Patent Application
20190326232
The present invention relates to a receiver and transmitter chips packaging structure, and more particularly to a receiver and transmitter chips packaging structure that enables upgraded transmission efficiency and increased chip performance. The present invention also relates to an automotive radar detector device that uses the receiver and transmitter chips packaging structure.
The quick development of scientific technologies brings largely upgraded manufacturing techniques to the products having close relation to people's daily life. In particular, the maturity of the semiconductor techniques has enabled the emergence and evolution of new automotive electronic products and accordingly, cars using these novel products. The currently available cars are equipped with many creative technological products and therefore not only enable people to move to different places but also provide drivers and passengers with more safety protections, from the already-known anti-theft systems and parking assistance radars to the newly developed obstacles/pedestrians detection systems, around view monitor systems and autopilot systems. All these car-related technologies can advantageously increase the safety in driving.
The commonly seen car-related safety protection systems, for example the adaptive cruise control systems, blind-spot detection systems, auto-brake systems, front/rear collision warning systems and lane departure detection systems, usually use a microwave FMCW (frequency-modulation continuous-wave) radar system to detect a target object. More specifically, the radar system transmits a millimeter-wave signal and receives a signal reflected from a target object; and further calculates the speed, angular position and distance of the target object relative to radar system. A conventional radar system includes a receiver module, a transmitter module, a voltage-controlled oscillator and a controller. The receiver module, the transmitter module, the voltage-controlled oscillator and the controller are independent and separate elements, and the chips for these elements are respectively independently mounted on a circuit board in each of the elements. For instance, a receiver chip is mounted on a circuit board in the receiver module, a transmitter chip is mounted on a circuit board in the transmitter module, and a voltage-controlled oscillator chip is mounted on a circuit board of the voltage-controlled oscillator. Further, to enable convenient production, the radar system manufacturers would integrate the required antennas, i.e. a receiver antenna and a transmitter antenna, into the receiver chip and the transmitter chip, respectively. However, the above production manner will result in poor transmission efficiency and the transmitter antenna has a transmission power lower than 5 watts to result in the problem of low-power transmission. Moreover, since the chips in different elements, i.e. the receiver chip, the transmitter chip and the voltage-controlled oscillator chip in the receiver module, the transmitter module and the voltage-controlled oscillator, respectively, are fabricated using the same processes, these chips have relatively poor performance.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a receiver and transmitter chips packaging structure as well as an automotive radar detector device using same, which can provide upgraded transmission efficiency.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a receiver and transmitter chips packaging structure as well as an automotive radar detector device using same, which can provide increased transmission power.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a receiver and transmitter chips packaging structure as well as an automotive radar detector device using same, which enable upgraded chip performance by integrally packaging a receiver chip, a transmitter chip and a radio-frequency (RF) processing chip to form one single chip packaging structure.
To achieve the above and other objects, the receiver and transmitter chips packaging structure according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a redistribution layer, a molded encapsulation layer and a chip set. The redistribution layer includes a plurality of conductive lines, a dielectric layer and a plurality of conductive elements. The conductive lines are embedded in the dielectric layer; the dielectric layer has a first side and an opposite second side; and the conductive elements are arranged on the second side of the dielectric layer and are respectively electrically connected to an end of a corresponding one of the conductive lines. The chip set includes a receiver chip, a transmitter chip and a radio-frequency (RF) processing chip. The receiver chip, the transmitter chip and the RF processing chip are arranged on the first side of the dielectric layer and are respectively electrically connected to another end of a corresponding one of the conductive lines; and the RF processing chip is electrically connected to the receiver chip and the transmitter chip via the conductive lines. The molded encapsulation layer is formed on the first side of the dielectric layer to enclose the receiver chip, the transmitter chip and the RF processing chip therein. With the above arrangements, the receiver/transmitter chips packaging structure according to the present invention can provide the effects of upgraded transmission efficiency and chip performance as well as increased transmission power.
