of
5.5.times.10.sup.-10.OMEGA.cm, wherein this value of resistivity is
higher than the resistivity of Co used for the cap member 103. The
foregoing predetermined resistance is set such that the
interference of ground potential between the first ground pad
410.sub.-1 and the second ground pad 410.sub.-3 or 410.sub.-4 is
effectively suppressed.
[0128] In FIG. 23, it should be noted that the conductor patterns
in the internal via-holes 125 and 125B are required to have a
predetermined impedance, while the resistance itself may be
substantially zero. In other words, increased resistance is not
required for the conductor patterns filling the via-holes 125A and
125B. Similarly, the cap member 103 may be formed of a
low-resistance conductor material.
[0129] It should be noted that the SAW-filter body 101 is mounted
on the bottom plate 104B of the package body 102B in a face-down
state by a flip-chip bonding process. As represented in FIG. 21,
the input terminal 20A (primary-side terminal of the input-side
interdigital electrode pair forming the input stage of the cascaded
SAW electrode structure) is connected to the input pad 411, the
output terminal 46A (secondary-side terminal of the output-side
interdigital electrode pair forming the output stage of the
cascaded SAW electrode structure) is connected to the output pad
412, the ground terminal 21A (secondary-side terminal of the
input-side interdigital electrode pair forming the input stage of
the cascaded SAW electrode structure) is connected to a part
410.sub.-2b of the first ground pad 410.sub.-2, the ground
terminals 23A and 24A are connected to the second ground pad
410.sub.-3, the dummy terminal 133 is connected to a part
410.sub.-1c of the first ground pad 410.sub.-1, the ground terminal
47A (primary-side terminal of the output-side interdigital
electrode pair forming the output stage of the cascaded SAW
electrode structure) is connected to the pad 410.sub.-2, the ground
terminals 48A and 49A are connected to the part 410.sub.-1a of the
first ground pad 410.sub.-1, and the dummy terminal 136 is
connected to the second ground pad 410.sub.-4.
[0130] It should be noted that the SAW-filter package device 100B
includes a single input foot pattern 115, a single output foot
pattern 116, a single ground foot pattern 113 and a single foot
pattern 114B.
[0131] The SAW-filter package device 100B is usable in one of first
and second modes, the first mode using the foot pattern 114 as a
separate or second output terminal as represented in FIG. 24C, the
second mode using the foot pattern 114 as a separate ground
terminal as represented in FIG. 24E. Thus, the SAW-filter package
device 100B can be used any of these two modes.
[0132] FIGS. 24A-24E show the foregoing mode of use of the
SAW-filter package device 100B schematically represented in FIG.
24A.
[0133] In the first mode, a printed circuit board P.sub.1, carrying
thereon a ground pad 180, an input pad 181, a first output pad 182
and a second output pad 183, supports thereon the SAW-filter
package device 100B in such a state that the ground foot pattern
113 is soldered to the pad 180, the input foot pattern 115 is
soldered to the pad 181, the output foot pattern 116 is soldered to
the pad 182, and the foot pattern 114B is soldered to the pad 183.
Thereby, as represented in FIG. 24C, a SAW-filter circuit 190
similar to the SAW-filter circuit of FIG. 3 is formed on the
printed circuit board P.sub.1, with the printed circuit board
P.sub.1 forming a part thereof. In FIG. 24C, it will be noted that
the ground terminal 47 is replaced with a second output terminal
185. The pad 183 is connected to the foregoing second output
terminal 185.
[0134] It should be noted that the SAW-filter circuit 190 of FIG.
24C is a balanced type circuit characterized by two output
terminals. Conventionally, such a balanced type SAW-filter circuit
has used a conversion circuit for converting a non-balanced output
in the form of balanced output, while the construction of FIG. 24C
successfully produces the desired balanced output without using
such a conversion circuit. Thereby, the number of parts is reduced
substantially in an electronic apparatus such as a portable
telephone apparatus by employing the SAW-filter circuit 190 of FIG.
