Murata Launches World’s First High-Frequency XBAR Filter to Advance Next-Gen Wireless Connectivity
Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. has officially begun mass production and commercial shipment of the world’s first high-frequency filter utilizing XBAR technology. This groundbreaking development represents a major milestone in the evolution of wireless communications. By integrating Murata’s proprietary Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) filter expertise with XBAR technology from its U.S.-based subsidiary, Resonant Inc., the company has created a filter capable of delivering exceptional performance in demanding wireless environments, including 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, Wi-Fi 7, and next-generation 6G systems.
Meeting the Demands of Next-Generation Networks
As the rollout of 5G accelerates and the foundation for 6G begins to take shape, the need for efficient, high-frequency communication components has become more urgent than ever. Meanwhile, the latest wireless local-area network (WLAN) standards, such as Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7, are rapidly expanding into higher frequency bands to support increasingly intensive data throughput and connectivity requirements.
These advancements bring new challenges for hardware design, particularly in terms of signal filtering. Wireless systems must prevent out-of-band interference while maintaining low signal loss and minimizing power consumption. Additionally, the compact size of devices such as smartphones, wearables, and other mobile electronics places strict limitations on the physical footprint of key components. Traditional filtering solutions, such as Low Temperature Co-Fired Ceramic (LTCC) and conventional Bulk Acoustic Wave (BAW) filters, often fall short when trying to meet all of these requirements simultaneously.
A New Filter Architecture for Modern Wireless Demands
Murata’s new filter addresses these challenges head-on through its innovative use of XBAR technology. The XBAR filter employs a cutting-edge design in which comb-shaped electrodes are placed over a piezoelectric single-crystal thin film. This configuration excites bulk acoustic waves, resulting in a highly efficient filtering process that exceeds the limitations of previous architectures.
Notably, this advanced structure enables both high attenuation and low insertion loss across wide bandwidths — capabilities that are crucial for maintaining strong, reliable wireless signals in high-frequency applications. The filter is particularly effective at removing unwanted signal noise and interference in the upper frequency spectrum, including bands above 3 GHz, making it well-suited for applications that demand fast, high-capacity, and stable wireless communication.
Technical Performance Highlights
The initial XBAR-based filter introduced by Murata supports a wide passband range from 5150 MHz to 7125 MHz, offering compatibility with key WLAN and 5G/6G bands. The filter achieves a typical insertion loss of just 2.2 dB, which helps preserve signal strength and contributes to improved energy efficiency in mobile devices. Additionally, the filter demonstrates a typical return loss of 17 dB, ensuring effective impedance matching and minimizing signal reflection.
It also boasts strong out-of-band attenuation characteristics, including:
- 11 dB at 4800–5000 MHz
- 28 dB at 3300–4800 MHz
- 27 dB at 7737–8237 MHz
- 26 dB at 10300–14250 MHz
These performance metrics make the filter particularly well-suited to advanced wireless systems where maintaining signal clarity and reducing noise are critical to overall device function and user experience.
Broad Market Applications and Future Scalability
Murata’s XBAR filter is specifically designed to meet the needs of a wide array of modern electronic devices. These include smartphones, tablets, wearable tech, notebook PCs, and communication gateways, all of which rely on embedded wireless modules to deliver seamless connectivity. By combining high performance with compact size and cost-effective manufacturing, Murata aims to help OEMs integrate advanced wireless capabilities more easily into next-generation products.
Looking ahead, Murata plans to expand its portfolio of XBAR-based filters, with a focus on scaling the technology for use in even higher frequency ranges — potentially exceeding 10 GHz — as future 6G networks and beyond begin to take shape. This ongoing innovation reflects Murata’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of wireless performance and supporting the global digital transformation.
With the introduction of this pioneering XBAR filter, Murata not only sets a new standard for high-frequency filtering technology but also positions itself as a key enabler in the continued evolution of advanced wireless communications.