To achieve the above and other objects, the automotive radar detector device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a receiver and transmitter chips packaging structure, a substrate and a control chip. The receiver and transmitter chips packaging structure includes a redistribution layer, a molded encapsulation layer and a chip set. The redistribution layer includes a plurality of conductive lines, a dielectric layer and a plurality of conductive elements. The conductive lines are embedded in the dielectric layer; the dielectric layer has a first side and an opposite second side; and the conductive elements are arranged on the second side of the dielectric layer and are respectively electrically connected to an end of a corresponding one of the conductive lines. The chip set includes a receiver chip, a transmitter chip and a radio-frequency (RF) processing chip. The receiver chip, the transmitter chip and the RF processing chip are arranged on the first side of the dielectric layer and are respectively electrically connected to another end of a corresponding one of the conductive lines; and the RF processing chip is electrically connected to the receiver chip and the transmitter chip via the conductive lines. The molded encapsulation layer is formed on the first side of the dielectric layer to enclose the receiver chip, the transmitter chip and the RF processing chip therein. The substrate has at least one first antenna, at least one second antenna, a plurality of conductive wirings and a plurality of contacts provided thereon to electrically connect to the conductive elements on the redistribution layer. The conductive wirings are embedded in the substrate to electrically connect to the contacts that are formed on one side of the substrate; and the first and the second antenna are provided on one side of the substrate to electrically connect to the receiver chip and the transmitter chip via the conductive wirings and the contacts. The control chip is arranged on one side of the substrate to electrically connect to the receiver chip and the RF processing chip via the conductive wirings and the contacts. With the above arrangements, the automotive radar detector device according to the present invention can provide the effects of upgraded transmission efficiency and chip performance as well as increased transmission power.
The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein
The present invention will now be described with some preferred embodiments thereof and by referring to the accompanying drawings. For the purpose of easy to understand, elements that are the same in the preferred embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals.
Please refer to
The conductive elements 104 are arranged on the second side (i.e. the bottom side) 1032 of the dielectric layer 103 and are respectively electrically connected to an end of a corresponding one of the conductive lines 102. The chip set 12 includes a receiver chip 121, a transmitter chip 122 and a radio-frequency (RF) processing chip 123. The receiver chip 121 is used to receive a millimeter-wave signal and the transmitter chip 122 is used to transmit a millimeter-wave signal. The receiver chip 121, the transmitter chip 122 and the RF processing chip 123 all are arranged on the first side (i.e. the top side) 1031 of the dielectric layer 103, and are respectively electrically connected to another end of a corresponding one of the conductive lines 102. The RF processing chip 123 is electrically connected to the receiver chip 121 and the transmitter chip 122 via the conductive lines 102. It is noted the receiver chip 121, the transmitter chip 122 and the RF processing chip 123 can be differently fabricated using any suitable process, such as the gallium nitride-on-silicon (GaN-on-Si) process, the gallium nitride-on-silicon carbide (GaN-on-SiC) process, the silicon-germanium complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (SiGe CMOS) process, the gallium arsenide (GaAs) process or the radio-frequency complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (RFCMOS) process. In the first embodiment of the present invention, the receiver chip 121 and the RF processing chip 123 are fabricated using the RFCMOS process while the transmitter chip 122 is fabricated using the SiGe CMOS process. In another operable embodiment of the present invention, the transmitter chip 122 can be differently designed and fabricated using the GaAs process while the receiver chip 121 and the RF processing chip 123 are fabricated using the RFCMOS process.
Further, the receiver chip 121 and the transmitter chip 122 can receive and transmit, respectively, a millimeter-wave signal having a center frequency of 24 GHz, 77 GHz or 120 GHz; and the signal having the center frequency of 24 GHz, 77 GHz or 120 GHz has a bandwidth ranged between −10 GHz and +10 GHz.
Please refer to
In an operable embodiment, the conductive elements 104 can be differently designed to be metal solder pads, such as copper or gold solder pads.
Therefore, with the above arrangements, the receiver/transmitter chips packaging structure 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention can provide the effects of upgraded transmission efficiency and chip performance as well as increased transmission power.