24C.
[0135] Due to the balanced output construction, the SAW-filter
circuit 190 is immune to noise. In addition, the SAW-filter circuit
190 successfully improves the suppression of the spurious
components outside the pass-band.
[0136] It should be noted that, in the mounting process of the
SAW-filter package on the printed circuit substrate described above
with reference to FIGS. 24A-24E is effective also for the case of
using the SAW-filter package 100 described previously or for the
case of the SAW-filter package to be described in this
specification.
[0137] Referring back to FIG. 13 explained before, it should be
noted that the curve Id shows the frequency characteristic of the
SAW-filter circuit 190 in the vicinity of the pass-band
frequency.
[0138] Referring to FIG. 13, it will be noted that the suppression
of spurious frequency components outside the pass-band is improved
further by as much as about 10 dB in the present embodiment as
compared with the case of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 13 by
the curve Ic.
[0139] Further, FIG. 25 shows the frequency characteristic of the
SAW-filter circuit 190 over an expanded frequency range.
[0140] Similarly to the diagram of FIG. 14, the SAW-filter circuit
190 shows an improved suppression of spurious frequency components
outside the pass-band up to the frequency of as high as 3 GHz or
more.
[0141] In the second mode, the SAW-filter package device 100B is
mounted on a printed circuit board P.sub.2 carrying thereon the pad
180 connected to the grounded, the pad 181 connected to the input
terminal 20, the pad 182 connected to the output terminal 46, and
the pad 183 connected to the ground.
[0142] The SAW-filter package device 100B is then mounted on the
printed circuit board P.sub.2 in such a state that the ground foot
pattern 113 is connected to the pad 180, the input foot pattern 115
is connected to the pad 181, the output foot pattern 116 is
connected to the pad 182, and the foot pattern 114B is connected to
the pad 183. Thereby, a SAW-filter circuit 191 shown in FIG. 24E is
obtained in which it will be noted that the SAW-filter circuit 191
has a single input terminal and a single output terminal 46. The
SAW-filter circuit 191 provides a similar frequency characteristic
as the curve Id shown in FIG. 13 or the curve shown in FIG. 25.
[0143] [FOURTH EMBODIMENT]
[0144] FIG. 26 shows the construction of a SAW-filter package
device 100C according to a fourth embodiment of the present
invention, wherein those parts corresponding to the parts described
previously are designated by the same reference numerals and the
description thereof will be omitted.
[0145] Referring to FIG. 26, the SAW-filter package device 100C
uses a bottom plate 104C in the package body 102 in place of the
bottom plate 104, wherein it will be noted that the bottom plate
104C includes a thin W pattern 200 connecting the ground pad
410.sub.-3 or 410.sub.-4 to the ground pad 410.sub.-1. Because of
the relatively high resistivity of W, there is interposed an
impedance between the foregoing ground pad 410.sub.-3 or 410.sub.-4
and the ground pad 410.sub.-1, and the interference of the ground
potential therebetween is effectively avoided.
[0146] The SAW-filter package device 100C shows a frequency
characteristic similar to that of the curve Id of FIG. 13 when
mounted on a printed circuit board.
[0147] [FIFTH EMBODIMENT]
[0148] FIGS. 27A-27D and FIGS. 28A and 28B show the construction of
a SAW-filter package device 100D according to a fifth embodiment of
the present invention, wherein those parts corresponding to the
parts described previously are designated by the same reference
numerals and the description thereof will be omitted. It should be
noted that FIGS. 27A-27C show the SAW-filter package device 100D
respectively in a top plan view, a side view and a bottom plan
view, while FIG. 27D shows an equivalent circuit diagram of the
SAW-filter package device 100D.
