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IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON COMPONENTS, PACKAGING AND MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY, VOL. 5, NO. 3, MARCH 2015 307 High-Performance and High-Data-Rate Quasi-Coaxial LTCC Vertical Interconnect Transitions for Multichip Modules and System-on-Package Applications Emmanuel Decrossas, Member, IEEE, Michael D. Glover, Member, IEEE, Kaoru Porter, Tom Cannon, Thomas Stegeman, Student Member, IEEE, Nicholas Allen-McCormack, Michael C. Hamilton, Senior Member, IEEE , and H. Alan Mantooth, Fellow, IEEE Abstract—A new design of stripline transition structures and flip-chip interconnects for high-speed digital commu- nication systems implemented in low-temperature cofired ceramic (LTCC) substrates is presented. Simplified fabrication, suitability for LTCC machining, suitability for integration with other components, and connection to integrated stripline or microstrip interconnects for LTCC multichip modules and system on package make this approach well suited for miniaturized, advanced broadband, and highly integrated multichip ceramic modules. The transition provides excellent signal integrity at high-speed digital data rates up to 28 Gbits/s. Full-wave sim- ulations and experimental results demonstrate a cost-effective solution for a wide frequency range from dc to 30 GHz and beyond. Signal integrity and high-speed digital data rate perfor- mances are verified through eye diagram and time-domain reflectometry and time-domain transmissometry measurements over a 10-cm long stripline. Index Terms—Full tape thickness feature, low-temperature cofired ceramic (LTCC) interconnect, multichip module (MCM), quasi-coaxial vertical transition, signal integrity, system on package. I. I NTRODUCTION A PPLICATIONS in the field of high-speed digital electronics have been driving the trends of future communication equipment. Cost-effective technologies for multichip modules are necessary to realize high- frequency Manuscript received May 14, 2014; revised September 8, 2014 and January 14, 2015; accepted January 16, 2015. Date of publication February 2, 2015; date of current version March 5, 2015. This work was supported by Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA. Recommended for publication by Associate Editor T. J. Schoepf upon evaluation of reviewers’ comments. E. Decrossas was with the High Density Electronics Center, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701 USA. He is now with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 USA (e-mail: [email protected]). M. D. Glover, K. Porter, and T. Cannon are with the High Density Electronics Center, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701 USA (e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]). T. Stegeman, N. Allen-McCormack, and M. C. Hamilton are with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849 USA (e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]). H. A. Mantooth is with the Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701 USA (e-mail: [email protected]). Color versions of one or more of the figures in this paper are available online at http://ieeexplore.ieee.org. Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/TCPMT.2015.2394234 communication systems. Low-temperature cofired ceramic (LTCC) substrates offer promising solutions because of the combination of multilayered structures, flexible fabrication techniques, advanced passive device integration of radio frequency (RF)/microwave components, and low losses up to millimeter-wave frequencies. Novel trends in LTCC processing and packaging allow highly integrated and versatile components [1]. In addition, manufacturer efforts to produce high-performance LTCC tape materials benefit the development of new designs for future densely integrated electronic systems. Previous vertical transition structures include microstrip-to-stripline transitions where the signal lines are connected through a via. However, to compensate for the large capacitive effect occurring at the transition, it is necessary to lower the ground of the stripline in the transition region [2] or to use air cavities [3] to reduce the impedance mismatch. Schm ¨ uckle et al. [2] have measured a reflection coefficient below 10 dB from 10 to 30 GHz. Using an air cavity, Lee [3] was able to obtain a reflection coefficient below 10 dB from 55 to 60 GHz. It should be noted that a reflection coefficient level below 10 dB is commonly accepted, i.e., <10% of the power is reflected. Another approach involves screen-printing interlayers connected together with vias to form the ground structure surrounding the signal via. Baras and Jacob [4] predicted broad frequency band and high performance up to 50 GHz of their vertical interconnect design only through simulations considering eventual misalignments between package and footprint on the motherboard due to the fabrication tolerance. When compared with our present approach, this method requires different screens and may be expensive depending on the number of layers used in the design. Presented herein is the design of a new transition from RF/microwave connectors or adapters to a stripline transmission line using a quasi-coaxial line embedded in LTCC. Amaya et al. [5] have shown that it is possible to improve the performance of quasi-coaxial vertical transitions by increasing the number of ground vias in the surrounding fence. Their simulations, performed up to 110 GHz, demonstrate that an optimized vertical transition offers a 30% bandwidth enhancement compared with a vertical U.S. Government work not protected by U.S. copyright.

