ELECTROMAGNETIC DESIGN ASPECTS OF PACKAGES FOR MONOLITHIC MICROWAVE INTEGRATED CIRCUIT-BASED ARRAYS WITH INTEGRATED ANTENNA ELEMENTS

Reliable and cost-effective packaging of monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMIC's) is an important aspect of the design of phased array systems, At millimeter wavelengths, where small dimensions make machining and assembly a complex matter, the interconnections between the modules housing the MMIC components and the antenna elements are a source of unreliability as well as a potential problem in terms of electromagnetic losses. One solution involves the integration of antenna elements onto the MMIC chips, This paper addresses the issues involved in packaging and housing MMIC chips with integrated antenna elements and presents some insights into the electromagnetic design of such packages.