[0149] Referring to FIG. 27A-27C, the SAW-filter package device
100D of the present embodiment includes a SAW-filter body 101D
shown in FIGS. 28A and 28B mounted on a bottom plate of the package
body 209 in a face-down state by a flip-chip bonding process, and
there is formed a SAW-filter circuit as represented in FIG. 27D,
wherein it should be noted that the SAW-filter circuit includes a
first SAW-filter circuit 210 of a first type and a second
SAW-filter circuit 211 of a second type, such that the first and
second SAW-filter circuits 210 and 211 share a common input
terminal 212. The SAW-filter circuits 210 and 211 have respective
output terminals 213 and 214.
[0150] As represented in FIG. 28A, the package body 210 carries, on
a top surface of the bottom plate, a common input pad 212a, a first
output pad 213a, a second output pad 214a, a first ground pad 215a,
and a second ground pad 216a, while the bottom plate carries, on a
bottom surface thereof, a ground foot pattern 217, a common input
foot pattern 212b, a first output foot pattern 213b and a second
output foot pattern 214b. Thereby, the common input pad 212a and
the common input foot pattern 212b are connected with each other
via a via-hole formed in the bottom plate, the first output pad
213a is connected to the first output foot pattern 213b via a
via-hole formed in the bottom plate, and the second output pad 214a
is connected to the second output foot pattern 214b via a via-hole
formed in the bottom plate. Further, the first ground pad 215a is
connected to the ground foot pattern 217 via a via-hole in the
bottom plate. In addition, the first ground pad 215a and the second
ground pad 216a are electrically connected by a predetermined
resistance, more precisely an impedance, of a path including the
via-holes and the cap member similarly to FIG. 23. It should be
noted that the package body 209 carries thereon a conductive cap
203 as represented in FIG. 27B. Thereby, the resistance is set to a
value suitable for eliminating the interference of the ground
potential between the first ground pad 215a and the second ground
pad 216a.
[0151] As represented in FIGS. 28A and 28B, the SAW-filter body
101D carries, on a piezoelectric substrate thereof, the electrode
structure forming the SAW-filter element 10.sub.-1 and the
electrode structure forming the SAW-filter element 10.sub.-2 side
by side, wherein the piezoelectric substrate further carries
thereon a common input terminal 212c, an output terminal 213c for
the SAW-filter element 10.sub.-1, and an output terminal 214c for
the SAW-filter element 10.sub.-2. Further, the bottom plate carries
thereon a ground terminal 218c for the input-side interdigital
electrode pair used in the SAW-filter element 10.sub.-1, a ground
terminal 219c for the output-side interdigital electrode pair of
the SAW-filter element 10.sub.-1, a ground terminal 220c for the
input-side interdigital electrode pair of the SAW-filter element
10.sub.-2, and a ground terminal 221c for the output-side
interdigital electrode pair of the SAW-filter element
10.sub.-2.
[0152] The SAW-filter body 101D is thereby mounted on the bottom
plate in such a manner that the common input terminal 212c is
connected to the common input pad 212a, the output terminal 213c is
connected to the output pad 213a, the output terminal 214c is
connected to the output pad 213a, the ground terminal 218c and the
two ground terminals 219c are connected to the first ground pad
215a, and the ground terminal 220c and the two ground terminals
221c are connected to the second ground pad 216a.
[0153] Thus, the ground terminals 218c and 219c of the first
SAW-filter element (and hence the ground pad 215a and the ground
foot pattern 217) and the ground terminals 220c and 221c of the
second SAW-filter element (and hence the ground pad 216a) do not
cause the problem of interference. Thereby, the SAW-filter package
device 100D forms a dual-type SAW-filter having an improved
frequency characteristic.
[0154] In the present embodiment, too, the frequency characteristic
is further improved by grounding the cap member to any of the
ground for the first SAW-filter element and the ground for the
second SAW-filter element.
[0155] In a modification of the present embodiment, the conductive
cap member 203 may be connected to one of the first and second
ground pads 215a and 215b similarly to the construction of FIG. 10
or FIG. 26. In this modification, it is also possible to form
another ground foot pattern in correspondence to the ground pad
216a. As such a modification is obvious in view of the description
before, further description of the modification will be omitted.