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  • IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON COMPONENTS, PACKAGING AND MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY, VOL. 5, NO. 3, MARCH 2015 307

    High-Performance and High-Data-RateQuasi-Coaxial LTCC Vertical Interconnect

    Transitions for Multichip Modules andSystem-on-Package Applications

    Emmanuel Decrossas, Member, IEEE, Michael D. Glover, Member, IEEE, Kaoru Porter,Tom Cannon, Thomas Stegeman, Student Member, IEEE, Nicholas Allen-McCormack,

    Michael C. Hamilton, Senior Member, IEEE, and H. Alan Mantooth, Fellow, IEEE

    Abstract A new design of stripline transition structuresand flip-chip interconnects for high-speed digital commu-nication systems implemented in low-temperature cofiredceramic (LTCC) substrates is presented. Simplified fabrication,suitability for LTCC machining, suitability for integration withother components, and connection to integrated stripline ormicrostrip interconnects for LTCC multichip modules and systemon package make this approach well suited for miniaturized,advanced broadband, and highly integrated multichip ceramicmodules. The transition provides excellent signal integrity athigh-speed digital data rates up to 28 Gbits/s. Full-wave sim-ulations and experimental results demonstrate a cost-effectivesolution for a wide frequency range from dc to 30 GHz andbeyond. Signal integrity and high-speed digital data rate perfor-mances are verified through eye diagram and time-domainreflectometry and time-domain transmissometry measurementsover a 10-cm long stripline.

    Index Terms Full tape thickness feature, low-temperaturecofired ceramic (LTCC) interconnect, multichip module (MCM),quasi-coaxial vertical transition, signal integrity, system onpackage.

    I. INTRODUCTION

    APPLICATIONS in the field of high-speed digitalelectronics have been driving the trends of futurecommunication equipment. Cost-effective technologies formultichip modules are necessary to realize high- frequency

    Manuscript received May 14, 2014; revised September 8, 2014 andJanuary 14, 2015; accepted January 16, 2015. Date of publicationFebruary 2, 2015; date of current version March 5, 2015. This work wassupported by Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA. Recommended forpublication by Associate Editor T. J. Schoepf upon evaluation of reviewerscomments.

    E. Decrossas was with the High Density Electronics Center, University ofArkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701 USA. He is now with the Jet PropulsionLaboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 USA(e-mail: [email protected]).

    M. D. Glover, K. Porter, and T. Cannon are with the High DensityElectronics Center, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701 USA(e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]).

    T. Stegeman, N. Allen-McCormack, and M. C. Hamilton are with theDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, AuburnUniversity, Auburn, AL 36849 USA (e-mail: [email protected];[email protected]; [email protected]).

    H. A. Mantooth is with the Department of Electrical Engineering, Universityof Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701 USA (e-mail: [email protected]).

    Color versions of one or more of the figures in this paper are availableonline at http://ieeexplore.ieee.org.

    Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/TCPMT.2015.2394234

    communication systems. Low-temperature cofiredceramic (LTCC) substrates offer promising solutions becauseof the combination of multilayered structures, flexiblefabrication techniques, advanced passive device integrationof radio frequency (RF)/microwave components, and lowlosses up to millimeter-wave frequencies. Novel trends inLTCC processing and packaging allow highly integrated andversatile components [1]. In addition, manufacturer effortsto produce high-performance LTCC tape materials benefitthe development of new designs for future densely integratedelectronic systems.

    Previous vertical transition structures includemicrostrip-to-stripline transitions where the signal linesare connected through a via. However, to compensate forthe large capacitive effect occurring at the transition, it isnecessary to lower the ground of the stripline in the transitionregion [2] or to use air cavities [3] to reduce the impedancemismatch. Schmuckle et al. [2] have measured a reflectioncoefficient below 10 dB from 10 to 30 GHz. Using an aircavity, Lee [3] was able to obtain a reflection coefficientbelow 10 dB from 55 to 60 GHz. It should be noted thata reflection coefficient level below 10 dB is commonlyaccepted, i.e.,

  • 308 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON COMPONENTS, PACKAGING AND MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY, VOL. 5, NO. 3, MARCH 2015

