Radio frequency systems have been applied successfully to consumer products. Typically these radios operate up to 6 GHz. During recent years, interest towards microwave (up to 30 GHz) and millimeter wave frequencies (30 ... 300 GHz) has increased significantly. Technologies have been developed to have high performance microwave and millimeter wave components. On the other hand, integration and packaging technologies have not developed as fast while their importance is crucial especially in consumer applications. This presentation focuses to latest trends in wireless microsystem component integration and packaging trends backed up with demonstrators and measured results based on VTT’s demonstrations.
Radio Frequency (RF) consumer applications have boosted silicon integrated circuits (IC) and corresponding
technologies. More and more functions are integrated to ICs and their performance is also increasing. However, RF
front-end modules with filters and switches as well as antennas still need other way of integration. This paper focuses to
RF front-end module and antenna developments as well as to the integration of millimeter wave radios. VTT Technical
Research Centre of Finland has developed both Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramics (LTCC) and Integrated Passive
Devices (IPD) integration platforms for RF and millimeter wave integrated modules. In addition to in-house
technologies, VTT is using module and component technologies from other commercial sources.
Integration of multiple chips and functions to the same radio module is a key issue when the size of a radio front-end is tried to minimize. VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has developed both Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramics (LTCC) and Integrated Passive Devices (IPD) integration platforms for radio frequency (RF) integrated modules. Three dimensional (3D) integration technologies are enablers for realizing compact multi-chip modules with several different technologies in the same module. In addition to module level integration, both technologies are used for realizing high quality factor passive components.
This presentation shows recent trends and results in 3D Low Temperature Co-Fired Ceramics (LTCC) modules in
applications from RF to millimeter waves. The system-in-package LTCC platform is a true three dimensional module
technology. LTCC is a lightweight multi-layer technology having typically 6-20 ceramic layers and metallizations
between. The metallization levels i.e different metal layers can be patterned and connected together with metal vias.
Passive devices can also be fabricated on LTCC while active devices and other chips are connected with flip-chip, wire
bonding or soldering. In addition to passives directly fabricated to LTCC, several different technologies/ chips can be
hybrid integrated to the same module.
LTCC platform is also well suited for the realization of antenna arrays for microwave and millimeter wave applications.
Potential applications are ranging from short range communications to space and radars. VTT has designed, fabricated
and characterized microwave and millimeter wave packages for Radio Frequency (RF) Micro Electro Mechanical
Systems (MEMS) as well as active devices. Also, several types of system-in-package modules have been realized
containing hybrid integrated CMOS and GaAs MMICs and antenna arrays.
A fabrication process and multi project wafer run (MPW) service has been developed for realizing integrated passive
devices. The fabrication process is simple and low cost ranging applications from consumer electronics to
instrumentation and measurement as well as defense and scientific applications. The fabrication process is offered as an
MPW service for all types of organizations being suitable for scientific experiments, product prototyping or
optimization. The technology has used for realizing microwave and millimeter wave components. Measured result show
that the technology as well as accurate design result in loss less than 1.1 dB at 60 GHz for an integrated band-pass filter.
This paper presents millimeter wave identification (MMID) concept, which extends the Radio frequency identification
(RFID) systems to millimeter wave frequencies. The MMID system is described as well as experimental demonstrations
are presented both at 60 GHz and 77 GHz.
A MEMS switch for radio frequency applications has been designed, fabricated, and characterized. The focus has been in
the optimization of switch performance towards handset applications. The realized switch has actuation voltage less than
15 V for realizing a good metal-to-metal contact. Measured results show loss less than 0.25 dB up to 10 GHz with
matching better than -30 dB in the down-state, and isolation better than -20 dB up to 6 GHz in the up-state.
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