Through Wafer 3D Vertical Micro-Coaxial Probe for High Frequency Material Characterization and Millimeter Wave Packaging Systems

Authors

Justin BooneFollow

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Major/Program

Electrical Engineering

First Advisor's Name

Shekhar Bhansali

First Advisor's Committee Title

Committee Chair

Second Advisor's Name

James Mihelcic

Third Advisor's Name

Lorenzo Ponce de Leon

Fourth Advisor's Name

Kinzy Jones

Fifth Advisor's Name

Jean Andrian

Keywords

Micro-Coaxial Probe, Through Wafer, Coplanar Waveguide

Date of Defense

5-17-2013

Abstract

This work presents the development of an in-plane vertical micro-coaxial probe using bulk micromachining technique for high frequency material characterization. The coaxial probe was fabricated in a silicon substrate by standard photolithography and a deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) technique. The through-hole structure in the form of a coaxial probe was etched and metalized with a diluted silver paste. A co-planar waveguide configuration was integrated with the design to characterize the probe. The electrical and RF characteristics of the coaxial probe were determined by simulating the probe design in Ansoft’s High Frequency Structure Simulator (HFSS). The reflection coefficient and transducer gain performance of the probe was measured up to 65 GHz using a vector network analyzer (VNA). The probe demonstrated excellent results over a wide frequency band, indicating its ability to integrate with millimeter wave packaging systems as well as characterize unknown materials at high frequencies.

The probe was then placed in contact with 3 materials where their unknown permittivities were determined. To accomplish this, the coaxial probe was placed in contact with the material under test and electromagnetic waves were directed to the surface using the VNA, where its reflection coefficient was then determined over a wide frequency band from dc-to -65GHz. Next, the permittivity of each material was deduced from its measured reflection coefficients using a cross ratio invariance coding technique. The permittivity results obtained when measuring the reflection coefficient data were compared to simulated permittivity results and agreed well. These results validate the use of the micro-coaxial probe to characterize the permittivity of unknown materials at high frequencies up to 65GHz.

Identifier

FI13080505

Recommended Citation

Boone, Justin, "Through Wafer 3D Vertical Micro-Coaxial Probe for High Frequency Material Characterization and Millimeter Wave Packaging Systems" (2013). FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 897.
https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/897