Acoustic filters for signal filtering are used in wireless technologies operating at gigahertz frequencies for communication systems such as next generation cell phones. Multilayered porous silicon structures have been fabricated from silicon wafers to create the Bragg mirror section of a bulk acoustic wave filter. These porous silicon multilayers have been designed for use from 500 MHz – 20 GHz with primary focus on frequencies at 1 GHz. The porous silicon multilayers consist of alternating layers of high and low acoustic impedance layers on a bulk silicon substrate. They are fabricated using electrochemical etching where the current density during the etch determines the porosity and hence acoustic impedance of each layer. Bragg mirrors, FabryPerot filters, microcavities and rugate filters can be produced in this way due to the control of the tuneable porosity profile throughout the structure. The porosity of the layer modifies the elastic constants of the layer such as the Young’s modulus and hence the velocity of the bulk acoustic waves travelling through it. The behaviour of bulk acoustic waves through silicon is known but in order to fabricate porous silicon acoustic filters, the dependence of the longitudinal wave velocity as a function of porosity must also be known. This has been studied using acoustic transmission measurements on single porous silicon layers and then extended to multilayered structures. Rugate filters are single frequency filters that have not previously been studied for acoustic applications. In this study the first acoustic rugate filters have been fabricated using porous silicon material that exhibit only one stopband near 1 GHz. Bragg mirrors have been made with acoustic transmission measurements showing the locations of the stopbands. Porous silicon microcavities have also been fabricated along with filters that have apodisation functions. This work could form the basis of future efforts to produce and incorporate allSi multilayers into acoustic filters that are easily fabricated at a high level of quality and reliability that will serve to be efficient and cost effective.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:545312 |
| Date | January 2011 |
| Creators | Thomas, Leigh-Anne |
| Contributors | Snow, Paul |
| Publisher | University of Bath |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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