Residual load for acoustic resonator

Abstract

The invention relates to a residual load of an acoustic resonator. Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing a filter circuit array, and more particularly, methods, systems, and apparatus are provided for implementing a filter circuit array in a semiconductor package or chip package. In an embodiment, a filter array may include a first filter circuit and a first resistive circuit connected to the first filter circuit. In various cases, when the first filter circuit operates, the first filter circuit is configured to transmit or receive one or more first signals and the first resistive circuit is terminated. In other cases, when the first filter circuit is not operating, the first filter circuit is configured to terminate via the first resistive circuit.

Description

[0001] Copyright Notice

[0002] This patent document contains copyrighted material. The copyright holder does not object to anyone making reproductions of patent documents or patent disclosures appearing in the Patent and Trademark Office's patent documents or records, but otherwise retains all copyrights. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure generally relates to methods, systems, and apparatus for implementing filter circuit arrays in semiconductor devices or wireless communication devices. Background Technology

[0004] Devices operating in mobile communication systems, such as cellular phones and other wireless devices, are configured to communicate via a wireless network. For communication via a wireless network, it is typically necessary to connect different signal paths of the wireless device to a common port, such as a common antenna port. For example, the wireless device may include a receiver, transmitter, or transceiver that is typically connected to a common antenna via the antenna port. The receiver, transmitter, or transceiver may be configured to transmit and receive data and control signals via the wireless network. The signal paths for transmitting data and control signals must be isolated from each other. Therefore, the signal paths typically include one or more filter circuits in an array of filter circuits formed by one or more bandpass filter circuits, each bandpass filter circuit having a passband corresponding to the signal frequency band of the respective signal path.

[0005] However, customers, users, manufacturers, or similar entities using wireless devices typically do not require all the filter circuits in a filter circuit array, and filter circuit array designers often need to customize their designs based on the filter circuits required or used by the customer, user, manufacturer, or similar entity. This design process can be time-consuming, and the filter circuit array needs to be redesigned each time a user, customer, manufacturer, or similar entity wants to remove a filter circuit from the filter circuit array to ensure that the filter circuits are not affected by the removal of the unwanted filter circuit.

[0006] Therefore, there is a need for more robust and scalable solutions for implementing semiconductor and chip packages that can be customized based on the needs of customers, users, manufacturers, or the like. Consequently, methods, systems, and apparatus are provided for implementing semiconductor or chip packages with customizable filter circuitry or filter circuitry arrays. Summary of the Invention

[0007] On one hand, this disclosure provides a filter circuit array, comprising: a first filter circuit formed on a substrate; and a first resistor circuit formed on the substrate and connected to the first filter circuit; wherein the first resistor circuit is not terminated.

[0008] On the other hand, this disclosure provides a semiconductor device comprising: a first substrate including: a first filter circuit; and a first resistor circuit connected to the first filter circuit; wherein, when the first filter circuit is in use, the first filter circuit is configured to transmit or receive one or more first signals between an antenna and a transceiver and the first resistor circuit is not terminated; and wherein, when the first filter circuit is not in use, the first filter circuit is connected to a first ground via the first resistor circuit.

[0009] On the other hand, this disclosure provides a method of using a filter circuit array, the method comprising: providing a first substrate including: a filter circuit array including: a first filter circuit; and a first resistor circuit connected to the first filter circuit; and selectively configuring the first filter circuit to either a first configuration or a second configuration by: for the first configuration, leaving the first resistor circuit unterminated; and for the second configuration, connecting the first filter circuit to ground via the first resistor circuit. Attached Figure Description

[0010] A further understanding of the nature and advantages of particular embodiments can be achieved by referring to the remainder of the specification and drawings, wherein the same element symbols are used to refer to similar components. In some examples, sub-labels are associated with element symbols to indicate one of a plurality of similar components. When referring to an element symbol without specifying an existing sub-label, it is desirable to refer to all such plurality of similar components.

[0011] Figure 1A It is a top view of a substrate including one or more filter circuits and one or more first resistor circuits according to various embodiments;

[0012] Figure 1B It is a top view of another substrate including one or more filter circuits, one or more first resistor circuits and one or more second resistor circuits according to various embodiments.

[0013] Figure 1C It is a top view of another substrate including one or more filter circuits and one or more first resistor circuits according to various embodiments;

[0014] Figure 2 This is a top view of a semiconductor device including the substrate of FIG1 according to various embodiments;

[0015] Figure 3A According to various embodiments Figure 2 Circuit diagram of a semiconductor device;

[0016] Figure 3BIt is a circuit diagram of another semiconductor device including one or more first resistor circuits and one or more second resistor circuits according to various embodiments;

[0017] Figure 4 This demonstrates various embodiments. Figure 3A and 3B A graph showing the effect of one or more first resistor circuits or one or more second resistor circuits;

[0018] Figure 5 This is a top view of another semiconductor device including the substrate of FIG1 according to various embodiments;

[0019] Figure 6A According to various embodiments Figure 5 Circuit diagram of a semiconductor device;

[0020] Figure 6B It is a circuit diagram of another semiconductor device according to various embodiments, including one or more first resistor circuits, one or more second resistor circuits, and at least one unused filter circuit.

[0021] Figure 7 This demonstrates various embodiments. Figure 6A and 6B A graph showing the effect of one or more first resistor circuits or one or more second resistor circuits;

[0022] Figure 8 This is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device including a filter circuit array according to various embodiments; and

[0023] Figure 9 This is a flowchart of a method for configuring a semiconductor device including a filter circuit array according to various embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0024] Various embodiments provide tools and techniques for implementing semiconductor packages or chip packages that include one or more customizable filter circuit arrays as described herein.

[0025] In a first aspect, a filter circuit array may include a first filter circuit formed on a substrate and a first resistor circuit formed on the substrate and connected to the first filter circuit. In some cases, when the resistor circuit is formed on the substrate, the first resistor circuit is not terminated.

[0026] In various cases, the first resistor circuit may be connected to a first side of a first filter circuit configured to couple to an antenna. In some examples, a second resistor circuit may be formed on a substrate and connected to a second side of the first filter circuit configured to couple to a transceiver circuit. In other cases, the second resistor circuit is formed on a substrate and connected to the same side of the first filter circuit as the first resistor circuit. In this scenario, the first and second resistor circuits may have different impedances.

[0027] In some embodiments, the first impedance of the first resistor circuit is approximately 50 ohms. In other embodiments, the first impedance of the first resistor circuit is approximately the complex conjugate of the second impedance of the first filter circuit.

[0028] In various cases, the first resistor circuit includes a first connector formed on a substrate and connected to a first end of the filter circuit and the first resistor circuit, and a second connector formed on the substrate and located at a second end of the first resistor circuit opposite to the first end. In some cases, when the first filter circuit is operating, a line is connected to the first connector and configured to transmit or receive signals, and when the first filter circuit is not operating, the second connector of the first resistor circuit is terminated.

[0029] In some cases, the first filter circuit is configured to transmit or receive one or more first signals, including at least one of one or more first Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) signals, one or more first Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) signals, one or more first Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) signals, or one or more first Long Term Evolution (LTE) signals.

[0030] On the other hand, the semiconductor device may include a first filter circuit and a first resistor circuit connected to the first filter circuit. When the first filter circuit is in use, it may be configured to transmit or receive one or more first signals between the antenna and the transceiver, and the first resistor circuit is not terminated. When the first filter circuit is not in use, it may be connected to a first ground via the first resistor circuit.

