US-12627038-B2 - Electronic device

US12627038B2US 12627038 B2US12627038 B2US 12627038B2US-12627038-B2

Abstract

An electronic device includes an electronic chip assembled on a first region of a substrate of the electronic device, a first coating layer of a first coating material covering a surface of the electronic chip facing away from the substrate, and a radiation element of an antenna of the electronic device separated from the substrate by at least a portion of the first coating layer and being offset with respect to the first region of the substrate so that the radiation element does not cover the electronic chip. The radiation element is buried in the first coating layer or is arranged in the first coating layer and partly covered with a protection material.

Inventors

Olivier Ptak
Ouafa HAJJI
Georg KIMMICH

Assignees

STMICROELECTRONICS (GRENOBLE 2) SAS
STMicroelectronics (Alps) SAS

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20230403
Priority Date: 20220405

Claims (20)

1 . An electronic device comprising: an electronic chip assembled on a substrate in a first region of the electronic device; a first coating layer of a first coating material covering at least one surface of the electronic chip facing away from the substrate; and a radiation element of an antenna of the electronic device, the radiation element being arranged in the first coating layer in a second region of the electronic device offset from the first region so that the radiation element is separated from the substrate by at least a portion of the first coating layer and is offset from and does not overlap any portion of the electronic chip, wherein the radiation element comprises a central portion surrounded by raised outer edges, wherein the central portion of the radiation element is covered with a protection material.
2 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic chip is configured to excite the radiation element with a communication signal.
3 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises: a ground layer supporting a conductive surface and coupled to ground; and a signal layer provided with at least one signal line, wherein the ground layer is arranged between the signal layer and the radiation element.
4 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the protection material is identical to the first coating material and wherein the radiation element is totally buried in the first coating material.
5 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the protection material is different from the first coating material.
6 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the protection material is identical to the first coating material.
7 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the radiation element is electrically insulated from the substrate.
8 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the protection material covers the radiation element with a thickness between 1 micrometer and 36 micrometers.
9 . A method of manufacturing an electronic device comprising: providing an electronic chip assembled on a substrate in a first region of the electronic device; forming a first coating layer of a first coating material to cover at least a surface of the electronic chip facing away from the substrate; forming a radiation element in the first coating layer in a second region of the electronic device offset from the first region so that the radiation element is separated from the substrate by at least a portion of the first coating layer and is offset from and does not overlap any portion of the electronic chip, wherein the radiation element comprises a central portion surrounded by raised outer edges; and forming an additional layer of material in the central portion of the radiation element.
10 . The method according to claim 9 , further comprising etching a surface of the first coating material opposite to the substrate before forming the radiation element, the surface of the first coating material being etched so that a thickness of the first coating material measured between the substrate and the etched surface of the first coating material is between 100 micrometers and 1,000 micrometers.
11 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein forming the radiation element comprises depositing a conductive surface covering a portion of the surface of the first coating material obtained after the etching.
12 . The method according to claim 11 , further comprising, before forming the additional layer, trimming the conductive surface so that at least one surface extension dimension of the conductive surface is smaller.
13 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein forming the additional layer of material comprises depositing the additional layer of material to cover the conductive surface, wherein the additional layer of material comprises the first coating material or a protection material.
14 . The method according to claim 13 , further comprising etching the additional layer of material so that the additional layer of material covers the conductive surface with a thickness between 1 micrometer and 36 micrometers.
15 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the etching comprises forming a recessed box in the first coating material, the recessed box having a lateral extension equal, or approximately equal, to a desired lateral extension of the conductive surface.
16 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the etching comprises etching the surface of the first coating material so that a roughness of the etched surface of the first coating material is smaller than 1 micrometer.
17 . An electronic system comprising: a first electronic device comprising: a first electronic chip assembled on a first substrate in a first region of the first electronic device; a first coating layer of a first coating material covering at least one surface of the first electronic chip facing away from the first substrate; and a first radiation element of a first antenna of the first electronic device, the first radiation element being arranged in the first coating layer in a second region of the first electronic device offset from the first region of the first electronic device so that the first radiation element is separated from the first substrate by a portion of the first coating layer and is offset from and does not overlap any portion of the first electronic chip, wherein the first radiation element comprises a central portion surrounded by raised outer edges and wherein the central portion of the first radiation element is covered with a first protection material; and a second electronic device comprising: a second electronic chip assembled on a second substrate in a first region of the second electronic device; a second coating layer of a second coating material covering at least one surface of the second electronic chip facing away from the second substrate; and a second radiation element of a second antenna of the second electronic device, the second radiation element being arranged in the second coating layer in a second region of the second electronic device offset from the first region of the second electronic device so that the second radiation element is separated from the second substrate by a portion of the second coating layer and is offset from and does not overlap any portion of the second electronic chip, wherein the second radiation element comprises a central portion surrounded by raised outer edges, wherein the central portion of the second radiation element is covered with a second protection material, and wherein the first electronic device is configured to exchange a first communication signal via the first radiation element and the second electronic device is configured to exchange a second communication signal via the second radiation element.
