Overview of antenna packaging technologies vs operational frequency. Source: Antenna in Package (AiP) for 5G and 6G 2024-2034: Technologies, Trends, Markets from IDTechEx

 

Key design considerations for AiP

In the development of AiP technology for high-frequency communication devices, cost-effectiveness emerges as the utmost crucial consideration. With a target price of US$2 per 1x1 AiP module, affordability becomes pivotal for widespread adoption, although this presents a chicken-and-egg challenge where adoption must precede cost reduction through economies of scale. Utilizing cost-effective packaging materials and processes is essential. Additionally, miniaturization plays a critical role, especially for integration into consumer devices like smartphones, where component size is paramount. Ensuring that package size can be shrunk while maintaining performance and cost-effectiveness necessitates leveraging new packaging technologies.

 

Moreover, achieving high performance is vital for AiP platforms. This entails the fabrication and integration of high-gain, broadband mmWave antenna arrays, along with ensuring intra-system electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). Additionally, optimizing equivalent isotropic radiated power (EIRP) and ensuring signal integrity (SI) and power integrity (PI) are crucial aspects. Integrating high-quality factor (Q factor) passives to co-design active mmWave front-end transceiver components further enhances performance. Furthermore, reliability is essential, necessitating a direct thermal passage from the chip to the exterior to dissipate heat from power amplifiers. Scalability adds another layer of versatility, enabling the design of basic modules that can be upscaled to meet various applications with different power requirements. Addressing all these requirements is essential when designing an AiP module for high-frequency communication devices. Questions such as the choice of antenna element, substrate technology, substrate materials, limitations of each substrate technology, integration of passive devices, and supply chain maturity are all explored in IDTechEx's report.

 

Key aspects in the report:

Overview of 5G mmWave Development and 6G Roadmap:

a. Explore the status of 5G mmWave development, technology innovation roadmap, key applications, and market outlook.

b. Understand the landscape of 6G, including potential spectrum, enabling THz communication technologies, key research and industry activities, roadmap, technical targets, and applications.

 

Deep Dive into Beamforming Technologies Enabled by Phased Array Antenna for 5G mmWave:

a. Compare beamforming technologies of 5G sub-6 vs mmWave.

b. Examine phased array technologies, including antenna, semiconductor, and packaging integration components, technical requirements, trends, and design considerations.

 

Antenna Integration Technologies for 5G mmWave:

a. Discuss antenna substrate technology, benchmarking, material requirements, and packaging for phased arrays.

b. Explore various antenna packaging technologies for 5G mmWave, including antenna on PCB and antenna in package (AiP), categorized by packaging technologies: Flip-chip vs fan-out. Also, discuss substrate material choices, such as LTCC, low-loss organic-based, and glass, covering production challenges, material choices and benchmark, solutions/case studies from key players, and substrate design considerations for each packaging technology.

 

Antenna Integration Technologies for Applications Beyond 100 GHz:

a. Address challenges in 6G transceiver development, focusing on power requirements, antenna gain, and phased array demands.

b. Discuss various potential packaging technologies for beyond 100 GHz applications, covering thermal management options and low-loss material choices for antenna substrates. Include case studies showcasing D-band (110-170 GHz) phased array technology.

 

10-year granular market forecast of:

 

5G consumer devices: Smartphone and CPE-AiP module shipment in mmWave compatible smartphone forecast 2023-2034