US-12627028-B2 - Antenna module implemented in multi-layered package

US12627028B2US 12627028 B2US12627028 B2US 12627028B2US-12627028-B2

Abstract

An antenna module includes: a printed circuit board (PCB) having a plurality of layers; an array antenna portion having a plurality of antenna elements disposed on the PCB; and a plurality of signal connection lines configured to electrically connect a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) chip to the array antenna portion. Each of the plurality of antenna elements may have a structure with two patch antennas, and first and second groups of second patch antennas disposed inside the PCB may be located in first and second regions with respect to a center line of an inner layer where the second patch antennas are disposed.

Inventors

Yusuhk SUH
Dongik Lee
Seungmin WOO

Assignees

LG ELECTRONICS INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20240607
Priority Date: 20230825

Claims (12)

1 . An antenna module implemented as a multi-layered package, the antenna module comprising: a printed circuit board (PCB) having a plurality of layers; an array antenna portion including a plurality of antenna elements disposed on the PCB, wherein each of the plurality of antenna elements has a structure with two patch antennas, a first patch antenna of the two patch antennas is disposed on a first surface of the PCB, the first surface is an outermost surface of the PCB, a second patch antenna of the two patch antennas is disposed to be spaced apart from the first patch antenna and is disposed on one of the plurality of layers inside the PCB, a portion of the first patch antenna and a portion of the second patch antenna are stacked to overlap each other; a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) chip bonded to a second surface of the PCB, the second surface being another outermost surface of the PCB; and a plurality of signal connection lines configured to electrically connect the RFIC chip to the array antenna portion, wherein the signal connection lines comprises a first part disposed horizontally on a first layer, a second part connected to the first part and disposed vertically as an inner layer of the PCB, a third part connected to the second part and disposed on any one layer inside the PCB, and a fourth part disposed vertically to be connected to the third part and the second patch antennas, the first patch antennas disposed on the outermost surface of the PCB are disposed at a certain gap on the outermost surface in a first horizontal axis direction, a first group of the second patch antennas disposed inside the PCB is electrically connected to the fourth parts of the signal connection lines in a first region based on a center line of an inner layer where the second patch antennas are disposed, and a second group of the second patch antennas disposed inside the PCB is electrically connected to the fourth parts of the signal connection lines in a second region based on the center line of the inner layer where the second patch antennas are disposed.
2 . The antenna module of claim 1 , wherein signals applied from the RFIC to the patch antennas through the signal connection lines comprise: first signals applied to the first group of patch antennas among the second patch antennas; and second signals applied to the second group of patch antennas among the second patch antennas, the first signals have the same phase as each other, the second signals have the same phase as each other, and the first signals and the second signals have a phase difference of 180 degrees.
3 . The antenna module of claim 1 , wherein centers of the first group of patch antennas among the second patch antennas are aligned in a first region in a second horizontal axis direction, which is spaced in parallel apart a certain gap from a first horizontal axis where the first patch antennas are disposed, and centers of the second group of patch antennas among the second patch antennas are aligned in a second region in a third horizontal axis direction, which is spaced in parallel apart a certain gap from the first horizontal axis where the first patch antennas are disposed.
4 . The antenna module of claim 1 , wherein centers of the second patch antennas are disposed on the same axis as centers of the first patch antennas in an X-axis direction which is a vertical axis direction, and the second patch antennas and the first patch antennas are stacked to overlap each other, connection regions of the second patch antennas connected to the fourth parts of the signal connection lines are formed on the same axis in the X-axis direction, and the connection region is disposed in a region spaced apart from the center of the second patch antenna.
5 . The antenna module of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of signal connection lines are connected to the second patch antennas inside the PCB, respectively, a length of each of the plurality of signal connection lines is a connected length between the RFIC chip and the second patch antenna, and the plurality of signal connection lines have the same length.
6 . The antenna module of claim 5 , wherein among the plurality of signal connection lines, the signal connection lines of the first part disposed horizontally on the first layer have the same length, the signal connection lines of the second part connected to the first part and disposed vertically as the inner layer of the PCB have the same length, the signal connection lines of the third part connected to the second part and disposed horizontally on any one layer inside the PCB have the same length, and the signal connection lines of the fourth part disposed vertically to be connected to the third part and the second patch antennas have the same length.
7 . The antenna module of claim 1 , wherein both sides of signal connection lines of the third part among the plurality of signal connection lines are formed as a coplanar waveguide structure in which grounds are disposed.
8 . The antenna module of claim 1 , wherein the inner layer, on which the signal connection lines of the third part among the plurality of signal connection lines are disposed, is provided with an upper ground layer in a direction toward an antenna and a lower ground layer in a direction toward the RFIC.
9 . The antenna module of claim 1 , wherein the first surface defines the outermost surface of the PCB and is formed of a metal layer connected to a ground, and an inner surface of the metal layer has a first region where the first patch antenna is disposed, and a second region and a third region that are defined on both sides of the first region and do not operate as a ground.