    Fig. 1. As-simulated design of the high-performance transition froma 2.4-mm connector to stripline using a quasi-coaxial structure in LTCC.

    transition with no via fence grounding. Unfortunately, theirwork was limited to 12 surrounding ground vias due toLTCC fabrication constraints. In addition, the measurementsof the fabricated microstrip to stripline back-to-back verticaltransition show only a reflection coefficient below 10 dBup to 25 GHz. During the firing process, the LTCC tapetends to shrink and mechanical stresses occur aroundthe filled vias, which can ultimately crack the ceramic.DuPont developed a 9K7 LTCC tape in which the shrinkageand mechanical stresses are reduced compared with theirprevious products (such as 951), allowing design andfabrication engineers to overcome this fabrication constraintand develop new structures that were previously not viable.This new transition design reduces the impedance mismatchoccurring between the different interfaces and improves thetransmission coefficient and frequency bandwidth performancecompared with traditional structures. In addition, it can beeasily produced, as the technology involved in the fabricationprocess does not require equipment other than that which isalready commonly used in LTCC fabrication.

    Our process uses full tape thickness features, where anibbling technique, using multiple punches, is used to create atrench in the LTCC tape, which is then filled with conductingpaste [6]. The multiple closely spaced punches can also beused to realize air cavities in the LTCC. After describingthe design and fabrication technique in Section II, Section IIIpresents the measured data in the frequency and time domainsto evaluate the performance of our design.

    II. DESIGN AND FABRICATIONThe approach to designing the quasi-coaxial transition is

    to use the nibbling technique to create the external groundplane of the transmission line, while the internal conductor isrealized using the traditional via technique, as shown in Fig. 1.The LTCC is used as the dielectric medium between the signaland the ground plane. The dimensions of the transmissionlines were first determined based on the desired characteristicimpedance. The diameter of the internal signal conductor wasdetermined by the size of the via punch (with a diameterof approximately 6 mils) and assuming a coaxial waveguidefilled with LTCC [7]. Experimental characterization ofthe LTCC DuPont 9K7 and datasheets provided by themanufacturer indicated an approximate relative permittivityr = 7.1 and a loss tangent = 0.001 in the frequency bandof interest. The dimensions were then optimized usinga 3-D finite-element electromagnetic solver, ANSYShigh-frequency structure simulator (HFSS) [8].

    TABLE IDIMENSIONS OF THE STRUCTURE IN MICROMETERS

    Fig. 2. Schematic of the mechanical design of the quasi-coaxial transition.Both the top and intermediate layers containing the stripline are shown.

    The model shown in Fig. 1 is divided into three mainregions. Region 1 represents a Molex 2.4 mm precisionconnector working up to 50 GHz, the dimensions of whichare provided by the manufacturer. The other side of theconnector, not shown here, was attached to a 50- coaxialcable connected to an Agilent performance network analyzer.

    Region 2 was defined as a 50- coaxial line filledwith LTCC. The external ground plane was designed as ahorseshoe structure [9].

    Region 3 is the stripline structure embedded in LTCC wherethe signal trace is sandwiched between a top and a bottomground plane.

    Drawings of the top view and midsection of the designwith dimensions summarized in Table I are shown in Fig. 2.Simulations of the transition shown in Fig. 1 using ANSYSHFSS were performed; the resulting scattering parameters areshown in Fig. 3. The simulated reflection coefficient (S11) isbelow 10 dB from dc to 30 GHz, and the insertion lossis

  • DECROSSAS et al.: HIGH-PERFORMANCE AND HIGH-DATA-RATE QUASI-COAXIAL LTCC VERTICAL INTERCONNECT TRANSITIONS 309

    Fig. 3. Simulated scattering parameters (using HFSS) of the transition shownin the inset and Fig. 1. The insertion loss (S21, black curve) and the returnloss (S11, red curve) below 10 dB from dc to beyond 50 GHz are plotted.

    It is worth noting that during the fabrication process, itwas difficult to handle the LTCC tape after punching, as thequasi-coaxial piece was attached only through a narrow featureattached to the stripline structure. Therefore, the design wasmodified to include 600-m notches (or apertures) in thesurrounding ground plane that are separated by 120, as shownin Figs. 2 and 4. These features added mechanical support tothe structure and facilitated easier handling and processingduring the fabrication process with a minimal impact onthe electromagnetic performance of the vertical interconnectaccording to the full-wave simulations obtained with HFSSand according to the measured results.