[0031] In some embodiments, the first impedance of the first resistor circuit is approximately the complex conjugate of the second impedance of the first filter circuit.

[0032] In various cases, the semiconductor device may further include a second substrate coupled to the first substrate, the second substrate including a matching circuit connected to the first filter circuit when the first filter circuit is used. In various cases, the third impedance of the matching circuit is approximately the complex conjugate of the second impedance of the first filter circuit.

[0033] In some examples, the first substrate further includes a second filter circuit, a second resistor circuit connected to the second filter circuit, an antenna, and a transceiver. In some cases, the first filter circuit is in use, connected to the antenna and transceiver, and the first resistor circuit is not terminated, while the second filter circuit is not in use and is connected to a second ground via the second resistor circuit.

[0034] In various embodiments, the first impedance of the first resistor circuit is approximately the complex conjugate of the second impedance of the first filter circuit, the third impedance of the second resistor circuit is approximately the complex conjugate of the fourth impedance of the second filter circuit, and the second impedance of the first filter circuit is different from the fourth impedance of the second filter circuit. In some cases, the semiconductor device may further include a second substrate coupled to the first substrate, the second substrate including a matching circuit connected to the first filter circuit.

[0035] On the other hand, the method of using a filter circuit array may include providing a first substrate including a first filter circuit and a first resistor circuit connected to the first filter circuit. The method further includes selectively configuring the first filter circuit to either a first configuration or a second configuration by: for the first configuration, leaving the first resistor circuit unterminated, and for the second configuration, connecting the first filter circuit to ground via the first resistor circuit.

[0036] In some examples, the filter circuit array may further include a second filter circuit and a second resistor circuit connected to the second filter circuit. The method may further include selectively configuring the second filter circuit to either a third or fourth configuration: for the third configuration, leaving the second resistor circuit unterminated, and for the fourth configuration, connecting the second filter circuit to ground via the second resistor circuit.

[0037] In various cases, the method may further include selecting a first configuration of the first filter circuit and connecting the first filter circuit to the antenna and leaving the first resistor circuit unterminated, and selecting a fourth configuration of the second filter circuit and connecting the second filter circuit to ground via the second resistor circuit.

[0038] In the following description, numerous details are set forth for purposes of explanation to provide a thorough understanding of the described embodiments. However, those skilled in the art will understand that other embodiments may be practiced without some of these details. Several embodiments are described herein, and although various features are attributed to different embodiments, it should be understood that a feature described with respect to one embodiment may also be incorporated into other embodiments. However, for the same reason, any single feature or features of any described embodiment should not be considered essential to every embodiment of the invention, as such features may be omitted in other embodiments of the invention.

[0039] When an element is referred to herein as “connected,” “coupled,” or “attached” to another element (e.g., via an electrical or communication connection or coupling, or a mechanical coupling or attachment), it should be understood that the element may be directly connected, coupled, or attached to the other element, or that there may be an intermediary element between the elements. Conversely, when an element is referred to as “directly connected,” “directly coupled,” or “directly attached” to another element, it should be understood that there is no intermediary element in the “direct” connection, coupling, or attachment between the elements. However, the presence of a direct connection, coupling, or attachment does not preclude the possibility of other connections, couplings, or attachments in which intermediary elements may be present.

[0040] When an element is referred to herein as being "placed" or "positioned" relative to another element in a certain way (e.g., placed on, between, below, near, or otherwise relative to it), it should be understood that the element may be placed or positioned directly relative to the other element (e.g., placed directly on the other element), or that there may be an intervening element between the elements. Conversely, when an element is referred to as being "directly placed" or "directly positioned" relative to another element, it should be understood that in the "direct" instance, there is no intervening element. However, the presence of direct placement does not preclude other instances in which an intervening element may be present.

[0041] Similarly, when an element is referred to as a “layer” herein, it should be understood that the layer may be a single layer or comprise multiple layers. For example, a conductive layer may comprise multiple different conductive materials or multiple layers of different conductive materials, and a dielectric layer may comprise multiple dielectric materials or multiple layers of dielectric materials. When a layer is described as coupled or connected to another layer, it should be understood that the coupled or connected layer may contain intermediary elements present between the coupled or connected layers. Conversely, when a layer is referred to as being “directly” connected or coupled to another layer, it should be understood that there are no intermediary elements between the layers. However, the presence of directly coupled or connected layers does not preclude the existence of other connections where intermediary elements may be present.

[0042] Additionally, when components are referred to herein as “circuits” or “dies,” they are generally considered to be the building blocks of modern electronic devices. Circuits or dies consist of various electronic components such as resistors, capacitors, inductors, diodes, transistors, and integrated circuits. In some cases, an integrated circuit may be formed from one or more circuits. These electronic components are carefully selected and interconnected to create circuits that perform specific tasks or functions. Circuits can be as simple as a basic switch to turn a light on or off, or they can be very complex, such as those found in advanced computer systems, communication devices, or medical equipment. Circuits can be categorized based on their purpose or function, including amplifiers, oscillators, filters, power supplies, and logic gates. Furthermore, in addition to or instead of hardware, circuits may contain software or firmware to perform specific functions.

[0043] Furthermore, the terms left, right, front, back, top, bottom, forward, reverse, clockwise, and counterclockwise are used for interpretive purposes only and are not limited to any fixed direction or orientation. Specifically, they are used only to indicate the relative position and / or orientation between various parts of an object and / or assembly. Additionally, terms such as first, second, and third are used only to distinguish elements or assemblies from each other and do not imply order, sequence, or quantity, unless otherwise expressly stated.

[0044] Furthermore, for ease of description, the methods and processes described herein may be described in a specific order. However, it should be understood that unless the context otherwise specifies, intermediate processes may occur before and / or after any part of the described processes, and various other procedures may be reordered, added, and / or omitted according to various embodiments.

[0045] Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers used herein to express quantity, size, etc., shall be understood to be modified by the term “about” in all instances. As used herein, the term “about” refers to a variation of ±20% or less (e.g., ±20%, ±10%, ±5%, etc.) from a reference value or ratio, including the endpoints of the range, unless otherwise stated.

[0046] In this application, unless otherwise specifically stated, the singular is used to encompass the plural, and unless otherwise indicated, the use of the terms “and” and “or” means “and / or”. Furthermore, the use of the terms “comprising” and “having”, as well as other forms (e.g., “includes”, “included”), “has”, “have”, and “had”), shall be considered non-exclusive. Additionally, unless otherwise specifically stated, terms such as “element” or “component” cover both elements and components comprising one unit and elements and components comprising more than one unit.

[0047] As used herein, the phrase “at least one of…” preceding a series of items with the terms “and” or “or” used to separate any of the items modifies the entire list rather than each member of the list (i.e., each item). The phrase “at least one of…” does not require selection of at least one of each of the listed items; rather, the phrase allows for the inclusion of at least one of any of the items and / or at least one of any combination of items. For example, the phrases “at least one of A, B, and C” or “at least one of A, B, or C” each refer to only A, only B, or only C; and / or any combination of A, B, and C. In examples where it is desired to select “at least one of each of A, B, and C” or alternatively “at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C”, it is explicitly described in this way.

[0048] For communication via a wireless network, it is typically necessary to connect different signal paths of the wireless device to a common port, such as a common antenna port. Signal path ports, or associated signal path ports, are usually isolated from each other to prevent interference between transmitted or received signals. Therefore, a signal path typically contains two or more filter circuits in a filter circuit array, each with a passband corresponding to the signal frequency band of its respective signal path.

