Surface elastic-wave propagation and amplification

Abstract

Surface elastic-wave propagation, transduction, and amplification (in a piezoelectric semiconductor) are discussed with emphasis on characteristics useful in electronic devices. Computed curves show the dependence on distance from the surface of the elastic and the electric fields associated with surface elastic-wave propagation in cadmium sulfide. The interaction impedance, relating the external electric field to power flow, is computed for propagation on the basal plane of CdS and found to be low in comparison with values characteristic of electromagnetic slow-wave circuits. Amplification with a continuous drift field in cadmium sulfide is reported, and differences between surface- and bulk-wave amplifiers are discussed. Some operating characteristics and fabrication techniques for making electrode transducers on piezoelectric crystals are given, together with experimental results on several passive surface-wave devices.