K-band LiNbO3 A3 Lamb-wave Resonators with Sub-wavelength Through-holes
Pith reviewed 2026-05-23 21:33 UTC · model grok-4.3
The pith
Sub-wavelength through-holes reduce the suspension area in K-band LiNbO3 A3 Lamb wave resonators without changing performance.
A machine-rendered reading of the paper's core claim, the machinery that carries it, and where it could break.
Core claim
Incorporating sub-wavelength through-holes into LiNbO3 single-crystal thin film A3 mode resonators operating in the K band reduces the ineffective suspension area of the piezoelectric film. This is achieved without additional processing steps and while maintaining the operating frequency, electromechanical coupling coefficient, and quality factor, without introducing extra spurious modes. The approach potentially enhances mechanical and thermal stability and standardizes etching distances and times across various Lamb wave resonators on a single wafer. The technique allows relaxed constraints on hole geometry and arrangement.
What carries the argument
The sub-wavelength through-holes patterned in the LiNbO3 film, which decrease the inactive suspended area of the resonator.
If this is right
- Operating frequency remains the same
- Electromechanical coupling coefficient is preserved
- Quality factor is unchanged
- No extra spurious modes are created
- Etching process is standardized for multiple devices on one wafer
Where Pith is reading between the lines
- This design might support higher density integration of resonators in filters for wireless applications.
- Improved thermal stability could reduce frequency drift in varying environments.
- The versatility in hole placement may allow optimization for specific mechanical requirements.
- Similar through-hole structures could be tested in other acoustic wave devices to assess broader applicability.
Load-bearing premise
Adding the through-holes does not lead to new fabrication defects or unexpected performance drops when moving from lab tests to full-scale production.
What would settle it
Compare the yield, defect density, and long-term stability under vibration or thermal cycling between resonators with and without the sub-wavelength through-holes on the same wafer.
Figures
read the original abstract
Addressing critical challenges in Lamb wave resonators, this paper presents the first validation of resonators incorporating sub-wavelength through-holes. Using the A3 mode resonator based on a LiNbO3 single-crystal thin film and operating in the K band as a prominent example, we demonstrate the advantages of the through-hole design. In the absence of additional processing steps, and while maintaining device performance--including operating frequency, electromechanical coupling coefficient, and quality factor--without introducing extra spurious modes, this approach effectively reduces the ineffective suspension area of the piezoelectric LN film, potentially enhancing mechanical and thermal stability. It also standardizes etching distances (and times) across various Lamb wave resonators on a single wafer, facilitating the development of Lamb wave filters. The versatility of the through-hole technique, with relaxed constraints on hole geometry and arrangement, further highlights its significance. Together with the other advantages, these features underscore the transformative potential of through-holes in advancing the practical implementation of Lamb wave resonators and filters.
Editorial analysis
A structured set of objections, weighed in public.
Referee Report
Summary. The manuscript reports the first experimental validation of sub-wavelength through-holes in K-band LiNbO3 A3-mode Lamb-wave resonators. The central claim is that the through-hole design, integrated into the existing release etch without added process steps, maintains operating frequency, electromechanical coupling coefficient kt², and quality factor Q while introducing no extra spurious modes; it reduces ineffective suspension area of the LN film (potentially improving mechanical/thermal stability) and standardizes etching distances across devices on a wafer. The approach is presented as versatile with relaxed constraints on hole geometry and arrangement.
Significance. If the measured performance equivalence holds, the result offers a practical route to improved resonator stability and wafer-scale fabrication uniformity for Lamb-wave filters without process overhead. The experimental demonstration in the K-band A3 mode, together with the explicit qualification of the stability benefit as 'potentially' realized, provides a concrete starting point for further device engineering. No machine-checked proofs or parameter-free derivations are present, as expected for an experimental report.
major comments (2)
- [Results] Results section (device characterization): the assertion that performance is maintained and no extra spurious modes appear requires direct side-by-side comparison of S-parameter spectra and extracted kt²/Q values between through-hole and reference devices; without tabulated statistics or error bars on the extracted parameters, the 'maintenance' claim cannot be quantitatively assessed.
- [Fabrication] Fabrication section: the statement that through-hole etching is performed 'in the absence of additional processing steps' needs explicit process-flow diagrams or timing data showing that the sub-wavelength etch is subsumed within the standard LN release etch; otherwise the standardization benefit across resonator types remains unsubstantiated.
minor comments (2)
- [Figures] Figure captions should explicitly state the frequency range over which spurious-mode absence was verified and the number of devices measured.
