Summary

Summary of the "3DµTune" project:

New standards for wireless communication consumer applications appeared during the last years in the so-called millimeter wave (mm-wave) range from 30 GHz to 100 GHz. Especially the car-radar standard at 77 GHz, Satellite Communication in different frequency intervals up to 64 GHz and very recently also 60 GHz high data rate wireless local area networks (WLAN) are prominent examples of this development. The challenge is to break the technology barrier and find a mix of technologies that lead to simpler, highly integrated and reliable systems for the consumer market.

The 3DµTune project develops a generic process for reliable, high quality fixed and tunable millimeter-wave cavity resonators embedded in a 3-dimensional passive integration technology. These are combined with SiGe IC’s to a hybrid multi-technology module (3D micromachined fixed/tunable resonators, passive integration technology and SiGe IC technology).

This technology will enable simpler oscillators, high quality millimeter-wave filters and thus simpler millimeter-wave RF front-end architectures than currently available on the market. It is a generic resonator technology with impact on all applications in the millimeter-wave frequency range as all of them require an oscillator and many of them profit from high Q tunable filters.

Parallel to the technology development for the high Q and tunable 3-dimensional cavity resonators, design issues like the co-design and technology partitioning in passive integration and IC technology and hybrid packaging for millimeter-wave applications, reproducibility and reliability for communication, automotive and space applications will be addressed.

As resonators for different applications are integrated into one passive integration process, system and test cost are reduced, the new oscillators and filters are very robust and can profit from the overall production up-scaling of all millimeter wave applications.