Packaging Solution Based on Low-Temperature Cofired Ceramic Technology for Frequencies Beyond 100 GHz

In this paper, a package concept based on low-temperature cofired ceramic (LTCC) technology is illustrated. The concept is specifically designed for frequencies beyond 100 GHz, taking into consideration the inherent LTCC manufacturing defects, e.g., shrinkage, layer misalignment, and warping. Simple techniques are used for package assembly which can be automated using standard industrial processes. The proposed concept is implemented by integrating a 122-GHz silicon-germanium (SiGe) radar transceiver chip in an LTCC-based package. The off-chip components of the package, operating at 122 GHz, include a transmit (Tx) and a receive (Rx) aperture-coupled patch antenna array, a stripline to grounded coplanar waveguide signal transition feeding each of the antenna arrays, and three parallel, self-matched ground-signal-ground wirebonds connecting the SiGe radar transceiver chip and the LTCC package on Tx and Rx side. The simulation and measurement results of the Tx and Rx antenna arrays along with the signal transitions in the frequency range of 110–140 GHz are shown. The radar front end (RFE) is encapsulated using an epoxy molding compound, Polytec TC 430-T with suitable dielectric characteristics in the desired frequency range. The encapsulated RFE is surface mounted on a baseband printed circuit board, thereby realizing a fully functional 122-GHz frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar. The FMCW radar is used to measure the distance of a target, and the measurement results are compared with those of a commercial 122-GHz RFE.