- [Discussion] The abstract and conclusion both use 'potentially enhancing'; a short sentence in the discussion quantifying the expected area reduction (e.g., percentage of suspended area removed) would strengthen the stability inference.
Simulated Author's Rebuttal
We thank the referee for the positive evaluation and recommendation for minor revision. We address the two major comments point by point below.
read point-by-point responses
-
Referee: [Results] Results section (device characterization): the assertion that performance is maintained and no extra spurious modes appear requires direct side-by-side comparison of S-parameter spectra and extracted kt²/Q values between through-hole and reference devices; without tabulated statistics or error bars on the extracted parameters, the 'maintenance' claim cannot be quantitatively assessed.
Authors: We agree that quantitative side-by-side comparison strengthens the claim. The original manuscript presents measured data for both device variants, but we will revise the Results section to include overlaid S-parameter spectra and a table reporting mean values with standard deviations (from multiple devices) for resonance frequency, kt², and Q. revision: yes
-
Referee: [Fabrication] Fabrication section: the statement that through-hole etching is performed 'in the absence of additional processing steps' needs explicit process-flow diagrams or timing data showing that the sub-wavelength etch is subsumed within the standard LN release etch; otherwise the standardization benefit across resonator types remains unsubstantiated.
Authors: The through-hole patterning uses the same mask and XeF2 release etch already required for device suspension; no extra lithography or etch steps are introduced. To make this explicit, we will add a process-flow diagram in the revised Fabrication section that shows the hole features integrated into the existing release sequence. revision: yes
Circularity Check
No significant circularity
full rationale
This is an experimental fabrication and measurement report on LiNbO3 A3-mode resonators. The central claims rest on direct S-parameter data, mode-shape imaging, and comparison of devices with/without through-holes fabricated in the same release etch step. No equations, fitted parameters, or predictive models are presented that reduce to prior inputs by construction. Self-citations, if any, are not load-bearing for any derivation. The work is self-contained against external benchmarks (fabricated devices and measured performance).
Axiom & Free-Parameter Ledger
Reference graph
Works this paper leans on
-
[1]
One effective method to control C0 is by adjusting the aperture of the interdigital electrodes [12],[18]. We first assessed the effect of varying the aperture size of the interdigital electrode (Designs Ⅰ-1-Ⅲ-2) on the resonator’s performance. The results are shown in Fig. 5, which includes optical microscope images of each device after suspension. Key pe...
-
[2]
F. A. Miranda, G. Subramanyam, F. W. van Keuls, R. R. Romanofsky, J. D. Warner and C. H. Mueller, "Design and development of ferroelectric tunable microwave components for Kuand K-band satellite communication systems," IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Techn, vol. 48, no. 7, pp. 1181- 1189, July 2000, doi: 10.1109/22.853458
-
[3]
Low-Loss Self- Packaged Ka-Band LTCC Filter Using Artificial Multimode SIW Resonator,
