antenna module

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an antenna module, comprising: a wiring structure including multiple insulating layers and multiple wiring layers; a metal structure disposed on one surface of the wiring structure and having a through-portion; and an antenna disposed on the one surface of the wiring structure, wherein at least a portion of the antenna is disposed in the through-portion.

Description

[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0036013 filed on March 25, 2020, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to an antenna module. Background Art

[0003] With the advent of fifth-generation mobile communication technology (5G), frequency bands have increased, and the problem of heat generation in antenna modules used to transmit and receive these frequencies has emerged as a recent issue. In the case of antenna substrates used in antenna modules, since the antenna substrates are generally made of organic materials, there may be a problem that it may be difficult to effectively remove the heat generated by the radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC). In addition, since the connection between the mainboard and the antenna substrate is achieved using a connector, it may be difficult to transfer and dissipate the heat to the mainboard through the grounding of the cable. Summary of the Invention

[0004] An aspect of the present disclosure is to provide an antenna module having excellent heat dissipation effect.

[0005] An aspect of the present disclosure is to provide an antenna module that can effectively reduce interference from other signals.

[0006] One of the various technical solutions proposed by the present disclosure is to embed a plurality of passive components that can be grouped in a substrate structure.

[0007] One of the various technical solutions proposed by the present disclosure is to provide a substrate structure by arranging a printed circuit board on a printed circuit board.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an antenna module includes: a wiring structure including multiple insulating layers and multiple wiring layers; a metal structure disposed on one surface of the wiring structure and having a through-portion; and an antenna disposed on the one surface of the wiring structure. At least a portion of the antenna is disposed in the through-portion.

[0009] The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will be more clearly understood through the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0010] Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an example of an electronic device system;

[0011] Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of an electronic device;

[0012] Figure 3is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of an antenna module;

[0013] Figure 4 It shows Figure 3 A schematic II'-cut plan view of an example of an antenna module;

[0014] Figure 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another example of an antenna module;

[0015] Figure 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another example of an antenna module;

[0016] Figure 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another example of the antenna module; and

[0017] Figure 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another example of the antenna module. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described as follows with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0019] Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an example of an electronic device system.

[0020] Reference Figure 1 , the electronic device 1000 can accommodate a motherboard 1010. The motherboard 1010 may include chip-related components 1020, network-related components 1030, other components 1040, etc., which are physically or electrically connected thereto. These components can be connected to other components described below via various signal lines 1090.

[0021] The chip-related components 1020 may include the following chips, etc.: memory chips, such as volatile memory (e.g., dynamic random access memory (DRAM)), non-volatile memory (e.g., read-only memory (ROM)), flash memory, etc.; application processor chips, such as central processing units (e.g., central processing units (CPUs)), graphics processors (e.g., graphics processing units (GPUs)), digital signal processors, cryptographic processors, microprocessors, microcontrollers, etc.; and logic chips, such as analog-to-digital converters, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc. However, the chip-related components 1020 are not limited thereto and may include other types of chip-related components. In addition, the chip-related components 1020 may be combined with each other.

[0022] The network-related components 1030 may include components operating according to protocols such as: Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 family, etc.), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) (IEEE 802.16 family, etc.), IEEE 802.20, Long Term Evolution (LTE), Evolution-Data Only (EV-DO), High Speed ​​Packet Access Plus (HSPA+), High Speed ​​Downlink Packet Access Plus (HSDPA+), High Speed ​​Uplink Packet Access Plus (HSUPA+), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE), Global Positioning System (GPS), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT), Wireless Local Area Network (LAN), 3G protocol, 4G protocol and 5G protocol and any other wireless protocols and wired protocols specified after the above protocols. However, the network-related components 1030 are not limited thereto, but may also include components operating according to various other wireless standards or protocols or wired standards or protocols. In addition, the network-related components 1030 can be combined with the above-mentioned chip-related components 1020.