10 . The antenna module of claim 9 , wherein a first vertical region which is the same as the first region is defined from an outermost surface of the PCB to an upper ground layer in a direction toward an antenna, above an inner layer of the PCB, on which the signal connection lines of the third part are disposed, and an antenna element and a dielectric material are disposed in the first vertical region, and an outer peripheral surface of the first vertical region forms ground walls.
11 . The antenna module of claim 9 , wherein a second vertical region which is the same as the second region is defined from an outermost surface of the PCB to a ground layer inside the PCB, first parasitic metals and a dielectric material are disposed in the second vertical region, an outer peripheral surface of the second vertical region forms ground walls, a third vertical region which is the same as the third region is defined from an outermost surface of the PCB to a ground layer inside the PCB, second parasitic metals and a dielectric material are disposed in the third vertical region, and an outer peripheral surface of the third vertical region forms ground walls.
12 . The antenna module of claim 11 , wherein a first vertical height of the first vertical region is higher than a second vertical height of the second vertical region.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION Pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 119(a), this application claims the benefit of earlier filing date and right of priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0112087, filed on Aug. 25, 2023, the contents of which are all hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entireties. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a multi-layered circuit type antenna package for millimeter wave band communication. BACKGROUND ART A millimeter wave (mm Wave) band communication method, which is being developed to transmit GBps-level high-speed, large-capacity AV data, can transmit large-capacity data several times faster than existing short/mid-range communication methods such as WiFi, WLAN, WPAN, etc. This millimeter wave band communication method, unlike the existing short/mid-range communication methods, is very difficult to be implemented in a manner of connecting an antenna and an RFIC, which are separately provided, with a cable. In the millimeter wave band, a signal attenuation phenomenon is dozens of times higher than those in existing commercial frequency bands. In addition, a signal cable dedicated to the millimeter wave band is a major obstacle to the commercialization of 60 GHz communication modules, due to unit prices reaching up to tens of dollars. Therefore, in the millimeter wave band, a technology for designing antenna and package are required to dispose an antenna and an RFIC within the shortest distance, to suppress signal loss and attenuation. As the related art technology for implementing a millimeter wave band antenna/package, a technology of embedding an antenna and a stripline or microstrip type signal transmission line in a multi-layer circuit and electrically connecting the same to an RFIC is widely used. This method implements a transverse electromagnetic (TEM) mode required for a wideband signal line, thereby widening a bandwidth required in the millimeter wave band. The multi-layer circuit type using the stripline or microstrip is an ideal way for realizing antenna performance. However, in the case of a stripline, a signal line is disposed on a middle layer and ground layers are disposed above and below the signal line, so at least three layers are required. Additionally, in the case of a microstrip, at least two layers are required, including a layer where a signal line is disposed and a ground layer disposed above or below the signal line. Therefore, when designing a multi-layer circuit by combination of antenna, RF interface, inner cavity, power line, etc., the number of layers stacked reaches approximately 7 to 10 layers. In the case of a low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) process that implements this, it needs high production costs, which is an obstacle to the commercialization of the millimeter wave communication technology. SUMMARY An aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a structure that minimizes the number of stacked layers as a multi-layered circuit type antenna package for millimeter wave band communication. Another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a structure that minimizes a signal phase difference for each patch in a patch array antenna structure for millimeter wave band communication. An antenna module implemented as a multi-layered package according to the present disclosure includes: a printed circuit board (PCB) having a plurality of layers; an array antenna portion having a plurality of antenna elements disposed on the PCB, and a plurality of signal connection lines configured to electrically connect the RFIC chip to the array antenna portion. Each of the plurality of antenna elements may have a structure with two patch antennas, and first and second groups of the second patch antennas disposed inside the PCB may be located in first and second regions with respect to a center line of an inner layer where the second patch antennas are disposed. According to an embodiment, a first patch antenna of the two patch antennas may be disposed on a first surface of the PCB, and the first surface may be an outermost surface of the PCB. The RFIC chip may be bonded to a second surface of the PCB. A second patch antenna of the two patch antennas may be disposed to be spaced apart from the first patch antenna and may be disposed on one of the plurality of layers inside the PCB. A portion of the first patch antenna and a portion of the second patch antenna may be stacked to overlap each other. According to an embodiment, the signal connection lines may include a first part disposed horizontally on a first layer, a second part connected to the first part and disposed vertically as an inner layer of the PCB, a third part connected to the second part and disposed on any one layer inside the PCB, and a fourth part disposed vertically to be connected to the third part and the second patch antennas. The first patch antennas disposed on the outermost surface of the PCB may be disposed at a certain gap on the outermost surfa