Antenna module formed of an antenna package and a connection member

• US 10,957,982 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2019
• Issued: 03/23/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Kang, Kyung In, Ryoo, Jeong Ki, Han, Kyu Bum
• Primary Examiner(s): Alaeddini, Borna
• Application Number:
  US16/296,900
• Publication Number:
  US 20190326674A1
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• 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 2224/131 with a principal constituent of the material being a metal or a metalloid, e.g. boron [B], silicon [Si], germanium [Ge], arsenic [As], antimony [Sb], tellurium [Te] and polonium [Po], and alloys thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16227 the bump connector connecting to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16235 the bump connector connecting to a via metallisation of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73253 Bump and layer connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49822 Multilayer substrates multilayer metallisation on monolayer substrate H01L23/498
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49827 Via connections through the substrates, e.g. pins going through the substrate, coaxial cables H01L23/49822, H01L23/49833, H01L23/4985, H01L23/49861 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49833 the chip support structure consisting of a plurality of insulating substrates
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/66 High-frequency adaptations
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/13 of an individual bump connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/16 of an individual bump connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/32 of an individual layer connector
• 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 2924/014 Solder alloys
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1421 RF devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/181 Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19105 in a side-by-side arrangement on a common die mounting substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3025 Electromagnetic shielding
• 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 1/2291 : used in bluetooth or WI-FI devices of Wireless Local Area Networks [WLAN] H01Q1/241 takes precedence; WLAN in general H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 : with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/523 : between antennas of an array
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/24 : the primary active element being centre-fed and substantially straight, e.g. H-antenna
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/065 : Patch antenna array
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 : Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0414 : in a stacked or folded configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0457 : electromagnetically coupled to the feed line
• 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

Abstract

An antenna module includes a ground layer including a through-hole; a feed via disposed to pass through the through-hole; a patch antenna pattern spaced apart from the ground layer and electrically connected to one end of the feed via; a coupling patch pattern spaced apart from the patch antenna pattern; a first dielectric layer to accommodate the patch antenna pattern and the coupling patch pattern; a second dielectric layer to accommodate at least a portion of the feed via and the ground layer; and electrical connection structures disposed between the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer to separate the first dielectric layer from the second dielectric layer.

Claims

1. An antenna module comprising:

a ground layer comprising a through-hole;

a feed via disposed to pass through the through-hole;

a patch antenna pattern spaced apart from the ground layer and electrically connected to one end of the feed via;

a coupling patch pattern spaced apart from the patch antenna pattern;

a first dielectric layer accommodating the patch antenna pattern and the coupling patch pattern;

a second dielectric layer accommodating at least a portion of the feed via and the ground layer;

electrical connection structures disposed between the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer to separate the first dielectric layer from the second dielectric layer;

a low dielectric region having smaller dielectric constant than the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer and disposed between the patch antenna pattern and the ground layer;

a patch antenna feed line spaced apart from the ground layer and electrically connected to the feed via;

an integrated circuit (IC) spaced apart from the patch antenna feed line; and

a wiring via configured to electrically connect the patch antenna feed line to the IC.

2. The antenna module of claim 1, wherein a dielectric constant of the first dielectric layer is greater than a dielectric constant of the second dielectric layer.

3. The antenna module of claim 1, wherein the first dielectric layer comprises a cavity facing the second dielectric layer.

4. The antenna module of claim 1, wherein the second dielectric layer comprises a cavity facing the first dielectric layer.

5. The antenna module of claim 1, wherein the electrical connection structures surround the coupling patch pattern when viewed in a vertical direction.

6. The antenna module of claim 1, further comprising an encapsulant disposed between the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer.

7. An antenna module comprising:

a ground layer comprising a through-hole;

a feed via disposed to pass through the through-hole;

a patch antenna pattern spaced apart from the ground layer and electrically connected to one end of the feed via;

a coupling patch pattern spaced apart from the patch antenna pattern;

a first dielectric layer accommodating the patch antenna pattern and the coupling patch pattern;

a second dielectric layer accommodating at least a portion of the feed via and the ground layer;

electrical connection structures disposed between the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer to separate the first dielectric layer from the second dielectric layer;

a low dielectric region having smaller dielectric constant than the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer and disposed between the patch antenna pattern and the ground layer; and

an end-fire antenna at least partially disposed in the second dielectric layer and spaced apart from the ground layer,

wherein a length of a surface of the second dielectric layer is greater than a length of a surface of the first dielectric layer.

8. The antenna module of claim 7, wherein a width of a portion of the feed via corresponding to a level between the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer is greater than a width of other portions of the feed via.

9. The antenna module of claim 7, further comprising a sub-substrate disposed between the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer and connected to the electrical connection structures,

wherein the sub-substrate includes core vias connected to the electrical connection structures.

10. An antenna module comprising:

a ground layer comprising a through-hole;

a feed via disposed to pass through the through-hole;

a patch antenna pattern spaced apart from the ground layer and electrically connected to one end of the feed via;

a coupling patch pattern spaced apart from the patch antenna pattern;

a first dielectric layer accommodating the coupling patch pattern;

a second dielectric layer accommodating the patch antenna pattern and the ground layer;

electrical connection structures disposed between the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer configured to electrically connect the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer;

an end-fire antenna at least partially disposed in the second dielectric layer and spaced apart from the ground layer;

a feed line spaced apart from the ground layer and electrically connected to the feed via or the end-fire antenna;

an integrated circuit (IC) spaced apart from the feed line; and

a wiring via configured to electrically connect the feed line to the IC.

11. The antenna module of claim 10, wherein one or both of the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer comprises a cavity overlapping the patch antenna pattern when viewed in a vertical direction.

12. The antenna module of claim 11, wherein the electrical connection structures are arranged to surround each of the cavities when viewed in the vertical direction.

13. The antenna module of claim 10, wherein a dielectric constant of the second dielectric layer is greater than a dielectric constant of at least a portion of a space between the patch antenna pattern and the coupling patch pattern, and is smaller than a dielectric constant of the first dielectric layer.

14. An electronic device comprising:

the antenna module of claim 10; and

a communications module electrically connected to the antenna module.

15. An antenna module comprising:

a feed via;

a patch antenna pattern disposed on or in a first dielectric layer and electrically connected to the feed via;

a coupling patch pattern disposed on or in a second dielectric layer spaced apart from the first dielectric layer; and

electrical connection structures configured to electrically connect the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer,

wherein the electrical connection structures have a melting point that is lower than a melting point of the patch antenna pattern and lower than a melting point of the coupling patch pattern.

16. An electronic device comprising:

the antenna module of claim 15; and

a communications module electrically connected to the antenna module.