[0049] The filter circuit array may include or be a thin-film bulk acoustic resonator (FBAR) circuit array formed on a substrate of a semiconductor device or package, comprising two or more filter circuits (e.g., FBAR circuits or the like). In some cases, the filter circuit array may be another filter circuit array, such as a spectral multi-band resonator (SMR) filter array, a bulk acoustic wave (BAW) filter array, or the like. In some cases, the filter circuit array may be a multi-port input or output device that may be embedded within a semiconductor device or other system.

[0050] In a filter circuit array, multiple filters can be contained within a semiconductor device. Each filter circuit in the array can be designed to have specific electrical characteristics, such as the ability to transmit or receive signals at different frequencies. The design of each filter is influenced by adjacent, co-located filters that are typically arranged in parallel. The effects of adjacent filters influence and complicate the design of each individual filter. If a filter is removed or left unused, this will affect the desired electrical characteristics of the remaining filters. Therefore, designing a filter circuit array comprising multiple filter circuits requires significant time and effort to ensure that each filter circuit in the array does not disturb or interfere with the other filter circuits in the array.

[0051] However, typically, one or more users, customers, manufacturers, or similar entities of one or more wireless devices do not require every filter circuit in the filter circuit array. Removing or omitting filter circuits from the filter circuit array can require extensive redesign of the array to ensure that removal or omitting a filter circuit does not disrupt or interfere with any other filter circuits in the array. Therefore, there is a need for a filter circuit array in which one or more users, customers, manufacturers, or similar entities can easily select or customize which filter circuits to use and which to omit.

[0052] This technology includes semiconductor devices (e.g., chips, integrated circuits, circuit boards, printed circuit boards, substrates, or other semiconductor devices or modules) or substrates that provide an array of filter circuits including one or more filter circuits designed for specific electrical characteristics, such as the ability to transmit or receive one or more signals at one or more frequencies. In various cases, one or more filter circuits of the filter circuit array may be formed on a monolithic substrate of the semiconductor device, and each filter circuit may be configured to have specific electrical characteristics, such as the ability to transmit or receive a specific frequency. In various cases, one or more resistive elements or resistive circuits may be connected (e.g., electrically connected or similar) to one or more filter circuits. One or more resistive elements may be selectively configured based on whether the corresponding filter circuit connected to the resistive circuit is to be used or not. When the filter circuit is used, one or more resistive circuits may be connected to one or more filter circuits as residual loads. In other words, one or more resistive circuits may be unterminated, suspended, or not connected to ground. When the filter circuit is not used, one or more filter circuits may be terminated or connected to ground via one or more resistive circuits.

[0053] One or more resistive elements or circuits offer several advantages to filter circuit arrays. For example, when one or more filter circuits are used and one or more resistive circuits are connected to them as residual loads, the resistive circuits have little effect on the filter circuit array or the individual filter circuits within it. However, when one or more filter circuits are unused and terminated or connected to ground via one or more resistive circuits, the filter circuits remain within the filter circuitry but are no longer configured to transmit or receive signals. In other words, the resistive circuits act as termination points for the unused filter circuits connected to ground via one or more resistive circuits. Furthermore, connecting one or more resistive circuits to ground without using the filter circuits from the array causes little disturbance or interference to the other filter circuits used on the array. This is because when the filter circuits are unused, the resistive circuits are configured to provide appropriate impedance to the unused filter circuits in the array, preventing changes in the characteristics of the used filter circuits.

[0054] This results in significant product cost savings and design time reductions because filter arrays can be designed based on the needs of one or more users, customers, manufacturers, or similar entities, while maintaining one or more filter circuits within the array. In other words, one or more users, customers, manufacturers, or similar entities can selectively determine or customize which filter circuits will be used or configured in the filter array without requiring the filter array designer to redesign the array each time a customer wants to remove or no longer want a particular filter circuit.

[0055] Figure 1A This is a top view of a substrate 100a comprising one or more filter circuits 104a, 104b and 104c (collectively referred to as one or more filter circuits 104) and one or more first resistor circuits 106a, 106b and 106c (collectively referred to as one or more resistor circuits 106) coupled to a first side of one or more filter circuits 104, according to various embodiments. Figure 1B This is a top view of a substrate 100b comprising one or more filter circuits 104, one or more first resistor circuits 106, and one or more second resistor circuits 108a, 108b, and 108c (collectively referred to as one or more second resistor circuits 108) coupled to a second side of one or more filter circuits 104, according to various embodiments. Figure 1C This is a top view of a substrate 100c including one or more filter circuits 104 and one or more first resistor circuits 106 coupled to a first side of the one or more filter circuits 104, according to various embodiments.

[0056] Although substrates 100a to 100c are shown as individual embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that different elements of each substrate may be incorporated into other substrates, and vice versa. In various cases, when substrates 100a to 100c have one or more similar or identical components or elements, substrates 100a to 100c will be referred to as substrate 100. It should also be noted that in Figures 1A to 1C Various components of substrate 100 are schematically illustrated, and modifications to the various components, component shapes, component orientations, and other arrangements of substrates 100a to 100c are possible and are based on various embodiments. Furthermore, in Figures 1A to 1C The figures only show some components and / or layers of the substrate 100. Depending on the embodiment, there may be more or fewer components and / or layers, and the substrate 100 is not intended to be limited to the components and / or layers shown. Furthermore, although Figures 1 to 3, 5, and 6 are described as separate embodiments for ease of description, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications to each embodiment can be applied to other embodiments.

[0057] Go to Figures 1A to 1CThe substrate 100 may comprise a support material (e.g., silicon, glass, ceramic, and / or any other semiconductor material or combination of materials) on which or within it are formed or coupled elements or assemblies (e.g., connectors, circuits, integrated circuits, filter circuits, or the like). One or more circuits, integrated circuits, filter circuits, or the like may comprise one or more passive or active devices. One or more passive devices may be one or more circuit components (e.g., conductors, resistors, capacitors, inductors, etc.) capable of emitting, absorbing, and / or dissipating power. One or more active devices may be one or more circuit components capable of controlling power flow (e.g., transistors, or the like). In various cases, the substrate 100 may be formed of one or more layers. One or more layers may comprise, but are not limited to, one or more dielectric layers, one or more device layers, one or more conductive layers, one or more insulating layers, one or more redistribution layers, and / or the like.

[0058] Substrate 100 may be included in a wireless communication device (not shown). The wireless communication device may include, but is not limited to, mobile communication devices, telephones, tablets, laptops, computers, watches, wearable devices, gaming devices, televisions, or the like.

[0059] In various cases, one or more filter circuit arrays 102 (e.g., FBAR filter circuit arrays, SMR filter circuit arrays, BAW filter circuit arrays, or other multiport input or output devices or the like) may be formed on substrate 100 (e.g., on substrate 100 or at least partially or entirely within substrate 100 or the like). One or more filter circuit arrays 102 may include one or more filter circuits 104 configured to transmit or receive one or more signals within a wireless communication device. Figures 1A to 1C In the embodiment shown, three filter circuits 104a to 104c are illustrated; however, the filter circuit array 102 may have more or fewer filter circuits than shown. Each of the filter circuits 104 in the filter circuit array 102 may be arranged in parallel. By arranging the filter circuits 104 in parallel within the filter circuit array 102, each of the filter circuits can transmit one or more signals to or receive one or more signals from a common antenna or transceiver, as described below. Figure 2 The descriptions and presentations in sections 3, 5, and 6 are as follows.

