Microwave Signal Processing Using Magnetostatic Wave Devices

This paper presents an overview of the various techniques involved in the magnetostatic wave (MSW) area. A very brief summary of the properties of magnetostatic wave propagation in ferrite films is first given, followed by detailed descriptions of some important MSW devices such as delay lines, filters and resonators. The last section of the paper is devoted to systems built using MSW devices such as tunable oscillators and frequency multipliers. Some of the data presented in this paper refers to results already published in the literature, but most of the data are from results obtained at Hewlett-Packard Labs. We are reporting on the lowest frequency (373 MHz) and the highest frequency (30 GHz) MSW devices built using thin YIG films. The paper concludes by stating the potential of the technology as well as some of the basic problems that must be solved if MSW devices and systems are to be used in actual products.