Compact LTCC antenna package for 60 GHz wireless transmission of uncompressed video

Abstract

This paper proposes a compact antenna package in low-temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) technology for 60 GHz wireless transmission of uncompressed video. A 60 GHz active phased-array antenna is realized in the package by integrating 4 open-waveguide antenna elements at the top of the package with a 60 GHz CMOS chip at the bottom of the package. The LTCC build-up was designed to provide low interconnection loss between antenna elements and chip (insertion loss<1 dB), good antenna performance in the full unlicensed 60 GHz band (gain>5.3 dBi) and excellent shielding of the bottom side of the package containing the CMOS chip from the radiation emerging from the top side of the package (>40dB suppression). The low backside radiation allows the direct ball-grid array assembly of the package on a printed circuit-board. Only passive antenna arrays and interconnect lines were fabricated and tested in this paper. Separate transmitter (Tx) and receiver (Rx) modules were also designed in this package. Both modules have a size of only 9.5 × 9.5 × 0.8 mm3. The flip-chip assembly of the CMOS chip on the package is still under fabrication.