{"495291":{"#nid":"495291","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Low Cost and Ultra-Miniaturized RF Passives and LTE Modules for Consumer and Automotive Needs","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGeorgia Tech and its industry partners demonstrate pioneering advances in 3D Glass-based RF modules and Integrated Passive Devices (3D IPDs) as the next stage of evolution, beyond LTCC and organic 2D MCM organic and embedded modules. \u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s 3D IPAC approach enables 2X shrinkage in X-Y form factor and 2X smaller in thickness than LTCC and organic modules.It also enables superior performance from high-Q LC integration with better than 5% tolerance from precision lithography in contrast to ceramic modules, lower-loss interconnections between components leading to insertion losses of \u0026lt;0.5 dB. Glass provides ultra-smooth and dimensionally-stable substrates for high-throughput and large-area (1000 mm) panel processing \u003Cstrong\u003Ewith low cost\u003C\/strong\u003E. These advances are expected to enable the miniaturization, integration, performance and cost demands for emerging 5G front-end modules and their convergence with IoT and automotive communications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech proposed\u003Cstrong\u003E 3D Integrated Passive and Active Component (3D IPAC) based glass RF modules\u003C\/strong\u003E and 3D IPDs in 2013, for unparalleled miniaturization, performance and cost. The 3D IPAC RF Module starts with an ultra-thin substrate (30-100 microns) made of glass, with ultra-low electrical loss and ultra-short through-package vias for double-side assembly of active and passive components separated by only about 50 \u00b5m in interconnect length. Actives and passives are embedded or assembled double-side on the glass using ultra-short, low-temperature and fine-pith copper interconnections. The module also integrates thermal and shielding functions with innovative structures and materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESeveral technology breakthroughs\u003C\/strong\u003E were accomplished to demonstrate such RF IPDs and modules. High-density through-vias in bare glass were formed from unique via-machining techniques by Georgia Tech\u2019s partners such as Corning and Asahi Glass. Innovative tools and processes were developed for large glass panel handling with thinfilm low-loss build-up dielectrics, in partnership with Georgia Tech\u2019s consortium members such as Atotech, NGK-NTK, Shinko and Unimicron. Advanced 3D TPV-based inductor designs were developed for high Q and high-density inductors, while inorganic nanodielectrics and nanomagneto dielectrics were utilized for further miniaturization of capacitors, inductors and EMI shield structures. Precision panel-level lithography was achieved for accurate microwave impedance matching with less than 5% tolerance. Double-side assembly was also demonstrated with such ultra-thin glass substrates.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s 3D IPD-based diplexers\u003C\/strong\u003E are 4X thinner compared to traditional approaches, with similar performance. With advanced thinfilm and high-density passive components, and design innovations, much superior performance is targeted in the next phase of the R\u0026amp;D program from 2016-2018. Georgia Tech and its partners also demonstrated \u003Cstrong\u003Eultra-miniaturized LTE and WLAN modules\u003C\/strong\u003E with its 3D IPAC approach with double-side integration of LNA, switch and filters. Good model-to-hardware correlations were seen from the module characterization of LNA gain and entry-to-exit insertion loss, illustrating the performance benefits of 3D IPAC modules. In the next phase, Georgia Tech is extending this concept further to complete PAMiD module integration with integrated thermal and shielding structures for LTE FDD\/TDD, 5G and mm wave applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor more information about Georgia Tech\u2019s Integrated Passives and Actives, please contact Prof. Rao Tummala at \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:rao.tummala@ece.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Erao.tummala@ece.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E or Dr. P.M. Raj at \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:raj.pulugurtha@prc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eraj.pulugurtha@prc.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout the Authors\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDr. Raj Pulugurtha is the Program Manager for Integrated Passive and Actives as well as High-Temp Electronics at Georgia Tech PRC. \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:raj.pulugurtha@prc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eraj.pulugurtha@prc.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDr. Rao Tummala is Director of Georgia Tech\u2019s Packaging Research Center. He is also a Chaired Professor in ECE and MSE. \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:rao.tummala@ece.gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Erao.tummala@ece.gatech.edu\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech and its industry partners demonstrate pioneering advances in 3D Glass-based RF modules and Integrated Passive Devices (3D IPDs) as the next stage of evolution."}],"uid":"27850","created_gmt":"2016-02-04 11:30:02","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:20:35","author":"Karen May","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2016-02-04T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2016-02-04T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"495281":{"id":"495281","type":"image","title":"3D IPAC LTE module on large glass panel and its cross-section.","body":null,"created":"1454612400","gmt_created":"2016-02-04 19:00:00","changed":"1475895253","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:54:13","alt":"3D IPAC LTE module on large glass panel and its cross-section.","file":{"fid":"204566","name":"ooo.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ooo_0.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ooo_0.png","mime":"image\/png","size":3329165,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ooo_0.png?itok=dzwWIkGL"}}},"media_ids":["495281"],"groups":[{"id":"213791","name":"3D Systems Packaging Research Center"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"77001","name":"2.5D Packages"},{"id":"48351","name":"interconnect"},{"id":"69571","name":"Interposers"},{"id":"171599","name":"low power"},{"id":"4127","name":"PRC"},{"id":"12103","name":"Rao Tummala"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EKaren Weber May\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMarketing \u0026amp; Communications Coordinator\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPackaging Research Center\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:karen.may@ece.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ekaren.may@ece.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 385-1220\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["karen.weber@ece.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}