[0023] Other components 1040 may include high-frequency inductors, ferrite inductors, power inductors, ferrite beads, low-temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC), electromagnetic interference (EMI) filters, multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCC), etc. However, other components 1040 are not limited thereto, but may also include passive components for various other purposes, etc. In addition, other components 1040 may be combined with the chip-related components 1020 or the network-related components 1030 described above.

[0024] Depending on the type of the electronic device 1000, the electronic device 1000 includes other components that may or may not be physically or electrically connected to the mainboard 1010. These other components may include, for example, a camera 1050, an antenna 1060, a display 1070, a battery 1080, an audio codec (not shown), a video codec (not shown), a power amplifier (not shown), a compass (not shown), an accelerometer (not shown), a gyroscope (not shown), a speaker (not shown), a mass storage unit (e.g., a hard disk drive) (not shown), a compact disc (CD) drive (not shown), a digital versatile disc (DVD) drive (not shown), etc. However, these other components are not limited thereto, and other components for various purposes may be included depending on the type of the electronic device 1000, etc.

[0025] The electronic device 1000 may be a smartphone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a digital video camera, a digital camera, a network system, a computer, a monitor, a tablet PC, a laptop PC, a netbook PC, a television, a video game console, a smart watch, an automobile component, etc. However, the electronic device 1000 is not limited thereto and may be any other electronic device capable of processing data.

[0026] Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view illustrating an example of an electronic device.

[0027] Reference Figure 2 , the electronic device may be, for example, a smartphone 1100. Various types of antenna modules 1102, 1103, 1104, 1105, and 1106 connected to the modem 1101 may be provided via the modem 1101, a rigid printed circuit board, a flexible printed circuit board, and / or a rigid-flexible printed circuit board within the smartphone 1100. If necessary, a Wi-Fi module 1107 may also be provided. The antenna modules 1102, 1103, 1104, 1105, and 1106 may include antenna modules 1102, 1103, 1104, and 1105 for various frequency bands for 5G mobile communications (e.g., an antenna module 1102 for a 3.5 GHz band frequency, an antenna module 1103 for a 5 GHz band frequency, an antenna module 1104 for a 28 GHz band frequency, an antenna module 1105 for a 39 GHz band frequency, etc.) and other 4G antenna modules 1106. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. In addition, the electronic device is not necessarily limited to the smartphone 1100 and may be other electronic devices as described above.

[0028] Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating an example of an antenna module.

[0029] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the I-I' cutting plane of the antenna module.

[0030] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 The antenna module 800A includes an antenna substrate 500 and one or more antennas 600 embedded in the antenna substrate 500. The antenna substrate 500 includes a wiring structure 300 and a metal structure 400 disposed on one surface of the wiring structure 300. The metal structure 400 includes one or more through-holes 400H. The antenna 600 is disposed on the upper surface of the wiring structure 300, and at least a portion of the antenna 600 is located in the through-hole 400H. The electronic component 700 can be mounted on the antenna substrate 500. For example, the one or more electronic components 700 can be disposed on the lower surface of the wiring structure 300.

[0031] As described above, in the antenna module 800A according to the example, the metal structure 400 is provided on the wiring structure 300, and the antennas 600 are respectively provided in the through-portions 400H of the metal structure 400. Therefore, even when the electronic component 700 (such as the RFIC 710) with high heat generation is provided on the wiring structure 300, an excellent heat dissipation path connected to the metal structure 400 can be provided. Therefore, the heat generated by the power amplifier (PA) due to signal amplification can be dissipated through the metal structure 400, thereby having an excellent heat dissipation effect. In addition, since the antennas 600 are respectively surrounded by the metal structures 400, signal interference with the antenna signal can be effectively improved.

[0032] In addition, at least a portion of each of the upper and lower surfaces of the metal structure 400 and at least a portion of the wall surface of each through-portion 400H may be covered with an insulator 410. In this case, the adhesion between the wiring structure 300 and the metal structure 400 can be improved, and the adhesion between the metal structure 400 and the passivation layer 450 (described later) can also be improved. In addition, a through-via 430 can be formed in the metal structure 400 to penetrate the metal structure 400. In addition, a parasitic pattern 420 connected to the through-via 430 can be provided on the upper surface of the metal structure 400. In this case, at least a portion of the insulator 410 can be provided between the metal structure 400 and the parasitic pattern 420 and between the metal structure 400 and the through-via 430, respectively, to provide an insulating region. In addition, the parasitic pattern 420 can be connected to at least a portion of the multiple wiring layers 120 and 220 of the wiring structure 300 through the through-via 430. Antenna-related circuits may be designed in the metal structure 400 through the parasitic pattern 420 , thereby miniaturizing the antenna 600 .

