Design and Performance of Oscillators Using Semiconductor Delay Lines

Abstract

Bulk-acoustic-wave piezoelectric thin-film technology has been used to synthesize delay lines at microwave frequencies in semiconductor substrates. These structures use either ZnO or AlN for piezoelectric transduction, suitably positioned electrodes for applying an ac signal, and reflecting surfaces for guiding the acoustic energy. the top-side of the semiconductor wafer. We can incorporate these delay structures as the feedback element in an oscillator and exploit the 2n periodicity in these structures to obtain a comb generator output. delay-line oscillators operating near 1 GHz and 3 MHz spectral line spacing. exceeds -90 dBc/Hz at 1 kHz. Design and analysis is based upon the use of SPICE 2G linear circuit models. Because the transducer fabrication process uses semiconductor processing technology as its basis, the synthesis of these oscillators is being studied as an integrable alternative to other technologies. The delay lines are accessed entirely