Antenna using through-silicon via

• US 9,203,146 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2014
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Yen, Hsiao-Tsung, Lu, Jhe-Ching, Lin, Yu-Ling, Kuo, Chin-Wei, Jeng, Min-Chie
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, SEUNG H
• Application Number:
  US14/173,282
• Publication Number:
  US 20140152512A1
• Time in Patent Office: 664 Days
• Field of Search: 343/700.MS
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/39 Circuit design at the physical level physical level design for reconfigurable circuits G06F30/347
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/6616 Vertical connections, e.g. vias
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/6677 for antenna, e.g. antenna included within housing of semiconductor device
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2225/06531 Non-galvanic coupling, e.g. capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2225/06541 Conductive via connections through the device, e.g. vertical interconnects, through silicon via [TSV]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2225/06548 Conductive via connections through the substrate, container, or encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/48 Arrangements for conducting electric current to or from the solid state body in operation, e.g. leads, terminal arrangements ; Selection of materials therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/481 Internal lead connections, e.g. via connections, feedthrough structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/66 High-frequency adaptations
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/0657 Stacked arrangements of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/074 Stacked arrangements of non-apertured devices
• 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 2924/10253 Silicon [Si]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/10272 Silicon Carbide [SiC]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/10329 Gallium arsenide [GaAs]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/10333 Indium arsenide [InAs]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/10335 Indium phosphide [InP]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1421 RF devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1461 MEMS
• 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 1/38 : 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 1/50 : Structural association of antennas with earthing switches, lead-in devices or lightning protectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/357 : using a single feed point
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0421 : with a shorting wall or a shorting pin at one end of the element H01Q9/0414 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0442 : with particular tuning means
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/145 : by varying the electrical length
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49016 : Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making

Abstract

An antenna includes a substrate and a conductive top plate over the substrate. A feed line is connected to the top plate, and the feed line comprises a first through-silicon via (TSV) structure passing through the substrate. The feed line is arranged to carry a radio frequency signal. A method of designing an antenna includes selecting a shape of a top plate, determining a size of the top plate based on an intended signal frequency, and determining, based on the shape of the top plate, a location of each TSV of at least one TSV contacting the top plate. A method of implementing an antenna includes forming a first feed line through a substrate, the first feed line comprising a TSV, and forming a top plate over the substrate, the top plate being electrically conductive and connected to the first feed line.

Claims

1. An antenna comprising:

a substrate;

a conductive top plate over the substrate; and

a feed line connected to the top plate, the feed line comprising a first through-silicon via (TSV) structure passing through the substrate,

wherein the feed line is arranged to carry a radio frequency signal.

2. The antenna of claim 1, further comprising:

a ground line connected to the conductive top plate, the ground line comprising a second TSV structure passing through the substrate;

a conductive ground plate below the substrate, wherein the conductive ground plate is coupled to the ground line; and

an isolation layer between the substrate and the conductive ground plate.

3. The antenna of claim 2, wherein the conductive top plate and the conductive ground plate are separated by about 100 μ

m.

4. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the feed line is coupled to another die stacked below the substrate using the first TSV structure.

5. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the conductive top plate has a rectangular shape.

6. The antenna of claim 5, wherein the conductive top plate has a slot inside the rectangular shape.

7. The antenna of claim 5, wherein the conductive top plate has an area of 530 μ

m×

530 μ

m.

8. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the conductive top plate has a spiral shape, a meander shape, or a folded shape.

9. The antenna of claim 1, further comprising an isolation layer between the conductive top plate and the substrate.

10. A method of designing an antenna, the method comprising:

selecting a shape of a top plate;

determining a size of the top plate based on an intended signal frequency; and

determining, based on the selected shape of the top plate, a location of each through-silicon via (TSV) of at least one TSV contacting the top plate, wherein determining the location comprises using an antenna design or simulation tool.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising checking antenna performance based on at least one of radiation pattern or return loss.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one TSV comprises a feed line.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one TSV comprises a ground line.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein selecting the shape of the top plate comprises selecting the shape based on at least one of available area or available metal layers.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein selecting the shape of the top plate comprises selecting one of a spiral, meander, folded, rectangular, or slotted rectangular shape.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the intended frequency is within a frequency range of 30 gigahertz (GHz) to 300 GHz.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the size of the top plate comprises determining the size based on at least one of a half-wavelength or a quarter-wavelength of the intended frequency.

18. A method of implementing an antenna, the method comprising:

forming a first feed line through a substrate, the first feed line comprising a through-silicon via (TSV); and

forming a top plate over the substrate, wherein the top plate is electrically conductive and connected to the first feed line.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising forming a second feed line through the substrate, the second feed line connected to the top plate.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising coupling the first feed line to another die stacked below the substrate.