Antenna-in-Package Technology for Modern Radio Systems

Antenna-in-Package (AiP) technology offers an elegant antenna solution to modern radio systems such as single-chip radios. AiP combines an antenna or antennas with a single-chip radio die into a standard surface mounted device so that the assembly cost and board area of a discrete antenna (e.g. a chip antenna) can be saved. More importantly, AiP provides a platform to codesign the antenna, package, and chip so that the single-chip radio performance can be maximized. In this paper, a mini review of AiP development is first presented. Then the design of a novel antenna in the format of a cavitydown ball grid array package in low temperature cofired ceramic (LTCC) process for 5.7-GHz single-chip radios is described. Finally, AiP designs are mentioned for modern ultrawide-band (UWB) and millimeter-wave radios.