Highly Energy Efficient 64-element Array Antenna Based on Cu/Co Metaconductor and Fused Silica

Metaconductor-based 64-element 3D array antenna-in-packaging (AiP) on fused silica substrates is presented for highly energy efficient 5G new radio wireless communications in a millimeter-wave (mm-wave) spectrum. The deployment of the Copper (Cu)/Cobalt (Co) metaconductor improves the efficiency of AiP at 28 GHz by reducing the conductor loss associated with the skin effect. The 3D AiP configuration enhances antenna performance by relieving the electromagnetic coupling and increasing antenna bandwidth. The AiP was designed on a multilayered fused silica substrate using the finite element method. The devices were prototyped using microfabrication and wafer bonding techniques. The Cu/Co metaconductor-based AiP showed a 10-dB bandwidth of 2 GHz at 28 GHz and a 9 dB gain improvement when compared to the Cu counterpart.