Method for making surface acoustic wave devices

Claim 1

A method for making surface acoustic wave devices comprising the steps of: (a) providing a body of piezoelectric material, said body having substantially parallel major surfaces and a peripheral edge area interconnecting said major surfaces; (b) forming a thin film lamellar metallic eutectic on at least a portion of one of said major surfaces of said body; (c) selectively removing one of the phases of said thin film lamellar metallic eutectic, forming thereby a first spaced array of substantially parallel metallic elements; (d) forming a first interconnect to electrically connect said metallic elements of said first spaced array, forming thereby a first comb-like structure; (e) applying a layer of an insulating material over the exposed surfaces of said first comb-like structure; (f) selectively depositing a conducting material into the spaces between the insulated elements of said first spaced array forming thereby a second spaced array of metallic elements substantially juxtaposed from said insulated metallic elements of said first spaced array; and (g) forming a second interconnect to electrically connect said metallic elements of said second spaced array, forming thereby a second comb-like structure interdigitated with said first comb-like structure and electrically insulated from said first comb-like structure.

Claim 2

A method for making surface acoustic wave devices comprising the steps of: (a) providing a body of piezoelectric material, said body having substantially parallel major surfaces and a peripheral edge area interconnecting said major surfaces; (b) forming a thin film lamellar metallic eutectic on at least a portion of one of said major surfaces of said body; (c) selectively removing one of the phases of said thin film lamellar metallic eutectic, forming thereby a first spaced array of substantially parallel metallic elements; (d) forming a first interconnect to electrically connect said metallic elements of said first spaced array, forming thereby a first comb-like structure; (e) applying a layer of an insulating material over the exposed surfaces of said first comb-like structure; (f) selectively depositing a conducting material into the spaces between the insulated elements of said first spaced array forming thereby a second spaced array of metallic elements substantially juxtaposed from said insulated metallic elements of said first spaced array; and (g) forming a second interconnect to electrically connect said metallic elements of said second spaced array, forming thereby a second comb-like structure interdigitated with said first comb-like structure and electrically insulated from said first comb-like structure.

Claim 9

A method for making surface acoustic wave devices comprising the steps of: (a) providing a body of piezoelectric material, said body having substantially parallel major surfaces and a peripheral edge area interconnecting said major surfaces; (b) forming a thin film lamellar metallic eutectic on at least a portion of one of said major surfaces of said body; (c) selectively removing one of the phases of said thin film lamellar metallic eutectic, forming thereby a first spaced array of substantially parallel metallic elements; (d) forming a first interconnect to electrically connect said metallic elements of said first spaced array, forming thereby a first comb-like structure; (e) applying a layer of an insulating material over the exposed surfaces of said first comb-like structure; (f) selectively masking the top surface of said first interconnect; (g) depositing a substantially continuous layer of a conducting material over the insulated first comb-like structure filling thereby the spaces between the insulated elements of said first spaced array; (h) preferentially removing segments of the deposited conducting material from above the insulated metallic elements of said first spaced array to form a second spaced array of metallic elements substantially juxtaposed from said insulated metallic elements of said first spaced array; (i) selectively masking the top surface of said first and second spaced arrays; (j) forming a second interconnect to electrically connect said metallic elements of said second spaced array, forming thereby a second comb-like structure interdigitated with and electrically insulated from said first comb-like structure; and (k) removing the masking material and metal deposited thereon from the top surface of said first interconnect and from the top surface of the first and second spaced arrays.

Claim 10

A method for making surface acoustic wave devices comprising the steps of: (a) providing a body of piezoelectric material, said body having substantially parallel major surfaces and a peripheral edge area interconnecting said major surfaces; (b) forming a thin film lamellar metallic eutectic on at least a portion of one of said major surfaces of said body; (c) selectively removing one of the phases of said thin film lamellar metallic eutectic, forming thereby a first spaced array of substantially parallel metallic elements; (d) forming a first interconnect to electrically connect said metallic elements of said first spaced array, forming thereby a first comb-like structure; (e) applying a layer of an insulating material over the exposed surfaces of said first comb-like structure; (f) selectively masking the top surface of said first interconnect; (g) depositing a substantially continuous layer of a conducting material over the insulated first comb-like structure filling thereby the spaces between the insulated elements of said first spaced array; (h) preferentially removing segments of the deposited conducting material from above the insulated metallic elements of said first spaced array to form a second spaced array of metallic elements substantially juxtaposed from said insulated metallic elements of said first spaced array; (i) selectively masking the top surface of said first and second spaced arrays; (j) forming a second interconnect to electrically connect said metallic elements of said second spaced array, forming thereby a second comb-like structure interdigitated with and electrically insulated from said first comb-like structure; and (k) removing the masking material and metal deposited thereon from the top surface of said first interconnect and from the top surface of the first and second spaced arrays.