Silicon interposer: A versatile platform towards full-3D integration of wireless systems at millimeter-wave frequencies

A 60-GHz transceiver module fully integrated on silicon interposer technology is demonstrated for the first time. The module includes a 65-nm CMOS RFIC transceiver and two antennas (transmit, receive) in a very compact volume (6.5×6.5×0.6 mm³). The fabrication process is presented. The design and measurements of the antenna demonstrate very good performances with a good impedance matching over the 57-66 GHz band and a gain up to 5 dBi in a compact area. Data transmissions at a raw data rate of up to 7 Gbps at 80 cm range and 3.5 Gbps at 2 m range were demonstrated. As an evolution towards full-3D integration on silicon interposer, a novel cavity-less design using a High-Impedance Surface (HIS) antenna is proposed and experimentally validated. As a perspective for large interposers´ integration (including multiple transceivers and antenna arrays), the impact the BGA array distribution on the assembly´s thermos-mechanical reliability for the HIS and classical configurations is investigated using finite-element analysis and an experimental setup.