Semiconductor Device and Method of Forming Directional RF Coupler with IPD for Additional RF Signal Processing

• US 20110057742A1
• Filed: 09/10/2009
• Published: 03/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JCET Semiconductor (Shaoxing) Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Stats Chippac Limited
• Inventors: Liu, Kai, Frye, Robert C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,358,179 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 333/26
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/70 Manufacture or treatment of devices consisting of a plurality of solid state components formed in or on a common substrate or of parts thereof; Manufacture of integrated circuit devices or of parts thereof multistep manufacturing processes of assemblies consisting of a plurality of individual semiconductor or other solid state devices H01L25/00; manufacture of assemblies consisting of preformed electrical components H05K3/00, H05K13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73265 Layer and wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/01 comprising only passive thin-film or thick-film elements formed on a common insulating substrate passive two-terminal components without a potential-jump or surface barrier for integrated circuits, details thereof and multistep manufacturing processes therefor H01L28/00
• 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 2924/13091 Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor [MOSFET]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15174 in different layers of the multilayer substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15311 being a ball array, e.g. BGA
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/10 for coupling balanced lines or devices with unbalanced lines or devices
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/48 Networks for connecting several sources or loads, working on the same frequency or frequency band, to a common load or source phase shifters providing two or more output signals H03H7/21
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0233 Filters, inductors or a magnetic substance
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0239 Signal transmission by AC coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0243 Printed circuits associated with mounted high frequency components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/025 Impedance arrangements, e.g. impedance matching, reduction of parasitic impedance H05K1/024 and H05K1/0243 take precedence; for semiconductor devices H01L23/66
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/165 incorporating printed inductors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09245 Crossing layout
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49155 Manufacturing circuit on or in base

Abstract

A semiconductor device has a substrate and RF coupler formed over the substrate. The RF coupler has a first conductive trace with a first end coupled to a first terminal of the semiconductor device, and a second conductive trace with a first end coupled to a second terminal of the semiconductor device. The first conductive trace is placed in proximity to a first portion of the second conductive trace. An integrated passive device is formed over the substrate. A second portion of the second conductive trace operates as a circuit component of the integrated passive device. The integrated passive device can be a balun or low-pass filter. The RF coupler also has a first capacitor coupled to the first terminal of the semiconductor device, and second capacitor coupled to a third terminal of the semiconductor device for higher directivity. The second conductive trace is wound to exhibit an inductive property.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device, comprising:

a substrate;

a radio frequency (RF) coupler formed over the substrate, the RF coupler including,

(a) a first conductive trace having a first end coupled to a first terminal of the semiconductor device, and second end coupled to a circuit node, and

(b) a second conductive trace having a first end coupled to a second terminal of the semiconductor device, and second end coupled to a third terminal of the semiconductor device, the first conductive trace being placed in proximity to a first portion of the second conductive trace; and

a low-pass filter formed over the substrate, wherein a second portion of the second conductive trace operates as a circuit component of the low-pass filter.

2. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the RF coupler further includes:

a first capacitor coupled between the first terminal and second terminal of the semiconductor device; and

a second capacitor coupled between the third terminal and circuit node of the semiconductor device.

3. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the low-pass filter further includes:

the second portion of the second conductive trace;

a first capacitor coupled between the second terminal and a fourth terminal of the semiconductor device; and

a second capacitor coupled between the third terminal and a fifth terminal of the semiconductor device.

4. The semiconductor device of claim 3, wherein the low-pass filter further includes a third capacitor coupled between the second terminal and third terminal of the semiconductor device.

5. The semiconductor device of claim 1, further including a resistor coupled between the circuit node and a fourth terminal of the semiconductor device.

6. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the second conductive trace is wound to exhibit an inductive property.

7. A semiconductor device, comprising:

a substrate;

a radio frequency (RF) coupler formed over the substrate, the RF coupler including,

(a) a first conductive trace having a first end coupled to a first terminal of the semiconductor device, and second end coupled to a circuit node, and

(b) a second conductive trace having a first end coupled to a second terminal of the semiconductor device, and second end coupled to a third terminal of the semiconductor device, the first conductive trace being placed in proximity to a first portion of the second conductive trace; and

a balun formed over the substrate, wherein a second portion of the second conductive trace operates as a circuit component of the balun.

8. The semiconductor device of claim 7, wherein the RF coupler further includes:

a first capacitor coupled between the second terminal and circuit node; and

a second capacitor coupled between a fourth terminal and the circuit node.

