INTERFACING BETWEEN AN INTEGRATED CIRCUIT AND A WAVEGUIDE

• US 20110057741A1
• Filed: 09/08/2009
• Published: 03/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siklu Communication Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Siklu Communication Ltd.
• Inventors: Schwarz, Baruch, Leiba, Yigal, Shmuel, Amir, DAYAN, Elad
• Granted Patent: US 8,912,858 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 333/26
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/107 Hollow-waveguide/strip-line transitions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49016 Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making

Abstract

A low-loss interface between a mm-wave integrated circuit and a waveguide comprises a surface having a contact location for said integrated circuit and a waveguide location for fixing a waveguide thereon; a transmission line extending along said surface from said contact location to the waveguide location and extending into the waveguide location as a waveguide feed; and a connection bump on a surface of the mm-wave integrated circuit. The mm-wave integrated circuit RFIC is connected to the surface at the contact location through the connection bump, such as to connect a signal output of the RFIC to the transmission line, thereby providing said low loss interface.

Claims

1. A method of providing a low-loss interface between a mm-wave integrated circuit and a waveguide, comprising:

providing a surface having a contact location for said integrated circuit and a waveguide location for fixing a waveguide thereon;

providing a transmission line extending along said surface from said contact location substantially to said waveguide location and extending into said waveguide location as a waveguide feed;

providing a connection bump on a surface of said mm-wave integrated circuit; and

connecting said mm-wave integrated circuit to said surface at said contact location through said connection bump, such that a first of said connection bump connects a signal output of said mm-wave integrated circuit to said transmission line, thereby providing said low loss interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said connection bump is one of a plurality of connection bumps comprising a flip chip interconnection system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said mm-wave integrated circuit comprises an interface for a ground-signal-ground transmission line connection on a lower surface thereof, and wherein said signal output is a signal output of said transmission line connection.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein waveguide location comprises a cavity for receiving said waveguide.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising constructing a waveguide backshort around said cavity to reflect energy into said waveguide.

6. The method of claim 5, comprising constructing said waveguide backshort from a metal casing over said surface.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein said transmission line is mounted on a millimeter wave substrate, and wherein a ground connection to said mm-wave integrated circuit is made through said millimeter wave substrate to another of said connection bumps.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein said transmission line is mounted on a millimeter wave substrate and comprising implementing said cavity as part of said millimeter wave substrate.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising plating said cavity.

10. A low-loss interface between a mm-wave integrated circuit and a waveguide, comprising:

a surface having a contact location for said integrated circuit and a waveguide location for fixing a waveguide thereon;

a transmission line extending along said surface from said contact location substantially to said waveguide location and extending into said waveguide location as a waveguide feed;

a connection bump on a surface of said mm-wave integrated circuit providing a connection between said mm-wave integrated circuit and said surface at said contact location, such that said connection bump connects a signal output of said mm-wave integrated circuit to said transmission line, thereby providing said low loss interface.

11. The interface of claim 10, wherein said connection bump is one of a plurality of connection bumps of a flip chip interconnection system.

12. The interface of claim 10, wherein waveguide location comprises a cavity for receiving said waveguide.

13. The interface of claim 12, further comprising a waveguide backshort around said cavity to reflect energy into said waveguide.

14. The interface of claim 13, wherein said waveguide backshort comprises a metal casing extending from said surface.

15. The interface of claim 11, wherein said transmission line is mounted on a millimeter wave substrate, and wherein a ground connection to said mm-wave integrated circuit is provided through said millimeter wave substrate to another of said connection bumps.

16. The interface of claim 12, wherein said transmission line is mounted on a millimeter wave substrate, said cavity comprising a part of said millimeter wave substrate.

17. The interface of claim 16, wherein said cavity is plated.

18. Method of manufacturing a connection for a waveguide to a PCB, comprising:

printing on a low loss substrate a feed, the feed being an extension of a transmission line;

cutting a cavity under said feed;

providing a metal plating around said cavity;

laminating the low loss substrate onto the PCB after said metal plating has been provided, such that said metal plating extends between said laminated layers about said cavity to a first extent about said cavity, and

placing a metal cap over the substrate, the metal cap being electrically connected to the metal plating,

placing the waveguide in contact with the cavity such that the cavity forms a continuation with the waveguide.

19. The method of claim 18, comprising connecting said metal cap to said metal plating using vias, the vias being within said first extent.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the waveguide is for carrying a signal of a predetermined wavelength and wherein a shoulder is added to said metal cap, said shoulder being a quarter of the predetermined wavelength.

21. Method of manufacturing a connection for a waveguide to a PCB, for transmission of signals of a predetermined wavelength, the method comprising:

providing a PCB having a thickness which is substantially a quarter of the predetermined wavelength;

printing on a low loss substrate a feed, the feed being an extension of a transmission line;

cutting a cavity under said feed;

laminating the low loss substrate onto the PCB after said cavity has been provided, and

placing a metal cap over the cavity,

placing the waveguide in contact with the cavity such that the cavity forms a continuation with the waveguide.