Methods related to implementing surface mount devices with ground paths

• US 10,561,012 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2017
• Issued: 02/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Skyworks Solutions Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Skyworks Solutions Incorporated
• Inventors: Chen, Howard E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Xiaoliang
• Application Number:
  US15/729,632
• Publication Number:
  US 20180146541A1
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• Field of Search: 361736, 361742, 361760, 361818, 257659, 257660, 257700, 257710, 455334
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/172 wherein at least one of the layers is non-metallic
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/361 for deburring or mechanical trimming B23K26/351 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/362 Laser etching
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/386 of blind holes
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/389 of fluid openings, e.g. nozzles, jets laser machining of inkjet nozzles B41J2/1634
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/40 taking account of the properties of the material involved
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/565 Moulds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76802 by forming openings in dielectrics
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76877 Filling of holes, grooves or trenches, e.g. vias, with conductive material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/6611 Wire connections
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/6616 Vertical connections, e.g. vias
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/6677 for antenna, e.g. antenna included within housing of semiconductor device antennas per se H01Q
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05554 being square
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/13025 the bump connector being disposed on a via connection of the semiconductor or solid-state body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16227 the bump connector connecting to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45099 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48106 the connector being orthogonal to a side surface of the semiconductor or solid-state body, e.g. parallel layout
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/4813 Connecting within a semiconductor or solid-state body, i.e. fly wire, bridge wire
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48227 : connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49171 : Fan-out arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73265 : Layer and wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3121 : a substrate forming part of the encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/481 : Internal lead connections, e.g. via connections, feedthrough structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49838 : Geometry or layout
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/552 : Protection against radiation, e.g. light or electromagnetic waves
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/66 : High-frequency adaptations
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/17 : of a plurality of bump connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/32 : of an individual layer connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/48 : of an individual wire connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/49 : of a plurality of wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/73 : Means for bonding being of different types provided for in two or more of groups H01L24/10, H01L24/18, H01L24/26, H01L24/34, H01L24/42, H01L24/50, H01L24/63, H01L24/71
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 : Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 : the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19105 : in a side-by-side arrangement on a common die mounting substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19107 : off-chip wires
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3025 : Electromagnetic shielding
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/64 : using surface acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3833 : Hand-held transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3838 : Arrangements for reducing RF exposure to the user, e.g. by changing the shape of the transceiver while in use
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 : Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0216 : Reduction of cross-talk, noise or electromagnetic interference grounding H05K1/0215
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0218 : by printed shielding conductors, ground planes or power plane H05K1/0236 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0243 : Printed circuits associated with mounted high frequency components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/181 : associated with surface mounted components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/183 : Components mounted in and supported by recessed areas of the printed circuit board
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/1006 : Non-printed filter
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10083 : Electromechanical or electro-acoustic component, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10098 : Components for radio transmission, e.g. radio frequency identification [RFID] tag, printed or non-printed antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10287 : Metal wires as connectors or conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/1056 : Metal over component, i.e. metal plate over component mounted on or embedded in PCB
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/107 : Using laser light shaping a substrate by laser ablation H05K3/0026
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/1327 : Moulding over PCB locally or completely applying non-metallic protective coatings for encapsulating mounted components H05K3/284
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/288 : Removal of non-metallic coatings, e.g. for repairing
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/30 : Assembling printed circuits with electric components, e.g. with resistor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/303 : Surface mounted components, e.g. affixing before soldering, aligning means, spacing means H05K3/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 9/0022 : of components mounted on printed circuit boards [PCB] shields integrated within component packages H01L23/552; shields integrated within PCB H05K1/0218
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 : Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49016 : Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making

Abstract

Disclosed are apparatus and methods related to ground paths implemented with surface mount devices to facilitate shielding of radio-frequency (RF) modules. In some embodiments, a method for fabricating a radio-frequency module includes providing a packaging substrate, the packaging substrate configured to receive a plurality of components and the packaging substrate including a ground plane. In some embodiments, the method includes mounting a surface mount device on the packaging substrate, and forming or providing a conductive layer over the surface mount device such that the surface mount device electrically connects the conductive layer with the ground plane to thereby provide radio-frequency shielding between first and second regions about the surface mount device.

Claims

1. A method for fabricating a radio-frequency module, the method comprising:

providing a packaging substrate, the packaging substrate configured to receive a plurality of components, the packaging substrate including a ground plane;

mounting a surface mount device on the packaging substrate;

forming an overmold over the packaging substrate, the overmold encapsulating the surface mount device;

forming an opening defined in the overmold at a region over the surface mount device, the opening having sufficient depth to expose a region of the surface mount device; and

forming or providing a conductive layer over the surface mount device such that the surface mount device electrically connects the conductive layer with the ground plane to thereby provide radio-frequency shielding between first and second regions about the surface mount device, the first and second regions being within the radio-frequency module.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein mounting the surface mount device includes inverting the surface mount device from its designed usage orientation, the surface mount device including a conductive feature that faces upward and in electrical contact with the conductive layer in the inverted orientation.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the first and second regions is on the packaging substrate.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the surface mount device includes a functional component.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

implementing an upper connection feature of the functional component in electrical contact with the conductive layer;

implementing a lower connection feature of the functional component in electrical contact with the ground plane; and

configuring at least one interconnection feature to electrically connect the conductive layer with the ground plane.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the functional component includes a functional die such that the upper connection feature includes a metal layer formed on one side of the die.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the at least one interconnection feature includes at least one through-die conductive via.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the lower connection feature includes a contact feature that electrically connects the through-die conductive via with the ground plane.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the die includes a radio-frequency filter.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the radio-frequency filter is a chip size surface acoustic wave (SAW) device (CSSD).

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising mounting the die on the surface of the packaging substrate in an orientation that is inverted relative to its designed usage orientation.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising implementing a plurality of shielding-wirebonds relative to the surface mount device, the plurality of wirebonds configured to provide the radio-frequency shielding in combination with the surface mount device.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising positioning the surface mount device on the packaging substrate to provide shielding along a segment that would otherwise be shielded by one or more shielding-wirebonds.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising implementing a conductive racetrack under the plurality of shielding-wirebonds, the conductive racetrack electrically connected to the shielding-wirebonds and a ground plane within the packaging substrate.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising positioning the surface mount device along an edge of the packaging substrate.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein a portion of the edge occupied by the surface mount device is substantially free of the conductive racetrack.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising forming a radio-frequency shield relative to the surface mount device, the radio-frequency shield including a plurality of shielding wirebonds and at least one shielding-component, the at least one shielding component configured to replace one or more shielding wirebonds.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein forming the radio-frequency shield includes mounting the at least one shielding-component in a position along a selected edge of the packaging substrate.