Substrateless Packaging for a D-Band MMIC Based on a Waveguide with a Glide-Symmetric EBG Hole Configuration

Area of Science:

• Microwave Engineering
• Terahertz Technology
• Semiconductor Packaging

Background:

• Millimeter-wave (mmWave) and Terahertz (THz) systems require advanced packaging solutions.
• Traditional packaging methods often face limitations in performance and cost for high-frequency applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel substrateless packaging solution for D-band active mixer MMIC modules.
• To enable cost-effective and high-performance packaging for mmWave and THz frequency bands.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a hollow rectangular waveguide with a glide-symmetric periodic electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) hole configuration.
• Implemented a wire-bond wideband transition directly connecting the MMIC to the waveguide, eliminating intermediate substrates.
• Employed a periodical nail structure to suppress unwanted modes in the transition.

Main Results:

• Achieved return loss below 10 dB for LO (70-85 GHz) and RF (150-170 GHz) ports, outperforming traditional waveguide transitions.
• Demonstrated broadband adaptability and excellent repeatability across multiple samples.
• The solution imposes no limitations on chip dimensions or shape.

Conclusions:

• The proposed substrateless packaging offers satisfactory frequency performance and broadband adaptability for mmWave and THz systems.
• This cost-effective and repeatable solution facilitates the commercialization of millimeter-wave and THz products.
• The packaging is suitable for both transmitter and receiver modules.