Potential impact of ferroelectric technology for PCS and cellular communications

Abstract

As the cellular and PCS spectrum become increasingly crowded due to the presence of a greater number of subscribers, it will become even more important for handset and base station manufacturers to come up with ways to ensure reliable system performance. In the handsets, the use of tunable filters, along with lower phase noise tunable oscillators, among other things, can help achieve the desired increase in reliability and system performance. It is in these areas where frequency agile components may be best applied. Ferroelectric thin/thick film technology is making significant improvements in reducing dielectric loss and tuning voltage requirements. Thus their application to the development of commercially useful and practical frequency agile components is gaining. This paper will consider some of the potential areas in filtering and tunable oscillator design where ferroelectric materials may be used to an advantage in future generation handsets.