TDK Develops “World's Smallest” Thin-Film Band-Pass Filter for Mobile Devices

TDK Corporation has developed a 1005-size thin-film band-pass filter that is just 0.3 mm thick, said to be the world's smallest filter of its kind. TDK applied the thin-film technologies it developed through the manufacture of HDD magnetic heads, which are among TDK's leading products, to create a filter that is substantially low-profile and smaller than earlier 2012-sized products with just one-twelfth the volume.

In the past several years, mobile phones and other mobile communications devices have become increasingly advanced as they adopt functions, in addition to their core functions, including transmission of relatively large volumes of data such as graphics and mobile internet capabilities. Also, attractive hardware designs have became as important as function, and as demand for compact, lightweight, and easy to use devices rises, so does the need for compact, low-profile electronic components. There is also a need for further miniaturization of the electronic components used in the numerous modules that make up electronic devices.

As mobile communications devices become increasingly advanced and perform multiple functions, it is important that the signals required for communications functions be transmitted with low loss to achieve low power consumption and long component life and that unneeded signals are substantially attenuated.

To respond to these market needs, TDK applied the cutting-edge thin-film technologies that it developed through HDD magnetic head manufacturing and formed thin-films of copper wiring, insulation material, and dielectric material on a ceramic substrate to create the world's smallest band-pass filter-a 1005-size (1.0 mm long by 0.5 mm wide) component that is just 0.3 mm thick. The new filter will be used primarily for ensuring signal quality in mobile phones, wireless LAN and Bluetooth1 modules, Bluetooth headsets, and other devices.

Thin-film technologies, one of TDK's areas of expertise, are also used in the manufacture of thin-film common mode filters, which are used as noise countermeasure components for ensuring signal quality in high-speed data transmissions.

TDK Corporation