COMPACT AND LOW-PROFILE GaN HYBRID-IC BASED ON TSV SI-INTERPOSER TECHNOLOGY

摘要

This article presents new compact, low-profile GaN hybrid-IC technologies. Three different kinds of IC integration methods based on a silicon substrate are studied to make GaN hybrid-ICs. First, two hybrid-IC LNAs are designed and fabricated to estimate their RF performances with the combination of a discrete transistor and silicon integrated passive devices (IPDs) in which an input and output matching networks are integrated as thin-film devices. A wire-bonding method is used to make interconnections between the two discrete devices. Second, the GaN HEMT transistor is fully embedded in the silicon interposer using a cavity to make a low-profile package. All kinds of passive components for matching networks are also integrated on the Si-interposer and their interconnections are made using lithography technology. Third, the TSV technology is added to the embedded IC package to make an easily assembled hybrid-IC. In this hybrid IC, the GaN transistor is embedded in the Si-interposer and I/Os are located under the package bottom as in a Quad Flat No-leads (QFN) package structure. The size of the realized hybrid GaN power LNA is only 1.7 x 1.5 x 0.15 mm(3) and it is almost the same as the commercial MMIC size. (C) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.