Multiple Bondwires for E Band MMIC to Antenna Array Interconnections for Beamforming

This paper presents an analysis of the effect of bondwire for low-cost E band interconnections from phase shifter MMIC to an off-chip antenna array for beamforming applications. A microstrip patch antenna array at 72.5 GHz is initially designed and its performance is optimized. The performance changes are evaluated with a <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$25 \mu ~\mathrm{m}$</tex> bondwire connecting the array to the GaAs phase shifter MMIC, showing reduced antenna gain and impaired impedance matching. To address bondwire losses, multiple bondwires are fabricated, showing that triple bondwires reduce insertion losses and improve matching. As compensation circuits require more space and are difficult to design, matching networks are challenging to incorporate. Multiple bondwires in the same pad area significantly reduce insertion losses and improve matching, providing an effective solution for maintaining performance without the need for additional compensation circuits.