    Cross-sectional and top-side views of the fabricatedquasi-coaxial transitions are shown in Fig. 4. It should be notedthat a very small amount of silver paste spread between theLTCC tapes during the lamination/firing process. Furthermore,an extra LTCC tape is added at the bottom only for flatnessand mechanical stress consideration.

    The measured dc resistance is dependent on the finiteconductivity of the silver paste employed in the LTCC process(dc 3.107 S/m) and the length of the stripline; the valuemeasured was 1 .

    III. MEASURED PERFORMANCEA. Frequency-Domain Characterization

    To evaluate the high-frequency response of the verticaltransition from the connector to the stripline, a completetransmission line consisting of the two transitions connectedthrough a 5-cm-long stripline was simulated and scatteringparameters (S-parameters) of the two-port network were mea-sured using a performance network analyzer.

    A 5-cm-long transmission line was fabricated to highlightthe insertion loss due to fabrication tolerances, the roughnessof the metallic signal trace, and skin effects occurring at highfrequencies.

    Ripples were caused for the most part by multiple reflectionsset up by mismatched impedance at various transitions andconnectors, as shown in the simulations and measurements

    Fig. 4. Cross-sectional and top-side views of the fabricated line. The samplesare measured under the microscope as indicated in the pictures to verify thefabrication tolerances of our developed process.

    in Fig. 5. Although such design can be easily replicated upto 50 GHz and beyond, the fabrication tolerances are criticaland limit the frequency band of the device, as shown in Table I.

    The design itself is highly sensitive to the alignment of thecoaxial connectors, as shown in Fig. 5, where a simulationis carried out considering only a misalignment of 150 mbetween the connector and the center of the signal via. A shiftin frequency occurs between the predicted and measuredresults of the reflection coefficient (S11) mainly due to thismisalignment. It should be noted that the shift of frequencybetween the measured and simulated scattering parameters ismore pronounced due to the fabrication tolerances, as shownin Table I.

    B. Time-Domain ExperimentsTime-domain measurements were performed on 5- and

    10-cm-long 9K7 LTCC single-ended striplines withconnections made using the coaxial launch and Molex 2.4-mmbolt-on surface mount connectors.

    Time-domain reflectometry (TDR) and time-domain trans-missometry (TDT) measurements were made using anAgilent 86100D sampling oscilloscope equipped with a54754A differential TDR module and a 86118A 70-GHz dual

  • 310 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON COMPONENTS, PACKAGING AND MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY, VOL. 5, NO. 3, MARCH 2015

    Fig. 5. Comparison of the simulated (using HFSS) and measured reflec-tion (S11) and transmission (S21) coefficients of the stripline structure shownin the inset. HFSS simulations are carried out with the information collectedafter the fabrication of the device, as shown in Table I. According to thesimulation software, 150-m misalignment of the connectors withLTCC substrate shows a frequency shift in S11 (dotted line).

    sampling module. Representative TDR and TDT plots areshown in Fig. 6 for a 5- and 10-cm-long transmission lineswith a rise time fixed to 45 ps. Near 50 impedance shouldbe noted in the vicinity of the input and output of the linescorresponding to the connector-launch-transition region.

    To explore the use of these LTCC structures for high-speeddata transmission, we have also tested their performance usinga bit error rate test (BERT) system. In these tests, we usedan Agilent N4903B high-performance serial BERT with dataranging from 10 to 28 Gbits/s. We note that this system usesan Agilent N4876A 28-Gbit/s 2:1 multiplexer to generate2 data rate from a lower data rate from the N4903B. Thishigher data rate is passed through the structure being tested,and then demultiplexed to allow error detection at a lower datarate using the N4903B.

    For instance, for the case of 20-Gbit/s data to be transmittedthrough the structure under test: 10-Gbit/s data are generatedby the pattern generator of the N4903B and then multiplexedby a factor of 2:1 to a data rate of 20 Gbits/s. The data passingthrough the device under test are then demultiplexed by afactor of 1:2 and sent to the error detector of the N4903B (i.e.,every other bit is checked). For 28-Gbit/s data, a mux ratio of2:1 and a demux ratio of 1:4 (i.e., every forth bit is checked)is used due to the limits of the error detector in this setup.A representative eye diagram for 25-Gbit/s data is shownin Fig. 7 for a 10-cm-long single-ended LTCC stripline.We observe a clean and open eye with sufficient height andwidth to allow a very low bit error rate (BER) below 1013(i.e.,