[0033] In addition, the antenna 600 may be a chip antenna including a dielectric 610 and antenna patterns 621, 622, and 623 formed on the dielectric 610. The chip antenna may be independently arranged in the through-portion 400H of the metal structure 400. Therefore, the yield of the antenna module 800A may be improved. The dielectric 610 may include dielectric layers 611 and 612 and a bonding layer 613 arranged between the dielectric layers 611 and 612 to bond the dielectric layers 611 and 612. In this case, the dielectric layers 611 and 612 may be materials having a high dielectric constant (Dk), for example, ceramic layers and / or ceramic-polymer composite layers. Therefore, the antenna 600 may have excellent antenna characteristics. The antenna pattern 620 may include a patch pattern 621. For example, antenna pattern 620 may include: a patch pattern 621 disposed on the upper surface of dielectric layer 611 and embedded in dielectric layer 611; a coupling pattern 622 disposed above patch pattern 621, specifically, on the upper surface of dielectric layer 612; and pad patterns 623 and 624 disposed below patch pattern 621, specifically, on the lower surface of dielectric layer 611. Furthermore, antenna 600 may further include a feed via 630 connecting patch pattern 621 and pad pattern 623. Thus, antenna 600 may function as a patch antenna.

[0034] In addition, the antenna 600 can be connected to at least a portion of the plurality of wiring layers 120 and 220 of the wiring structure 300 through the connection via 133. For example, the pad patterns 623 and 624 of the antenna 600 can be connected to at least a portion of the plurality of first wiring layers 120 in the first region of the wiring structure 300 through the connection via 133 that penetrates at least a portion of the plurality of first insulating layers in the first region 100 of the wiring structure 300. In this case, since the signal from the antenna 600 can be transmitted through the connection via 133 rather than through solder balls, etc., signal loss can be reduced.

[0035] Hereinafter, components of an antenna module 800A according to an example will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0036] The wiring structure 300 may include a first region 100 including a plurality of first insulating layers 110 and a plurality of first wiring layers 120; and a second region 200 including a plurality of second insulating layers 210 and a plurality of second wiring layers 220. The first region 100 may be disposed between the metal structure 400 and the second region 200 in a thickness direction. The first region 100 may function as an antenna member, and the second region 200 may function as a redistribution member. For example, at least a portion of the plurality of first insulating layers 110 may include a material having a lower dielectric loss factor (Df) than at least a portion of the plurality of second insulating layers 210.

[0037] The plurality of first insulating layers 110 may include a laminate in which thermoplastic resin layers 111 and thermosetting resin layers 112 are alternately stacked. The thermoplastic resin layer 111 may include a material effective for high-frequency signal transmission, and the thermosetting resin layer 112 may include a material that is advantageous for high-frequency signal transmission and has excellent bonding properties. By such multiple resin layers 111 and 112, an insulator that is advantageous for high-frequency signal transmission and has excellent adhesion can be provided. The plurality of first wiring layers 120 may be arranged on the thermoplastic resin layer 111, respectively, and embedded in the thermosetting resin layer 112, and may be connected to each other by the plurality of first via layers 130. The plurality of first via layers 130 may include connection vias that simultaneously penetrate the thermoplastic resin layer 111 and the thermosetting resin layer 112 adjacent to each other.