[0060] Each of the one or more filter circuits may be designed to have one or more electrical characteristics, such as the ability to transmit or receive one or more frequency signals. For example, one or more filter circuits 104 may be configured to transmit or receive at least one of one or more radio frequency (RF) signals corresponding to various predetermined wireless communication standards (e.g., but not limited to Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), and Long Term Evolution (LTE)). Each of the one or more filter circuits 104 may be configured to have a passband within the frequency range in which the filter circuit is configured to transmit or receive.

[0061] In various cases, each of the one or more filter circuits 104 can be configured to transmit or receive different signal frequencies. In a non-limiting example, the first filter circuit 104a can be configured to transmit or receive one or more GSM signals, the second filter circuit 104b can be configured to transmit or receive one or more LTE signals, and the third filter circuit 104c can be configured to transmit or receive one or more UMTS signals.

[0062] In various situations, as discussed above, designing a filter circuit array 102 comprising one or more filter circuits 104 can be time-consuming and costly. This is due to the fact that each filter circuit in the one or more filter circuits 104 needs to be carefully arranged on or within the substrate 100 to ensure that each filter circuit does not interfere with or disrupt one or more signals of another filter circuit in the one or more filter circuits 104. Therefore, once designed and formed, it is not easy to remove filter circuits that are not needed by the user, customer, or manufacturer. Instead, for each undesirable or removed filter, one or more designers of the filter circuit array 102 must redesign the filter circuit array 102 for the user, customer, or manufacturer.

[0063] To address the aforementioned issues, the filter circuit array 102 can be customizable. For customization, the filter circuit array 102 may further include one or more first resistor circuits 106 or one or more optional second resistor circuits 108 formed on the substrate 100. Each first or second resistor circuit can be connected to a corresponding filter circuit on the substrate 100. The substrate 100 may be a monolithic substrate (e.g., a substrate having the filter circuit array 102 and one or more resistor circuits 106 or 108 formed on a single substrate and coupled or connected together on that single substrate). In a non-limiting example, a first first resistor circuit 106a may be connected to a first filter circuit 104a, a second first resistor circuit 106b may be connected to a second filter circuit 104b, and a third first resistor circuit 106c may be connected to a third filter circuit 104c, such as... Figure 1AAs shown in the diagram. Alternatively, the first first resistor circuit 106a and the first second resistor circuit 108a can be connected to the first filter circuit 104a, the second first resistor circuit 106b and the second second resistor circuit 106b can be connected to the second filter circuit 104b, and the third first resistor circuit 106c and the third second resistor circuit 108c can be connected to the third filter circuit 104c, as shown in the diagram. Figure 1B As shown in the image. Alternatively, in some cases, such as... Figure 1C As shown on substrate 100c, two or more first resistor circuits 106c and 106cc, or two or more optional second resistor circuits (not shown), may be formed on substrate 100 and coupled to the same side (e.g., first side 110 or second side 112 or similar) of filter circuit 104c or other filter circuits in filter circuit array 102. In various cases, the two or more first resistor circuits 106c and 106cc may have different impedances or the same impedance.

[0064] The design of one or more first resistor circuits 106 and one or more optional second resistor circuits 108b can be included in the initial design of the filter circuit array 102 to ensure that one or more signals of each filter circuit do not interfere with or disrupt one or more signals of another filter circuit in one or more filter circuits 104. Furthermore, one or more first resistor circuits 106 or one or more second resistor circuits 108 can be manufactured and included in the filter circuit array 102 and do not need to be added to the filter circuit array 102 after it has been manufactured. In some cases, if the designer knows that the filter circuits will likely always be used, the corresponding resistor circuits (e.g., the first resistor circuit or the second resistor circuit) may not be included in the filter circuit array 102. However, if there is an opportunity to omit the filter circuits, the corresponding resistor circuits (e.g., the first resistor circuit or the second resistor circuit) can be connected to the filter circuits in the filter circuit array 102 on the substrate 100.

[0065] In various cases, one or more first resistive circuits 106 or one or more second resistive circuits 108 may be formed by one or more thin-film processes and may include one or more layers formed on the substrate 100. The one or more resistive circuits 106 or 108 may be formed from one or more ceramic conductors, such as tantalum nitride (TaN), ruthenium oxide (RuO2), lead oxide (PbO), bismuth ruthenate (Bi2Ru2O7), nickel chromium (NiCr), or bismuth iridium (Bi2Ir2O7), or other materials capable of providing resistive elements or the like.

[0066] In various cases, the first impedance of one or more first resistor circuits 106 or one or more second resistor circuits 108 may be approximately 50 ohms. Alternatively, in other cases, the first impedance of one or more first resistor circuits 106 or one or more second resistor circuits 108 may be approximately the complex conjugate of the real and imaginary parts of the second impedance of one or more filter circuits. By ensuring that the first impedance of one or more first resistor circuits 106 or one or more second resistor circuits 108 is approximately the complex conjugate of the second impedance of one or more filter circuits, reflections of one or more signals transmitted to one or more first resistor circuits 106 or one or more second resistor circuits 108 can be reduced and power transfer can be maximized. For example, by ensuring that the first impedance of one or more first resistor circuits 106 or one or more second resistor circuits 108 is approximately the complex conjugate of the second impedance of one or more filter circuits, one or more first resistor circuits 106 or one or more second resistor circuits 108 can provide termination points with appropriate impedance. For example, the termination point can be grounded, which presents the filter circuit with the impedance that the filter circuit would have previously experienced when using the filter circuit.

[0067] In some embodiments, one or more first resistor circuits 106 may be connected to the first side 110 of one or more filter circuits 104, such as Figure 1A , 2 As shown in Figure 3. In various cases, the first side 110 of one or more filter circuits 104 may be the antenna side of one or more filter circuits 104. In other words, the first side 110 may be one side of one or more filter circuits 104, which includes a signal path configured to connect to an antenna. Alternatively, in other cases, one or more first resistor circuits 106 may be connected to a second side 112 of one or more filter circuits 104 opposite to the first side 110. In various cases, the second side 112 of one or more filter circuits 104 may be the transceiver side of one or more filter circuits 104. In other words, the second side 112 may be one side of one or more filter circuits 104, which includes a signal path configured to connect to a transceiver (e.g., a transmitter circuit configured to transmit one or more signals, a receiver circuit configured to receive one or more signals, or a transceiver circuit configured to transmit or receive one or more signals, or the like).

[0068] Alternatively, in other cases, one or more first resistor circuits 106 may be connected to the first side 110 of one or more filter circuits 104, while one or more second resistor circuits 108 may be connected to the second side 112 of one or more filter circuits, such as... Figure 1B , 3BAs shown in 6B. This configuration has the additional advantage of connecting both sides 110 and 112 of one or more filter circuits 104 to ground when one or more filter circuits 104 are not in use. By connecting both sides of one or more filter circuits 104 to ground when one or more filter circuits 104 are not in use, one or more resistor circuits 106 and 108 act as one or more termination points of filter circuits 104 on both sides 110 and 112 of one or more filter circuits 104.

