This application claims the priority benefit of French Application for Patent No. 2105186, filed on May 18, 2021, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety to the maximum extent allowable by law.
The present disclosure relates generally to electronic devices and, in particular, to devices comprising an antenna located in a package and their manufacturing methods.
An antenna is an element for transmitting (transmitter) or receiving (receiver) electromagnetic waves. The antenna is a fundamental element in a radio system.
One embodiment provides a package comprising, in an upper level, a stack comprising insulating layers and conductive elements; an element, made of plastic, resting on the stack, and defining a first cavity; and an antenna, comprising a first conductive track in the stack and a second conductive track on a sidewall of the first cavity of the element.
Another embodiment provides a method for manufacturing a package comprising, in order to form an upper level: forming a stack comprising insulating layers and conductive elements and comprising a first conductive track forming part of an antenna; forming an element, made of plastic, resting on the stack, and defining a first cavity between the element and the stack; and forming a second conductive track resting on a wall of the element.
According to one embodiment, the first cavity is filled with a first material having a dielectric permittivity less than 20.
According to one embodiment, the package defines a second cavity surrounding the first cavity.
According to one embodiment, the second cavity is separated from the first cavity by a wall extending the full height of the first cavity and resting on the stack.
According to one embodiment, the second cavity comprises a third conductive track extending along at least one sidewall of the second cavity.
According to one embodiment, the third conductive track comprises a first portion extending on a second wall of the element, from the stack, and a second portion extending on the bottom of the second cavity.
According to one embodiment, the second portion of the third conductive track is coplanar with the plane of the second conductive track.
According to one embodiment, the second portion of the third conductive track extends in a plane different from the plane of the second conductive track.
According to one embodiment, the third conductive track is electrically coupled to the first conductive track.
According to one embodiment, the second cavity is filled with a second material different from the first material filling the first cavity.
According to one embodiment, the method comprises, after forming element, filling the first and second cavities with the first and second materials, respectively.
According to one embodiment, the package comprises a lower level attached to the upper level and defining, between the upper level and the lower level, a third cavity.
According to one embodiment, the package comprises a fourth conductive track extending into the stack between the first conductive track and the third cavity.
According to one embodiment, the element is made of a thermoplastic material, doped with a non-conductive inorganic metal compound.
According to one embodiment, the element is formed by a laser direct structuring method.
The foregoing features and advantages, as well as others, will be described in detail in the following description of specific embodiments given by way of illustration and not limitation with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Like features have been designated by like references in the various figures. In particular, the structural and/or functional features that are common among the various embodiments may have the same references and may dispose identical structural, dimensional, and material properties.
For the sake of clarity, only the operations and elements that are useful for an understanding of the embodiments described herein have been illustrated and described in detail.
Unless indicated otherwise, when reference is made to two elements connected together, this signifies a direct connection without any intermediate elements other than conductors, and when reference is made to two elements coupled together, this signifies that these two elements can be connected or they can be coupled via one or more other elements.
In the following disclosure, unless indicated otherwise, when reference is made to absolute positional qualifiers, such as the terms “front”, “back”, “top”, “bottom”, “left”, “right”, etc., or to relative positional qualifiers, such as the terms “above”, “below”, “higher”, “lower”, etc., or to qualifiers of orientation, such as “horizontal”, “vertical”, etc., reference is made to the orientation shown in the figures.
Unless specified otherwise, the expressions “around”, “approximately”, “substantially” and “in the order of” signify within 10%, and preferably within 5%.
The device 10 comprises an integrated circuit chip 12. The chip 12 is located in the package. The chip 12 is thus protected by the package. An antenna 14 is coupled to the chip 12 so as to allow the chip to transmit or receive signals through the antenna 14.
The package comprises, for example, a support (lower level) 16. The support 16 is, for example, a semiconductor substrate, comprising, for example, electronic components, or a stack of insulating layers comprising conductive tracks.
The package further comprises an upper level 18. The upper level 18 and the lower level 16 are attached to each other by conductive elements 20. For example, the upper level 18 and the lower level 16 are soldered together by solder balls, forming sidewalls of the package. The solder balls allow, for example, the electrical connection of the lower level with the upper level. A cavity 22, in which the chip 12 is located, is thus defined between the lower and upper levels, and inside a metal ring formed by the conductive elements 20.
Alternatively, the chip 12 may be located at another position in the package. For example, the chip 12 may be located in the stack 24, in other words, consisting of the layers of the stack 24.
