Compact microwave module

• US 5,917,388 A
• Filed: 04/03/1997
• Issued: 06/29/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alcatel Espace, Alcatel Space
• Original Assignee: Alcatel Espace
• Inventors: Tronche, Christian, Coello Vera, Augustin, Monfraix, Philippe
• Primary Examiner(s): GENSLER, PAUL L
• Application Number:
  US08/825,956
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• Field of Search: 333/33, 333/238, 333/246, 333/247, 333/260, 257/664, 257/728, 29/600, 361/792, 361/794, 361/795
• US Class Current: 333/246
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/6616 Vertical connections, e.g. vias
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05599 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45015 being circular
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45099 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48227 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49111 the connectors connecting two common bonding areas, e.g. Litz or braid wires
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49175 Parallel arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/85399 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/66 High-frequency adaptations
• 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 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 2924/00012 Relevant to the scope of the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group
• 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 2924/01078 Platinum [Pt]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01079 Gold [Au]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01087 Francium [Fr]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/12042 LASER
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/14 Integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/181 : Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/207 : Diameter ranges
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3025 : Electromagnetic shielding
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/047 : Strip line joints
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49016 : Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making

Abstract

The invention provides a microwave module including a plurality of stacked elementary structures forming a unit, each elementary structure comprising a bottom dielectric layer on a top surface of which an integrated circuit (20, 21) is disposed, and a top dielectric layer covering the circuit (20, 21). The module is characterized by a connection line (20a, 30, 21a) between two respective circuits belonging to first and second elementary structures, the connection line being constituted by an input coplanar line (21a) disposed on the top surface of the bottom dielectric layer of the first structure, by an output coplanar line (20a) disposed on the top surface of the bottom dielectric layer of the second structure, and a by link coplanar line (30) connecting one end of the input coplanar line to one end of the output coplanar line.

Claims

1. A microwave module comprising:

a plurality of stacked elementary structures forming a unit, each elementary structure comprising a bottom dielectric layer (14a, 15a) on a top surface of which an integrated circuit (20,

     21) is disposed, and a top dielectric layer (14b, 15b) covering the circuit (20,

     21); and

a connection line (30) for connecting a first integrated circuit (20) mounted on a dielectric layer of a first structure of said plurality of structures to a second integrated circuit (21) mounted on a dielectric layer of a second structure of said plurality of structures;

wherein said connection line (20a, 30, 21a) comprises an input coplanar line (21a) disposed on the top surface of the bottom dielectric layer of the first structure, an output coplanar line (20a) disposed on the top surface of the bottom dielectric layer of the second structure, and a link coplanar line (30) connecting one end of the input coplanar line to one end of the output coplanar line;

wherein a given elementary structure is separated from an immediately adjacent elementary structure by a ground element (10,

     11), and both said input coplanar line (21a) and said output coplanar line (20a) extend beyond planes including the respective edges of the ground element separating said first elementary structure and said second elementary structure, so that said link coplanar line (30) is offset outwardly relative to the ground element.

2. A compact microwave module comprising:

a plurality of stacked elementary structures forming a unit, each elementary structure comprising a bottom dielectric layer (14a, 15a) on a top surface of which an integrated circuit (20,

     21) is disposed, and a top dielectric layer (14b, 15b) covering the circuit (20,

     21); and

a connection line (20a, 31, 20b) for connecting a first integrated circuit (20) mounted on a bottom dielectric layer of a first structure of said plurality of structures to a second integrated circuit (21) mounted on a bottom dielectric layer of a second structure of said plurality of structures;

a ground element (10,

     11) for separating each given elementary structure from an immediately adjacent elementary structure;

said connection line including an input coplanar line (21a) which is disposed on the top surface of the bottom dielectric layer of the first structure, an output coplanar line which is disposed on the top surface of the bottom dielectric layer of the second structure, and a link line comprising firstly a signal first conductor strand (311) connecting a signal conductor (211a) of the input coplanar line (21a) to a signal conductor (201a) of the output coplanar line (20a) via a first hole (H) through each bottom and top dielectric layer and through each ground element separating said two circuits, and secondly at least one grounding second conductor strand (310-314) connecting at least one of the grounding conductors of the input coplanar line to at least one of the grounding conductors of the output coplanar line via a respective second hole passing through each bottom and top dielectric layer and through each ground element separating said two circuits (20,

     21).

3. A module according to claim 2, said at least one grounding second conductor strand is in contact with each ground element separating said two circuits (20, 21).

4. A module according to claim 2, in that said at least one grounding second conductor strand is formed by metal plating said second hole.

5. A module according to claim 2, wherein the two grounding conductors of each of said input and output coplanar lines are connected together at their respective ends via an additional grounding conductor (203a, 213a).