  • DECROSSAS et al.: HIGH-PERFORMANCE AND HIGH-DATA-RATE QUASI-COAXIAL LTCC VERTICAL INTERCONNECT TRANSITIONS 311

    Fig. 8. (a) Eye height and (b) percent of ideal eye width as a function ofdigital data rate for a 10-cm-long LTCC stripline structure includingMolex 2.4-mm bolt-on surface mount connectors, quasi-coaxial transitions,and the stripline.

    finite conductivity of the sintered silver paste used in theLTCC fabrication process. The reduction in eye width arisesfrom an increasing impact of jitter as the data rate is increased.C. Repeatability of Connector Assembly

    To explore the repeatability of the attachment of the 2.4-mm connector to the LTCC launch structure, multiple mea-surements were performed by repeating a cycle of attach,measure, and detach on a known good sample. All frequency-domain measurements were performed with an Agilent Per-formance Network Analyzer N5227A network analyzer. Datawere taken for the frequency range of 10 MHz50 GHzwith a 10-MHz step. The data collected for each recordedmeasurement were averaged over four sweeps by the net-work analyzer. Data were taken for two different structures.Each structure was disassembled and reassembled for threedifferent measurements. S-parameter data for these mea-surements are shown in Fig. 9, where both S11 and S21are shown. The mean of the measurements along with+/ error windows representing the standard deviation ispresented in these plots. We note that the longer 10-cmLTCC stripline transmission line structures were used for thisportion of the experiment and present a slightly larger insertionloss. From Fig. 9, we observe that there is approximately1 dB of S11 variation at 30 GHz due to assembly variation.This variation is likely due to the tolerances associated with

    Fig. 9. S-parameter variation due to 2.4-mm connector reassembly fora 10-cm-long LTCC stripline structure using the connector/launch/transitiondescribed in this paper.

    the alignment of the connector pin and ground ring withthe corresponding signal pad and ground ring on theLTCC transition structure.

    IV. CONCLUSIONThe broadband vertical transition structure presented in

    this paper is suitable for system-on-package applications atRF/microwave and millimeter-wave frequencies. Afterelectromagnetic simulations for structure optimization,we successfully demonstrated the use of the DuPont 9K7tape system to realize and characterize the performance ofthese structures in the frequency and time domains.

    It is worth noting that these structures would have beenconsiderably more challenging to fabricate using tapesystems such as DuPont 951, due to increased shrinkageand resulting mechanical stress. The effects of the connectorwere considered in this paper, although the connectors canbe easily replaced by coplanar waveguides for probe mea-surements or by microstrip lines in the LTCC or anothersuitable structure. In addition, the design is also suitable forsurface mount interconnects such as land-grid-array orball-grid-array technologies as applied to LTCC packaging.The frequency band limitations for this technology are due

  • 312 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON COMPONENTS, PACKAGING AND MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY, VOL. 5, NO. 3, MARCH 2015

    to fabrication tolerances, including conductor roughness,conductor thickness, cross-sectional shape of the signal lines,the finite conductivity of the conducting paste utilized in theLTCC process, and the length of the stripline due to insertionlosses. We do note that this single-ended structure with twoconnectors, launches, and transitions can successfully transmitdata at rates up to at least 28 Gbits/s, with BER lowerthan 1 1013, without the use of any signal conditioning(i.e., de-emphasis or equalization). We have also characterizedthe repeatability of the connector assembly process. Thisstructure and the corresponding differential stripline equivalentshow promise for the use of 9K7 LTCC substrates for modulesrequiring high-speed digital data transmission.

    REFERENCES[1] D. Anderson, Trends in LTCC processing, in Proc. IMAPS Conf.

    Exhibit. Ceram. Interconnects Technol., Next Generat., Denver, CO,USA, 2003, pp. 165170.

    [2] F. J. Schmckle, A. Jentzsch, W. Heinrich, J. Butz, and M. Spinnler,LTCC as MCM substrate: Design of strip-line structures and flip-chipinterconnects, in IEEE MTT-S Int. Microw. Symp. Dig., Phoenix, AZ,USA, May 2001, pp. 19031906.

    [3] Y. C. Lee, CPW-to-stripline vertical via transitions for 60 GHz LTCCSOP applications, Prog. Electromagn. Res. Lett., vol. 2, pp. 3744,Mar. 2008.

