First high-frequency filter for 5G, Wi-Fi 7 and future 6G networks

Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. is mass-producing and commercially shipping the world's first high-frequency filter utilising XBAR technology. Developed by combining its proprietary Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) filter expertise with XBAR technology from the company's subsidiary Resonant Inc., it allows the extraction of desired signals while achieving low insertion loss and high attenuation. These features are crucial for the latest wireless technologies, including 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, Wi-Fi 7, and emerging 6G technologies.

The demand for reliable high-frequency communications continues to grow in response to the widespread deployment of 5G and the future development of 6G. Simultaneously, WLAN standards such as Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 are expanding into higher frequency domains to accommodate ultra-fast data rates. Filters used in these applications must address key challenges, including preventing out-of-band interference, maximising system battery performance, and meeting stringent space limitations. Traditional approaches using Low Temperature Co-Fired Ceramic (LTCC) or conventional BAW filters often fall short in these performance areas.

Murata's new XBAR-based filter addresses these limitations by achieving high attenuation performance while maintaining a wide bandwidth and low signal loss. The XBAR structure itself excites bulk acoustic waves using comb-shaped electrodes and a piezoelectric single-crystal thin film, enabling performance that surpasses that of conventional filter structures. It effectively removes high-frequency interference, even in bands above 3GHz, providing clearer signal detection and enhanced performance, which contributes to high-speed, high-capacity, and high-quality wireless communication.

Key performance parameters include a passband of 5150–7125MHz, a typical insertion loss of 2.2dB, and a typical return loss of 17dB. Typical attenuation figures are 11dB at 4800–5000MHz, 28dB at 3300–4800MHz, 27dB at 7737–8237MHz, and 26dB at 10300–14250MHz.

The new filter is designed for devices with embedded wireless functionality, including smartphones, wearables, notebook PCs, and communication gateways, providing an optimal balance of performance and cost efficiency. Murata will continue to drive innovation in filter technologies to support the evolution of wireless communications, and expects this architecture to scale further, with future product generations capable of operating effectively in ultra-high frequency bands above 10GHz.