A novel planar level chip interconnection for unpackaged MMICs in the millimeter wave frequency range

This paper presents a novel planar interconnection technology for unpackaged monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs), which work in the millimeter wave (mmw) frequency range. Compared to standard wire bonding, the new technique provides considerable advantages with regard to the electrical characteristics and manufacturing processes. The manufacturing process for a module containing surface mounted devices (SMD) and unpackaged MMICs is described. In order to determine the electrical behavior, a model of a single interconnection is developed using a full wave field simulation and compared to a model of a wire bond. Finally, the insertion losses are determined by measuring the output power of an active frequency doubler, which is assembled using both technologies. Because of the availability of commercial MMICs an operating frequency of 77 GHz is considered.