Microwave broadband characterization of aging of SU-8 polymer as CPW substrate

Abstract

In this paper we present the methodology and the numerical results related to the analysis of aging of the SU-8 polymer when used as a primary layer for the realization of Coplanar Waveguide (CPW) structures. As test devices, we used a set of transmission lines with different lengths and T-shaped open stubs shunt resonators; by using these geometries, we are able to acquire the data in a broadband range, in principle between 1 GHz and 40 GHz. We conduct the analysis by comparing two different technology run: the first wafer with a deposited layer by a 12-year-old SU-8 and the second wafer, with the same photolithographed metallic geometries, with a brand-new processed SU-8 photoresist.