RF Transceiver Adapted for Signal Isolators and Proximity Sensors

• US 20080205495A1
• Filed: 02/26/2007
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Avago Technologies ECBU IP Singapore Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Trott, Gary R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,796,684 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/219
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/4813 Connecting within a semiconductor or solid-state body, i.e. fly wire, bridge wire
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19107 off-chip wires
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/24 with receiving set
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop

Abstract

A transceiver having a transmitting antenna, a receiving antenna, and a substrate having transmitter and receiver dies is disclosed. The transmitter generates an RF signal having a carrier frequency and the receiver detects and amplifies signals of the carrier frequency. The transmitting antenna and/or the receiving antenna includes a first wire antenna loop having a length greater than or equal to one tenth of a wavelength of the carrier frequency. The first wire antenna loop is connected to the transmitter die by a wire bond on a bond pad of the transmitter die. The antenna loop or loops can be encapsulated in an insulating material to protect the loops and fix the loops in space. The transceiver can be configured to operate as a galvanic isolator or a proximity detector.

Claims

1. A transceiver comprising:

a transmitting antenna

a receiving antenna,

a substrate comprising an insulating layer on which a transmitter die and a receiver die are mounted, said substrate comprising electrically conducting traces to which said transmitter and receiver dies are connected, said transmitter generating a signal having a carrier frequency and said receiver detecting and amplifying signals of said carrier frequency,

wherein said transmitting antenna and/or said receiving antenna comprises a first wire antenna loop having a length greater than or equal to one tenth of a wavelength of said carrier frequency, said first wire antenna loop being connected to said transmitter die by a wire bond on a bond pad of said transmitter die.

2. The transceiver of claim 1 further comprising a layer of insulating material that encapsulated said first wire antenna loop.

3. The transceiver of claim 1 wherein said transmitting antenna and said receiving antenna are separated by a distance less than 3 wavelengths of said carrier frequency.

4. The transceiver of claim 1 wherein said transmitting antenna and said receiving antenna are oriented such that signals from said transmitting antenna are received by said receiving antenna when said signals are reflected from an external object at a predetermined position with respect to said transceiver, signals from said transmitting antenna that are not reflected from said external object being prevented from being received by said receiving antenna.

5. The transceiver of claim 1 further comprising a conducting barrier between said transmitting and receiving antennae.

6. The transceiver of claim 1 wherein said first wire antenna loop comprises a first end that is wire bonded to a conductor on said substrate.

7. The transceiver of claim 6 wherein said first wire antenna loop comprises a second end that is wire bonded to a conductor on said one of said receiver die or transmitter die.

8. The transceiver of claim 6 wherein said first wire antenna loop comprises a second end that is wire bonded to a conductor on said substrate.

9. The transceiver of claim 1 wherein said receive and transmit antennae comprise dipoles.

10. The transceiver of claim 1 wherein said first wire antenna loop comprises a closed loop having a plane parallel to a surface of said substrate.

11. The transceiver of claim 1 wherein said transmitting antenna comprises said first wire antenna loop and said receiving antenna comprises a second wire antenna loop that is wire bonded to a conductor on said receiver die.