60-GHz Four-Element Phased-Array Transmit/Receive System-in-Package Using Phase Compensation Techniques in 65-nm Flip-Chip CMOS Process

Abstract

AThe 60-GHz four-element phased-array transmit/receive (TX/RX) system-in-package antenna modules with phase-compensated techniques in 65-nm CMOS technology are presented. The design is based on the all-RF architecture with 4-bit RF switched LC phase shifters, phase compensated variable gain amplifier (VGA), 4:1 Wilkinson power combining/dividing network, variable-gain low-noise amplifier, power amplifier, 6-bit unary digital-to-analog converter, bias circuit, electrostatic discharge protection, and digital control interface (DCI). The 2 × 2 TX/RX phased arrays have been packaged with four antennas in low-temperature co-fired ceramic modules through flip-chip bonding and underfill process, and phased-array beam steering have been demonstrated. The entire beam-steering functions are digitally controllable, and individual registers are integrated at each front-end to enable beam steering through the DCI. The four-element TX array results in an output of 5 dBm per channel. The four-element RX array results in an average gain of 25 dB per channel. The four-element array consumes 400 mW in TX and 180 mW in RX and occupies an area of 3.74 mm <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup> in the TX integrated circuit (IC) and 4.18 mm <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup> in the RX IC. The beam-steering measurement results show acceptable agreement of the synthesized and measured array pattern.