[0038] In terms of high-frequency signal transmission, liquid crystal polymer (LCP), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyphenylene ether (PPE), polyimide (PI), etc. can be used as the thermoplastic resin layer 111. The dielectric loss factor (Df) can be adjusted according to the type of resin of the thermoplastic resin layer 111, the type of filler contained in the resin, the content of the filler, etc. The dielectric loss factor (Df) is the value of dielectric loss, and dielectric loss refers to the loss power generated when an alternating electric field is formed in the resin layer (dielectric). The dielectric loss factor (Df) is proportional to the dielectric loss, and the smaller the dielectric loss factor (Df), the lower the dielectric loss. The thermoplastic resin layer 111 with low dielectric loss characteristics is advantageous in reducing the loss in high-frequency signal transmission. The dielectric loss factor (Df) of the thermoplastic resin layer 111 can be 0.003 or less, for example, 0.002 or less. In addition, the dielectric constant (Dk) of the thermoplastic resin layer 111 may be 3.5 or less.

[0039] In terms of high-frequency signal transmission, polyphenylene ether (PPE), modified polyimide (PI), modified epoxy resin, etc. can be used as the thermosetting resin layer 112. The dielectric loss factor (Df) can be adjusted according to the type of resin of the thermosetting resin layer 112, the type of filler contained in the resin, the content of the filler, etc. The thermosetting resin layer 112 with low dielectric loss characteristics is advantageous in reducing the loss in high-frequency signal transmission. The dielectric loss factor (Df) of the thermosetting resin layer 112 can be 0.003 or less, for example, 0.002 or less. In addition, the dielectric constant (Dk) of the thermosetting resin layer 112 can be 3.5 or less.

[0040] The thickness of the thermoplastic resin layer 111 may be thicker than that of the thermosetting resin layer 112. This thickness relationship may be more desirable for high-frequency signal transmission. The interface between the upper and lower adjacent thermoplastic resin layer 111 and thermosetting resin layer 112 may include a rough surface. A rough surface refers to a surface that has been roughened and is uneven. Due to the rough surface, the upper and lower adjacent thermoplastic resin layer 111 and thermosetting resin layer 112 can ensure adhesion to each other.

[0041] The plurality of first wiring layers 120 may include a metal material. Copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), silver (Ag), tin (Sn), gold (Au), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), titanium (Ti), or alloys thereof may be used as the metal material. The plurality of first wiring layers 120 may be formed using an additive process (AP), a semi-additive process (SAP), a modified semi-additive process (MSAP), a hole sealing process (TT), etc. As a result, the plurality of first wiring layers 120 may include a seed layer, an electroless plating layer formed based on the seed layer, and an electrolytic plating layer. The plurality of first wiring layers 120 may perform various functions according to the design of the corresponding layer. For example, the plurality of first wiring layers 120 may include a feed pattern connected to the antenna 600. In addition, the plurality of first wiring layers 120 may include a ground pattern arranged around the feed pattern. If necessary, the plurality of first wiring layers 120 may also include a power pattern. Each of these patterns may include a linear pattern, a plane pattern, and / or a pad pattern.

[0042] The plurality of first via layers 130 may comprise a metal material. Copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), silver (Ag), tin (Sn), gold (Au), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), titanium (Ti), or alloys thereof may be used as the metal material. The plurality of first via layers 130 may be formed using plating processes such as AP, SAP, MASP, TT, etc., and as a result, may include a seed layer, an electroless plating layer formed based on the seed layer, and an electrolytic plating layer. The plurality of first via layers 130 may perform various functions depending on the design. For example, the plurality of first via layers 130 may include feed vias for connecting feed patterns, ground vias for ground connections, power vias for power connections, etc. In addition, the topmost via layer in the plurality of first via layers 130 may include the aforementioned connection vias 133, and the connection vias 133 may include feed vias and / or ground vias. These vias may be completely filled with a metal material, or may be formed by forming a metal material along the wall surface of the via hole. Furthermore, the vias may have various shapes, such as a tapered shape.

[0043] The plurality of second insulating layers 210 may include an insulating material. A thermosetting resin (such as an epoxy resin), a thermoplastic resin (such as polyimide), or a resin including a reinforcing material (such as glass fiber, glass cloth, and glass fabric) and / or an inorganic filler (e.g., prepreg, ABF (Ajinomoto Build-up Film), photosensitive dielectric (PID), etc.) may be used as the insulating material.

