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Thick-Film Multilayer Microwave

Circuits for Wireless Applications
Charles Free
Advanced Technology Institute
University of Surrey, UK
and
Zhengrong Tian
Formely with Middlesex University

Now with NPL

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University of Surrey
Located in Guildford 30km south of London
Approx. 5000 students
Single campus - lot of student accommodation on-site
Technological university
Research-led university

Top of UK research ratings in Electronic Engineering

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School of Electronics: Research Groups
Surrey Space Centre
Small satellites: design + construction + control

Advanced Technology Institute

Semiconductors + ion beam applications + microwave systems

Centre for Communication Systems Research

Mobile + satellite communications

Centre for Vision, Speech and Signal Processing

Medical + Multimedia + Robotics

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Advanced Technology Institute

Microwave Systems:
- MMIC design
- RF and Microwave MCMs
- Microwave circuits and antennas
- thick-film (including photoimageable) processing
- access to clean rooms (class 1000 and class 100)

- measurement capability to 220GHz

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Thick-Film Multilayer
Microwave Circuits
for Wireless Applications

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CONTENTS

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Introduction
Thick-film technology
Significance of line losses
Single layer microwave circuits
Multilayer microwave circuits
Summary
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INTRODUCTON

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Typical frequencies for wireless applications:
Current mobile: 0.9GHz - 2GHz
3G systems: 2.5GHz
Bluetooth: 2.5GHz
GPS: 12.6GHz
LMDS: 24GHz and 40GHz

Automotive: 77GHz
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Driving forces created by the wireless market:
lower cost
higher performance
greater functionality

increased packing density

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Microstrip: basic microwave interconnection

structure
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Summary of key material requirements at RF:

Conductors:- low bulk resistivity

- good surface finish (low surface roughness)
- high line/space resolution
- good temperature stability
Dielectrics: - low loss tangent (<10-2)
- good surface finish
- precisely defined r (stable with frequency)
- isotropic r
- consistent substrate thickness
- low Tf (< 50 ppm/oC)
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RF Transceiver Architecture
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Features of an RF MCM
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THICK-FILM TECHNOLOGY

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Thick-Film Technology

Advantages:
Low Cost
Feasibility for mass production
Adequate quality at microwave frequencies
Potential for multi-layer circuit structures
Difficulty:
Fabrication of fine line and gaps: limited

quality by direct screen printing

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Standard range of materials is used:

CONDUCTORS: - gold
- silver
- copper
DIELECTRICS: - ceramic (alumina)
- green tape (LTCC)
- thick-film pastes
- laminates
Plus photoimageable conductors and dielectrics
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Fine lines < 25 micron with 1 micron
precision
High density, 4 micron thick conductor
High conductivity - 95% of bulk

96% Al

50m lines

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Photodefined conductors

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MICROSTRIP RESONANT RING

TEST STRUCTURE

r2

r1
S

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Microstrip Resonant Ring

can be used to measure total line loss and vp
(measure Q loss, measure fo vp )
does not separate conductor and dielectric loss
ring is loaded by input and output ports - source
of measurement error
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Meander-line test structure

can be used to measure total line loss and vp
(measure Q loss, measure fo vp )
does not separate conductor and dielectric loss
ring is loaded by input and output ports - source
of measurement error
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Chamfering of the corners is a necessary

precaution in microstrip to avoid reflections
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0.04

0.035

Line Loss (dB/m m )

0.03

0.025

0.02

0.015

0.01

0.005

0
0

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Frequency (GHz)
measured

simulated

Comparison of measured and simulated loss in a 50 line

fabricated on 99.6% alumina.
[substrate thickness = 254m and line width = 255m]
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0.3

Line Loss (dB/wavelength)

0.25

0.2

0.15

0.1

0.05

0
4

12

16

20

24

28

32

36

40

44

Frequency (GHz)

Measured line loss: 50 thick-film microstrip line

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0.04

III

0.035

Line Loss (dB/m m )

0.03
0.025

II

0.02
0.015

0.01
0.005
0
4

12

16

20

24

28

32

36

40

44

Frequency (GHz)

Typical microstrip line losses

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Skin effect: at RF and microwave frequencies current

tends to flow only in the surface of a conductor
Skin depth (): depth of penetration at which the magnitude
of the current has decreased to 1/e of the surface value

1
f

Significance: surface of conductors must be smooth

and the edges well defined to minimise losses

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0.045

RGH=0.5

0.04

Line loss (dB/mm)

0.035
0.03

RGH=0.2

0.025

RGH=0.1
RGH=0

0.02
0.015
0.01
0.005
0
0

10

20

30

40

50

Frequency (GHz)

Effect of surface roughness on the loss

in a microstrip line
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0.05
0.045
0.04
0.035
0.03
0.025
0.02
0.015
0.01
0.005
0

Tand=0.001
Tand=0.005

10

Tand=0.003
Tand=0.0001

20

30

40

Frequency (GHz)

