World's Smallest BEL SAW?

June 13, 2007

Murata Electronics North America has introduced what may be the world's smallest Boundary Elastic Surface Acoustic Wave (BEL SAW) filter. The SAFAM series components measure a mere 0.8 x 0.6 x 0.365 mm, or about 75 percent the size of other filters for GSM 850, GSM 900, GSM 1800, and GSM 1900 applications at frequencies of 850 through 1900 MHz. The planar-type filters do not require cavities, and use ball-grid-array (BGA) terminations for mounting directly on integrated circuits (ICs) rather than within packages or on printed-circuit boards (PCBs). According to Scott Klettke, Group Product Manager for Murata Electronics North America, "The SAFAM series allows designers to bypass more complex and problematic options to downsizing modules, such as the Film Bulk Acoustic Resonator (FBAR)."

Murata Electronics North America (www.murata.com)

About the Author

Jack Browne

Technical Contributor

Jack Browne, Technical Contributor, has worked in technical publishing for over 30 years. He managed the content and production of three technical journals while at the American Institute of Physics, including Medical Physics and the Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology. He has been a Publisher and Editor for Penton Media, started the firm’s Wireless Symposium & Exhibition trade show in 1993, and currently serves as Technical Contributor for that company's Microwaves & RF magazine. Browne, who holds a BS in Mathematics from City College of New York and BA degrees in English and Philosophy from Fordham University, is a member of the IEEE.