Pushing performance boundaries – D-band

D-band is inherently complex and challenging, both from a design and manufacturing perspective. This collaborative project with the UK’s National Physics Laboratory is about furthering Filtronic’s long-term understanding of D-Band technology up to 175GHz.

The solution

• An Innovate UK-funded project was carried out. Focused on developing a robust method for making low loss connections between the active circuits in the module and the external interface.

The result

• Trials of “Hot Via” technology.  This technique eliminates excess bond wire inductance, and allows surface mounting of MMICs.
• Developed new methods of on-wafer calibration and measurement

The challenge

• The ever-increasing demand for data means that still higher capacity is going to be required in 5G XHaul networks, the need for links up to 100Gbps has already been identified.