Antenna in package with reduced electromagnetic interaction with on chip elements

• US 8,330,259 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2005
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fractus SA
• Original Assignee: Fractus SA
• Inventors: Soler Castany, Jordi, Puente, Carles, MUMBRU FORN, Jose
• Primary Examiner(s): Warren, Matthew E
• Application Number:
  US11/572,380
• Publication Number:
  US 20080265038A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,699 Days
• Field of Search: 257/678, 257/679, 257/730, 257/777, 257/778, 257/E23.169, 257/E23.175, 257/E23.176
• US Class Current: 257/678
• 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 2224/0401 Bonding areas specifically adapted for bump connectors, e.g. under bump metallisation [UBM]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• 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 23/552 Protection against radiation, e.g. light or electromagnetic waves
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00011 Not 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 2924/15311 being a ball array, e.g. BGA
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15321 being a ball array, e.g. BGA
• 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 1/36 Structural form of radiating elements, e.g. cone, spiral, umbrella; Particular materials used therewithH01Q1/08, H01Q1/14 take precedence
• 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

Abstract

A IC package for a wireless device includes an antenna that is attached to the chip. The electrically conductive elements of the antenna are spaced away from the antenna and particularly the endpoint of the antenna to prevent interference with the antenna. An element on the IC package may be shielded antenna. The antenna may have the shape of a space-filling curve, including a Hilbert, box-counting or grid dimension curve.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit package for an electronic device comprising:

a substrate having a mounting area for an integrated circuit die;

a set of electrical conductors provided on the substrate for connection between the die and external package connectors;

a set of electrically inert fixation pads to provide mechanical connections between the package and a printed circuit board on which the package is mounted;

an antenna comprising a feeding point, a proximal end, and a distal end, wherein the proximal end is closer than the distal end to the feeding point;

wherein the electrical conductors are provided on the substrate outside a projection area of the antenna;

a ground plane that is spaced away from the antenna so that no part of the ground plane falls in the projection of the antenna;

wherein the antenna is arranged on the substrate so that the distal end is farther than the proximal end to an edge of the ground plane; and

wherein at least one or more fixation pads are positioned in the projection area of the antenna.

2. The integrated circuit package of claim 1, further comprising:

a second set of electrical conductors provided on the substrate, coupled to a ground potential;

wherein at least some elements of the second set of electrical conductors are positioned on the substrate in the projection area of the antenna but only within a distance from a feedpoint of the antenna that is less than;

     1) one-fifth of a side length of the integrated circuit package and

     2) one-sixtieth of a free-space operating wavelength of the antenna.

3. The integrated circuit package according to claim 1, further comprising:

a metallic shielding structure configured to be coupled to a ground potential;

wherein the metallic shielding structure is positioned within the integrated circuit package to electrically isolate the integrated circuit die from the antenna.

4. The integrated circuit package according to claim 1, wherein the antenna is located along one edge of a first side of the integrated circuit package, and the electrical conductors of the set of electrical conductors are closer than the antenna to an opposite edge of the integrated circuit package.

5. The integrated circuit package according to claim 1, wherein the antenna is located along two edges that form a corner on a first side of the integrated circuit package, and the electrical conductors of the set of electrical conductors are closer than the antenna to an opposite corner of the integrated circuit package.

6. The integrated circuit package according to claim 1, wherein the electrical conductors of the set of electrical conductors are spaced away from the antenna by at least about 1 mm.

7. The integrated circuit package according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the antenna forms a space-filling curve.

8. The integrated circuit package according to claim 7, wherein the portion of the antenna forms a curve selected from the group of:

a Hilbert curve, a box-counting curve, and a grid-dimension curve.

9. The integrated circuit package of claim 1, wherein the ground plane is spaced away from the antenna by at least 2.5 mm.

10. The integrated circuit package of claim 1, wherein an edge of the ground plane nearest the distal end of the antenna is chamfered so that an edge of the ground plane nearest the distal end of the antenna is farther from the antenna than the edge of the ground plane nearest the proximal end of the antenna.

11. The integrated circuit package according to claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit package is mounted on a printed circuit board (“

PCB”

) including a PCB ground plane; and

wherein the integrated circuit package is mounted at a corner of the PCB, with the distal end of the antenna near an edge of the corner.

