Transition between a plastic waveguide and a semiconductor chip, where the semiconductor chip is embedded and encapsulated within a mold compound

• US 9,583,811 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2014
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG, Microsoft Corporation
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Seler, Ernst, Wojnowski, Maciej, Hartner, Walter, Boeck, Josef
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, BENNY T
• Application Number:
  US14/453,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20160043455A1
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 333/26, 333/247, 296/00
• 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 2224/04105 Bonding areas formed on an encapsulation of the semiconductor or solid-state body, e.g. bonding areas on chip-scale packages
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/12105 Bump connectors formed on an encapsulation of the semiconductor or solid-state body, e.g. bumps on chip-scale packages
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16227 the bump connector connecting to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/18162 of a chip with build-up interconnect
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/042 Hollow waveguide joints
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 11/002 Manufacturing hollow waveguides
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 11/003 Manufacturing lines with conductors on a substrate, e.g. strip lines, slot lines
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/107 Hollow-waveguide/strip-line transitions
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/00 Near-field transmission systems, e.g. inductive or capacitive transmission systems

Abstract

A microwave device includes a semiconductor package comprising a microwave semiconductor chip and a waveguide part associated with the semiconductor package. The waveguide part is configured to transfer a microwave waveguide signal. It includes one or more pieces. The microwave device further includes a transformer element configured to transform a microwave signal from the microwave semiconductor chip into the microwave waveguide signal or to transform the microwave waveguide signal into a microwave signal for the microwave semiconductor chip.

Claims

1. A microwave device, comprising:

a semiconductor package comprising a microwave semiconductor chip;

one or more plastic pieces connected to the semiconductor package, the one or more plastic pieces forming a waveguide part configured to transfer a microwave waveguide signal; and

a transformer element configured to transform a microwave signal from the microwave semiconductor chip into the microwave waveguide signal for the waveguide part or to transform the microwave waveguide signal from the waveguide part into a microwave signal for the microwave semiconductor chip,

wherein the semiconductor package is an embedded wafer level package, and wherein the microwave semiconductor chip is embedded as an insert in a mold compound or laminate forming an encapsulant of the semiconductor package.

2. The microwave device of claim 1, wherein the one or more plastic pieces are 3D printed plastic parts.

3. The microwave device of claim 1, wherein the waveguide part comprises a microwave component selected from the group consisting of a filter, an antenna, a resonator, a power combiner, and a power divider.

4. The microwave device of claim 1, wherein the waveguide part comprises a wall metallization or is electrically conductive.

5. The microwave device of claim 1, wherein the transformer element is embedded as a further insert in the mold compound or laminate forming the encapsulant of the semiconductor package.

6. The microwave device of claim 1, wherein the waveguide part further comprises a third waveguide.

7. The microwave device of claim 6, wherein the microwave device comprises at least the semiconductor package comprising the microwave semiconductor chip and a second semiconductor package comprising a second microwave semiconductor chip, wherein a first waveguide is associated with the semiconductor package, a second waveguide is associated with the second semiconductor package, and the third waveguide provides for an inter semiconductor package waveguide connection.

8. The microwave device of claim 1, wherein a shape of the semiconductor package fits into a complementary-shaped recess of a surface of the waveguide part.

9. The microwave device of claim 1, wherein the transformer element is an antenna.

10. The microwave device of claim 9, wherein the antenna is an on-chip antenna or an off-chip antenna.

11. The microwave device of claim 1

wherein the transformer element comprises at least one electrically conducting wall structure and is at least partly embedded in the encapsulant.

12. The microwave device of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor package further comprises:

an electrical interconnect comprising a microwave transmission line and configured to electrically couple the semiconductor chip to the transformer element.

13. The microwave device of claim 12, wherein the electrical interconnect is formed by an electrical redistribution layer of the semiconductor package, wherein the electrical redistribution layer extends over a common planar bottom surface of the semiconductor package, and wherein the common planar bottom surface comprises a bottom surface of the microwave semiconductor chip and a bottom surface of the encapsulant.

14. A microwave device, comprising:

a semiconductor package comprising a microwave semiconductor chip;

a 3D printed plastic waveguide part connected to the semiconductor package and configured to transfer a microwave waveguide signal; and

a transformer element configured to transform a microwave signal from the microwave semiconductor chip into the microwave waveguide signal for the waveguide part or to transform the microwave waveguide signal from the waveguide part into a microwave signal for the microwave semiconductor chip,

wherein the semiconductor package is an embedded wafer level package, and wherein the microwave semiconductor chip is embedded as an insert in a mold compound or laminate forming an encapsulant of the semiconductor package.

15. The microwave device of claim 14, wherein the 3D printed plastic waveguide part comprises a passive microwave component shaped by 3D printing.

16. The microwave device of claim 15, wherein the passive microwave component is selected from the group consisting of a filter, an antenna, a resonator, a power combiner, and a power divider.

17. The microwave device of claim 14, wherein the transformer element is embedded as a further insert in the mold compound or laminate forming the encapsulant of the semiconductor package.

18. The microwave device of claim 14, wherein a shape of the semiconductor package fits into a complementary-shaped recess of a surface of the waveguide part.

19. A method of manufacturing a microwave device, comprising:

packaging a microwave semiconductor chip to form a semiconductor package;

forming a waveguide part by 3D printing; and

assembling the waveguide part to the semiconductor package to transfer a microwave waveguide signal from or to the semiconductor package.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein packaging the microwave semiconductor chip comprises:

placing a plurality of microwave semiconductor chips on a temporary carrier;

covering the plurality of microwave semiconductor chips with an encapsulation material to form an encapsulation body; and

separating the encapsulation body into single semiconductor packages each comprising a microwave semiconductor chip.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

depositing a metal layer on a wall of the waveguide part.

22. A microwave device, comprising:

a semiconductor package comprising a microwave semiconductor chip;

one or more plastic pieces connected to the semiconductor package, the one or more plastic pieces forming a waveguide part configured to transfer a microwave waveguide signal; and

a transformer element configured to transform a microwave signal from the microwave semiconductor chip into the microwave waveguide signal for the waveguide part or to transform the microwave waveguide signal from the waveguide part into a microwave signal for the microwave semiconductor chip,

wherein the waveguide part comprises at least a first waveguide and a second waveguide.