[SIXTH EMBODIMENT]
[0156] FIGS .29A-29D show the construction of a SAW-filter package
device 100E according to a sixth embodiment of the present
invention, wherein those parts corresponding to the parts described
previously are designated by the same reference numerals and the
description thereof will be omitted.
[0157] Referring to the drawings, the SAW-filter package device
100E of the present embodiment has a construction similar to that
of the first embodiment, except that the SAW-filter body 101 is
mounted on a bottom plate 231 of a package body 230 in a face-up
state. Thereby, the electrical interconnection between the
SAW-filter body 101 and the package body 230 is achieved by a wire
bonding process.
[0158] It should be noted that the package body 230 has a
rectangular shape and includes the bottom plate 231 and a frame
member 232 having a corresponding rectangular shape. As represented
in FIGS. 29A and 29C, the frame member 232 carries a pair of
stepped regions 233 and 234 at inner sides thereof so as to face
each other, wherein the stepped region 233 has a depressed top
surface as compared with the top surface of the frame member 232
and carries thereon a ground pad 235, an input pad 236 and a ground
pad 237. Similarly, the stepped region 234 carries thereon a ground
pad 238, an output pad 239 and a ground pad 240.
[0159] As represented in FIG. 29B, the bottom plate 231 carries
thereon a first ground pattern 241 and a second ground pattern 242
in a mutually separated state. The bottom plate 231 further carries
thereon an input pattern 243 and an output pattern 244. The package
body 230 is covered by a conductive cap member 230c, and the
conductive cap member 230c is connected electrically to the ground
pattern 242 via a conductive line 232a formed in the frame member
232, similarly to the construction of FIG. 10. Alternatively, the
conductive cap member 230c may be connected to both the ground pad
241 and 242 via respective resistances, more precisely impedance, R
represented by a broken line, similarly to the embodiment of FIG.
23. Further, the ground pad 241 and the ground pad 242 may be
connected electrically to each other via a resistance R', more
precisely impedance, similarly to the embodiment of FIG. 26.
[0160] Further, the bottom plate 231 carries, on a bottom surface
thereof, ground foot patterns 245-248 at respective corners as
represented in FIG. 29D. Further, an input foot pattern 249 and an
output foot pattern 250 are formed on the bottom surface of the
bottom plate 231 so as to oppose with each other. More
specifically, the input foot pattern 249 and the output foot
pattern 250 are formed at respective central part of the inner
edges of the frame member 232 that oppose with each other.
[0161] The input pad 236 is connected to the input pattern 243 via
a via-hole formed in the frame member 232, while the input pattern
243 and the input foot pattern 244 are connected with each other
via a via-hole formed in the bottom plate 231. Further, the output
pad 239 is connected to the output pattern 244 and the output foot
pattern 250 via a via-hole in the frame member 232, and the output
pattern 244 and the output foot pattern 250 are connected through a
via-hole formed in the bottom plate 231.
[0162] Further, as represented in FIG. 29C, the ground pads 235 and
237 are connected to the first ground pattern 241 via a via-hole
251 formed in the frame member 237, and the first ground pattern
241 is connected to the ground foot patterns 246 and 248 via a
via-hole 252 formed in the bottom plate 231. The ground pad 238 and
240 are connected to the second ground pattern 242 via a via-hole
253 formed in the frame member 232, and the second ground pattern
242 is connected to the ground foot patterns 245 and 247 via a
via-hole 254 formed in the bottom plate 231.
[0163] Further, there are provided bonding wires between the
terminals of the SAW-filter body 101 and the corresponding pads
235-240. Particularly, there is provided a wire 260 connecting the
ground terminal 47A of the output-side interdigital electrode pair
and the ground pad 235. Further, a wire 261 is provided so as to
connect the ground terminal 21A of the input-side interdigital
electrode pair and the ground pad 240.
[0164] Thus, the SAW-filter package device 100E has a construction
in which the ground terminal 21A for the input-side interdigital
electrode pair and the ground terminal 47A for the output-side
interdigital electrode pair are disconnected.
