Microwave . millimeter wave transmitting and receiving module

• US 5,404,581 A
• Filed: 07/23/1992
• Issued: 04/04/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Honjo, Kazuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FAILE, ANDREW I
• Application Number:
  US07/917,240
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• Field of Search: 455/73, 455/90, 257/528, 257/698, 257/777, 257/920, 257/200, 257/275, 257/664, 257/778
• US Class Current: 455/90.1
• 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 2223/6683 for monolithic microwave integrated circuit [MMIC]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/66 High-frequency adaptations
• 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 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/403 using the same oscillator for generating both the transmitter frequency and the receiver local oscillator frequency

Abstract

On a main plane of a semi-insulation GaAs substrate, a microwave.millimeter wave active circuit is provided, and, on a back surface thereof, a microstrip antenna is provided. On the other hand, a signal processing circuit of a large integration scale is provided on a main plane of a silicon substrate. The microwave.millimeter wave transmitting and receiving module is composed of the semi-insulation GaAs substrate and the silicon substrate which are in contact on the main planes with each other.

Claims

1. A microwave.millimeter wave transmitting and receiving module, comprising:

a first semiconductor chip comprising a microwave.millimeter wave circuit provided on a first plane of a semi-insulation compound semiconductor substrate, and a ground metal film provided on a second plane of said semi-insulation compound semiconductor substrate, said microwave.millimeter wave circuit comprising compound semiconductor active and passive devices; and

an antenna conductor provided on the second plane of said semi-insulation compound semiconductor substrate;

wherein said antenna conductor is connected through a via-hole to said active device of said microwave.millimeter wave circuit;

a second semiconductor chip comprising a signal processing circuit provided on a main plane of a silicon substrate;

wherein said first and second semiconductor chips are in contact with each other on said first plane of said semi-insulation compound semiconductor substrate and said main plane of said silicon substrate.

2. A microwave.millimeter wave transmitting and receiving module, according to claim 1, wherein:

said microwave.millimeter wave circuit provided on said semi-insulation compound semiconductor substrate, comprises;

at least a low noise amplifier, a mixer, a modulator, and a high output amplifier; and

said signal processing circuit provided on said silicon substrate, comprises;

at least an analog to digital converter.

3. A microwave.millimeter wave transmitting and receiving module, according to claim 1, wherein:

said semi-insulation compound semiconductor substrate is a semi-insulation GaAs semiconductor substrate.

4. A microwave.millimeter wave transmitting and receiving module, according to claim 1, wherein:

said antenna conductor comprises a plurality of antenna patch conductors each having a connecting terminal to provide an active phased array antenna, said connecting terminal being connected through said via-hole to said active device of said microwave.millimeter wave circuit.

5. A microwave.millimeter wave transmitting and receiving module, comprising:

a semi-insulation GaAs substrate, and a silicon substrate, said GaAs and silicon substrates being closely faced by respective main planes;

a microwave.millimeter wave transmitting and receiving circuit, provided on said main plane of said GaAs substrate, said microwave.millimeter wave transmitting and receiving circuit being implemented with bipolar transistor circuitry;

a microstrip antenna connected to said microwave.millimeter wave transmitting and receiving circuit, said microstrip antenna being provided on a plane opposite to said main plane of said GaAs substrate;

a signal processing circuit for processing signals supplied to and from said microwave.millimeter wave transmitting and receiving circuit, said signal processing circuit being provided on said main plane of said silicon substrate, and being implemented with MOS transistor circuitry; and

terminals for connecting said microwave.millimeter wave transmitting and receiving circuit and said signal processing circuit, said terminals being provided on said main planes of said GaAs and silicon substrates, respectively.

6. A microwave.millimeter wave transmitting and receiving module, according to claim 5, wherein:

said microwave.millimeter wave transmitting and receiving circuit comprises;

at least a low noise amplifier, a mixer, a modulator, a high output amplifier, a transmit/receive switch, and a phase shifter; and

said signal processing circuit comprises;

at least an intermediate frequency amplifier, an analog to digital converter, and digital signal processing circuitry.

7. A microwave.millimeter wave transmitting and receiving module, according to claim 5, wherein:

said signal processing circuit is implemented with large scale integration circuitry.

8. A microwave.millimeter wave transmitting and receiving module, according to claim 5, wherein:

said main planes of said GaAs and silicon substrates are in direct contact with each other.