12. The integrated circuit package of claim 11, wherein the PCB ground plane includes a first protrusion that is located in a projection area of the integrated circuit package.

13. The integrated circuit package of claim 12, wherein the PCB ground plane further comprises a second protrusion that is located adjacent to a projection area of the integrated circuit package.

14. The integrated circuit package of claim 11, wherein the PCB ground plane is partially located in a projection area of the integrated circuit package, but the PCB ground plane does not extend into the projection area of the antenna.

15. The integrated circuit package of claim 14, wherein the PCB ground plane is provided adjacent to the projection area of the antenna on at most one side and a portion of a second side.

16. The integrated circuit package of claim 13, wherein a part of the antenna is located between projection areas formed by the first and second protrusions.

17. The integrated circuit package of claim 11, wherein the PCB ground plane has a rectangular or square portion that is located in a projection of a corner of the integrated circuit package that is opposite to a corner of the integrated circuit package that is in line with said corner of the PCB.

18. The integrated circuit package of claim 17, wherein the feeding point of the antenna is near said rectangular or square portion of the PCB ground plane, and wherein a first part of the antenna leads from the feedpoint to a second part of the antenna that is shaped as a space-filling curve, the first part of the antenna serving to provide separation between the second part of the antenna and the PCB ground plane.

19. An integrated circuit package, comprising:

a substrate having an area for mounting an integrated circuit die;

an antenna provided on the substrate, having a projection area;

a set of electrical conductors for carrying data signals for the integrated circuit die;

wherein the electrical conductors are provided on the substrate in an area formed by the union of;

a) a sub-area outside the projection area of the antenna, and

b) a sub-area inside the projection area of the antenna and also inside an area that is a distance from a feedpoint of the antenna less than;

     1) one-half of a side length of the integrated circuit package and

     2) one-twenty-fourth of a free-space operating wavelength of the antenna.

20. The integrated circuit package according to claim 19, wherein the electrical conductors of said set of electrical conductors are selected from the group consisting of pads, pins, tracks, and ground planes.

21. The integrated circuit package according to claim 19, further comprising at least one digital track, wherein the at least one digital track includes a filtering means to minimize radio frequency noise thereon.

22. The integrated circuit package according to claim 19, further comprising digital tracks attached to the integrated circuit package that are mismatched at RF frequencies.

23. The integrated circuit package according to claim 19, further comprising tracks attached to the integrated circuit package that are differential lines.

24. The integrated circuit package according to claim 19, further comprising means for shielding at least a portion of the integrated circuit package from the antenna.

25. The integrated circuit package according to claim 19, wherein a part of the antenna has a shape of a box-counting curve.

26. The integrated circuit package according to claim 19, wherein a part of the antenna has a shape of a grid dimension curve.

27. The integrated circuit package of claim 25, wherein a value of the box-counting dimension is between about 1.17 and about 2.

28. The integrated circuit package of claim 19, wherein the integrated circuit package is mounted on a printed circuit board (“

PCB”

) including a PCB ground plane;

wherein the integrated circuit package further comprises;

a first ground plane formed within the integrated circuit package and electrically coupled to the PCB ground plane;

a second ground plane formed within the integrated circuit package;

wherein the first and second ground planes are placed spatially within the integrated circuit package at a distance from the antenna; and

wherein one of the first and second ground planes is an RF ground plane and the other of the first and second ground planes is a digital ground plane.

29. The integrated circuit package of claim 28, wherein the digital ground plane is located closer to an end point of the antenna in comparison to the proximity of the RF ground plane to the end point of the antenna.

30. An integrated circuit package for an electronic device comprising:

a substrate having a mounting area for an integrated circuit die;

a set of electrical conductors provided on the substrate for connection between the die and external package connectors;

an antenna provided on the substrate, wherein the electrical conductors are provided on the substrate outside a projection area of the antenna; and

a ground plane provided on the substrate, wherein the ground plane is spaced away from the antenna by at least the greater of one-quarter of a side length of the integrated circuit package and one-fiftieth of a free-space operating wavelength of the antenna, so that no part of the ground plane falls in the projection of the antenna.

31. The integrated circuit package of claim 30, wherein the antenna is located along two edges that form a corner on a first side of the integrated circuit package, and the electrical conductors of the set of electrical conductors are closer than the antenna to an opposite corner of the integrated circuit package.