    [4] T. Baras and A. F. Jacob, Advanced broadband 2nd-level-interconnectsfor LTCC multi-chip-modules, in Proc. IEEE German Microw. Conf.,Ulm, Germany, Apr. 2005, pp. 2124.

    [5] R. E. Amaya, M. Li, K. Hettak, and C. J. Verver, A broadband3D vertical microstrip to stripline transition in LTCC using a quasi-coaxial structure for millimetre-wave SOP applications, in Proc. Eur.Microw. Conf. (EuMC), Paris, France, Sep. 2010, pp. 109112.

    [6] A. Boutz, Inductors in LTCC utilizing full tape thickness features,M.S. thesis, Dept. Elect. Comput. Eng., Kansas State Univ., Manhattan,KS, USA, 2009.

    [7] D. M. Pozar, Microwave Engineering. New York, NY, USA: Wiley,2005.

    [8] Ansoft HFSS, Version 14.0.0, Ansys, Pittsburgh, PA, USA, 2011.[9] E. Decrossas, M. D. Glover, K. Porter, T. Cannon, H. A. Mantooth, and

    M. C. Hamilton, Broad frequency LTCC vertical interconnect transitionfor multichip modules and system on package applications, in Proc.44th Eur. Microw. Conf., Nuremberg, Germany, Oct. 2013, pp. 104107.

    [10] U. Guin and C. Chiang, Design for bit error rate estimation ofhigh speed serial links, in Proc. IEEE 29th VLSI Test Symp. (VTS),May 2011, pp. 278283.

    Emmanuel Decrossas (S08M12) received theB.S. and M.S. (Hons.) degrees in engineeringscience and electrical engineering from the Univer-sit Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France, in 2004 and2006, respectively, and the Ph.D. degree in electricalengineering from the University of Arkansas (UA),Fayetteville, AR, USA, in 2012.

    He was a Visiting Scholar Student with the Uni-versity of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA, in 2006,to initiate an international student exchange programand work on reconfigurable microelectromechanical

    systems antennas for wireless applications. He was a Post-Doctoral Fellowwith the High Density Electronics Center, UA, in 2012, where his researchinvolves in signal and power integrities signal in low temperatureco-fired ceramic (LTCC). He started his work with the NASA Jet PropulsionLaboratory (JPL), Pasadena, CA, USA, in 2012. His work with JPL leadto the development of terahertz silicon micromachining components forradar imaging, 3-D printed devices, and dielectric waveguide combined withCMOS technology for communication. His current research interests includemodeling, optimization, and design of RF/microwave components, dielectriccharacterization, computer-aided design of microwave devices, microfabrica-tion, and nanotechnology to develop and model high frequency devices, signaland power integrities design, and LTCC components.

    Dr. Decrossas is a member of the Eta Kappa Nu, the Honor Societyfor Electrical Engineering. He received the prestigious NASA Post-DoctoralFellowship Award.

    Michael D. Glover (M07) received the B.S., M.S.,and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering fromthe University of Arkansas (UA), Fayetteville, AR,USA, in 1993, 1995, and 2013, respectively.

    He has contributed to the High Density ElectronicsCenter (HiDEC) with UA in various roles since1993, where he managing a number of electronicintegration projects and producing hundreds of maskand printed circuit board designs for various thinfilm, ceramic, and hybrid microelectronic projects.He has interests in computer-aided design and man-

    ufacturing, computer architecture, programming, microelectronic packagingand fabrication, and digital systems. He is currently the Director of theCeramic Integration Laboratory with HiDEC, UA, and a Research AssistantProfessor with the Department of Electrical Engineering. His current researchinterests include the packaging/integration of wide bandgap power devices.

    Dr. Glover is a member of the IEEE Components, Packaging andManufacturing Technology Society, the IEEE Power Electronics Society, andEta Kappa Nu. He was a recipient of the William D. and M. A. BrownStaff Excellence Award from the Department of Electrical Engineering, UA,in 2011.

    Kaoru Porter received the B.S. and M.S. degreesin electrical engineering from the University ofArkansas (UA), Fayetteville, AR, USA, in 1995 and1997, respectively.

