Ceramic antenna module and methods of manufacture thereof
First Claim
1. An antenna module, comprising:
- a composite dielectric body including at least one ceramic dielectric inclusion composed of at least one material selected from the group consisting of materials having a relative dielectric permittivity ≧
10 and materials having a relative dielectric permeability ≠
1, the at least one ceramic dielectric inclusion embedded in a dielectric host material selected from the group consisting of amorphous silica, titania, tantalates, pure alumina, admixtures thereof, and an organic media such that the composite dielectric body has an effective permittivity ≧
4;
a metallization layer adjacent the composite dielectric body and including a ground plane and at least one contact pad; and
at least one electrically conductive element disposed parallel to the metallization layer and electrically connected with the at least one contact pad, each conductive element disposed relative to the composite dielectric body such that the conductive element is resonant over a band of frequencies and has a length that is ≦
50% of the length that would be required to maintain the same resonance without the composite dielectric body.
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Abstract
Circuit modules and methods of construction thereof that contain composite meta-material dielectric bodies that have high effective values of real permittivity but which minimize reflective losses, through the use of host dielectric (organic or ceramic), materials having relative permittivities substantially less than ceramic dielectric inclusions embedded therein. The composite meta-material bodies permit reductions in physical lengths of electrically conducting elements such as antenna element(s) without adversely impacting radiation efficiency. The meta-material structure may additionally provide frequency band filtering functions that would normally be provided by other components typically found in an RF front-end.
201 Citations
44 Claims
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1. An antenna module, comprising:
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a composite dielectric body including at least one ceramic dielectric inclusion composed of at least one material selected from the group consisting of materials having a relative dielectric permittivity ≧
10 and materials having a relative dielectric permeability ≠
1, the at least one ceramic dielectric inclusion embedded in a dielectric host material selected from the group consisting of amorphous silica, titania, tantalates, pure alumina, admixtures thereof, and an organic media such that the composite dielectric body has an effective permittivity ≧
4;a metallization layer adjacent the composite dielectric body and including a ground plane and at least one contact pad; and at least one electrically conductive element disposed parallel to the metallization layer and electrically connected with the at least one contact pad, each conductive element disposed relative to the composite dielectric body such that the conductive element is resonant over a band of frequencies and has a length that is ≦
50% of the length that would be required to maintain the same resonance without the composite dielectric body. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. An antenna module connectable to at least one semiconductor die, comprising:
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an antenna dielectric body having a first surface and a second surface; at least one electrically conductive element disposed at the first surface of the antenna dielectric body; a ground plane structure comprising; a composite dielectric body having a first surface and a second surface and including at least one ceramic dielectric inclusion composed of at least one material selected from the group consisting of materials having a relative dielectric permittivity ≧
10 and materials having a relative dielectric permeability ≠
1, the at least one ceramic dielectric inclusion embedded in a dielectric host material selected from the group consisting of amorphous silica and pure alumina, and admixtures thereof, and an organic media such that the composite dielectric body has an effective permittivity ≧
4;a metallization layer disposed at the first surface of the composite dielectric body, the metallization layer including an electrical ground plane and at least one contact pad, wherein each contact pad is electrically connected to an associated one of the at least one electrically conductive elements through at least one via in the composite dielectric body and in the antenna dielectric body and is electrically connectable to a semiconductor die; and a periodic array of capacitor pads disposed at the second surface of the composite dielectric body, the capacitor pads being electrically shorted though the composite dielectric body, the array having a uniform periodicity and a spacing between the capacitor pads such that a reflected E field component of an electromagnetic wave incident upon the ground plane structure and having a frequency within a bandgap range of frequencies will experience an induced phase shift that produces a condition of constructive interference between the reflected E field component and E-field components emanating from the at least one electrically conductive element that substantially share the same directional propagation vectors as the reflected E field component. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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Specification