[0069] In various cases, to connect one or more first resistor circuits 106 or one or more second resistor circuits 108 to one or more filter circuits 104, one or more internal connectors 114 may be connected to the first terminal 118 of one or more first resistor circuits 106 or one or more second resistor circuits 108. The one or more internal connectors 114 may be further connected to a first side 110 or a second side 112, which may also be the input or output side of one or more filter circuits 104. In other words, the first side 110 may be configured to transmit or receive one or more signals from the antenna 204, and the second side 112 may be configured to transmit or receive one or more signals from the transceiver 206. The one or more internal connectors 114 may include, but are not limited to, one or more solder bumps or pads, one or more bonding pads, one or more posts, one or more through-holes, or one or more other connectors. One or more internal connectors 114 may be formed of conductive materials, including but not limited to copper, tungsten, aluminum, gold, silver, tin, nickel, lead, or combinations of metals / alloys, or may be formed of other conductive materials or combinations of conductive materials. In various cases, one or more internal connectors 114 may be formed on substrate 100.

[0070] In some embodiments, for terminating (e.g., grounding or the like) one or more first resistor circuits 106 or one or more second resistor circuits 108, one or more external connectors 116 may be connected to a second end 120 of one or more first resistor circuits 106 or one or more second resistor circuits 108 opposite to the first end 118. The one or more external connectors 116 may include, but are not limited to, one or more solder bumps or pads, one or more bonding pads, one or more pillars, one or more through-holes, or one or more other connectors. The one or more external connectors 116 may be formed of a conductive material, including but not limited to copper, tungsten, aluminum, gold, silver, tin, nickel, lead, or combinations of metals / alloys, or may be formed of other conductive materials or combinations of conductive materials. In various cases, the one or more external connectors 116 may be formed on the substrate 100.

[0071] In various examples, as briefly discussed above, one or more filter circuits 104 may be configured in a first configuration or a second configuration. In the first configuration, one or more filter circuits 104 may be configured to be operable, used, or in use. In other words, one or more filter circuits 104 may be configured to transmit or receive one or more signals at a specific frequency and one or more resistor circuits 106 or 108 may be unterminated (e.g., the second terminal 120 of one or more resistor circuits 106 or 108 may remain suspended or open, not connected to ground or the like).

[0072] In the second configuration, one or more filter circuits 104 may be configured to be inoperable, unused, or not in use. In other words, one or more filter circuits 104 may be configured to transmit or receive one or more signals to or from an antenna or transceiver at no particular frequency, and one or more resistor circuits 106 or 108 may be terminated at a termination point with an appropriate impedance (e.g., the second terminal 120 of one or more resistor circuits 106 or 108 may be connected to ground, the second terminal 120 of one or more resistor circuits 106 or 108 may be connected to a device matching the impedance of one or more resistor circuits 106 or 108, or similar situations). The termination point may be grounded, which reflects or presents to the unused filter circuit the impedance that the unused filter circuit would have experienced previously when the unused filter circuit was in use. These first and second configurations will be discussed below regarding... Figures 2 to 9 Let's discuss this in more detail.

[0073] Go to Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a top view of a semiconductor device 200, which includes a substrate 100 containing one or more filter circuit arrays 102 in a first configuration. In various cases, the substrate 100 and the one or more filter circuit arrays 102 may be related to... Figure 1A The substrate 100 and one or more filter circuit arrays 102 described in 1B are similar to or substantially the same.

[0074] In various cases, substrate 100 may be coupled to second substrate 202. Second substrate 202 may include or may be, but is not limited to, an interlayer (e.g., a substrate or layer configured to provide one or more connections or interconnections (e.g., electrical connections or the like)) between two other substrates or semiconductor components (not shown), such as a circuit board of a printed circuit board, a package substrate, or another substrate configured to provide support material for elements or components on or coupled to semiconductor devices.

[0075] exist Figure 2In the embodiments shown, one or more filter circuits 104 of the filter circuit array 102 may be configured in a first configuration. In other words, one or more filter circuits 104 may be configured to transmit or receive one or more signals to or from the antenna 204 or transceiver 206, and one or more resistor circuits 106 or 108 may be unterminated. In other words, one or more external connectors 116 of one or more resistor circuits 106 or 108 remain suspended or unconnected to ground. In a non-limiting example, as discussed above, the first filter circuit 104a may be configured to transmit or receive one or more GSM signals to or from the antenna 204 or transceiver 206, the second filter circuit 104b may be configured to transmit or receive one or more LTE signals to or from the antenna 204 or transceiver 206, and the third filter circuit 104c may be configured to transmit or receive one or more UMTS signals to or from the antenna 204 or transceiver 206.

[0076] In the first configuration, one or more signal lines 208 may be connected to the internal connectors 114 of one or more resistor circuits 106 or 108. The one or more signal lines 208 may be one or more traces, one or more lines, one or more wires, one or more cables, one or more posts, one or more through-holes, or one or more other connectors or similar configured to transmit or receive one or more signals. The one or more signal lines 208 may be formed of one or more conductive materials, including but not limited to copper, tungsten, aluminum, gold, silver, tin, nickel, lead, or combinations of metals / alloys, or may be formed of other conductive materials or combinations of conductive materials.

[0077] By connecting each of one or more signal lines 208 to a corresponding internal connector 114 of one or more resistor circuits 106 or 108, or to a first side 110 or a second side 112 of one or more filter circuits 104, one or more signals can be transmitted by or received from one or more filter circuits 104 to antenna 204 or transceiver 206. In other words, one or more signals transmitted or received by one or more filter circuits 104 can bypass or route around one or more resistor circuits 106 or 108 that are kept suspended, and are instead transmitted or received by antenna 204 or transceiver 206. In this way, when one or more filter circuits 104 are in the first configuration, one or more resistor circuits 106 or 108 are residual loads (e.g., unterminated loads, suspended loads, or the like) that have little effect on filter circuit array 102.

[0078] use Figure 3A and 3BCircuit diagrams 300a and 300b and their display Figure 3A and 3B The effect of one or more resistor circuits of 106 or 108 Figure 4 As can be seen from graph 400, one or more resistor circuits 106 or 108 act as residual loads, having little effect on the filter circuit array 102. In circuit diagrams 300a and 300b, one or more resistor circuits 106 or 108 may include resistive element 107a and capacitive element 107b. Capacitive element 107b represents the open capacitance effect of one or more resistor circuits 106 or 108. Figure 3A and 3B Simulations have shown that residual loads or one or more resistor circuits 106 or 108, when suspended from the filter circuit, have almost no effect on the filter circuit's performance. The residual loads are physically small. The terminal capacitance of the suspended or unterminated residual load is also very small. Therefore, they have no significant impact on filter performance.

[0079] like Figure 4 As shown in the image, Figure 3A The first filter circuit 104a of 3B can be configured to transmit one or more signals to or receive one or more signals from the antenna 204 or transceiver 206 at a speed of 1.5 GHz. Figure 3A The second filter circuit 104b of 3B can be configured to transmit one or more signals to or receive one or more signals from the antenna 204 or transceiver 206 at 4.5 GHz. Figure 3A The third filter circuit 104c of 3B can be configured to transmit one or more signals to or receive one or more signals from the antenna 204 or transceiver 206 at 7 GHz.

