Miniaturized LTCC based C-Band transmit receive integrated module for EOS-04 SAR payload

This article presents the design, development and realization of miniaturized C-Band transmit receive integrated module (TRiM) for Earth observation satellite-04 (EOS-04) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) payload. State-of-the-art low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) technology is used for localized hermetic sealing of bare microwave monolithic integrated circuits (MMICs). A miniaturization of ~35% is achieved in this TRiM as compared to Radar Imaging Satellite-1 TR module, enabling >100 kg reduction in the overall EOS-04 SAR payload mass. The design of LTCC module is done using Ferro A6M-E and DuPont 951 based LTCC processes. Two such dual polarized LTCC TR modules along with in situ TR controller are housed inside a single TRiM housing. More than 13,000 MMICs are fabricated indigenously and utilized for the development of the TRiMs. About 350 such TRiMs have been mass produced through extensive participation of various Indian industries leading to the development and space qualification of several state-of-the-art processes. Measured transmit output power of >40 dBm, transmit gain >51 dB, receive gain >36 dB, noise figure <4.25 dB, phase error <4.5°, amplitude error <0.4 dB have been achieved for a 250 MHz wide bandwidth over 350 mass produced TRiMs