State-of-the-Art Packaging, Interconnects and AiP Modules for Millimeter-Wave 5G+ Applications

Introduction

The introduction of mmWave 5G introduces new challenges to interconnects and packaging. The higher frequencies means that interconnects between chips and board need to be low loss and high bandwidth. The additive manufacturing method enables a high level of integration between antenna and electronics and serves as the primary design tool to create low-cost and highly customizable wireless system designs which can enable rapid deployment of large-scale 5G communication and IoT systems. The versatility of additive manufacturing for packaging allows for customizable packaging structures and modules and allows designers to enable high performance with minimal tooling required. Additionally additive manufactured interconnects can enable novel structures which operate much better at higher frequencies than traditional methods. The nature of additive manufacturing allows electronics to be manufactured with very little waste and allows quick iteration allowing a drastic reduction in time-to-market. This article will discuss several packaging structures for mm-Wave capable modules utilizing additive manufacturing for use in communication, energy harvesting and reconfigurable surfaces.

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