Highly integrated and solderless LTCC based C-band T/R module

This paper describes a C-Band T/R Module (TRM) developed by Thales Alenia Space Italia as element of the electronic front-end (EFE) for synthetic aperture radar (SAR) antenna developed for Sentinel-1 Program under the responsibility of the European Commission and the European Space Agency in the frame of the global monitoring for environment and security (GMES). TRM includes power and low noise amplification as well as phase and amplitude control in order to realize different radiation patterns in active antenna in TX operation and processing of received signal in RX operation. A calibration path and a temperature sensor are also implemented inside the module. The above mentioned functions are implemented using MMIC technology. In particular the phase/amplitude control is implemented through an highly integrated solution (core-chip) inside the TRM. In transmission mode the TRM is able to provide an output power in excess of +42 dBm (15.85 W) whereas in receiving mode a gain in excess of +41.3 dB with +3.5 dB associated noise figure has been measured. HPA and Driver MMIC have been manufactured with PPH25X process from UMS whereas LNA and LLA have been developed using PH25 UMS process. The integrated core-chip has been manufactured using the ED02H OMMIC process. The full TRM has been realized in ISP (integrated substrate package) technology based on low temperature cofired ceramic (LTCC) substrate to improve integration factor and have a reduction of the overall size.