The upper level 18 comprises a stack 24 of layers. The stack 24 constitutes, for example, an interconnect network comprising insulating layers and conductive tracks. For example, the stack 24 comprises insulating layers, or dielectric layers, for example of different dielectric materials. For example, the stack 24 comprises lower layers 26, i.e., closest to the lower level 16, of a first dielectric material. The stack 24 comprises intermediate layers 28, resting on the layers 26 of a second dielectric material. The second material is preferably different from the first material. The stack 24 comprises upper layers 30, resting on the layers 28 of, for example, the first dielectric material.
The stack 24 comprises, for example, metal studs 32 flush with the underside of the insulating layer closest to the support 16, i.e., the layer closest to the cavity 22. The support 16 comprises, flush with its upper face, i.e. the face closest to the cavity 22, metal studs 34 located opposite the studs 32. The studs 32 and 34 allow the electrical connection of the upper and lower levels via the balls 20. For example, a ball 20 is located between each stud 32 and the corresponding stud 34.
The antenna 14 comprises an antenna structure, comprising for example one or more metal layers 36, or metal tracks, in the stack 24, preferably between the upper layers 30. In the example shown in
The stack 24 comprises, for example, surrounded by lower layers 26, a metal track 40 extending opposite the chip 12, preferably opposite the entire chip 12. The track 40 forms a protective shield for the chip 12. The track 40 is located between the layer 36 and the chip 12. According to another embodiment, in which the chip 12 is not located opposite the layer 36, the track 40 may be absent.
The upper level 18 further comprises an upper element 42. The element 42 rests on the stack 24. The element 42 comprises a base 50. The base 50 is, for example, planar. The base 50 extends opposite the stack 24, preferably opposite the entire stack 24. The element 42 further comprises walls 48 and 52. The walls 48 and 52 are located between the base 50 and the stack 24. More specifically, the base 50 rests on the walls 48 and 52. The base is thus supported by the walls 48 and 52 and the walls 48 and 52 rest on the stack 24.
The element 42 is made of a plastic material. For example, the element 42 is made of a thermoplastic material, for example, doped with a non-conductive metallic inorganic compound. The element 42 is, for example, made of an epoxy-based hard plastic. The element 42, comprises the base 50 and the walls 48 and 52, and is preferably formed as a single unit, constituting a cover.
The element 42 defines an internal cavity 44. The cavity 44 is, once the element 42 is attached to the stack, a closed cavity, i.e., a cavity surrounded on all sides. The cavity 44 is preferably central. The cavity 44 preferably faces the protective layer 40. The layer 40 is preferably between the chip 12 and the cavity 44. The cavity 44 preferably faces layer 36.
The cavity 44 is delimited in a first direction, for example, the vertical direction, by the base 50 and the stack 24 and in a plane orthogonal to the first dimension, for example the horizontal plane, by the wall 48. The base 50 forms the bottom of the cavity. The wall 48 surrounds the cavity 44.
In the embodiment of
The cavity 46 is delimited in the first direction, for example, the vertical direction, by the base 42 and the stack 24 and, in a plane orthogonal to the first dimension, for example the horizontal plane, by the wall 48 and the wall 52. The wall 52 surrounds the cavity 46. The base 50 forms the bottom of the cavity. The cavity 46 surrounds the wall 48. The wall 52 thus forms an outer sidewall of the element 42. The wall 52 is preferably coplanar with the sidewalls of the stack 24.
In the example of
The element 42 is attached to the stack 24. For example, the element 42 is attached to the stack 24 by a layer of adhesive not represented.
The antenna 14 comprises, in addition to the layer 36, a conductive layer, or track, (patch) 54 located on the base 50 in the cavity 44. The layer 54 is preferably made of metal. The layer 54 is located opposite a portion of the layer 36, or more generally the set of layers 36 forming the excitation portion of the antenna. The layer 54 allows to transmit the signal of the antenna, obtained by the excitation of the layer 36. The layer 54 is electrically isolated, in particular from the layer 36. In other words, the layer 54 is not in contact with any conductive element and in particular is not electrically coupled with the layer 36.
The antenna 14 comprises, according to the embodiment of
The secondary portion 58 is coupled to the layer 36 by at least one conductive element 60, for example at least one conductive via or conductive ring. The at least one conductive element 60 extends through one or more insulating layers of the stack 24, so as to reach the layer 36. In other words, the at least one conductive element 60 is in contact with layer 36 and extends to the upper face of the stack 24. The secondary portion 58 rests in contact with the element 60 flush with the upper face of the stack 24.
