Millimeter-Wave Surface Mount Technology for 3-D Printed Polymer Multichip Modules

• Published in: IEEE transactions on components, packaging, and manufacturing technology (2011) Vol. 5; no. 2; pp. 201 - 206
• Main Authors: Merkle, Thomas, Gotzen, Reiner
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: IEEE 01.02.2015
• Subjects: 3-D integration; 3-D printing; Calibration; Lead; Loss measurement; Manufacturing; Millimeter wave technology; millimeter-wave; multichip module; Polymers; quad-flat no-lead (QFN); surface mount technology (SMT); Transmission line measurements; quad-flat no-lead (QFN); multichip module; 3-D printing; millimeter-wave; surface mount technology (SMT); 3-D integration
• ISSN: 2156-3950; 2156-3985
• DOI: 10.1109/TCPMT.2014.2387232

Board level integration of novel all-in-polymer 3-D printed multichip modules process (MCM-P) at millimeter-wave frequencies is presented. The modules were manufactured using additive 3-D printing technologies based on mask-defined gradual photopolymerization in the z -direction. A lead frame structure was introduced resulting in a quad-flat no-lead footprint of 0.5-mm pitch. The front-side of the modules integrated transmission lines of the centered stripline type for interconnecting embedded millimeter-wave monolithic integrated circuits up to D -band (110-170 GHz). Broadband surface mount transitions from the MCM-P front-side interconnection layers to a high-frequency printed circuit board (PCB) were investigated. Dual channel test modules were characterized in back-to-back configuration, representing the integration needs of millimeter-wave multiple-input-multiple-output systems. The de-embedded PCB transition exhibited an insertion loss of less than 2 dB up to 75 GHz and less than 1 dB up to 60 GHz with a return loss better than 10 dB.