6. A module according to claim 5, further including a plurality of second strands (310-314) connecting together said grounding conductors and said additional grounding conductor of the input coplanar line and said grounding conductors and said additional conductor of the output coplanar line, said plurality of ground second conductor strands surrounding at least in part said signal first conductor.

7. A module according to claim 6, wherein said plurality of second strands is disposed in a circular arc around said signal first conductor.

8. A method of manufacturing a microwave module including the steps of:

molding a rectangular unit comprising a plurality of stacked elementary structures, each elementary structure comprising a bottom dielectric layer on a top surface of which an integrated circuit (20,

     21), ground conductors and a signal conductor are disposed, and a top dielectric layer covering the circuit, ground conductors and signal conductor;

cutting said unit along parallel cutting planes (100,

     101) to expose two new faces (Fa, Fb) on which respective sets of ends of the ground conductors and of the signal conductor are provided, each set being associated with a respective coplanar line;

metal plating said two new faces (Fa, Fb); and

etching the metal-plated new faces so as to form a link coplanar line connecting the ends of ground conductors and of a signal conductor of an input coplanar line of a first elementary structure to respective ends of ground conductors and of a signal conductor of an output coplanar line of a second elementary structure.

9. A method according to claim 8 further including the step of interposing a ground element between adjacent elementary structures of the rectangular unit.

10. A method according to claim 9, further including the steps of:

re-molding the etched unit so as to cover the link coplanar line with a dielectric casing;

machining the re-molded etched unit through at least one of its faces at points facing the edges of the ground element so as to form access perforations between each ground element and the outside; and

shielding the unit by metal plating the entire unit, said shielding being in electrical connection with the ground element via said metal-plated access perforations.

11. A method according to claim 10, further includes a step in which at least one face of said metal-plated unit is etched so as to form low-frequency link wires.

12. A method according to claim 11, including the following iterative steps:

re-molding said etched metal-plated unit, laser machining, metal plating and then etching so as to form multi-layer low-frequency wires.

13. An active antenna comprising a plurality of microwave modules, each of said plurality of microwave modules comprising:

a plurality of stacked elementary structures forming a unit, each elementary structure comprising a bottom dielectric layer (14a, 15a) on a top surface of which an integrated circuit (20,

     21) is disposed, and a top dielectric layer (14b, 15b) covering the circuit (20,

     21); and

a connection line (30) for connecting a first integrated circuit (20) mounted on a dielectric layer of a first structure of said plurality of structures to a second integrated circuit (21) mounted on a dielectric layer of a second structure of said plurality of structures;

wherein said connection line (20a, 30, 21a) comprises an input coplanar line (21a) disposed on the top surface of the bottom dielectric layer of the first structure, an output coplanar line (20a) disposed on the top surface of the bottom dielectric layer of the second structure, and a link coplanar line (30) connecting one end of the input coplanar line to one end of the output coplanar line;

wherein a given elementary structure is separated from an immediately adjacent elementary structure by a ground element (10,

     11) and both said input coplanar line (21a) and said output coplanar line (20a) extend beyond planes including the respective edges of the ground element separating said first elementary structure and said second elementary structure, so that said link coplanar line (30) is offset outwardly relative to the ground element.

14. An active antenna comprising a plurality of microwave modules, each of said plurality of microwave modules comprising:

a plurality of stacked elementary structures forming a unit, each elementary structure comprising a bottom dielectric layer (14a, 15a) on a top surface of which an integrated circuit (20,

     21) is disposed, and a top dielectric layer (14b, 15b) covering the circuit (20,

     21); and

a connection line (20a, 31, 20b) for connecting a first integrated circuit (20) mounted on a bottom dielectric layer of a first structure of said plurality of structures to a second integrated circuit (21) mounted on a bottom dielectric layer of a second structure of said plurality of structures;

a ground element (10,

     11) for separating each given elementary structure from an immediately adjacent elementary structure;

said connection line including an input 20 coplanar line (21a) which is disposed on the top surface of the bottom dielectric layer of the first structure, an output coplanar line which is disposed on the top surface of the bottom dielectric layer of the second structure, and a link line comprising firstly a signal first conductor strand (311) connecting a signal conductor (211a) of the input coplanar line (21a) to a signal conductor (201a) of the output coplanar line (20a) via a first hole (H) through each bottom and top dielectric layer and through each ground element separating said two circuits, and secondly at least one grounding second conductor strand (310-314) connecting at least one of the grounding conductors of the input coplanar line to at least one of the grounding conductors of the output coplanar line via a respective second hole passing through each bottom and top dielectric layer and through each ground element separating said two circuits (20,

     21).