Interdigital transducer
Encyclopedia
An interdigital transducer (IDT), or interdigitated transducer, is a device which consists of two interlocking comb-shaped metallic coatings (in the fashion of a zipper) which are applied to a piezoelectric substrate
, such as quartz
or lithium niobate
. IDTs are primarily used to convert microwaves to surface acoustic wave
s (SAW).
Wafer (electronics)
A wafer is a thin slice of semiconductor material, such as a silicon crystal, used in the fabrication of integrated circuits and other microdevices...
, such as quartz
Quartz
Quartz is the second-most-abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust, after feldspar. It is made up of a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall formula SiO2. There are many different varieties of quartz,...
or lithium niobate
Lithium niobate
Lithium niobate is a compound of niobium, lithium, and oxygen. Its single crystals are an important material for optical waveguides, mobile phones, optical modulators and various other linear and non-linear optical applications.-Properties:...
. IDTs are primarily used to convert microwaves to surface acoustic wave
Surface acoustic wave
]A surface acoustic wave is an acoustic wave traveling along the surface of a material exhibiting elasticity, with an amplitude that typically decays exponentially with depth into the substrate.-Discovery:...
s (SAW).