Multi-substrate RF module for wireless communication devices

• US 7,348,842 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2006
• Issued: 03/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micro Mobio Corporation
• Original Assignee: Micro-Mobio
• Inventors: Filipvic, Zlatko Aurelio, Wang, Weiping, Ichitsubo, Ikuroh, Wang, Guan-Wu
• Primary Examiner(s): Choe; Henry
• Application Number:
  US11/512,471
• Publication Number:
  US 20060290421A1
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• Field of Search: 330/66, 330/307, 330/279, 330/129, 330/136
• US Class Current: 330/66
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/665 Bias feed arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/66 High-frequency adaptations
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/162 the devices being mounted on two or more different substrates
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/165 Containers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/18 the devices being of types provided for in two or more different subgroups of the same main group of groups H01L27/00 - H01L33/00, or in a single subclass of H10K, H10N
• 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: H01L 2924/09701 Low temperature co-fired ceramic [LTCC]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19041 being a capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19103 interposed between the semiconductor or solid-state device and the die mounting substrate, i.e. chip-on-passive
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3011 Impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3025 Electromagnetic shielding
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/34 Negative-feedback-circuit arrangements with or without positive feedback H03F1/02 - H03F1/30, H03F1/38 - H03F1/50, H03F3/50 take precedence ; for rejection of common mode signals H03F3/45479
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/294 the amplifier being a low noise amplifier [LNA]
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/372 Noise reduction and elimination in amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/195 in integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/24 of transmitter output stages
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/0433 with linearisation using feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0237 High frequency adaptations H05K1/0216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/144 Stacked arrangements of planar printed circuit boards
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/16 : incorporating printed electric components, e.g. printed resistor, capacitor, inductor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/041 : Stacked PCBs, i.e. having neither an empty space nor mounted components in between
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/341 : Surface mounted components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/3442 : having edge contacts, e.g. leadless chip capacitors, chip carriers

Abstract

A radio frequency (RF) module includes a first substrate adapted to receive passive circuits; and a second substrate adapted to receive active circuits, the first and second substrates electrically coupled through pads positioned on opposing surfaces of the first and second substrate.

Claims

1. A radio frequency (RF) module, comprising:

a first substrate to receive passive circuits; and

a second substrate to receive active circuits, the first and second substrates electrically coupled through pads positioned on opposing surfaces of the first and second substrate;

a printed circuit board (PCB) having pads positioned thereon, the pads being adapted to electrically couple with pads on a remaining surface of the first substrate; and

one or more via holes in the first substrate, and wherein a PCB ground is electrically coupled to the second substrate through the one or more via holes.

2. The module of claim 1, wherein the first substrate comprises low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) passive elements or other suitable electronic materials.

3. The module of claim 1, wherein the passive elements comprise one or more of:

inductors, capacitors, resistors.

4. The module of claim 1, wherein the first substrate comprises one or more of:

a balun, a filter, a diplexer.

5. The module of claim 1, wherein the second substrate comprises a gallium arsenide integrated circuit.

6. The module of claim 5, wherein the active elements comprise one or more of:

transistors, diodes.

7. The module of claim 5, wherein the second substrate comprises one or more of:

a power amplifier, a low noise amplifier, a switch.

8. The module of claim 7, wherein the power amplifier comprises a power detector and a bias control circuit.

9. The module of claim 7, comprising one or more power amplifiers, each processing an RF signal at a different frequency.

10. The module of claim 1, comprising a printed circuit board having pads adapted to electrically couple with pads on a remaining surface of a substrate.

19. The module of claim 1, wherein the first and second substrates are coupled to each other using one of:

a solder, a conductive adhesive.

11. A radio frequency (RF) module, comprising:

a first substrate to receive passive circuits including one or more of;

a balun, a filter, a diplexer; and

a second substrate to receive active circuits including one or more of a power amplifier, a switch, wherein the first and second substrates are electrically coupled through pads positioned on opposing surfaces of the first and second substrate and wherein the quality signal includes one of;

Spectral Mask, Adjacent Channel Power Ratio (ACPR), Error Vector Magnitude (EVM), Bit Error Rate (BER), Packet Error Rate (PER).

12. The module of claim 11, comprising a printed circuit board (PCB) having pads positioned thereon, the pads being adapted to electrically couple with pads on a remaining surface of the first substrate.

13. The module of claim 12, comprising one or more via holes in the first substrate, and wherein a PCB ground is electrically coupled to the second substrate through the one or more via holes.

14. The module of claim 11, wherein the power amplifier comprises a quality signal for closed loop linearity control.

15. The module of claim 14, wherein the quality signal includes one or more of:

phase linearity, gain linearity, inter-modulation component.

16. The module of claim 14, wherein the quality signal is related to one or more of:

phase distortion, gain distortion, inter-modulation spectrum distortion.

17. The module of claim 14, wherein the power amplifier outputs an amplified radio frequency signal under the control of the quality signal.

18. The module of claim 11, wherein the power amplifier comprises a power detector, a bias control circuit, an impedance matching network and a current sensing circuit.