[0165] FIG. 30 shows the frequency characteristic of the SAW-filter
package device 100E of the present embodiment in the state that the
SAW-filter package device 100E is mounted on a printed circuit
board.
[0166] Referring to FIG. 30, the curve Ia.sub.-1 represents the
result in which the ground pattern 241 and the ground pattern 242
are connected commonly while the curve IE represents the case in
which the SAW-filter package device 100E is mounted on the printed
circuit board in the state that the ground patterns 241 and 242 are
separated.
[0167] As can be seen clearly from FIG. 30, the construction of the
present embodiment suppresses the spurious frequency components
outside the pass-band efficiently, with a substantially improved
degree of suppression.
[0168] [SEVENTH EMBODIMENT]
[0169] FIGS. 31A-31D show the construction of a ladder-type
SAW-filter package device 100F according to a seventh embodiment of
the present invention.
[0170] Referring to the drawings, the SAW-filter package device
100F includes a SAW-filter body 360 of FIGS. 32A and 32B and a
package body 300 wherein the SAW-filter body 360 is mounted on a
bottom plate 301 of the package body 300 in a face-up state.
Thereby, a wire bonding process is used for interconnecting the
SAW-filter body 360 to the package main body. As can be seen from
the equivalent circuit diagram of FIG. 32B, the SAW-filter body 360
has a ladder-type construction.
[0171] It should be noted that the rectangular package body 300
includes, in addition to the bottom plate 301, a rectangular frame
member 302, wherein the frame member 302 includes a depressed,
stepped parts 303 and 304 at mutually opposing inner edges thereof,
wherein the stepped part 303 carries thereon a ground pad 305, an
input pad 306 and a ground pad 307. On the other hand, the stepped
part 304 carries thereon a ground pad 308, an output pad 309 and a
ground pad 300.
[0172] As represented in FIG. 31C, the bottom plate 301 carries, on
a top surface thereof, a first ground pattern 311 and a second
ground pattern 312 in a mutually separated state. Further, an input
pattern 313 and an output pattern 314 are formed on the top surface
of the bottom plate 301. The frame member 302 carries thereon a
conductive cap member 302c such that the conductive cap member 302c
closes the space of the package body 300 in which the SAW-filter
body 360 is accommodated.
[0173] The conductive cap member 302c is connected electrically to
the ground pattern 312 via a conductive line 302a formed in the
frame member 302, similarly to the construction of FIG. 10.
Alternatively, the conductive cap member 302c may be connected to
both the ground patterns 311 and 312 via respective resistances R,
more precisely impedance, represented by a broken line, similarly
to the embodiment of FIG. 23. Further, the ground pattern 311 and
the ground pattern 312 may be connected electrically to each other
via a resistance R', more precisely impedance, similarly to the
embodiment of FIG. 26.
[0174] The bottom plate 301 further carries, on a bottom surface
thereof, ground foot patterns 315-318 at respective four corners
and further an input foot pattern 319 and an output foot pattern
320 at respective central parts of opposing edges of the bottom
plate 301. Thereby, the input pad 306 and the input pattern 313 are
connected by a via-hole inside the frame member 302, while the
input pattern 313 is connected to the input foot pattern 319 via a
via-hole formed in the bottom plate 301. The output pad 309 and the
output pattern 314 are connected via a via-hole formed inside the
frame member 302, while the output pattern 314 is connected to the
output foot pattern 320 via a via-hole formed in the bottom plate
301.
[0175] Further, as represented in FIG. 31C, the ground pads 305 and
307 are connected to the first ground pattern 311 via a via-hole
321 formed in the frame member 302, while the first ground pattern
311 is connected to the ground foot patterns 315 and 316 via a
via-hole 322 formed in the bottom plate 301. Similarly, the ground
pads 308 and 310 are connected to the second ground pattern 312 via
a via-hole 312 formed in the frame member 302, while the second
ground pattern 312 is connected to the ground foot patterns 317 and
318 via a via-hole 324 formed in the bottom plate 301.