[0044] The plurality of second wiring layers 220 may include a metal material. Copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), silver (Ag), tin (Sn), gold (Au), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), titanium (Ti) or an alloy thereof may be used as the metal material. The plurality of second wiring layers 220 may be formed by plating processes such as AP, SAP, MASP, TT, etc. As a result, the plurality of second wiring layers 220 may include a seed layer, an electroless plating layer formed based on the seed layer, and an electrolytic plating layer. The plurality of second wiring layers 220 may perform various functions according to the design. For example, the plurality of second wiring layers 220 may include a ground pattern, a power pattern, a signal pattern, etc. Here, the signal pattern includes various signal patterns other than the ground pattern and the power pattern, for example, an antenna signal pattern, a data signal pattern, etc. Each of these patterns may include a linear pattern, a plane pattern and / or a pad pattern.

[0045] The plurality of second via layers 230 may include a metal material. Copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), silver (Ag), tin (Sn), gold (Au), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), titanium (Ti) or alloys thereof may be used as the metal material. The plurality of second wiring layers 220 may be formed by plating processes such as AP, SAP, MASP, TT, etc. As a result, the plurality of second wiring layers 220 may include a seed layer, an electroless plating layer formed based on the seed layer, and an electrolytic plating layer. The plurality of second via layers 230 may perform various functions according to the design. For example, the plurality of second via layers 230 may include signal vias for signal connection, ground vias for ground connection, and power vias for power connection, etc. These vias may be completely filled with a metal material, respectively, or may be formed by forming a metal material along the wall surface of the via hole. In addition, the vias may have various shapes, such as a tapered shape, etc.

[0046] The metal structure 400 may include a metal material. For example, the metal structure 400 may be a block made of metal. Copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), silver (Ag), tin (Sn), gold (Au), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), titanium (Ti) or alloys thereof may be used as the metal material. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the metal material may include other alloy materials with a small thermal expansion coefficient (such as Invar, etc.). Taking into account cost, etc., more preferably, the metal structure 400 may include copper (Cu). For example, the metal structure 400 may be a copper block. The metal structure 400 may include one or more through-portions 400H. For example, the through-portions 400H may be arranged in a 1×2 array (such as Figure 4 ), but not limited thereto, the through-portions 400H may be formed in a 1×4 or 2×2 array depending on the number of antennas 600 provided. The thickness of the metal structure 400 may be greater than the thickness of each of the plurality of first wiring layers 120, the thickness of each of the plurality of second wiring layers 220, and the thickness of each of the conductive patterns of the antenna 600 (such as the pad patterns 623 and 624, the patch pattern 621, and the coupling pattern 622).

[0047] In one example, the thickness of an element may refer to the dimension of the element in the thickness direction of the element, and may be one of an average thickness, a maximum thickness, and a thickness measured at the center portion of the element. The thickness direction of an element may refer to the direction in which the main surfaces of the element are relative to each other. In another example, the thickness direction of an element may refer to the direction in which the element and other elements are stacked.

[0048] In one example, the thickness of an element can be determined based on an image of a cross section scanned by, for example, a scanning electron microscope (SEM) by defining a predetermined number (e.g., 5) points to the left and a predetermined number (e.g., 5) points to the right at equal intervals (or alternatively, unequal intervals) from a reference center point of the element, measuring the thickness of each point at equal intervals (or alternatively, unequal intervals), and obtaining an average value therefrom. The reference center point may have the same distance from the opposite edge in the cross section of the element, or substantially the same distance taking into account measurement errors. In this case, the thickness may be the average thickness of the element.

[0049] Alternatively, the thickness may be determined based on an image of a cross section scanned by, for example, a scanning electron microscope (SEM) by defining a predetermined number (e.g., 5) points to the left and a predetermined number (e.g., 5) points to the right at equal intervals (or alternatively, unequal intervals) from a reference center point of the element, measuring the thickness at each of the equal intervals (or alternatively, unequal intervals), and obtaining a maximum value therefrom. In this case, the thickness may be the maximum thickness of the element.