The cavity 44 is filled with a material 56. The material has, for example, a dielectric permittivity of less than 20, preferably less than 10, more preferably less than 3, and for example greater than 1. The material 56 is, for example, air.
The cavity 46 is filled with a second material 47, preferably different from the first material filling the cavity 44. The second material has, for example, a dielectric permittivity of less than 20, preferably less than 10, more preferably less than 3, and for example greater than 1. The material 47 is, for example, air. Alternatively, the material 47 may be the same material as the material 56. Alternatively, the material 47 may be a conductive material.
The base 50 preferably has a thickness of less than 100 μm, preferably less than 50 μm. Preferably, the base 50 is as thin as possible while avoiding deformation of the element 42. The wall 48, extending from the base 50 to the stack 24, provides a stabilizer and ensures that the base 50 does not deform.
The layer 54 has a thickness of, for example, between 5 μm and 30 μm. The layer 58 has, for example, the same thickness as the layer 54. The layer 58 has a thickness of, for example, between 20 μm and 50 μm.
The layer 36 and the layer 40 are, for example, separated by a distance of between 250 μm and 400 μm, for example substantially equal to 350 μm. The distance between layer 54 and the layer 36 depends, for example, on the range of wavelengths transmitted or received by the antenna 14. For example, for the signals having a frequency substantially equal to 60 GHz, the distance between layer 54 and layer 36 is substantially equal to 400 μm. Preferably, the distance between the layer 54 and the layer 36 is greater than 150 μm, for example greater than 200 μm.
The distance between the layer 54 and layer 36 is an important characteristic of the antenna package. Indeed, the distance between the layer 54 and layer 36 must be high enough to allow layer 54 to radiate the transmitted signal. The layer 54 and the layer 36 are further separated by a material having characteristics, in particular a dielectric permittivity, allowing an efficient signal passage.
One could have chosen to form a layer of the material filling the cavity 44 on the stack and form the layer 54 on the layer. However, it might not be possible to select the thickness of the layer as precisely, according to how it is used.
The device 61 differs from the device 10 of
The layers 54 and 58 are located, in their respective cavities, as described in connection with
According to another embodiment, the leg of the layer 58 extending over the base 50 is coplanar with the layer 54 and the thickness of the base 50, facing the cavity 46, is different from the thickness of the base 50 facing the cavity 44, preferably greater than the thickness of the base 50 facing the cavity 44.
The device 70 differs from the embodiments of
The stack 24 preferably does not comprise the conductive element 60. The antenna 14 does not comprise the secondary portion 58.
The device 80 differs from the embodiment of
As in the embodiment of
The device 90 differs from the embodiment of
View A of
The material constituting the element 42 is a plastic. The material constituting the element 42 is preferably a material compatible with a laser direct structuring (LDS) method, in other words, a thermoplastic material, doped with a non-conductive metallic inorganic compound.
View B of
During the step illustrated in View C of
Alternatively, the locations activated in the view B of
In the step of view D of
In a subsequent non-illustrated step, the element 42 is attached to the stack 24.
The steps B and C of
An advantage of the described embodiments is that it is possible to better control the distance between the radiating conductive layer 54, otherwise known as the “patch”, and the excitation layer 36. It is thus advantageously possible to decrease this distance, so as to decrease the size of the package, while maintaining a sufficient distance for the operation of the antenna.
Another advantage of the described embodiments is that it allows to separate the layer 54 and the layer 36 by the material 56, independently of the type of structure. Indeed, the structure is held by the plastic element or cover 42 and the strength of the material 56 does not impact the strength of the package.
Another advantage of the described embodiments is that it is possible to choose the material 47, surrounding the layer 58, and the material 56 surrounding the layer 54 which are different from each other.
Various embodiments and variants have been described. Those skilled in the art will understand that certain features of these embodiments can be combined and other variants will readily occur to those skilled in the art.
Finally, the practical implementation of the embodiments and variants described herein is within the capabilities of those skilled in the art based on the functional description provided hereinabove.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2105186 | May 2021 | FR | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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20100190464 | Chen et al. | Jul 2010 | A1 |
20160049723 | Baks et al. | Feb 2016 | A1 |
20190036202 | Caratelli | Jan 2019 | A1 |
20200161766 | Liu | May 2020 | A1 |
Entry |
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INPI Search Report and Written Opinion for priority application, FR 2105186, report dated Dec. 3, 2021, 9 pgs. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20220376379 A1 | Nov 2022 | US |