Design And Study On Integrated LTCC Antenna For3D-MCM RF Package System

Wireless communication systems are composed of the antenna, IC chip and other electronic components. In order to make radio frequency (RF) system become more compact and lighter, the antennas are required not only smaller in size while retaining the high efficiency, but also can achieve antenna-integrated FR package system. Using LTCC substrate and3D-MCM technology, the antenna and the maximum number of IC bare chips are easy to integrate in the compact RF system. In this way, the system will be smaller in size, lighter, multi-purpose, perform better and cheaper.This paper studies design and optimization issues in an antenna-integrated3D-MCM RF compact package. At first, fundamental theories of the antenna and methods to achieve miniaturization of the antenna is introduced, and then two LTCC antenna design structures are presented:one is a U-shaped slot antenna; the other is a meander line antenna. The3D electromagnetic simulation software HFSS is employed to analyze the LTCC antenna and antenna-integrated3D-MCM package. The results show that the two LTCC antenna achieved bandwidth of more than200MHz at a center frequency of2.4GHz in a very compact size, while have a series of advantage of good direction, high radiant strength, and little weight. Secondly, the antenna-integrated RF system is proposed of the LTCC antenna that had designed placed on the top surface, internal conducting layer, package layer for antenna feed and integration of other multilayer IC bare chips, and finally a bottom ground. The result of HFSS simulation shows that an antenna-integrated RF system based on3D-MCM packaging technology available to fit Bluetooth and IEEE802.15.4application. Thirdly, the detailed parameters studies are presented, which demonstrate the great influence of antenna-integrated3D-MCM package characteristics, and then the design and process of3D-MCM based on LTCC cavity technology is described. Lastly, the RF package system is fabricated, and the experimental measurements agreed well with simulation results.