[0080] like Figure 4As shown, when one or more resistor circuits 106 or 108 are coupled to one or more filter circuits 104, the parasitic capacitance of the resistor circuits 106 or 108 is not significant, and the one or more filter circuits 104 can still transmit one or more signals at different frequencies. For example, the first filter circuit 104a can still transmit one or more signals to or receive one or more signals from the antenna 204 or transceiver 206 at 1.5 GHz, the second filter circuit 104b can still transmit one or more signals to or receive one or more signals from the antenna 204 or transceiver 206 at 4.5 GHz, and the third filter circuit 104c can still transmit one or more signals to or receive one or more signals from the antenna 204 or transceiver 206 at 7 GHz, while reducing interference or disturbances from other frequencies within the filter circuit array 102. Therefore, coupling an unterminated resistor circuit to one or more filter circuits 104 has almost no effect on the ability of one or more filter circuits 104 to transmit or receive one or more signals at one or more frequencies.

[0081] Return to Figure 2 The semiconductor device 200 may further include one or more matching circuits 210 or matching network circuits. In RF communication, the use of a common antenna 204 typically requires matching the impedance of one or more signals transmitted or received from one or more filter circuits 104 of the filter circuit array 102 with the impedance of the antenna 204. One or more matching circuits 210 can be used to control the impedance of one or more filter circuits 104 such that, when combined, the impedance of the combined one or more filter circuits matches or is approximately the same as the input impedance of the antenna 204. In a non-limiting example, if the antenna 204 has an input impedance of 50 ohms, then one or more matching circuits 210 can be configured to control the input impedance of one or more filter circuits 104 such that the impedance of the combined one or more filter circuits 104 is approximately 50 ohms.

[0082] In various cases, the impedance of one or more matching circuits 210 may be approximately 50 ohms. In some cases, the input and output impedances of the filter circuits in the filter circuit array 102 may not be designed to be 50 ohms. In some examples, because the filter circuits are connected to the matching circuits, the filter circuits may be designed to have some other impedances. The value of this impedance may be a real or complex number. The associated matching circuit 210 with the filter input or output may be customized to more closely match the actual impedance of the filter. To match the second impedance of one or more filter circuits 104, the third impedance of one or more corresponding matching circuits 210 may be the same as or approximately the same as the complex conjugate of the real and imaginary parts of the impedance of one or more filter circuits 104. By ensuring that the third impedance of one or more matching circuits 210 is the complex conjugate of the second input impedance of at least one filter circuit, reflections of the transmitted signals of one or more signals can be reduced and power transfer between at least one filter circuit and antenna 204 can be maximized.

[0083] Go to Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a top view of a semiconductor device 500 including a substrate 100, which contains at least one third filter circuit 104c in a second configuration. Although in Figure 5 In the second configuration, the third filter circuit is indeed present; however, those skilled in the art will understand that other filter circuits (e.g., the first filter circuit 104a, the second filter circuit 104b, or another filter circuit or similar) can also be configured in the second configuration. In various cases, the substrate 100 and one or more filter circuit arrays 102 can be related to... Figure 1A The substrate 100 described in 1B, which includes one or more filter circuit arrays 102, is similar to or substantially the same. In various cases, the substrate 100 may be coupled to a second substrate 502. The second substrate 502 may be similar to the second substrate 202.

[0084] exist Figure 5 In the non-limiting embodiments shown, the first filter circuit 104a and the second filter circuit 104b can be configured in a first configuration. In other words, the first filter circuit 104a and the second filter circuit 104b can be configured to transmit or receive one or more signals to or from the antenna 504 or transceiver 506, and one or more resistor circuits 106 or 108 can be unterminated or remain suspended. The antenna 504 can be similar to... Figure 2 The antenna 204 and transceiver 506 can be similar to Figure 2 The transceiver 206.

[0085] In addition, Figure 5In the embodiments shown, at least one third filter circuit 104c of one or more filter circuits 104 in the filter circuit array 102 can be configured in a second configuration. In other words, at least one third filter circuit 104c can be configured not to transmit or receive one or more signals to or from the antenna 304 or transceiver 306, and one or more resistor circuits 106 or 108 can be terminated (e.g., connected to ground 212 or other suitable impedance, which will result in proper termination of the filter circuit 104c to eliminate disturbances from adjacent filter circuits in the filter circuit array 102).

[0086] In a first configuration, one or more first signal lines 508a can be connected to the internal connectors 114 of the first filter circuit 104a and the second filter circuit 104b. In a second configuration, one or more second signal lines 508b can be connected to the external connectors 116 of at least one third filter circuit 104c. The one or more signal lines 508a or 508b can be similar to... Figure 2 One or more signal lines 208.

[0087] By connecting each of one or more signal lines 508b to a corresponding external connector 116, one or more signals transmitted or received by at least one third filter circuit 104c can be transmitted to ground 512. In other words, one or more signals transmitted or received by at least one third filter circuit 104c can be transmitted to ground via one or more resistor circuits 106 or 108. In this way, when at least one third filter circuit 104c is in the second configuration, one or more resistor circuits 106 or 108 provide signal paths to conduct one or more signals received or transmitted by at least one third filter circuit 104c to a termination point (e.g., ground 512).

[0088] In various cases, to configure at least one third filter circuit 104c in the second configuration, the first impedance of one or more resistor circuits 106c or 108c may be approximately 50 ohms. In some cases, the input and output impedances of the filter circuits in the filter array may not be designed to be 50 ohms. In some examples, the filter circuit may be designed to have a different impedance. The value of this impedance may be real or complex. The associated residual load of the one or more resistor circuits 106c or 108c associated with the filter circuit may be tailored to more closely match the actual impedance of the filter circuit. For example, the first impedance of one or more resistor circuits 106c or 108c may be approximately the complex conjugate of the real and imaginary parts of the second impedance of the third filter circuit 104c.

[0089] Filter circuit 104C is electrically removed from filter circuit array 102 by appropriately terminating one or more resistor circuits 106c or 108c. However, filter circuit 104c itself remains in filter array 102, and the characteristics of filter circuits 104a and 104b remain unchanged. Furthermore, by terminating filter circuit 104C by one or more resistor circuits 106c or 108c, the input impedance as seen by transceiver 506 remains unchanged.

[0090] By connecting one or more filter circuits (e.g., a third filter circuit 104c) to a termination point (e.g., ground 512) via one or more resistor circuits 106 or 108, users, customers, manufacturers, or the like of semiconductor device 500 can customize filter circuit array 102 to transmit or receive one or more selected signals only at selected frequencies. By retaining at least one third filter circuit 104c in filter circuit array 102 and connecting at least one third filter circuit 104c to a termination point (e.g., ground 512) via one or more resistor circuits 106 or 108, not using at least one third filter circuit 104c does not affect, disrupt, or interfere with the performance of the first filter circuit 104a and the second filter circuit 104b. Therefore, whenever a user, customer, manufacturer, or the like wants to remove one or more filter circuits 104, the designer of filter circuit array 102 does not need to redesign filter circuit array 102.

[0091] use Figure 6A and 6B The circuit diagrams 600A and 600B, as well as the effect of terminating at least one third filter circuit 104c, are shown. Figure 7 As can be seen in graph 700, connecting the third filter circuit 104c to ground via one or more resistor circuits 106 or 108 has almost no effect on the filter circuit array 102.

[0092] Similar to Figure 3, the first filter circuit 104a can be configured to transmit or receive one or more signals to or from the antenna 504 or transceiver 506 at a speed of 1.5 GHz; the second filter circuit 104b can be configured to transmit or receive one or more signals to or from the antenna 504 or transceiver 506 at a speed of 4.5 GHz; and the third filter circuit 104c can be configured to transmit or receive one or more signals at a speed of 7 GHz. However, because the third filter circuit 104c is connected to a termination point via resistor circuits 106c or 108c, the third filter circuit 104c is not configured to transmit or receive one or more signals to or from the antenna 504 or transceiver 506 at a speed of 7 GHz.

