- IMEC announced three added manufacturing steps for its 300 mm RF silicon interposer, delivering record‑low signal loss up to 325 GHz.
- The platform now covers the millimetre‑wave and sub‑terahertz bands required for 6G, and the tighter loss figures mean fewer amplification stages and simpler antenna arrays. By integrating these capabilities on a single wafer, IMEC claims the process can be scaled at a price point that makes carrier‑grade 6G transceivers feasible.
- The move matters because 6G prototypes have so far relied on bespoke, expensive assemblies that limit rollout. A lower‑cost silicon interposer could let telecom operators test network slices without the headline‑making budgets that 5G rollout demanded.
- Compared with IMEC’s 2023 interposer, which topped out at 200 GHz and required multiple wafer‑bond steps, the new 325 GHz platform shortens the technology gap to the sub‑THz frequencies that academic papers have been touting for years. The real test will be whether foundries can adopt the process without inflating prices.