A compact high power T/R module for X-band phased array radar applications using an anodized aluminum substrate

This paper presents a compact high-power X-band transmit/receive (T/R) module based on a multi-chip-module (MCM) structure using a selectively anodized aluminum substrate. The proposed T/R module package used thick anodized aluminum (Al2O3) layers and bare MMICs directly mounted on an aluminum substrate for an effective heat sink and a high electrical isolation. The study demonstrates a 28 × 28 × 0.5 mm3 compact T/R module for X-band phased array applications. The fabricated T/R module has a maximum transmit output power of 39.21 dBm (8.3 W), maximum transmit gain of 39.82 dB, and receive gain of 22.1 dB over the 9–10 GHz frequency band. The RF-signal phase amplitude control is achieved with a six-bit phase shifter with RMS accuracy better than 6° and a gain setting range of 24 dB with RMS accuracy better than 2 dB. The proposed aluminum package has the advantages of reducing the module size, decreasing the cost, and managing thermal problems in X-band high-power T/R module package applications.