Mm-wave antenna using conventional IC packaging

• US 7,586,193 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2006
• Issued: 09/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NHEW R&D Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: NHEW R&D Pty Limited
• Inventors: Weste, Neil H. E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chu; Chris C
• Application Number:
  US11/539,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20070103380A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• Field of Search: 257/728, 257/E23.01, 257/693, 257/678, 257/687, 257/679, 257/684, 257/685, 343/907, 343/895, 343/700.MS, 343/872, 343/572.7, 296/00, 298/46, 298/41, 438/106, 438/126, 438/110, 438/117, 438/121
• US Class Current: 257/728
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/6611 Wire connections
• 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 2224/05554 being square
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05599 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45099 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/4809 Loop shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48247 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49052 Different loop heights
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49171 Fan-out arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/85 using a wire connector
• 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 23/66 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 24/85 using a wire connector wire bonding in general B23K20/004
• 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 2924/01005 Boron [B]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01006 : Carbon [C]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01014 : Silicon [Si]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01027 : Cobalt [Co]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01033 : Arsenic [As]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01082 : Lead [Pb]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/014 : Solder alloys
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/14 : Integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/181 : Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19107 : off-chip wires
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30105 : Capacitance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30107 : Inductance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3011 : Impedance
• 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 21/0093 : Monolithic arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 : Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/18 : Vertical disposition of the antenna
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49016 : Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49146 : with encapsulating, e.g., potting, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49155 : Manufacturing circuit on or in base

Abstract

An integrated circuit with an antenna and a method of forming the integrated circuit. The method includes, in an integrated circuit package, forming each bond to or from an integrated circuit pad that is intended to be an antenna connection to be elongated compared to other bonds, and arranged in an approximately perpendicular direction to the plane of the integrated circuit; encapsulating the top of the integrated circuit package with a dielectric material at a height grater than a desired antenna length; and milling the dielectric encapsulation down to a pre-selected and calibrated height, such that the elongated bond wire to/from the integrated circuit pad that is intended to be an antenna connection is severed, such that the approximately vertical bond wire to/from the integrated circuit pad that is intended to be an antenna connection forms a quarter wave monopole.

Claims

1. An integrated radio frequency device comprising:

a substrate;

a radio frequency integrated circuit on the substrate;

a plurality of integrated circuit pads on the radio frequency integrated circuit, including an antenna connection pad;

a monopole antenna made of bond wire connected at one end to the antenna connection pad and unconnected at the other end, the bond wire monopole antenna having an antenna length designed for operation at a frequency in the tens to hundreds of GHz range or at a TeraHertz imaging radiation frequency range, the bond wire monopole antenna extending out from the plane of the radio frequency integrated circuit;

package bond pads one the substrate, at least some of package bond pads being connected to some of the plurality of integrated circuit pads by bond wires; and

encapsulation covering one side of the substrate, including one side of the package bond pads, the radio frequency integrated circuit;

the bond wires that connect some of the integrated circuit pads to some of the package bond pads, and the antenna, the encapsulation having a thickness from the substrate to the outside surface, the thickness such that the antenna has the antenna length and such that the monopole antenna'"'"'s unconnected end reaches the outside surface of the encapsulation.

2. An integrated radio frequency device as recited in claim 1, wherein the monopole antenna is a quarter-wave monopole antenna.

3. An integrated radio frequency device as recited in claim 1, wherein the antenna length is designed for operation at a frequency in the mm-wave range.

4. An integrated radio frequency device as recited in claim 1, wherein the antenna length is designed for operation at a TeraHertz radiation frequency.

5. An integrated radio frequency device as recited in claim 1, wherein a plurality of the integrated circuit pads form respective antenna connection pads, and the integrated radio frequency device comprising:

a plurality of monopole antennas each made of bond wire connected at one end to a respective antenna connection pad having the other end unconnected, each bond wire monopole antenna having an antenna length designed for operation at a frequency in the tens to hundreds of GHz range or at a TeraHertz imaging radiation frequency range, each bond wire monopole antenna extending out from the plane of the radio frequency integrated circuit.

6. An integrated radio frequency device as recited in claim 1, wherein the monopole antenna extends approximately vertically from the plane of the radio frequency integrated circuit.

7. An integrated radio frequency device as recited in claim 1, further comprising a metalized area on the outside surface the integrated circuit package in the vicinity of the monopole antenna'"'"'s unconnected end.

8. An integrated radio frequency device as recited in claim 5, wherein the metalized area is selected to form a capacitance such that the monopole antenna is tuned to a desired frequency.