2000 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. However, permission to reprint/republish this material for advertising or promotional purposes or for creating new collective works for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or to reuse any copyrighted component of this work in other works must be obtained from the IEEE.

IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques
Volume 48 Number 12, December 2000

Table of Contents for this issue

Complete paper in PDF format

Application of Digital PGA Technology to K-Band Microcircuit and Microwave Subsystem Packages

Hongwei Liang, Student Member, IEEE Heidi Langeberg Barnes, Joy Laskar, Member, IEEE and Don Estreich Member, IEEE

Page 2644.

Abstract:

We present for the first time a low-cost high-performance pin grid array (PGA) packaging technology for K-band microcircuit and microwave subsystem packaging. The first-generation package demonstrates a 20-dB return loss to 8 GHz, and the second-generation package improves the return loss to 25 dB from dc to 26.5 GHz. We apply a comprehensive analysis method, which facilitates the optimization of the radio-frequency transition into the package. It combines the time-domain reflectometry analysis and frequency-domain full-wave analysis and reduces the optimization time significantly. The theoretical analysis is verified with measurement in both frequency and time domains. The results demonstrate that the low-cost PGA can be a much more cost-effective microwave packaging solution than the traditional deep cavity metal packages.

References

  1. T. A. Midford, J. J. Wooldridge and R. L. Sturdivant, "The evolution of packages for monolithic microwave and millimeter-mave circuits", IEEE Trans. Antennas Propagat., vol. 43, pp.  983-991, Sept.  1995.
  2. L. R. Dove, M. L. Guth and D. B. Nicholson, "A low-cost RF multichip module packaging family", Hewlett-Packard J., pp.  53-60, Aug.  1998.
  3. M. Pecht, Handbook of Electronic Package Design, New York: Marcel Dekker, 1991.
  4. J. Williams and E. Godshalk, "Characterization and modeling of pin grid array (PGA) packages", in Proc. ISHM'92 ,, pp.  623-628. 
  5. T. W. Goodman, H. Fujita, Y. Murakami and A. T. Murphy, "High speed electrical characterization and simulation of a pin grid array package", IEEE Trans. Comp., Packag., Manufact. Technol., vol. 18, pp.  163-167, Feb.  1995.
  6. "HP 85 180 high-frequency structure simulator", 1999.