A method of manufacturing a surface acoustic wave resonator includes forming or providing a support substrate layer, forming or providing piezoelectric layer of lithium niobate over the support substrate layer, and forming or providing an interdigital transducer electrode including a plurality of fingers over the piezoelectric layer. The piezoelectric layer formed or provided having a cut angle (e.g., the piezoelectric angle is cut so as to have a crystal orientation) that allows the surface acoustic wave device to operate as a longitudinally leaky surface acoustic wave device that confines the acoustic wave energy within the piezoelectric substrate and that has less propagation attenuation and a higher electromechanical coupling coefficient k2.