9. The semiconductor device of claim 7, wherein the balun further includes:

the second portion of the second conductive trace;

a third conductive trace coupled between a fourth terminal and a fifth terminal of the semiconductor device;

a fourth conductive trace coupled between a sixth terminal and the fifth terminal of the semiconductor device;

a first capacitor coupled between the fourth terminal and fifth terminal of the semiconductor device; and

a second capacitor coupled between the sixth terminal and the fifth terminal of the semiconductor device.

10. The semiconductor device of claim 9, wherein the balun further includes a third capacitor coupled between the second terminal and third terminal of the semiconductor device.

11. The semiconductor device of claim 9, wherein the third and fourth conductive traces are wound to exhibit inductive properties.

12. The semiconductor device of claim 7, wherein the second conductive trace is wound to exhibit an inductive property.

13. The semiconductor device of claim 7, further including a resistor coupled between the circuit node and a fourth terminal of the semiconductor device.

14. A semiconductor device, comprising:

a substrate;

a radio frequency (RF) coupler formed over the substrate, the RF coupler including,

(a) a first conductive trace having a first end coupled to a first terminal of the semiconductor device, and

(b) a second conductive trace having a first end coupled to a second terminal of the semiconductor device, the first conductive trace being placed in proximity to a first portion of the second conductive trace; and

an integrated passive device formed over the substrate, wherein a second portion of the second conductive trace operates as a circuit component of the integrated passive device.

15. The semiconductor device of claim 14, wherein the RF coupler further includes:

a first capacitor coupled to a third terminal of the semiconductor device; and

a second capacitor coupled to a fourth terminal of the semiconductor device.

16. The semiconductor device of claim 14, wherein the integrated passive device includes a low-pass filter.

17. The semiconductor device of claim 16, wherein the low-pass filter further includes:

the second portion of the second conductive trace;

a first capacitor coupled between the second terminal and a third terminal of the semiconductor device;

a second capacitor coupled between a fourth terminal and a fifth terminal of the semiconductor device; and

a third capacitor coupled between the second terminal and fourth terminal of the semiconductor device.

18. The semiconductor device of claim 14, wherein the integrated passive device includes a balun.

19. The semiconductor device of claim 18, wherein the balun further includes:

the second portion of the second conductive trace;

a third conductive trace coupled between a third terminal and a fourth terminal of the semiconductor device;

a fourth conductive trace coupled between a fifth terminal and the fourth terminal of the semiconductor device;

a first capacitor coupled between the third terminal and fourth terminal of the semiconductor device;

a second capacitor coupled between the fifth terminal and the fourth terminal of the semiconductor device; and

a third capacitor coupled between the second terminal and a sixth terminal of the semiconductor device.

20. A method of forming a semiconductor device, comprising:

providing a substrate;

forming a radio frequency (RF) coupler over the substrate by,

(a) forming a first conductive trace having a first end coupled to a first terminal of the semiconductor device, and

(b) forming a second conductive trace having a first end coupled to a second terminal of the semiconductor device, the first conductive trace being placed in proximity to a first portion of the second conductive trace; and

forming an integrated passive device over the substrate, wherein a second portion of the second conductive trace operates as a circuit component of the integrated passive device.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein forming the RF coupler further includes:

forming a first capacitor coupled to a third terminal of the semiconductor device; and

forming a second capacitor coupled to a fourth terminal of the semiconductor device.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein forming the integrated passive device includes forming a low-pass filter.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein forming the low-pass filter further includes:

the second portion of the second conductive trace;

forming a first capacitor coupled between the second terminal and a third terminal of the semiconductor device;

forming a second capacitor coupled between a fourth terminal and a fifth terminal of the semiconductor device; and

forming a third capacitor coupled between the second terminal and fourth terminal of the semiconductor device.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein forming the integrated passive device includes forming a balun.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein forming the balun further includes:

the second portion of the second conductive trace;

forming a third conductive trace coupled between a third terminal and a fourth terminal of the semiconductor device;

forming a fourth conductive trace coupled between a fifth terminal and the fourth terminal of the semiconductor device;

forming a first capacitor coupled between the third terminal and fourth terminal of the semiconductor device;

forming a second capacitor coupled between the fifth terminal and the fourth terminal of the semiconductor device; and

forming a third capacitor coupled between the second terminal and a sixth terminal of the semiconductor device.