X. Huang, X. Zhang, L. Zhou, J. -X. Xu and J. -F. Mao, "Low-Loss Self- Packaged Ka-Band LTCC Filter Using Artificial Multimode SIW Resonator," IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems II: Express Briefs, vol. 70, no. 2, pp. 451-455, Feb. 2023, doi: 10.1109/TCSII.2022.3173712
-
[4]
An Efficient EM-Based Synthesis Technique for Single-Band and Dual-Band Waveguide Filters,
G. Basavarajappa and R. R. Mansour, "An Efficient EM-Based Synthesis Technique for Single-Band and Dual-Band Waveguide Filters," IEEE Transactions on Computer-Aided Design of Integrated Circuits and Systems, vol. 41, no. 6, pp. 1687-1692, June 2022, doi: 10.1109/TCAD.2021.3093016
-
[5]
J. Zhang, J. -X. Xu, C. Yao and X. Y. Zhang, "Miniaturized High- Selectivity High-Resistivity-Silicon IPD Bandpass Filter Based on Multiple Transmission Paths," IEEE ELECTR DEVICE L , vol. 45, no. 4, pp. 534-537, April 2024, doi: 10.1109/LED.2024.3364692
-
[6]
Microwave Acoustic Devices: Recent Advances and Outlook,
S. Gong, R. Lu, Y. Yang, L. Gao, and A. E. Hassanien, "Microwave Acoustic Devices: Recent Advances and Outlook," IEEE Journal of Microwaves, vol. 1, no.2, pp. 601-609,2021, doi: 10.1109/jmw.2021.3064825
-
[7]
10–60-GHz Electromechanical Resonators Using Thin-Film Lithium Niobate,
Y. Yang, R. Lu, L. Gao and S. Gong, "10–60-GHz Electromechanical Resonators Using Thin-Film Lithium Niobate," I EEE Trans. Microw. Theory Technol , vol. 68, no. 12, pp. 5211-5220, Dec. 2020, doi: 10.1109/TMTT.2020.3027694
-
[8]
RF acoustic microsystems based on suspended lithium niobate thin films: advances and outlook,
R. Lu and S. Gong, "RF acoustic microsystems based on suspended lithium niobate thin films: advances and outlook," J MICROMECH MICROENG, vol. 31, no. 11, 2021, doi: 10.1088/1361-6439/ac288f
-
[9]
Lateral Spurious Mode Suppression in Lithium Niobate A1 Resonators,
Y. Yang, L. Gao, R. Lu and S. Gong, "Lateral Spurious Mode Suppression in Lithium Niobate A1 Resonators," IEEE Trans. Ultrason., Ferroelectr., Freq. Control , vol. 68, no. 5, pp. 1930-1937, May 2021, doi: 10.1109/TUFFC.2020.3049084
-
[10]
4.5 GHz Lithium Niobate MEMS Filters With 10% Fractional Bandwidth for 5G Front-Ends,
Y. Yang, R. Lu, L. Gao and S. Gong, "4.5 GHz Lithium Niobate MEMS Filters With 10% Fractional Bandwidth for 5G Front-Ends," J. Microelectromech. Sys , vol. 28, no. 4, pp. 575-577, Aug. 2019, doi: 10.1109/JMEMS.2019.2922935
-
[11]
6.2 GHz Lithium Niobate MEMS Filter with FBW of 11.8% and IL of 1.7 dB,
Z. Wu, K. Yang, F. Lin and C. Zuo, "6.2 GHz Lithium Niobate MEMS Filter with FBW of 11.8% and IL of 1.7 dB," in 2022 IEEE MTT-S International Conference on Microwave Acoustics and Mechanics (IC- MAM), Munich, Germany, 2022, pp. 98-101
work page 2022
-
[12]
5 GHz laterally‐excited bulk‐wave resonators (XBARs) 9 based on thin platelets of lithium niobate,
V. Plessky, S. Yandrapalli, P. J. Turn er, L. G. Villanueva, J. Koskela, and R. B. Hammond, "5 GHz laterally‐excited bulk‐wave resonators (XBARs) 9 based on thin platelets of lithium niobate," Electron. Lett, vol. 55, no. 2, pp. 98-100, 2019, doi: 10.1049/el.2018.7297
-
[13]
Study of Thin Film LiNbO 3 Laterally Excited Bulk Acoustic Resonators,
S. Yandrapalli, S. E. K. Eroglu, V. Plessky, H. B. Atakan, and L. G. Villanueva, "Study of Thin Film LiNbO 3 Laterally Excited Bulk Acoustic Resonators," J. Microelectromech. Syst, vol. 31, no. 2, pp. 217-225, 2022, doi: 10.1109/jmems.2022.3143354
