System-on-Package Platform with Thick Benzocyclobutene Layer for Millimeter-Wave Antenna Application

Integrated antennas operating at millimeter-wave (mm-wave) frequency have been implemented on a benzocyclobutene (BCB)-based system-on-package (SOP) substrate. A novel BCB-based SOP substrate with a Si bump and a Si cavity was proposed to increase the BCB thickness, thus enhancing the gain of the microstrip patch array antenna and reducing the transfer loss of the transmission line. The mechanical issues of adhesion and stress of BCB are studied. The adhesion between gold and BCB was improved significantly by the insertion of a layer of Si oxide (SiO2) by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). SiO2 can also reduce the wafer bow by stress compensation. Wafer bow of whole structure was decreased from 79.3 to 55.2 mu m by the insertion of a 1-mu m-thick SiO2 layer. A series-fed 1 x 8 linear array antenna is impedance matched well at 77 GHz. The process flow including BCB chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) was described. The proposed SOP substrate can be a candidate for overcoming the constraint of BCB thickness. (C) 2012 The Japan Society of Applied Physics