32. The integrated circuit package according to claim 30, wherein the ground plane is a first ground plane in an analog domain that is internal to the integrated circuit package;

and wherein the integrated circuit package comprises a second ground plane in a digital domain that is internal to the integrated circuit package.

33. The integrated circuit package of claim 32, wherein the digital ground plane is located closer to an end point of the antenna in comparison to a proximity of the analog ground plane to the end point of the antenna.

34. The integrated circuit package of claim 33, wherein the first ground plane is an RF ground plane.

35. The integrated circuit package according to claim 30, further comprising an electromagnetic shield surrounding a component of the integrated circuit package at least partially.

36. The integrated circuit package of claim 35, wherein the antenna is located outside a projection of the shield.

37. The integrated circuit package of claim 35, wherein the shield comprises a grid of conductive material where the distance between the lines which form the grid is less than or equal to one-tenth of a free space operating wavelength of the antenna.

38. The integrated circuit package of claim 35, wherein the shield comprises a conductive plate with a central aperture in which the portion of the integrated circuit package is located.

39. The integrated circuit package of claim 35, wherein the shield comprises a conductive element located over the portion of the integrated circuit package.

40. The integrated circuit package of claim 35, wherein the shield comprises a second substrate located over the portion of the integrated circuit package to be isolated, and wherein the second substrate includes a conductive layer.

41. The integrated circuit package of claim 35, wherein the portion of the integrated circuit package to be isolated is housed in a cavity lined with a shielding layer and overmolded.

42. The integrated circuit package of claim 35, wherein the portion of the integrated circuit package to be isolated is shielded with metallic paint.

50. The integrated circuit package of claim 30, further comprises

a set of electrically inert fixation pads to provide mechanical connections between the package and a printed circuit board on which the package is mounted;

wherein at least one or more fixation pads are positioned in the projection area of the antenna.

43. A wireless device comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) communication integrated circuit package, including;

an integrated circuit die;

a plurality of connectors external to the integrated circuit package;

a first set of electrically conductive elements coupled to the integrated circuit die providing connection between the integrated circuit die and the plurality of connectors external to the integrated circuit package;

an antenna;

the antenna and the first set of electrically conductive elements being spaced within the integrated circuit package such that no element of the first set of electrically conductive elements is in the projection of the antenna;

a metallic shielding structure external to the integrated circuit die coupled to a ground potential and positioned within the integrated circuit package to electrically isolate the integrated circuit die from the antenna; and

the antenna being arranged within the integrated circuit package such that at least a portion of the antenna is outside a projection of the metallic shielding structure.

44. The wireless device according to claim 43, wherein the wireless device is selected from the group consisting of a handset, a wireless device, a personal digital assistant, and a personal computer.

45. The wireless device according to claim 43, wherein the wireless device operates at least one of the following wireless connectivity services:

Bluetooth™

, Hyperlan, IEEE802.11, Ultra Wide Band, Wimax, and Zig Bee.

46. The wireless device according to claim 43, wherein the wireless device operates at least one of the following communication standards and services:

GSM, UMTS, PCS 1900, KPCS, CDMA, WCDMA, DAB, and GPS.

47. An electronic device comprising:

a printed circuit board including a ground plane;

an integrated circuit package mounted on the printed circuit board, the integrated circuit package including;

a substrate having a mounting area for an integrated circuit die;

an antenna element provided on the substrate, wherein the antenna element operates in cooperation with said ground plane;

a feeding conductor provided on the substrate for connection between the integrated circuit die and the antenna element;

a plurality of electrical conductors provided on the substrate for connection between the integrated circuit die and external package connectors, wherein the electrical conductors of the plurality of electrical conductors are provided on the substrate outside a projection area of the antenna element;

wherein at least one of the external package connectors is coupled to said ground plane; and

wherein the antenna element is located along two edges that form a corner on a first side of the integrated circuit package, and the electrical conductors of the plurality of electrical conductors are closer than the antenna element to an opposite corner of the integrated circuit package.

48. The electronic device according to claim 47, wherein the antenna element comprises a first end and a second end, and wherein a distance between the first end and said opposite corner is larger than a distance between the first end and another corner of the integrated circuit package.

49. The electronic device according to claim 47, wherein the antenna element defines a substantially L-shaped footprint on the substrate.