Compact and low‐profile GaN hybrid‐IC based on TSV Si‐interposer technology

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis 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 × 1.5 × 0.15 mm3 and it is almost the same as the commercial MMIC size. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 59:1087–1092, 2017