-
[14]
5 GHz Band n79 wideband microacoustic filter using thin lithium niobate membrane,
P. J. Turner, B. Garcia, V. Yantchev , G. Dyer, S. Yandrapalli, L. G. Villanueva, R. B. Hammond, and V. Plessky., "5 GHz Band n79 wideband microacoustic filter using thin lithium niobate membrane," Electron. Lett, Article vol. 55, no. 17, pp. 942-943, Aug 22 2019, doi: 10.1049/el.2019.1658
-
[15]
XBAR physics and next generation filter design,
J. Koulakis, J. Koskela, W. Yang, L. Myers, G. Dyer and B. Garcia, "XBAR physics and next generation filter design," 2021 IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium (IUS), Xi'an, China, 2021, pp. 1-5,
work page 2021
-
[16]
A1 Resonators in 128° Y-cut Lithium Niobate with Electrom echanical Coupling of 46.4%,
R. Lu, Y. Yang, S. Link, and S. Gong, "A1 Resonators in 128° Y-cut Lithium Niobate with Electrom echanical Coupling of 46.4%," J. Microelectromech. Syst, vol. 29, no. 3, pp. 313-319, 2020, doi: 10.1109/jmems.2020.2982775
-
[17]
H igh Q Antisymmetric Mode Lithium Niobate MEMS Resonators With Spurious Mitigation,
Y. Yang, R. Lu, and S. Gong, "H igh Q Antisymmetric Mode Lithium Niobate MEMS Resonators With Spurious Mitigation," J. Microelectromech. Syst, vol. 29, no. 2, pp. 135-143, 2020, doi: 10.1109/jmems.2020.2967784
-
[18]
Study of High-Q Laterally Excited Bulk Wave Resonator With Smaller Gap-Width Reflectors,
X. Gu et al. , "Study of High-Q Laterally Excited Bulk Wave Resonator With Smaller Gap-Width Reflectors," IEEE ELECTR DEVICE Lett, vol. 44, no. 8, pp. 1344-1347, 2023, doi: 10.1109/led.2023.3285813
-
[19]
X-Band Miniature Filters Using Lithium Niobate Acoustic Resonators and Bandwidth Widening Technique,
Y. Yang, L. Gao, and S. Gong, "X-Band Miniature Filters Using Lithium Niobate Acoustic Resonators and Bandwidth Widening Technique," IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Technol, vol. 69, no. 3, pp. 1602-1610, 2021, doi: 10.1109/tmtt.2021.3049434
-
[20]
A 20.4-GHz Lithium Niobate A3-Mode Resonator with High Electromechanical Coupling of 6.95%,
F. Lin, K. Yang, and C. Zuo, “A 20.4-GHz Lithium Niobate A3-Mode Resonator with High Electromechanical Coupling of 6.95%,” in 2 023 IEEE/MTT-S International Microwave Symposium - IMS 2023, San Diego, CA, USA, 2023, pp. 895-898
work page 2023
-
[21]
W ideband Hybrid Monolithic Lithium Niobate Acoustic Filter in the K-Band,
L. Gao, Y. Yang, and S. Gong, "W ideband Hybrid Monolithic Lithium Niobate Acoustic Filter in the K-Band," IEEE Trans. Ultrason., Ferroelectr., Freq. Control , vol. 68, no. 4, pp. 1408-1417, 2021, doi: 10.1109/tuffc.2020.3035123
-
[22]
Nanosheet Lithium Niobate Acoustic Res onator for mmWave Frequencies,
K. Yang, F. Lin, J. Fang, J. Chen, H. Tao, H. Sun, and C. Zuo, "Nanosheet Lithium Niobate Acoustic Res onator for mmWave Frequencies," IEEE ELECTR DEVICE L, vol. 45, no. 2, pp. 272-275, 2024, doi: 10.1109/led.2023.3345345
-
[23]
Thin-Film Lithium Niobate Acoustic Filter at 23.5 GHz With 2.38 dB IL and 18.2% FBW,
O. Barrera, S. Cho, L. Matto, J. Kramer, K. Huynh, V. Chulukhadze, Y.- W. Chang, M. S. Goorsky, and R. Lu ., "Thin-Film Lithium Niobate Acoustic Filter at 23.5 GHz With 2.38 dB IL and 18.2% FBW," J. Microelectromech. Syst, vol. 32, no. 6, pp. 622-625, 2023, doi: 10.1109/jmems.2023.3314666
-
[24]
Sub-terahertz electromechanics,
