RF Glass Technology Is Going Mainstream: Review and Future Applications

RF Glass Technology Is Going Mainstream: Review and Future Applications

Citation

T. Chaloun et al., "RF Glass Technology Is Going Mainstream: Review and Future Applications", IEEE J. Microw, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 139-162, Apr. 2023, doi: 10.1109/JMW.2023.3256413. 

Keywords

  • MTT 70th Anniversary Special Issue
  • glass technology
  • dielectrics
  • packaging
  • interposer
  • system-on-package
  • interconnects
  • filters
  • antennas
  • antenna-in-package
  • millimeter wave (mm-wave) 

Brief

Glass technologies are emerging as a promising alternative for high-volume, high-performance RF applications due to their low dielectric loss, exceptional surface smoothness, and outstanding dimensional stability. Glass technologies combine the advantages of organic and silicon substrates and, though supply chains are not yet fully developed, they have been used to create a variety of RF components, packages, and interposers. 

Summary

This article discusses the use of glass and glass-ceramics in RF applications.

  • Driven by the demand for higher operating frequencies and bandwidth, there is a trend toward heterogeneously integrated systems that use a variety of technologies.
  • Conventional RF systems are increasingly using multi-chip modules (MCM) and systems-on-package (SoP) designs, which incorporate passive components that were previously integrated monolithically.
  • Glass and glass-ceramics are emerging as alternatives to traditional substrate materials like LTCC and organic laminates because of their low dielectric losses, smooth surfaces, dimensional stability, and cost-effectiveness.
  • The article reviews different glass and glass-ceramic materials and their properties, including fused silica, borosilicate glasses, and cordierite.
  • Several glass processing technologies are discussed, including laser-induced deep etching (LIDE), which allows for the creation of high-aspect-ratio through-glass vias (TGVs) with high precision.
  • The article highlights the use of glass in packaging and interposer solutions for microwave, millimeter-wave, and sub-THz applications, including glass-polymer packages, bare glass interposers, and glass panel embedded (GPE) packages.
  • Various RF components that utilize glass technologies are presented, including transmission lines, resonators, filters, phase shifters, antennas, and quasi-optical structures.
  • The authors conclude by discussing future opportunities for glass technologies in RF applications, such as in high-performance computing (HPC), 6G wireless communications, and biomedical devices. They believe that glass interposers with microfluidic cooling and high-bandwidth interconnects, as well as glass-based SoP architectures for mm-wave and THz systems, hold significant potential.

Origin: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=10091719

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