volume | PIER Journals

Abstract

A 37-43 GHz endfire antenna based on ball grid array (BGA) packaging is proposed for the fifth-generation (5G) wireless system. The antenna consists of a miniaturized radiator and reflector. Besides, the radiator is fed by a substrate integrated waveguide (SIW). Furthermore, the RF transition from the SIW to grounded coplanar waveguide (GCPW) and vertical quasi-coaxial is realized on the substrate. The antenna is implemented on a single-layer substrate using standard printed circuit board (PCB) technology to reduce costs. Then, the cost-effective antenna element is reflow soldered with solder balls to form a BGA packaging. The advantages of the BGA packaging and the three-dimensional (3D) integration are discussed in detail. The miniature packaging achieves a compact size of 7 mm × 3.4 mm × 0.6 mm. Finally, a prototype was manufactured to verify the performance. The measurement results show that the proposed antenna is a good candidate for 5G millimeter-wave (mmWave) New Radio (NR) applications.

1. Andrews, J. G., et al. "What will 5G be?," IEEE J. Sel. Areas Commun., Vol. 32, No. 6, 1065-1082, Jun. 2014.
doi:10.1109/JSAC.2014.2328098 Google Scholar

2. Rappaport, T. S., et al. "Millimeter wave mobile communications for 5G cellular: It will work!," IEEE Access, Vol. 1, 335-349, 2013.
doi:10.1109/ACCESS.2013.2260813 Google Scholar

3. Tang, M., T. Shi, and R. W. Ziolkowski, "A study of 28 GHz, planar, multilayered, electrically small, broadside radiating, huygens source antennas," IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag., Vol. 65, No. 12, 6345-6354, Dec. 2017.
doi:10.1109/TAP.2017.2700888 Google Scholar

4. Lin, W., R. W. Ziolkowski, and T. C. Baum, "28 GHz compact omnidirectional circularly polarized antenna for device-to-device communications in the future 5G systems," IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag., Vol. 65, No. 12, 6904-6914, Dec. 2017.
doi:10.1109/TAP.2017.2759899 Google Scholar

5. Park, J., J. Ko, H. Kwon, B. Kang, B. Park, and D. Kim, "A tilted combined beam antenna for 5G communications using a 28-GHz band," IEEE Antennas Wirel. Propag. Lett., Vol. 15, 1685-1688, 2016.
doi:10.1109/LAWP.2016.2523514 Google Scholar

6. Zhang, Y., "Antenna-in-package technology: Its early development [historical corner]," IEEE Antennas Propag. Mag., Vol. 61, No. 3, 111-118, Jun. 2019.
doi:10.1109/MAP.2019.2907916 Google Scholar

7. Zhang, Y. and J. Mao, "An overview of the development of antenna-in-package technology for highly integrated wireless devices," Proc. IEEE, Vol. 107, No. 11, 2265-2280, Nov. 2019.
doi:10.1109/JPROC.2019.2933267 Google Scholar

8. Watanabe, A. O., M. Ali, S. Y. B. Sayeed, R. R. Tummala, and M. R. Pulugurtha, "A review of 5G front-end systems package integration," IEEE Trans. Compon. Packag. Manuf. Technol., Vol. 11, No. 1, 118-133, Jan. 2021.
doi:10.1109/TCPMT.2020.3041412 Google Scholar

9. Ali, M., et al. "Package-integrated, wideband power dividing networks and antenna arrays for 28-GHz 5G new radio bands," IEEE Trans. Compon. Packag. Manuf. Technol., Vol. 10, No. 9, 1515-1523, Sep. 2020.
doi:10.1109/TCPMT.2020.3013725 Google Scholar

10. Jin, C., V. N. Sekhar, X. Bao, B. Chen, B. Zheng, and R. Li, "Antenna-in-package design based on wafer-level packaging with through silicon via technology," IEEE Trans. Compon. Packag. Manuf. Technol., Vol. 3, No. 9, 1498-1505, Sep. 2013.
doi:10.1109/TCPMT.2013.2261855 Google Scholar

