Printed-circuit board arrangement for millimeter-wave scanners

• US 9,265,151 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2012
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Jnemann, Ralf, Evers, Christian, Schiessl, Andreas, Ahmed, Sherif Sayed, Hechtfischer, Gerd
• Primary Examiner(s): Semenenko, Yuriy
• Application Number:
  US14/003,204
• Publication Number:
  US 20140063754A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,475 Days
• Field of Search: 361/749, 361/752, 361/760, 361/764, 361/736
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/6627 Waveguides, e.g. microstrip line, strip line, coplanar line
• 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 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48227 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73265 Layer and wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/66 High-frequency adaptations
• 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 2924/15153 the die mounting substrate comprising a recess for hosting the device
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15313 being a land array, e.g. LGA
• 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 21/065 Patch antenna array
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0407 Substantially flat resonant element parallel to ground plane, e.g. patch antenna dipole H01Q9/285; monopole H01Q9/40
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0213 Electrical arrangements not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/181 associated with surface mounted components

Abstract

A printed-circuit board arrangement electrically connects the at least one transmitter and/or receiver unit with at least one antenna element, whereas the at least one transmitter and/or receiver unit and the at least one antenna element are at least partially integrated into the printed-circuit board arrangement. In this context, the printed-circuit board arrangement includes different printed circuit boards, which are mechanically connected to one another in a rigid manner. A first part of the printed-circuit board arrangement is formed by at least one printed-circuit board, of which the substrate is made from a first material which is suitable for high-frequency, and a second part of the printed-circuit board arrangement is formed by at least one printed-circuit board, of which the substrate is made from a second material different from the first material, which is still sufficiently suitable for a low frequency and/or for a direct-voltage range.

Claims

1. A printed-circuit board arrangement for the electrical connection of at least one transmitter and/or receiver unit with at least one antenna element, wherein the at least one transmitter and/or receiver unit and the at least one antenna element are at least partially integrated in the printed-circuit board arrangement,

wherein the printed-circuit board arrangement comprises different printed circuit boards, which are mechanically connected to one another in a rigid manner, wherein a first part of the printed-circuit board arrangement is formed by at least one printed-circuit board, of which a substrate is made from a first material, which is suitable for high-frequency, and a second part of the printed-circuit board arrangement is formed by at least one printed-circuit board of which a substrate is made from a second material different from the first material, which is suitable only for a low frequency or for a direct voltage range, wherein at least one cavity in which the transmitter and/or receiver unit is integrated, is milled and/or punched in the first part of the printed-circuit board arrangement, and wherein, with the exception of a recess for a horn element, an upper surface of an electrically conductive cover is covered by a damping mat and/or an underside of the electrically conductive cover above the cavity of the first part of the printed-circuit board arrangement is covered by a damping mat.

2. The printed-circuit board arrangement according to claim 1,

wherein the at least one antenna element and the at least one transmitter and/or receiver unit are formed in the first part of the printed-circuit board arrangement.

3. The printed-circuit board arrangement according to claim 1,

wherein both parts of the printed-circuit board arrangement are separated from one another by a ground plane.

4. The printed-circuit board arrangement according to claim 3,

wherein the transmitter and/or receiver unit is positioned directly on the ground plane for improved heat removal.

5. The printed-circuit board arrangement according to claim 1, wherein above the at least one antenna element the horn element is positioned, integrated into the electrically conductive cover, drilled and/or milled and/or etched, and the electrically conductive cover is screwed and/or glued to the printed-circuit board arrangement in a rigid manner.

6. The printed-circuit board arrangement according to claim 5,

wherein the electrically conductive cover covers an entire surface of the first part of the printed-circuit board arrangement with the exception of the at least one antenna element.

7. The printed-circuit board arrangement according to claim 1,

wherein the at least one antenna element provides a patch antenna, which can be excited via two striplines connected to the transmitter and/or receiver unit.

8. The printed-circuit board arrangement according to claim 7,

wherein a ground plane, in which at least one slot is integrated, is integrated between the patch antenna and the two striplines.

9. The printed-circuit board arrangement according to claim 7,

wherein both parts of the printed-circuit board arrangement are separated from one another by a ground plane, and

wherein several via holes are arranged radially around the patch antenna and penetrate the first part of the printed-circuit board arrangement down to the ground plane.

10. The printed-circuit board arrangement according to claim 9,

wherein no via hole is present in the region of the feeding of the two striplines.

11. The printed-circuit board arrangement according to claim 1,

wherein the low-frequency range and/or the direct-voltage range of the transmitter and/or receiver unit is connected by via holes to the at least one printed-circuit board of the second part of the printed-circuit board arrangement.

12. The printed-circuit board arrangement according to claim 1,

wherein the transmitter and/or receiver unit is a transmitter and/or receiver chip, of which the connecting contacts are connected to the at least one printed-circuit board of the first part of the printed-circuit board arrangement especially via bonding wires.

13. The printed-circuit board arrangement according to claim 1,

wherein a plug connection, by which the at least one transmitter and/or receiver unit is connected to a control unit and/or a measurement electronic, is arranged on an underside of the printed-circuit board arrangement.

14. The printed-circuit board arrangement according to claim 1,

wherein the transmitter and/or receiver unit is connected to several antenna elements and/or a plurality of antenna elements are arranged in a square on the printed-circuit board arrangement.

15. The printed-circuit board arrangement according to claim 14,

wherein each antenna element is connected either to a transmitter unit or to a receiver unit, and, at a given time, a signal can only be transmitted via a given antenna element connected to a transmitter unit.

16. A millimeter-wave scanner with several printed-circuit board arrangements according to claim 1,

wherein the printed-circuit board arrangements each with at least one antenna element each together form an array, wherein a signal can be transmitted from precisely one antenna element of the overall array, and wherein, for all other antenna elements of the overall array, which are connected to a receiver unit, a reflection of this signal can be received.

17. The printed-circuit board arrangement according to claim 1,

wherein the at least one antenna element provides a patch antenna, which can be excited via two coplanar striplines connected to the transmitter and/or receiver unit.