[0050] Alternatively, the thickness may be the thickness of a reference center point of the element based on an image of a cross section scanned by, for example, a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The reference center point may be the same distance from the opposite edge of the cross section of the element, or substantially the same distance taking into account measurement errors.

[0051] Insulator 410 may include an insulating material. Even when the thickness of insulator 410 is very thin, a material with excellent insulating properties (such as a polyimide composite material, perylene, etc.) may be used as the insulating material. Insulator 410 may have a very thin thickness of about 5 μm to about 10 μm. Insulator 410 may cover at least a portion of each of the upper and lower surfaces of metal structure 400. In addition, insulator 410 may cover at least a portion of the wall surface of each through-hole in through-hole 400H. Thus, the adhesion of metal structure 400 may be improved, and an insulating region may be provided at a desired position of metal structure 400. In one example, a via extending through insulator 410 may connect metal structure 400 to the topmost one of multiple first wiring layers 120.

[0052] The parasitic pattern 420 may include a metal material. Copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), silver (Ag), tin (Sn), gold (Au), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), titanium (Ti), or alloys thereof may be used as the metal material. The parasitic pattern 420 may be formed by plating processes such as AP, SAP, MSAP, and TT. As a result, the parasitic pattern 420 may include a seed layer, an electroless plating layer formed based on the seed layer, and an electrolytic plating layer, respectively. The parasitic pattern 420 may provide antenna-related circuits. For example, the parasitic pattern 420 may be formed as a coupling pattern 622 surrounding the antenna 600 and may be coupled to the coupling pattern 622. Through this coupling, the bandwidth of the antenna can be wider without changing its size. In addition, the antenna 600 can be miniaturized.

[0053] The through-via 430 may include a metal material. Copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), silver (Ag), tin (Sn), gold (Au), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), titanium (Ti), or alloys thereof may be used as the metal material. The through-via 430 may be formed using a plating process such as AP, SAP, MSAP, TT, etc., resulting in the through-via 430 including a seed layer, an electroless plating layer formed based on the seed layer, and an electrolytic plating layer. The through-via 430 may connect the parasitic pattern 420 to at least a portion of the plurality of wiring layers 120 and 220. For example, the through-via 430 may connect to a ground pattern within the plurality of wiring layers 120 and 220. The number of through-vias 430 is not particularly limited, and the through-vias 430 may be arranged to surround the antenna 600. The through-via 430 may be completely filled with the metal material, or may be formed by forming the metal material along the wall surface of the via hole. Furthermore, the through-via 430 may have various shapes, such as a cylindrical shape, an hourglass shape, etc.

[0054] If necessary, a passivation layer 450 may be provided on the metal structure 400, covering at least a portion of each antenna in the antenna 600 and filling at least a portion of each through-hole in the through-hole 400H. The passivation layer 450 may include a thermosetting resin. For example, the passivation layer 450 may be ABF. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the passivation layer 450 may be a known solder resist (SD) layer. In addition, the passivation layer 450 may include PID. If necessary, an insulating resin with a high dielectric constant (Dk) may be used as a material for the passivation layer 450, or an insulating resin with a low dielectric loss factor (Df) may also be used as a material for the passivation layer 450.

[0055] The antenna 600 may be a chip-type patch antenna including a dielectric 610 and antenna patterns 621, 622, and 623 formed on the dielectric 610. The chip-type patch antenna may be independently provided in the through-portion 400H of the metal structure 400. Therefore, the yield of the antenna module 800A may be improved. The antenna 600 may be arranged in a 1×2 array (e.g., Figure 4 ), but not limited thereto, the antenna 600 may be arranged in various forms (such as a 1×4 array or a 2×2 array) if necessary.

