Ultralow-Loss Substrate-Integrated Waveguides in Alumina Ribbon Ceramic Substrates for 75-170 GHz Wireless Applications

This letter reports, for the first time, the ultralow insertion loss (IL) of substrate-integrated waveguides (SIWs) in alumina ribbon ceramic (ARC) substrate, a newly developed material technology at Corning Inc., for millimeter-wave (mm-wave) packaging applications. Demonstrated on an 80- mu m-thick ARC substrate using a semi-additive patterning (SAP) process, SIWs are fed by broadband microstrip taper transitions and characterized based on conductor-backed coplanar waveguide (CBCPW)-to-microstrip transitions and microstrip feedlines in 75-110 GHz (W-band) and 110-170 GHz (D-band), respectively. Using two-tier calibration, the average measured IL of ARC-based SIWs in W- and D-bands is extracted to be 0.13 +/- 0.02 and 0.155 +/- 0.01 dB/mm, respectively, showing an excellent agreement with simulated and theoretical modeling results. According to comparisons, SIWs on ARC outperform those on other substrates in terms of IL over 75-170 GHz, exhibit excellent performance, and provide easier fabrication as compared to air-filled SIWs. These first results reveal the potential of ARC substrates for the development of ultrathin, high-performance passive components and modules based on SIW technology in mm-wave frequency ranges.

Automated summary

This letter reports the ultralow insertion loss of substrate-integrated waveguides (SIWs) in alumina ribbon ceramic (ARC) substrates for mm-wave packaging applications. The SIWs on ARC substrates show excellent performance in terms of insertion loss and are easier to fabricate compared to SIWs on other substrates.