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This paper presents the design of a ball grid array package and more importantly describes the integration of a microstrip grid array antenna in the package in a low temperature cofired ceramic (LTCC) technology for a single-chip 60-GHz receiver. The grid array package has a small volume of 13.5 × 8 × 1.265 mm3 and can house a 60-GHz receiver die of current size. The package samples were fabricated and measured. The package part demonstrates low insertion loss <; 0.08 dB and excellent matching with return loss >; 22 dB below 5 GHz; while the antenna part achieves good matching (|S11 | ≤ -10 dB), high efficiency (η >; 88%), and directional patterns with the main beam in the boresight direction from 57 to 64 GHz as well as high gain with the peak value of 14.5 dBi at 60 GHz. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Antenna-on-chip (AoC) and antenna-in-package (AiP) solutions are studied for highly integrated millimeter-wave (mmWave) devices in wireless communications. First, the background, regulations, standard, and applications of 60-GHz wireless communications are briefly introduced. Then, highly integrated 60-GHz radios are overviewed as a basis for the link budget analysis to derive the antenna gain requirement. Next, in order to have deep physical insight into the AoC solution, the silicon substrate's high permittivity and low resistivity effects on the AoC efficiency are examined. It is shown that the AoC solution has low efficiency, less than 12% due to. large ohmic losses and surface waves, which requires the development of techniques to improve the AoC efficiency. After that, the AiP solution and associated challenges such as how to realize low-loss interconnection between the chip and antenna are addressed. It is shown that wire-bonding interconnects, although inferior to the flip-chip, are still feasible in the 60-GHz band if proper compensation schemes are utilized. An example of the AiP solution in a low-temperature cofired ceramic (LTCC) process is presented in the 60-GHz band showing an efficiency better than 90%. A major concern with both AoC and AiP solutions is electromagnetic interference (EMI), which is also discussed. Finally, the systems level pros and cons of both AoC and AiP solutions are highlighted from the electrical and economic perspectives for system designers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper first presents a quasi-cavity-backed, guard-ring-directed, substrate-material-modulated slot antenna. The antenna, intended for use in highly integrated 60-GHz radios, is deliberately designed to exhibit capacitive input impedance to suit low-cost wire-bonding packaging and assembly technique. The antenna implemented in a thin cavity-down ceramic ball grid array (CBGA) package in low-temperature cofired ceramic (LTCC) technology has achieved an acceptable impedance bandwidth from 59 to 65 GHz with an estimated efficiency of 94%. At millimeter-wave (mm-wave) frequency 60 GHz, one of key challenges is how to realize low-loss interconnection between a radio chip and an antenna using wire-bonding technique. This paper then addresses this issue in the framework of antenna-in-package (AiP) design at 60 GHz and proposes a new solution to the challenge. Detailed wirebond design method and results are given. A major concern with AiP is the risk of the antenna coupling to the radio chip. This paper also evaluates this unwanted coupling and shows that the coupling from the in-package antenna to the on-chip inductor is lower than 30 dB for the worst case. These results clearly demonstrate the feasibility and promise of the elegant AiP technology for emerging high-speed short-range 60-GHz wireless communications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a new planar superstrate antenna concept suitable for integration with millimeter wave (mmWave) transceiver integrated circuits (ICs) is presented. The antenna is printed on the bottom of a dielectric superstrate with a ground plane below. The new design provides high bandwidth and high efficiency. Two different examples of the new concept have been designed and manufactured for the 60 GHz industrial scientific medical (ISM) band using folded dipoles. Simulated and measured input impedance matching and far field radiation patterns for both antennas will be shown and discussed. Both designs achieve over 10% bandwidth while maintaining better than 80% efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction to the special issue on antennas and propagation aspects of 60-90 GHz wireless communications of the journal "IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation" is presented in which the editor discusses an article on the statistical characterization of 60 GHz indoor radio channels by Smulder, the antenna-on-chip (AoC) and antenna-in-package (AiP) solutions to highly integrated millimeter-wave devices by Zhang and Liu, and the use of uniplanar-compact electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) structure (UC-EBG) at 60 GHz by Lamminen and colleagues.