Please refer to
The substrate 21 is located at one side of the redistribution layer 10. In the second embodiment of the present invention, the substrate 21 is located beneath the second side 1032 of the dielectric layer 103 of the redistribution layer 10. On the substrate 21, there are provided at least one first antenna 22, at least one second antenna 23, a plurality of conductive wirings 211 and a plurality of contacts 213. In the second embodiment, the contacts 213 are solder pads formed on one side of the substrate 21 and electrically connected to the conductive elements 104 on the redistribution layer 10 while the conductive elements 104 are located between the dielectric layer 103 and the substrate 21. The conductive wirings 211 are metal wirings formed of copper or gold, and are provided in the substrate 21 to electrically connect to the contacts 213. In the second embodiment, the first and the second antenna 22, 23 are illustrated as array antennas provided on one side of the substrate 21 facing toward the dielectric layer 103 to electrically connect to the receiver chip 121 and the transmitter chip 122, respectively, via the conductive wirings 211 and the contacts 213. The contacts 213 connected to the first antenna 22 are in direct contact with the conductive elements 104 connected to the receiver chip 121, so that a signal connection or an electrical connection is formed between the first antenna 22 and the receiver chip 121. Similarly, the contacts 213 connected to the second antenna 23 are in direct contact with the conductive elements 104 connected to the transmitter chip 122, so that a signal connection or an electrical connection is formed between the second antenna 23 and the transmitter chip 122.
The control chip 24 can be a microprocessor control unit (MCU), a central processing unit (CPU) or a digital signal processor (DSP), and is arranged on one side of the substrate 21 to electrically connect to the receiver chip 121 and the RF processing chip 123 via the conductive wirings 211 and the contacts 213. In the second embodiment, the contacts 213 connected to the control chip 24 is in direct contact with the conductive elements 104 connected to the receiver chip 121 and the RF processing chip 123, so that a signal connection or an electrical connection is formed between the control chip 24 and the receiver and RF processing chips 121, 123. Further, the receiver chip 121 has at least one receiver circuit 1211 and a signal processing circuit 1212. In the illustrated second embodiment, as shown in
The transmitter chip 122 has at least one transmitter circuit 1221. In the illustrated second embodiment as shown in
Further, in the second embodiment, the first antenna 22, the second antenna 23, the receiver circuit 1211 and the transmitter circuit 1221 are respectively not necessarily limited to one in number. However, the number of the first antennas 22 and of the second antennas 23 are corresponding to that of the receiver circuits 1211 and of the transmitter circuits 1221, respectively. In practical implementation of the present invention, the actual number of the first antennas 22, of the second antennas 23, of the receiver circuits 1211 and of the transmitter circuits 1221 can be changed in advance according to the required precision, range of detection and mounting position of the millimeter-wave radar detector device 2. For example, as shown in
In the second embodiment, the first antenna 22 and the second antenna 23 can receive and transmit, respectively, a millimeter-wave signal having a center frequency of 24 GHz, 77 GHz or 120 GHz; and the signal having the center frequency of 24 GHz, 77 GHz or 120 GHz has a bandwidth ranged between −10 GHz and +10 GHz. Further, the receiving signal and the detection signal are millimeter-wave signals.
Therefore, with the above arrangements, the automotive radar detector device 2 according to the second embodiment of the present invention can provide the effects of upgraded transmission efficiency and chip performance as well as increased transmission power.
Please refer to
In the third embodiment, the substrate 21 is located beneath the molded encapsulation layer 14 with one side facing toward and in direct contact with the molded encapsulation layer 14, and the conductive elements 104 on the second side 1032 of the dielectric layer 103 are electrically connected to the contacts 213 via a plurality of bonding wires 25. In the third embodiment, the contacts 213 connected to the first antenna 22 are further connected via the bonding wires 25 to the conductive elements 104 connected to the receiver chip 121, so that a signal connection or an electrical connection is formed between the first antenna 22 and the receiver chip 121; the contacts 213 connected to the control chip 24 are further connected via the bonding wires 25 to the conductive elements 104 connected to the receiver chip 121 and the RF processing chip 123, so that a signal connection or an electrical connection is formed between the control chip 24 and the receiver and RF processing chips 121, 123; and the contacts 213 connected to the second antenna 23 are further connected via one of the bonding wires 25 to the conductive elements 104 connected to the transmitter chip 122, so that a signal connection or an electrical connection is formed between the second antenna 23 and the transmitter chip 122. Therefore, with the above arrangements, the automotive radar detector device 2 according to the third embodiment of the present invention can provide the effects of upgraded transmission efficiency and chip performance as well as increased transmission power.
The present invention has been described with some preferred embodiments thereof and it is understood that many changes and modifications in the described embodiments can be carried out without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention that is intended to be limited only by the appended claims.
