Conformal antenna-in-package solution implemented in a 3D flex-rigid multilayer PCB technology

A three-dimensional antenna-in-package solution is introduced and explained in great details. The antenna is composed of three different parts: a metallic cube, an SSMA connector and antenna radiating arrays. The radiating elements are implemented and manufactured in a multilayer microwave-compatible PCB technology. The PCB includes flexible as well as rigid laminates. Having the flexible material available in the layer stack-up along with a custom-design procedure for patterning the rigid parts allows the PCB part to be shaped into a conformal array covering the metallic cube in a 3D way. Measurement and simulation results of the manufactured and assembled antenna show good agreement, confirming the reproducibility and reliability of the proposed solution for wireless sensor network nodes at 17.2 GHz.