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11 April 2001 Passive Components

The integration of active and passive components into one multilayer ceramic device yields massive size reductions. Combinations of previously separate microwave functions are being integrated into one package, using Murata's unique low temperature co-fired ceramic technology.

After more than ten years of development there are families of integrated active and passive products in the Murata catalogue, with new items being added regularly. The passive list includes bandpass, high-pass and low-pass LC filters; diplexers, couplers and baluns. The sizes of these have generally fallen from 2220 to 1206 with 0805 or 0603 in prospect, and weight has reduced by 95%.

While it is very useful to reduce the size of individual components like this, integrating a number of components into one package has even more impact. We have seen this with the conventional resistor and capacitor arrays. It is even more apparent with combinations of L&C. For example, 10 years ago, customers found that it was worth changing to a surface-mounting 2220 size bandpass filter.

When active components are also included, space savings are bigger and more complex functions can be performed in less space. A good example of this is the Switchplexer for dual frequency portable telephone terminals. This integrates one diplexer functioning as a branching filter and two RF diode switches, each with a low-pass filter in the RF front-end. The result is a 6,7 x 5,0 x 2,0 mm component that contains the diode switches, antenna and front-end filters and can automatically switch between the frequency bands of two cellular telephone systems (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Switchplexer block diagram

Strange as it may seem, in spite of the reduction in total volume compared with the discrete components displaced, electrical performance is as good as, or better than, that of replaced parts. Surface-mounting is standard, packaging is in 16 mm plastic tape containing 1000 pieces on 180 mm diameter reels. Recommended process conditions are provided in the Murata data. Other modules are available and the future will bring more, integrating additional functions and components in less space than is needed today.

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www.avnet.co.za

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