Towards 3D-Printed Antenna in Package Solutions for THz-Applications

This work investigates the feasibility of 3D-printing packages for integrated circuits (IC) with built-in functional structures. The principle is demonstrated with a 300 GHz package integrated horn antenna. The horn in package is used for beamforming and antenna gain enhancement of system-on-chip (SoC) solutions and is fed by an on-chip patch antenna implemented in Backend-of-line (BEOL). The paper highlights the design process of the on-chip driver element, the 3D-printed package, and the assembly of the module. The functionality of the on-chip antenna, waveguide package horn and assembly is verified by measurement characterization. Furthermore, the limitations of current 3D-printing technologies in terms of resolution capabilities and the advantages of 3D-printed IC-packages, encapsulations, and interconnects for future wideband communications and high-resolution radar sensor applications above 300 GHz will be discussed.