A review of key development areas in low-cost packaging and integration of future E-band mm-wave transceivers

With an ever increasing number of broadband applications in sub-Saharan Africa, mm-wave point-to-point networking has the potential to fill a niche in communications network architectures. Widespread adoption of this technology would benefit from conventional RF soft substrate integration and packaging, as opposed to system-on-chip or thick film processes. A review on the state-of-the-art in E-band soft substrate systems reveals significant reliance on MMICs. We propose that hybrid integration of active devices with off-chip passives, as well as better integration of active components in SIW, will lead to better performing E-band systems in soft substrates. Specific enabling techniques from the microwave domain are identified.