18 . The electronic system according to claim 17 , wherein the first electronic chip is configured to excite the first radiation element with the first communication signal and the second electronic chip is configured to excite the second radiation element with the second communication signal.
19 . The electronic system according to claim 17 , wherein the first substrate comprises: a first ground layer supporting a first conductive surface and coupled to ground; and a first signal layer provided with at least one signal line, wherein the first ground layer is arranged between the first signal layer and the first radiation element; and wherein the second substrate comprises: a second ground layer supporting a second conductive surface and coupled to ground; and a second signal layer provided with at least one signal line, wherein the second ground layer is arranged between the second signal layer and the second radiation element.
20 . The electronic system according to claim 17 , wherein the the first protection material is different from the first coating material.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the priority benefit of French patent application number FR2202116, filed on Apr. 5, 2022, which is hereby incorporated by reference to the maximum extent allowable by law. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure generally relates to electronic devices. BACKGROUND Electronic devices, particularly electronic devices for wireless communication at short distance, for example, of less than 50 m, may use patch-type antennas. A patch antenna is a planar antenna having a radiating element separated from a conductive reflective plane by a dielectric blade having its thickness depending on the wavelength of the desired communication signal. Electronic devices with patch antennas may comprise an electronic chip configured to transmit and/or to receive signals via the patch antenna. However, existing solutions to integrate an electronic chip with a patch antenna are not sufficiently robust and/or have a significant thickness. SUMMARY Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relates to electronic devices and their manufacturing methods and, in particular examples, to wireless communication electronic devices. Embodiments can improve current electronic devices as well as their manufacturing methods. Embodiments can also address the need to lower the thickness of electronic devices to allow their optimal integration. An embodiment provides an electronic device comprising an electronic chip assembled on a first region of a substrate of the electronic device. A first layer of a first coating material covers at least one surface of the electronic chip facing away from the substrate. A radiation element of an antenna of the electronic device is separated from the substrate by at least a portion of the first coating layer and is offset with respect to the first region of the substrate so that the radiation element does not cover the electronic chip. The radiation element is buried in the first coating layer and/or in a second coating layer or is arranged in the first coating layer and at least partly covered with a protection material. Another embodiment provides a method of manufacturing an electronic device comprising providing an electronic chip that is assembled on a first region of a substrate of the electronic device. A first layer of a first coating material is formed to cover at least a surface of the electronic chip facing away from the substrate. A radiation element is formed so that it is separated from the substrate by at least a portion of the first coating layer and offset with respect to the first region of the substrate to avoid covering the electronic chip. The radiation element is buried in the first coating layer or is arranged in the first coating layer and at least partly covered with a protection material. According to an embodiment, the electronic chip is capable of exciting the radiation element with a communication signal. According to an embodiment, the substrate comprises a ground layer supporting a conductive surface, coupled to ground, and provided with an opening. A signal layer is provided with at least one signal line and arranged opposite at least a portion of the opening of the ground layer. The radiation element is arranged opposite at least a portion of the opening of the ground layer, the ground layer being arranged between the signal layer and the radiation element. According to an embodiment, the radiation element is totally buried in the first coating material. According to an embodiment, the radiation element is electrically insulated from the substrate. According to an embodiment, the radiation element is arranged in the first coating layer and at least partly covered with the protection material, and the protection material is different from the first coating material. According to an embodiment, the radiation element is arranged in the first coating layer and at least partly covered with the protection material, and the protection material is identical to the first coating material. According to an embodiment, the forming of the radiation element is preceded by an etch step where a surface of the first coating material, opposite to the substrate, is etched so that at the end of the etch step, a thickness of the first coating material measured between the substrate and the etched surface of the first coating material, is in the range from 100 micrometers to 1,000 micrometers. According to an embodiment, the radiation element is obtained by a deposition of a conductive surface covering a portion of the surface of the first coating material obtained after the etch step. According to an embodiment, a trimming step is applied to the conductive surface so that, at the end of the trimming step, at least one surface extension dimension of the conductive surface is smaller than before the trimming step. According to an embodiment, after the trimming step, a finishing step is carried out so that an additional layer of mater