    She is currently a Research Associate, andmanages the operation of the High Density Electron-ics Center with the Ceramic Integration Laboratory,Department of Electrical Engineering, UA. She hasbeen in her current position providing equipment andprocess training associated with low temperatureco-fired ceramic since 2007. Her extensive expe-

    rience has developed novel solutions in both advanced power integratedpackages and compact antennas.

    Tom Cannon obtained his degree as an ElectronicsTechnician E-VI from the U.S. Navy, Pentagon,VA, USA, in 1982.

    He specialized in navigational radar systems,microwave communication, and surface to aircomputer guidance systems. After leaving the Navy,he owned his own business in Fayetteville, AR,USA, where he performed troubleshooting andrepair on microelectronics and macromechanicalsystems for 12 years. He joined the High DensityElectronics Center, University of Arkansas,

    Fayetteville, in 2008, as a Research Assistant. Some of his responsibilitiesinclude the installation of new equipment, troubleshooting, and repair ofvarious systems and research. He helped with the design and installation ofa complete PECVD and MOCVD system for INB Laboratories. In 2009, hehelped with the testing of the recirculation power for the National Center forReliable Electric Power Transmission. In 2010, he started computer-aideddesign work with low temperature co-fired ceramic on a new fuel cell design,and is currently testing new ceramic cells.

    Thomas Stegeman (S13) received the B.S. andM.S. degrees in electrical engineering from FloridaState University, Tallahassee, FL, USA, in 2010and 2011, respectively. He is currently pursuing thePh.D. degree in electrical engineering with AuburnUniversity, Auburn, AL, USA.

    He is a Graduate Research Assistant with AuburnUniversity. He is also an Honorably SeparatedVeteran with the United States Air Force, Pentagon,VA, USA, after 10 years of service as an AvionicsTechnician Craftsman.

  • DECROSSAS et al.: HIGH-PERFORMANCE AND HIGH-DATA-RATE QUASI-COAXIAL LTCC VERTICAL INTERCONNECT TRANSITIONS 313

    Nicholas Allen-McCormack, photograph and biography not available at thetime of publication.

    Michael C. Hamilton (S97M05SM12)received the B.S. degree from Auburn University,Auburn, AL, USA, in 2000, and the M.S. andPh.D. degrees from the University of Michigan, AnnArbor, MI, USA, in 2002 and 2005, respectively,with a focus on organic electronics, all in electricalengineering.

    He was with the MIT Lincoln Laboratory,Lexington, MA, USA, from 2006 to 2010, wherehe was involved in a range of advanced electronics,sensors, and integration technologies. In 2010, he

    joined the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, AuburnUniversity, as an Assistant Professor. He serves as an Assistant Directorof the Alabama Micro/Nano Science and Technology Center with AuburnUniversity. He is leading research efforts in packaging and integrationof dense high-speed/high-power systems, signal and power integrity ofadvanced integrated systems, application of micro and nanostructuresfor enhanced performance of RF and microwave systems, packaging forextreme environments (both high and low temperature), and superconductingtechnologies.

    H. Alan Mantooth (S83M90SM97F09)received the B.S. (summa cum laude) andM.S. degrees in electrical engineering fromthe University of Arkansas (UA), Fayetteville,AR, USA, in 1985 and 1986, respectively, andthe Ph.D. degree from the Georgia Institute ofTechnology, Atlanta, GA, USA, in 1990.

    He joined Analogy, Inc., Beaverton, OR, USA, in1990, where he focused on semiconductor devicemodeling and the research and development ofHDL-based modeling tools and techniques. In 1998,

    he joined as a Faculty Member, the Department of Electrical Engineering,UA, where he currently holds the rank of Distinguished Professor. He helpedestablish the National Center for Reliable Electric Power Transmission(NCREPT) at UA in 2005, for which he serves as the Director. He servesas the Executive Director of NCREPT and two of its constitutive centersof excellence, such as the NSF I/UCRC on Grid-connected AdvancedPower Electronic Systems and the NSF Vertically Integrated Center onTransformative Energy Research. His current research interests includeanalog and mixed-signal IC design and computer-aided design (CAD),semiconductor device modeling, power electronics, and power electronicpackaging.

    Dr. Mantooth is a member of the Tau Beta Pi and Eta Kappa Nu, anda Registered Professional Engineer in Arkansas. He serves as the VicePresident of Operations for the Power Electronics Society. In 2006, he wasselected as the inaugural holder of the 21st Century Endowed Chair inMixed-Signal IC Design and CAD.

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