[0093] like Figure 7 As shown, when resistor circuit 106c or 108c connects the third filter circuit 104c to the termination point, the parasitic capacitance of the third filter circuit 104c connected to ground via resistor circuit 106c or 108c is not significant, and the other filter circuits 104a and 104b can still transmit one or more signals at different frequencies. For example, the first filter circuit 104a can still transmit one or more signals to or receive one or more signals from the antenna 504 or transceiver 506 at 1.5 GHz, and the second filter circuit 104b can still transmit one or more signals to or receive one or more signals from the antenna 504 or transceiver 506 at 4.5 GHz, while the third filter circuit 104c is disabled or electrically removed and cannot transmit one or more signals to or receive one or more signals from the antenna 504 or transceiver 506 at 7 GHz.

[0094] Return to Figure 5 The semiconductor device 200 may further include one or more matching circuits 510. The matching circuits 510 may be similar to... Figure 2 Matching circuit 210. Because one or more matching circuits 510 can be used to control the impedance of one or more filter circuits 104, such that when combined, the impedance of the combined one or more filter circuits 104 matches or is approximately the same as the impedance of the antenna 504, one or more matching circuits 510 can be redesigned or reconfigured when the third filter circuit 104c is in the second configuration or not used. Redesigning one or more matching circuits 510 is generally easier than redesigning the filter circuit array 102. This is because filter array design is an iterative process, while matching circuits are more isolated and interact with each other less than filter circuits. For example, each filter circuit is designed separately and then placed together on a monolithic substrate. When filters are placed together on a monolithic substrate, each filter needs to be adjusted to ensure that each filter does not interfere with another filter on the substrate. On the other hand, matching circuits are usually designed on a circuit board, which allows for greater isolation of the matching circuits.

[0095] Figure 8 This is a flowchart of a method 800 for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to various embodiments. Figure 8 The method described herein is one way to manufacture the components of Figures 1 to 3, 5 and 6. However, other methods can be used to manufacture the components of Figures 1 to 3, 5 and 6.

[0096] Method 800 may begin at block 805 by providing or forming a substrate (e.g., substrate 100 of FIG. 1 or the like). Next, method 800 may include, at block 810, forming on or within the substrate an array of filter circuits (e.g., filter circuit 104 or the like) including one or more filter circuits (e.g., filter circuit 104 or the like). In various cases, the one or more filter circuits 104 may be configured to transmit or receive one or more signals. Each of the one or more filter circuits may be configured to transmit or receive one or more signals at a frequency different from that of the other one or more filter circuits.

[0097] At block 815, method 800 may further include forming one or more resistor circuits (e.g., one or more first resistor circuits 106, one or more second resistor circuits 108, or the like) on or within a substrate. The one or more resistor circuits may be configured to have a complex conjugate first impedance of about 50 ohms or about the second impedance of a first filter circuit. At block 820, method 800 may further include forming one or more internal connectors (e.g., internal connector 114, or the like). The one or more internal connectors may be configured to connect one or more filter circuits to one or more resistor circuits. In some cases, at optional block 825, method 800 may further include forming one or more external connectors (e.g., external connector 116, or the like). The one or more external connectors may be configured to connect one or more resistor circuits to termination points when the corresponding filter circuit is in a second configuration.

[0098] Next, method 800 may proceed to optional block 830 and include connecting the substrate to another substrate (e.g., second substrate 202, second substrate 502, or the like). This may be done simultaneously with or after the fabrication of the substrate or the other substrate (e.g., by a user, customer, or manufacturer of the wireless communication device). In optional block 835, method 800 may further include forming one or more signal lines, and in optional block 840, depending on whether the filter circuit is in the first or second configuration as discussed above, coupling one or more signal lines to corresponding internal or external connectors of the filter circuit.

[0099] In optional block 845, method 800 may further include forming one or more matching circuits (e.g., matching circuit 210, matching circuit 510, or the like) on another substrate, and in optional block 850, coupling one or more matching circuits to one or more signal lines. In a first configuration, one or more matching circuits may be coupled to one or more filter circuits. Once the matching circuits are coupled to one or more signal lines, method 800 may, in optional block 860, include coupling one or more filter circuits in the first configuration to an antenna (e.g., antenna 204, antenna 504, or the like) and transceiver (e.g., transceiver 206, transceiver 506, or the like) or the like of a wireless communication device.

[0100] The techniques and processes described above with respect to various embodiments can be used to manufacture semiconductor devices or components and / or components thereof as described herein in Figures 1 to 3, 5 and 6.

[0101] Figure 9 This is a flowchart of a method for configuring or using a filter circuit array according to various embodiments. Figure 9 The method described herein is one way to use or configure the components of Figures 1 to 3, 5 and 6. However, other methods may be used to use or configure the components of Figures 1 to 3, 5 and 6.

[0102] Method 900 may begin at block 905 by providing a substrate (e.g., substrate 100 of FIG1 or similar) comprising an array of filter circuits (e.g., filter circuit array 102 or similar) including one or more filter circuits (e.g., filter circuit 104 or similar) and one or more resistor circuits (e.g., one or more first resistor circuits 106, one or more second resistor circuits 108 or similar). In various cases, the one or more filter circuits may be configured to transmit or receive one or more signals. Each filter of the one or more filter circuits may be configured to transmit or receive one or more signals at a frequency different from that of one or more other filter circuits in the one or more filter circuits.

[0103] The substrate may also include one or more internal connectors (e.g., internal connectors or the like) and one or more optional external connectors (e.g., external connectors or the like). The one or more internal connectors may be configured to connect one or more filter circuits to one or more resistor circuits. The one or more external connectors may be configured to connect one or more resistor circuits to termination points when the corresponding filter circuit is in a second configuration.

[0104] Method 900 may then proceed to optional block 910 and include selectively configuring a first filter of one or more filter circuits to either a first configuration or a second configuration. For use of the first filter circuit in the first configuration, method 900 may include leaving one or more corresponding resistor circuits unterminated. In the first configuration, at optional block 920, the first filter circuit may be further configured to transmit or receive one or more signals between two or more components, such as an antenna (e.g., antenna 204 or 504 or the like) and a transceiver (e.g., transceiver 206 or 506 or the like). In some cases, the first filter circuit in the first configuration may be connected to the antenna and transceiver using one or more signal lines coupled to an internal connector (e.g., internal connector 114 or the like) of the first filter circuit.

[0105] To use the first filter circuit in the second configuration, in optional block 925, method 900 may include a termination point connecting the first filter circuit to at least one of the antenna side or transceiver side of the first filter circuit via one or more resistor circuits. In some cases, the first filter circuit in the second configuration may be connected to the termination point using one or more signal lines coupled to the termination point and an external connector (e.g., external connector 116 or the like) coupled to the termination point and the one or more resistor circuits.

[0106] Method 900 may then proceed to optional block 930 and include selectively configuring a second filter circuit of one or more filter circuits into either a first configuration (referred to as a third configuration for premise-based purposes in the claims) or a second configuration (referred to as a fourth configuration for premise-based purposes in the claims). To use the second filter circuit in the first configuration, method 900 may include connecting the first filter circuit to an antenna (e.g., antenna 204, antenna 504, or the like) and a transceiver (e.g., transceiver 206, transceiver 506, or the like). In some cases, the first filter in the first configuration may be connected to the antenna and transceiver using one or more signal lines coupled to an internal connector.

