A millimeter-wave flip-chip IC using micro-bump bonding technology

Abstract

This millimeter-wave flip-chip IC (MFIC) is a compact hybrid constructed by bonding a mm-wave transistor or its IC chips upside down on thin film microstrip lines formed on a Si substrate. Production costs of this IC are expected to be drastically reduced compared with those of the conventional MMIC because the passive elements, which usually occupy large chip area, are formed not on the expensive heterostructure substrate, but on the low-cost Si substrate. Moreover, design flexibility such as a device choice and integration is expanded including the integration of antennas. Using 9 /spl mu/m-thick p-CVD SiO/sub 2/ as a dielectric film, microstrip lines on Si substrate were realized. Using MBB technology to fabricate K-band MFIC amplifiers demonstrates the MFIC concept.