Effect of loss tangent on line loss

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100%
80%
Line
Loss
(%)

60%
40%
20%
0%

20

32

44

Frequency (GHz)

Bulk Conductor Loss

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Loss due to Surface Roughness

Dielectric Loss

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100%
90%
80%
70%
Line
Loss
(%)

60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Al
LTCC
Different Material (evaluated at 2GHz)

Bulk Conductor Loss

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Loss due to Surface Roughness

Dielectric Loss

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LTCC TECHNOLOGY

LTCC technology is a well-established technology

Reliability established in the automotive market

Advantages for high frequency applications:

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parallel processing ( high yield, fast turnaround,

reduced cost)
precisely defined parameters
high performance conductors
potential for multi-layer structures
high interconnect density

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LTCC TECHNOLOGY

Microwave applications:
LTCC can meet the physical and electrical
performance demanded at frequencies above
1GHz
Increases in material and circuit production
are reflected in lower costs: LTCC is now
comparable to FR4
Significant space savings when compared to
other technologies, such as FR4
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SIGNIFICANCE OF LINE LOSSES

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MICROWAVE RECEIVER

Feeder

BPF1

LNA

BPF2

Mixe
r

Schematic of front-end of a microwave receiver

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RECEIVER NOISE PERFORMANCE

Feede
r

BPF1

LNA

BPF
2

Mixer

System noise temperature

(Tsys)

Tpa
TBPF 1
TBPF 2
Tm
Tsys T feeder

........
G feeder G feederGBPF 1 G feederG paGBPF 2 G feederGBPF 1G paGBPF 2

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RECEIVER NOISE PERFORMANCE

Tsys T feeder

T pa
TBPF 1
TBPF 2
Tm

........
G feeder
G feeder GBPF 1 G feeder G pa GBPF 2 G feeder GBPF 1G pa GBPF 2

Significance of expression for Tsys:

noise performance dominated by first

stage

a lossy first stage introduces noise:

Tfeeder = (L -1) 290

a lossy first stage magnified noise from

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Dielectric Properties @ 9GHz
Material

99.5% AL 9.98

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Tan x 10-3
0.1

LTCC1

7.33

3.0

LTCC2

6.27

0.4

LTCC3

7.2

0.6

LTCC4

7.44

1.2

Published6.84
material data
1.3

LTCC5

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CALCULATED RESULTS
Feede
r

LNA

BPF1

Noise figure variation

BPF
2

Mixer

12
10
8
6
4
2

tand=0.005

tand=0.001

tand=0.0001

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SINGLE-LAYER MICROWAVE
CIRCUITS

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Single-layer microstrip circuits:
all conductors in a single layer
coupling between conductors achieved through
edge or end proximity (across narrow gaps)

Problem:
difficult to fabricate (cheaply in production) fine

gaps, possibly 10m

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End-coupled
filter
Directional
coupler

Examples of single-layer microstrip circuits

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DC break

Edge-coupled
filter

Examples of single-layer microstrip circuits

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MULTI-LAYER MICROWAVE
CIRCUITS

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Multilayer microwave circuits:

conductors stacked on different layers
conductors separated by dielectric layers
allows for (strong) broadside coupling
eliminated need for fine gaps
registration between layers not as difficult to
achieve as narrow gaps

technique well-suited to thick-film print technology

also suitable for LTCC technology
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Direct port 4

3 Isolated port

l
Thick-film dielectric layer

Multilayer
configuration

W2

h1

Main substrate

r1
r

S
W1
Ground plane

Input port

2 Coupled port

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Thick-film technology is particularly suitable for the
implementation of multilayer circuits:
higher packing density
integration of antenna
close coupling between conductors

Circuit examples:

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DC block

Directional coupler

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Directional Coupler
Multilayer Concept

Single Layer
Structure
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2dB Directional Coupler - Measured Results
0
-5
-10
-15
-20
-25
-30
-35
0

Frequency (GHz)

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3dB Directional Coupler - Measured Results
0
-10
-20
-30
-40
-50

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8 10 12 14
Frequency (GHz)

16

18

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Microstrip DC block
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Multilayer DC block

380um
r = 3.9

Alumina

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180um
300um

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2

VSWR

1.8
1.6
1.4
1.2
1
1

10

11

12

Frequency (GHz)

Measured performance of multilayer DC block

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Insertion Loss (dB)

1.6
1.2
0.8
0.4
0
1

10

11

12

Frequency (GHz)

Measured performance of multilayer DC block

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SUMMARY

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SUMMARY:

Thick-film technology provides a viable fabrication

process for wireless circuits at microwave frequencies

Multilayer microwave circuits can offer enhanced

performance for coupled-line circuits

Photoimageable thick-film materials extend the usable

frequency range to mm-wavelengths

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C.Free@surrey.ac.uk

www.ee.surrey.ac.uk

www.ee.surrey.ac.uk/ati
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