[0176] As represented in FIGS. 32A and 32B, the SAW-filter body 360
includes SAW resonators 362, 364 and 366, each carrying reflectors
at both sides thereof, in a series connection, and SAW resonators
361, 363 and 365 of the same construction are connected in
parallel. Thereby, there is formed a ladder-type SAW-filter in the
SAW-filter body 360. The SAW-filter body 360 further includes an
input terminal 306a, an output terminal 309a, and ground terminals
305a, 307a and 308a.
[0177] In the construction of the SAW package 100F of FIG. 31A, it
should be noted that there are provided bonding wires each
connecting a terminal of the SAW-filter body 360 to a corresponding
pad, which may be any of the pads 305-310, formed on the package
body 300. Thereby, the wire 330 connects the input terminal 306a to
the input pad 306, the wire 331 connects the output terminal 309a
to the output terminal 309, the wire 332 connects the ground
terminal 305a to the ground pad 305, the wire 333 connects the
ground terminal 308a to the ground pad 308, and the wire 334
connects the ground terminal 307a to the ground pad 307.
[0178] In the ladder-type SAW-filter package device 100F of the
present embodiment, it should be noted that the ground foot pattern
316 near the input foot pattern 319 is separated from the ground
foot pattern 317 near the output foot pattern 320. Associated
therewith, the ground terminal 307a near the input terminal 306a is
separated from the ground terminal 308a near the output terminal
309a.
[0179] FIGS. 33A and 33B show the frequency characteristic of the
SAW-filter package device 100F in the state that the SAW-filter
package device 100F is mounted on a printed circuit board, wherein
FIG. 33A shows the frequency characteristic near the pass-band in
an enlarged scale in the frequency axis, while FIG. 33B shows the
same frequency characteristic over an increased frequency
range.
[0180] Referring to FIG. 33A, the frequency characteristic
represented by the curve IF represents the frequency characteristic
of the SAW-filter package device 100F, while the curve Ia.sub.-2
represents the frequency characteristic in which the ground
terminals 307a and 308a are interconnected in the SAW-filter
package device 100F. In FIG. 33B, the curve IIF represents the
frequency characteristic corresponding to the frequency
characteristic of the curve IF of FIG. 33A, while the curve
IIa.sub.-2 represents the frequency characteristic corresponding to
the frequency characteristic of the curve Ia.sub.-2 of FIG.
33A.
[0181] As can be seen in FIG. 33B, the construction of the
SAW-filter package device 100F of the present embodiment is
particularly effective for suppressing the very-high frequency
spurious components of 1.5-3 GHz or higher.
[0182] It should be noted that the wire bonding process used in the
SAW-filter package device 100F is not essential and one may use a
flip-chip process for mounting the SAW-filter body 360 on the
package body 300.
[0183] Further, the concept of the present invention of providing
separate ground interconnection systems described heretofore
according to various embodiments is applicable to various
SAW-filters.
[0184] Particularly, the construction of FIG. 10 for the SAW-filter
device 100 is applicable also to a ladder-type SAW-filter device
such as the SAW-filter device 360 having an equivalent circuit
diagram of FIG. 32B or to any of the SAW-filter devices 100A-100F
explained with reference to the second through seventh embodiments
of the present invention, with substantially the same improvement
in the frequency characteristic. Similarly, the construction of
FIG. 23 or FIG. 26 is applicable also to the ladder-type SAW filter
device 360 or to any of the SAW-filter devices 100-100F explained
with reference to the first through seventh embodiments of the
present invention, with substantially the same frequency
characteristic.
[0185] Thus, the present invention covers such various combinations
of the embodiments described heretofore. As such combinations are
obvious in view of the description made heretofore, further
description thereof will be omitted.
[0186] Further, the present invention is not limited to the
embodiments described heretofore, but various variations and
modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the
invention.
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