Antenna and wireless IC device

• US 8,692,718 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2011
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Original Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Inventors: Kato, Noboru, Dokai, Yuya
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAIL, ALLYSON NEEL
• Application Number:
  US13/083,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20110181475A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,093 Days
• Field of Search: 343/700, 343/843, 343/850, 343/911, 340/10.1, 340/445
• US Class Current: 343/700.MS
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0775 arrangements for connecting the integrated circuit to the antenna
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16227 the bump connector connecting to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2283 mounted in or on the surface of a semiconductor substrate as a chip-type antenna or integrated with other components into an IC package
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/36 Structural form of radiating elements, e.g. cone, spiral, umbrella; Particular materials used therewithH01Q1/08, H01Q1/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/40 Radiating elements coated with or embedded in protective material
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/045 with particular feeding means for circular polarisation H01Q9/0428

Abstract

An antenna and a wireless IC device that includes the antenna are provided for which the manufacturing process is simple and for which there is a low probability of a poor connection occurring between a feeder portion and a radiation electrode. An antenna includes a radiation electrode that is provided on a main surface of an insulator board, a ground electrode and/or a counter electrode that is arranged so as to oppose the radiation electrode, and a magnetic field electrode that is connected to the radiation electrode through a connection portion. The magnetic field electrode is defined by line-shaped electrodes and feeds a signal to the radiation electrode from a feeder portion defined by ends of the line-shaped electrodes through the magnetic field electrode.

Claims

1. An antenna comprising:

an insulator board;

a radiation electrode provided on a first main surface of the insulator board;

a magnetic field electrode provided on the first main surface of the insulator board and connected to the radiation electrode; and

a feeder portion connected to the magnetic field electrode;

wherein

the radiation electrode is arranged to surround the magnetic field electrode; and

the antenna is attached to a metal article via a second main surface of the insulator board opposite to the first main surface of the insulator board.

2. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein an opening is provided in the radiation electrode and the magnetic field electrode is connected to an inner peripheral portion of the opening of the radiation electrode.

3. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic field electrode is defined by a plurality of line-shaped electrodes provided on the first main surface of the insulator board, first ends of the plurality of line-shaped electrodes are connected to the radiation electrode and second ends of the plurality of line-shaped electrodes are arranged so as to face each other, and the feeder portion is defined by the second ends of the plurality of line-shaped electrodes.

4. The antenna according to claim 3, wherein the first ends of the plurality of line-shaped electrodes are connected to each other at a connection point and are connected to the radiation electrode through the connection point.

5. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein an opening and a slit are provided in the radiation electrode, the slit extending from the opening to an edge portion of the radiation electrode, and the magnetic field electrode is provided in an area surrounding the opening.

6. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein the feeder portion is arranged such that components of the feeder portion face each other in a width direction of the insulator board.

7. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein the radiation electrode is defined by a planar electrode having a longitudinal direction and a width direction, and an electrode length of the planar electrode in the longitudinal direction corresponds to an electrical length of substantially ½

a wavelength of a frequency band of signals to be transmitted and received.

8. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein an insulator material is arranged so as to cover the radiation electrode on the first main surface of the insulator board.

9. The antenna according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the insulator board or the insulator material is made of an injection molded resin.

10. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the insulator material is less than a thickness of the insulator board.

11. A wireless IC device comprising:

the antenna according to claim 1; and

a wireless IC;

wherein

the wireless IC is arranged so as to be coupled with the feeder portion.

12. A wireless IC device comprising:

the antenna according to claim 1;

a wireless IC;

an electromagnetic coupling module coupled with the wireless IC and including a feeder circuit board that includes a feeder circuit including at least one of a resonance circuit or a matching circuit that includes an inductance element;

wherein

the electromagnetic coupling module is arranged so as to be coupled with the feeder portion.

13. An antenna comprising:

an insulator board;

a radiation electrode provided on a first main surface of the insulator board;

a ground electrode arranged on a second main surface of the insulator board so as to oppose the radiation electrode;

a magnetic field electrode provided on the first main surface of the insulator board and connected to the radiation electrode; and

a feeder portion connected to the magnetic field electrode;

wherein

the radiation electrode is arranged to surround the magnetic field electrode.

14. The antenna according to claim 13, wherein the radiation electrode and the ground electrode are coupled with each other through a capacitance.

15. An antenna comprising:

an insulator board;

a radiation electrode provided on a first main surface of an insulator board;

a counter electrode arranged on a second main surface of the insulator board so as to oppose the radiation electrode, the counter electrode being coupled with the radiation electrode through a capacitance;

a magnetic field electrode provided on the first main surface of the insulator board and connected to the radiation electrode; and

a feeder portion connected to the magnetic field electrode;

wherein

the radiation electrode is arranged to surround the magnetic field electrode.

16. The antenna according to claim 15, further comprising a ground electrode arranged so as to oppose the counter electrode.

17. The antenna according to claim 16, wherein the counter electrode and the ground electrode are coupled with each other through a capacitance.

18. The antenna according to claim 16, wherein the counter electrode and the ground electrode are in direct conductive contact with each other.

19. The antenna according to claim 15, wherein the radiation electrode and the counter electrode are in direct conductive contact with each other through end portions thereof.