Superlattice based acoustic wave devices are expected to form the basis of a major breakthrough in the field of RF filters, RF signal processing, and RF frequency sources. This technology should move the maximum operating frequency for Surface Acoustic Wave devices well into the microwave range by overcoming the barrier posed by the fabrication difficulties and the electrical resistance losses associated with small electrode geometries in the 0.1 micron range. A key technical feature of acoustic waves in a properly designed superlattice structure is that they can have a phase velocity up to 10X higher than the normal acoustic waves. This will remove the current high frequency limitation on Surface Acoustic Wave devices because of the corresponding increase in the sizes of electrode geometries required. The proposed effort is based on an innovative method for producing the required superlattice structure. The risk associated with the effort is that it may take more effort than can be funded under a single SBIR program to perform a successful demonstration of this new technology. However, the technical risk is judged to be small because the proposed approach is based on well established physical principles. This program should have a high payoff in that the proposed effort would mark the beginning of a whole new field of endeaver in acoustics and is expected to yield rich dividents in numerous areas.
