Title:  Glass Based Packaging for Beyond 5G Communication

Committee: 

Dr. Swaminathan, Advisor

Dr. Ghalichechian, Co-Advisor

Dr. Bakir, Chair

Dr. Peterson

Abstract: The objective of the proposed research is to develop package technology to improve the performance of RF front-end modules in the D-band (110 GHz to 170 GHz) for the next generation of wireless communication (6G). D-band is a promising frequency range for 6G with the advantage of the wide frequency spectrum. However, there are several challenges for implementing wireless modules/systems in D-band. First, high atmospheric loss of signals above 100 GHz requires highly directional antenna arrays to meet the transmission requirements. Second, electrical interconnects between the RFICs and the package need to be well-matched to ensure wide-band transmission, which is challenging at such high frequencies. Finally, the efficiency of power amplifiers (PA) decreases which gives a high heat dissipation density on the RFICs. To address these challenges, die-embedded packaging technology enables the dies to be embedded in a through cavity in the glass core substrate. With dies embedded in the center of the substrate, the distance between the embedded die and the antennas can be greatly shortened. We have demonstrated the superior electrical performance provided by the die-embedded glass interposer. The die-to-package interconnect shows good matching (less than -10 dB S11) and low loss (0.2 dB loss) in D-band. The integrated 1×8 microstrip patch antenna array shows 11.6 dB broadside gain and good matching with the embedded die in D-band. We also present the planar Goubau line (PGL) as a type of interconnect on the glass interposer. The die-embedded package also provides the direct attachment for the heat spreader. The ongoing work is to integrate the thermal management solution and realize a functional module with the D-band InP power amplifier and antenna array using die-embedded packaging.