Radio frequency circuit module

• US 7,515,879 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2004
• Issued: 04/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Renesas Technology Corporation (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Inventors: Okabe, Hiroshi, Matsumoto, Hidetoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Duc
• Assistant Examiner(s): DAGLAWI, AMAR A
• Application Number:
  US11/013,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20050176380A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,572 Days
• Field of Search: 455/91, 455/73, 455/85, 455/115.1, 455/117, 455/333, 455/330, 455/69, 455/293, 455/309, 455/144, 455/226.1, 455/127.3, 455/341, 455/311, 455/253.2, 370/276, 370/281
• US Class Current: 455/73
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05554 being square
• 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 2224/49171 Fan-out arrangements
• 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 2924/15184 in different layers of the multilayer substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15192 Resurf arrangement of the internal vias
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19105 in a side-by-side arrangement on a common die mounting substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30111 matching
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0237 High frequency adaptations H05K1/0216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0298 Multilayer circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/093 Layout of power planes, ground planes or power supply conductors, e.g. having special clearance holes therein reduction of cross-talk, noise or interference by patterned shielding planes, ground planes or power planes H05K1/0224
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09663 Divided layout, i.e. conductors divided in two or more parts branched layout H05K2201/09254
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09972 Partitioned, e.g. portions of a PCB dedicated to different functions; Boundary lines therefore; Portions of a PCB being processed separately or differently

Abstract

An RF circuit module, in which a power amplifier and a transceiver are united, with reduced interference between its electronic circuit blocks, downsized and still having high performance, and with a stable performance not dependent on the ground land structure on the motherboard, is provided. The ground plane 110 for at least a last-stage amplifier 11 of the power amplifier 10 where the greatest power is generated in the whole RF circuit block, that is, the source of generating the greatest noise and heat for the RF circuit block, is isolated from the ground plane for at least one circuit portion of the transceiver 9 including an LNA 51, receiver 52, transmitter 30, and VCO 70. These ground planes are connected to a common ground plane 480 through different connection conductors, respectively.

Claims

1. A radio frequency circuit module comprising:

a module substrate;

a first circuit to which a first signal is input and which outputs a second signal with a higher frequency than the first signal, and to which a third signal that differs from the first and second signals is input and which outputs a fourth signal with a lower frequency than the third signal;

a second circuit which amplifies a power level of the second signal;

a first ground plane for said first circuit;

a second ground plane for said second circuit electrically isolated from said first ground plane mutually; and

a common ground plane for said first and second circuit, included in said module substrate,

wherein said first circuit and said second circuit are mounted on a top face of said module substrate,

wherein said first and second ground planes are located on conductor layers of said module substrate,

wherein said common ground plane is located on another conductor layer that is closer to a reverse side of said module substrate than the conductor layers on which said first and second ground planes are located and said first and second ground planes are electrically connected to said common ground plane,

wherein said first circuit includes a fourth circuit to which the third signal is input and which outputs the fourth signal,

wherein said second circuit comprises a power amplifier, and

wherein said radio frequency circuit module further comprises;

a third ground plane, electrically isolated from said first ground plane;

a fourth ground plane;

an antenna duplex circuit which allows the second signal to go to an external antenna and allows the third signal from said antenna to go to said fourth circuit; and

an output matching network for impedance matching between said antenna duplex circuit and a last-stage amplifier of said amplifier,

wherein a ground terminal of said last-stage amplifier is connected to said second ground plane, the ground terminals of said antenna duplex circuit are connected to said third ground plane, and the ground terminals of said output matching network are connected to said fourth ground plane, and

wherein said fourth ground plane is electrically isolated in radio frequency from at least one of said first through third ground planes.

2. The radio frequency circuit module according to claim 1,

wherein said output matching network comprises a transmission line and a plurality of capacitors grounded to said fourth ground plane.

3. The radio frequency circuit module according to claim 2,

wherein said fourth ground plane is present on a conductor layer that is lower than the at least one ground plane that is electrically isolated in radio frequency from said fourth ground plane among said first through third ground planes.

4. The radio frequency circuit module according to claim 3,

wherein said fourth ground plane is the common ground plane.

5. The radio frequency circuit module according to claim 1, further comprising:

intermediate ground planes between said second, third, and fourth ground planes and said common ground plane, said second, third, and fourth ground planes being connected to said common ground plane via said intermediate ground planes.