Disclosed is a device that includes a crystalline substrate and a patterned aluminum-based material layer disposed onto the crystalline substrate. The patterned aluminum-based material layer has a titanium-alloyed surface. A titanium-based material layer is disposed over select portions of the titanium-alloyed surface. In an exemplary embodiment, the patterned aluminum-based material layer forms a pair of interdigitated transducers to provide a surface wave acoustic (SAW) device. The SAW device of the present disclosure is usable to realize SAW-based filters for wireless communication equipment.