11. Choi, J., D. Choi, J. Lee, W. Hwang, and W. Hong, "Adaptive 5G architecture for an mmWave antenna front-end package consisting of tunable matching network and surface-mount technology," IEEE Trans. Compon. Packag. Manuf. Technol., Vol. 10, No. 12, 2037-2046, Dec. 2020.
doi:10.1109/TCPMT.2020.3034586 Google Scholar

12. Park, J., H. Seong, Y. N. Whang, and W. Hong, "Energy-efficient 5G phased arrays incorporating vertically polarized endre planar folded slot antenna for mmWave mobile terminals," IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag., Vol. 68, No. 1, 230-241, Jan. 2020.
doi:10.1109/TAP.2019.2930100 Google Scholar

13. Beer, S., H. Gulan, C. Rusch, and T. Zwick, "Coplanar 122-GHz antenna array with air cavity re ector for integration in plastic packages," IEEE Antennas Wirel. Propag. Lett., Vol. 11, 160-163, 2012.
doi:10.1109/LAWP.2012.2186783 Google Scholar

14. Beer, S., et al. "An integrated 122-GHz antenna array with wire bond compensation for SMT radar sensors," IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag., Vol. 61, No. 12, 5976-5983, Dec. 2013.
doi:10.1109/TAP.2013.2282708 Google Scholar

15. Liu, D., X. Gu, C. W. Baks, and A. Valdes-Garcia, "Antenna-in-package design considerations for Ka-band 5G communication applications," IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag., Vol. 65, No. 12, 6372-6379, Dec. 2017.
doi:10.1109/TAP.2017.2722873 Google Scholar

16. Gu, X., et al. "Development, implementation, and characterization of a 64-element dual-polarized phased-array antenna module for 28-GHz high-speed data communications," IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech., Vol. 67, No. 7, 2975-2984, Jul. 2019.
doi:10.1109/TMTT.2019.2912819 Google Scholar

17. Tsai, C. H., et al. "Fabrication and characterization of millimeter wave 3D InFO dipole antenna array integrated with CMOS front-end circuits," 2019 IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM), 25.3.1-25.3.4, Dec. 2019.
doi:10.1109/IEDM19573.2019.8993591 Google Scholar

18. Zhang, Y. P., "Integration of microstrip patch antenna on ceramic ball grid array package," Electron. Lett., Vol. 38, No. 5, 207-208, Feb. 2002.
doi:10.1049/el:20020144 Google Scholar

19. Zhang, Y. P., "Integrated circuit ceramic ball grid array package antenna," IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag., Vol. 52, No. 10, 2538-2544, Oct. 2004.
doi:10.1109/TAP.2004.834427 Google Scholar

20. Sun, M., Y. P. Zhang, D. Liu, K. M. Chua, and L. L. Wai, "A ball grid array package with a microstrip grid array antenna for a single-chip 60-GHz receiver," IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag., Vol. 59, No. 6, 2134-2140, Jun. 2011.
doi:10.1109/TAP.2011.2143669 Google Scholar

21. Tong, Z., A. Fischer, A. Stelzer, and L. Maurer, "Radiation performance enhancement of E-band antenna in package," IEEE Trans. Compon. Packag. Manuf. Technol., Vol. 3, No. 11, 1953-1959, Nov. 2013.
doi:10.1109/TCPMT.2013.2272039 Google Scholar

22. Kangasvieri, T., J. Halme, J. Vahakangas, and M. Lahti, "Broadband BGA-via transitions for reliable RF/microwave LTCC-SiP module packaging," IEEE Microw. Wirel. Compon. Lett., Vol. 18, No. 1, 34-36, Jan. 2008.
doi:10.1109/LMWC.2007.911986 Google Scholar

Dr. Xiubo Liu

Dr. Wei Zhang

Dr. Dongning Hao

Professor Yanyan Liu