A Low-Loss Scalable Fan-Out Wafer Level Packaging for W-Band Phased Array Transceiver

This article introduces a low-cost compact W-band <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$4\times 4$</tex-math> </inline-formula> phased array antenna utilizing fan-out wafer-level package (FOWLP) for high-performance applications. The package, measuring <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$8.3\times 7.1$</tex-math> </inline-formula> mm, integrates a 16-channel transceiver die. To minimize the insertion loss and enhance impedance matching across the W band, the design incorporates an air-filled grounded coplanar waveguide (AF-GCPW) transmission line. An innovative thermal management strategy, which includes ball grid arrays (BGAs) and embedded copper slugs in the PCB, ensures efficient heat dissipation. Experimental results reveal that the array can achieve scanning capabilities of ±40° in the <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">H</i>-plane and ±30° in the <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">E</i>-plane, with an effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) of 35 dBm at 94 GHz. The proposed phased array demonstrates superior performance compared to existing designs by reducing packaging loss, minimizing the number of metal layers, and enhancing cost-effectiveness. Consequently, it emerges as a promising solution for radar and sensing applications.