J. Xie, M. Shen, Y. Xu, W. Fu, L. Yang, and H. X. Tang, "Sub-terahertz electromechanics," Nature Electronics, vol. 6, no. 4, pp. 301-306, 2023, doi: 10.1038/s41928-023-00942-y
-
[25]
Lithium Niobate MEMS Antisymmetric Lamb Wave Resonators with Support Structures,
Y. Zhang, Y. Jiang, C. Tang, C. Deng, F. Du, J. He, Q. Hu, Q. Wang, H. Yu, and Z. Wang., "Lithium Niobate MEMS Antisymmetric Lamb Wave Resonators with Support Structures," Micromachines, vol. 15, no. 2, 2024, doi: 10.3390/mi15020195
-
[26]
X. Tong et al. , "High figure-of-merit A1-mode lamb wave resonators operating around 6 GHz based on the LiNbO3 thin film," J PHYS D APPL PHYS, vol. 57, no. 29, 2024, doi: 10.1088/1361-6463/ad3e06
-
[27]
Designing the Turnover Temperature in Lamb- Wave Lithium Tantalate Resonators,
Y. Majd and R. Abdolvand, "Designing the Turnover Temperature in Lamb- Wave Lithium Tantalate Resonators," IEEE ELECTR DEVICE L, vol. 45, no. 8, pp. 1508-1511, 2024, doi: 10.1109/led.2024.3411403
-
[28]
High-Frequency Resonator Using A1 Lamb Wave Mode in LiTaO3 Plate,
N. Assila, M. Kadota, and S. Tana ka, "High-Frequency Resonator Using A1 Lamb Wave Mode in LiTaO3 Plate," IEEE Trans. Ultrason., Ferroelectr., Freq. Control, vol. 66, no. 9, pp. 1529-1535, 2019, doi: 10.1109/tuffc.2019.2923579
-
[29]
Ultralow Acoustic Loss Micromachined Butterfly Lamb Wave Resonators on AlN Plates,
J. Zou, A. Gao, and A. P. Pisano, "Ultralow Acoustic Loss Micromachined Butterfly Lamb Wave Resonators on AlN Plates," IEEE Trans Ultrason Ferroelectr Freq Control, vol. 67, no. 3, pp. 671-674, Mar 2020, doi: 10.1109/TUFFC.2019.2945235
-
[30]
Aluminum Nitride Combined Overtone Resonators for the 5G High Frequency Bands,
G. Chen and M. Rinaldi, "Aluminum Nitride Combined Overtone Resonators for the 5G High Frequency Bands," J. Microelectromech. Syst, vol. 29, no. 2, pp. 148-159, 2020, doi: 10.1109/jmems.2020.2975557
-
[31]
The Multi-Mode Resonance in AlN Lamb Wave Resonators,
J. Zou, C.-M. Lin, A. Gao, and A. P. Pisano, "The Multi-Mode Resonance in AlN Lamb Wave Resonators," J. Microelectromech. Syst, vol. 27, no. 6, pp. 973-984, 2018, doi: 10.1109/jmems.2018.2867813
-
[32]
High Quality Co-Sputtering AlScN Thin Films for Piezoelectric Lamb-Wave Resonators,
S. Shao, Z. Luo, Y. Lu, A. Mazzalai, C. Tosi, and T. Wu, "High Quality Co-Sputtering AlScN Thin Films for Piezoelectric Lamb-Wave Resonators," J. Microelectromech. Syst, vol. 31, no. 3, pp. 328-337, 2022, doi: 10.1109/jmems.2022.3161055
-
[33]
Spurious-Free S₁ Mode AlN/ScAlN-Based Lamb Wave Resonator With Trapezoidal Electrodes,
T. Luo, Q. Xu, Z. Wen, Y. Qu, J. Zhou, B. Lin, Y. Cai, Y. Liu, and C. Sun, "Spurious-Free S₁ Mode AlN/ScAlN-Based Lamb Wave Resonator With Trapezoidal Electrodes," IEEE ELECTR DEVICE Lett , vol. 44, no. 4, pp. 574-577, 2023, doi: 10.1109/led.2023.3244585
-
[34]
Ultra High Q Lithium Niobate Resonator at 15-Degree Three-Dimensional Euler Angle,
Z. Dai, X. Liu, H. Cheng, S. Xiao, H. Sun, and C. Zuo, "Ultra High Q Lithium Niobate Resonator at 15-Degree Three-Dimensional Euler Angle," IEEE ELECTR DEVICE Lett , vol. 43, no. 7, pp. 1105-1108, 2022, doi: 10.1109/led.2022.3175572
-
[35]
Y. -H. Song and S. Gong, "Wideb and RF Filters Using Medium-Scale Integration of Lithium Niobate La terally Vibrating Resonators," IEEE ELECTR DEVICE Lett , vol. 38, no. 3, pp. 387-390, March 2017, doi: 10.1109/LED.2017.2662066
discussion (0)
Sign in with ORCID, Apple, or X to comment. Anyone can read and Pith papers without signing in.