Integrated circuit package including miniature antenna

• US 9,077,073 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2012
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fractus SA
• Original Assignee: Fractus SA
• Inventors: Soler Castany, Jordi, Anguera Pros, Jaume, Puente Baliarda, Carles, Borja Borau, Carmen
• Primary Examiner(s): MANCUSO, HUEDUNG XUAN CAO
• Application Number:
  US13/475,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20120249380A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,145 Days
• Field of Search: 343/700.MS, 343/702, 343/720, 343/741, 343/767, 343/793, 343/895, 343803-806, 343/809
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/6677 for antenna, e.g. antenna included within housing of semiconductor device antennas per se H01Q
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05599 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• 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 2224/48265 the item being a discrete passive component
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48464 the other connecting portion not on the bonding area also being a ball bond, i.e. ball-to-ball
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49175 Parallel arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73265 Layer and wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/85203 Thermocompression bonding
• 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 24/73 Means for bonding being of different types provided for in two or more of groups H01L24/10, H01L24/18, H01L24/26, H01L24/34, H01L24/42, H01L24/50, H01L24/63, H01L24/71
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/165 Containers
• 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 2924/01004 : Beryllium [Be]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01019 : Potassium [K]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01078 : Platinum [Pt]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/09701 : Low temperature co-fired ceramic [LTCC]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/14 : Integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1423 : Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit [MMIC]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15311 : being a ball array, e.g. BGA
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/181 : Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19041 : being a capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/207 : Diameter ranges
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30107 : Inductance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3011 : Impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30111 : matching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3025 : Electromagnetic shielding
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/22 : by structural association with other equipment or articles
• 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 1/38 : formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/40 : Radiating elements coated with or embedded in protective material
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/10 : Resonant slot antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/045 : with particular feeding means for circular polarisation H01Q9/0428
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/26 : with folded element or elements, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of operating wavelength resonant loop antennas H01Q7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/30 : with feed to end of elongated active element, e.g. unipole H01Q9/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/40 : Element having extended radiating surface
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/42 : with folded element, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of the operating wavelength

Abstract

The present invention relates to an integrated circuit package comprising at least one substrate, each substrate including at least one layer, at least one semiconductor die, at least one terminal, and an antenna located in the integrated circuit package, but not on said at least one semiconductor die. The conducting pattern comprises a curve having at least five sections or segments, at least three of the sections or segments being shorter than one-tenth of the longest free-space operating wavelength of the antenna.

Claims

1. A wireless module comprising:

a printed circuit board;

at least one integrated circuit die disposed in a first area of the printed circuit board;

an antenna disposed in a second area of the printed circuit board;

a RF front-end comprising a filter and disposed in a third area of the printed circuit board;

at least one interconnection element disposed on the printed circuit board to connect the antenna to the RF front-end;

the antenna comprising a curve having at least five segments, wherein at least three of the five segments are smaller than a tenth of a longest free-space operating wavelength of the antenna.

2. The wireless module of claim 1, wherein the five segments are shorter than one-tenth of the longest free-space operating wavelength of the antenna.

3. The wireless module of claim 1, wherein the curve fits inside a rectangular area having a longest side shorter than one-fifth of the longest free-space operating wavelength of the antenna.

4. The wireless module of claim 1, wherein an area below the antenna is free of conductor material.

5. The wireless module of claim 1, wherein at least a fifty percent of an area below the antenna is free of conductor material.

6. The wireless module of claim 1, further comprising a second antenna disposed in a fourth area of the printed circuit board.

7. The wireless module of claim 1, wherein at least one of the segments is a non-linear segment.

8. A sensor wireless node comprising:

a printed circuit board;

at least one integrated circuit die disposed in a first area of the printed circuit board;

a sensing system disposed on the printed circuit board;

a feeding source disposed on the printed circuit board; and

an antenna disposed in a second area of the printed circuit board and configured to transmit electromagnetic signals;

the antenna comprises a conducting pattern comprising a curve;

the curve including at least five segments, each of the at least five segments forming an angle with each adjacent segment in the curve, each angle between adjacent segments is less than 180° and

at least two of the angles between adjacent segments are less than 115°

, and wherein at least two angles are not equal;

the curve fits inside a rectangular area, the longest side of the rectangular area being shorter than one-fifth of a longest free-space operating wavelength of the antenna.

9. The sensor wireless node of claim 8, wherein the at least five segments are shorter than one-tenth of the longest free-space operating wavelength of the antenna.

10. The sensor wireless node of claim 8, further comprising a second antenna to power the feeding source.

11. The sensor wireless node of claim 8, wherein the curve comprises at least fifteen segments, with at least seven segments being shorter than one-twentieth of the longest free-space operating wavelength of the antenna.

12. The sensor wireless node of claim 8, further comprising a RF front-end disposed on the printed circuit board and connected to the antenna.

13. The sensor wireless node of claim 8, wherein the antenna fits in a rectangular area having a longest side shorter than one-twentieth of the longest free-space operating wavelength of the antenna.

14. The sensor wireless node of claim 8, wherein the antenna comprises a solid conducting pattern.

15. A wireless module comprising:

a printed circuit board;

at least one integrated circuit die disposed in a first area of the printed circuit board;

an antenna disposed in a second area of the printed circuit board;

a RF front-end comprising a filter and disposed in a third area of the printed circuit board;

at least one interconnection element to connect the antenna to the RF front-end;

the antenna comprises a conducting pattern, at least a portion of which includes a curve having a plurality of segments;

the plurality of segments being connected to each other at their ends, and where any two adjacent segments do not form a longer linear segment; and

the curve has a box-counting dimension larger than 1.17 as computed using a first and a second rectangular grids, the first and the second rectangular grids fitting inside the smallest rectangular area enclosing the curve, the first grid comprises at least 5×

5 equal-sized cells and the second grid is the same size as the first grid, but with four times a number of cells, the cells of the second grid being scaled down by a factor of two with respect to the cells of the first grid.

16. The wireless module of claim 15, wherein the curve comprises at least five segments being shorter than a tenth of a longest free-space operating wavelength of the antenna.

17. The wireless module of claim 16, wherein the curve fits inside a rectangular area having a longest side shorter than one-fifth of the longest free-space operating wavelength of the antenna.

18. The wireless module of claim 15, wherein the curve comprises at least one non-linear segment.

19. The wireless module of claim 15, wherein at least a fifty percent of an area below the curve is free of conductor material.

20. The wireless module of claim 15, wherein at least two segments of the plurality of segments form a 90°

angle with adjacent segment.