[0107] To use the second filter circuit in the first configuration, in optional block 935, method 900 may include leaving one or more corresponding resistor circuits unterminated. In the first configuration, in optional block 940, the second filter circuit may be further configured to transmit or receive one or more signals between two or more components, such as an antenna (e.g., antenna 204 or 504 or the like) and a transceiver (e.g., transceiver 206 or 506 or the like). In some cases, the second filter circuit in the first configuration may be connected to the antenna and transceiver using one or more signal lines coupled to an internal connector (e.g., internal connector 114 or the like) of the second filter circuit.

[0108] To use the second filter circuit in the second configuration, in optional block 945, method 900 may include a termination point connecting the second filter circuit to at least one of the antenna side or transceiver side of the second filter circuit via one or more resistor circuits. In some cases, the second filter circuit in the second configuration may be connected to the termination point using one or more signal lines coupled to the termination point and an external connector (e.g., external connector 116 or the like) coupled to the termination point and the one or more resistor circuits.

[0109] This process can then be repeated for each of the filter circuits in the filter circuit array until all one or more filter circuits in the filter circuit array are configured in at least one of the first (or third) or second (or fourth) configurations.

[0110] Method 900 may be further included in optional block 950, forming or designing one or more matching circuits based on which of the filter circuits are in a first or second configuration.

[0111] The techniques and processes described above with respect to various embodiments can be used to configure the semiconductor devices or components and / or components thereof as described herein in Figures 1 to 3, 5 and 6.

[0112] Therefore, as discussed above, by providing one or more filter circuits (e.g., filter circuit 104 or the like) that can be configured in a first or second configuration, users, customers, manufacturers, or the like can easily customize filter circuit arrays (e.g., filter circuit array 102 or the like) according to their needs. Adding one or more resistor circuits (e.g., one or more resistor circuits 106 or 108) connected to one or more filter circuits in the filter circuit array allows the designer of the filter circuit array to provide a customizable filter circuit array without having to redesign the filter circuit array every time a user, customer, manufacturer, or the like wants to remove or not use the filter circuits in the filter circuit array.

[0113] Furthermore, although the procedures of the methods and processes described herein are presented in a particular order for ease of description, various procedures may be reordered, added, and / or omitted according to various embodiments unless the context otherwise requires. Moreover, the procedures described with respect to one method or process may be incorporated into other described methods or processes; similarly, system components described with respect to a particular architecture and / or system may be organized into alternative architectures and / or incorporated into other described systems. Therefore, although various embodiments are described as having or not having certain features for ease of description and to illustrate aspects of those embodiments, various components and / or features described herein with respect to a particular embodiment may be substituted, added, and / or subtracted from other described embodiments unless the context otherwise requires. Therefore, although several embodiments have been described above, it should be understood that the invention is intended to cover all modifications and equivalents within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A filter circuit array, comprising: The first filter circuit is formed on the substrate; and A first resistor circuit is formed on the substrate and connected to the first filter circuit; The first resistor circuit is not terminated.

2. The filter circuit array of claim 1, wherein the first resistor circuit is connected to a first side of the first filter circuit configured to couple to an antenna.

3. The filter circuit array of claim 2, further comprising a second resistor circuit formed on the substrate, wherein the second resistor circuit is connected to a second side of the first filter circuit configured to couple to a transceiver circuit.

4. The filter circuit array of claim 1, further comprising a second resistor circuit formed on the substrate, wherein the second resistor circuit and the first resistor circuit are connected to the same side of the first filter circuit.

5. The filter circuit array according to claim 4, wherein the first resistor circuit and the second resistor circuit have different impedances.

6. The filter circuit array according to claim 1, wherein the first impedance of the first resistor circuit is approximately 50 ohms.

7. The filter circuit array according to claim 1, wherein the first impedance of the first resistor circuit is approximately the complex conjugate of the second impedance of the first filter circuit.

8. The filter circuit array of claim 1, wherein the first resistor circuit includes a first connector formed on the substrate and connected to a first end of the first filter circuit and the first resistor circuit, and a second connector formed on the substrate and located on a second end of the first resistor circuit opposite to the first end.

9. The filter circuit array according to claim 8, wherein, When the first filter circuit is in operation, the line is connected to the first connector and configured to transmit or receive signals, and wherein, when the first filter circuit is not in operation, the second connector of the first resistor circuit is terminated.

10. The filter circuit array of claim 1, wherein the first filter circuit is configured to transmit or receive one or more first signals including at least one of one or more first General Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) signals, one or more first Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) signals, one or more first Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) signals, or one or more first Long Term Evolution (LTE) signals.

11. A semiconductor device comprising: A first substrate, comprising: First filter circuit; and A first resistor circuit is connected to the first filter circuit; Wherein, when the first filter circuit is in use, the first filter circuit is configured to transmit or receive one or more first signals between the antenna and the transceiver, and the first resistor circuit is not terminated; and When the first filter circuit is not in use, the first filter circuit is connected to the first ground via the first resistor circuit.

12. The semiconductor device of claim 11, wherein the first impedance of the first resistor circuit is approximately the complex conjugate of the second impedance of the first filter circuit.

13. The semiconductor device of claim 11, further comprising: A second substrate coupled to the first substrate, the second substrate including a matching circuit connected to the first filter circuit when the first filter circuit is in use.

14. The semiconductor device of claim 13, wherein the third impedance of the matching circuit is approximately the complex conjugate of the second impedance of the first filter circuit.

15. The semiconductor device of claim 11, wherein the first substrate further comprises: Second filter circuit; The second resistor circuit is connected to the second filter circuit; The antenna; and The transceiver; The first filter circuit is in use and connected to the antenna and transceiver, while the first resistor circuit is not terminated and the second filter circuit is not in use and is connected to the second ground via the second resistor circuit.

16. The semiconductor device of claim 15, wherein the first impedance of the first resistor circuit is approximately the complex conjugate of the second impedance of the first filter circuit, wherein the third impedance of the second resistor circuit is approximately the complex conjugate of the fourth impedance of the second filter circuit, and wherein the second impedance of the first filter circuit is different from the fourth impedance of the second filter circuit.

17. The semiconductor device of claim 16, further comprising: A second substrate coupled to the first substrate, the second substrate including a matching circuit connected to the first filter circuit.

18. A method using a filter circuit array, the method comprising: A first substrate is provided, comprising: Filter circuit array, comprising: First filter circuit; and A first resistor circuit is connected to the first filter circuit; and The first filter circuit can be selectively configured to either a first configuration or a second configuration by the following: For the first configuration, the first resistor circuit remains unterminated; and In the second configuration, the first filter circuit is connected to ground via the first resistor circuit.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the filter circuit array further comprises: Second filter circuit; and The second resistor circuit is connected to the second filter circuit; and The method further includes: The second filter circuit can be selectively configured as either a third or a fourth configuration by the following: For the third configuration, the second resistor circuit remains unterminated; and In the fourth configuration, the second filter circuit is connected to ground via the second resistor circuit.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising selecting the first configuration of the first filter circuit and connecting the first filter circuit to the antenna and leaving the first resistor circuit unterminated, and selecting the fourth configuration of the second filter circuit and connecting the second filter circuit to ground via the second resistor circuit.

Images