[0056] The dielectric 610 may include dielectric layers 611 and 612 and a bonding layer 613 disposed between the dielectric layers 611 and 612 to bond the dielectric layers 611 and 612. The dielectric layers 611 and 612 may each include a material having a high dielectric constant (Dk). For example, the dielectric layers 611 and 612 may each be a ceramic layer and / or a ceramic-polymer composite layer. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the dielectric layers 611 and 612 may be insulating layers including an insulating material having a high dielectric constant (Dk), such as PTFE. The ceramic-polymer composite layer may be a layer in which a ceramic filler is dispersed in an organic binder. Polymers (such as PTFE), epoxy resins, and the like may be used as organic binders. Fillers composed of SiO2, TiO2, Al2O3, and the like may be used as ceramic fillers. Various shapes such as square or circular shapes may be applied to the shape of the ceramic filler. The diameter of the ceramic filler may be 50 μm or less. If desired, glass fibers may be included as reinforcement in the ceramic-polymer composite layer.

[0057] The bonding layer 613 has a dielectric constant (Dk) smaller than that of the dielectric layers 611 and 612 and may include a material having better bonding strength. For example, the bonding layer 613 may include a polymer (such as PTFE or epoxy resin) having a dielectric constant (Dk) lower than that of the material of the dielectric layers 611 and 612. The thickness of the bonding layer 613 may be thinner than the thickness of each of the dielectric layers 611 and 612.

[0058] The antenna pattern 620 may include a metal material. Copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), silver (Ag), tin (Sn), gold (Au), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), titanium (Ti) or their alloys may be used as the metal material. The parasitic pattern 420 may be formed by a plating process such as AP, SAP, MSAP, TT, etc. As a result, the parasitic pattern 420 may include a seed layer, an electroless plating layer formed based on the seed layer, and an electrolytic plating layer. The patch pattern 621 may receive an RF signal through the feed pattern and feed via in the wiring structure 300 and transmit the RF signal in the thickness direction, and transmit the RF signal received from the thickness direction to the electronic component 700 (e.g., RFIC 710) through the feed pattern and feed via in the wiring structure 300. The patch pattern 621 may have a natural resonant frequency (e.g., 28 GHz or 39 GHz) depending on inherent factors (such as the shape, size height, and dielectric constant of the insulating layer). For example, the patch pattern 621 can be electrically connected to the electronic component 700 (e.g., RFIC 710) through the feeding pattern and feeding vias in the wiring structure 300, so that the patch pattern 621 can transmit and receive horizontal polarity (H-pole) RF signals and vertical polarity (V-pole) RF signals of mutually polarized components. The coupling pattern 622 can be arranged above the patch pattern 621 (e.g., in the thickness direction). The coupling pattern 622 can be arranged so that at least a portion thereof overlaps with the patch pattern 621 in a plane. In one example, overlapping the first portion with the second portion in a plane can mean that the first portion and the second portion overlap each other in a plane perpendicular to the direction in which the first portion is stacked on or below the second portion, or in a plane substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the first portion is stacked on or below the second portion to take into account measurement errors or process errors. The electromagnetic coupling between the coupling pattern 622 and the patch pattern 621 can provide an additional resonant frequency adjacent to the above-mentioned natural resonant frequency, thereby providing a wider bandwidth. The pad patterns 623 and 624 can connect the antenna 600 to the wiring structure 300. For example, the pad pattern 623 can be connected to the patch pattern 621 through the feed via 630 that penetrates the dielectric layer 611, and can be connected to the feed pattern of the plurality of first wiring layers 120 in the first region 100 of the wiring structure 300 through the connection via 133. In addition, the pad pattern 624 can be provided to surround the pad pattern 623, and if necessary, the pad pattern 624 can be connected to the ground pattern of the plurality of first wiring layers 120 in the first region 100 of the wiring structure 300 through the connection via.

[0059] The feed via 630 may include a metal material. Copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), silver (Ag), tin (Sn), gold (Au), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), titanium (Ti) or an alloy thereof may be used as the metal material. The feed via 630 may be formed by a plating process such as AP, SAP, MSAP, TT, etc. As a result, the feed via 630 may include a seed layer, an electroless plating layer formed based on the seed layer, and an electrolytic plating layer. The feed via 630 may be completely filled with a metal material, or may be formed by forming a metal material along the wall surface of the via hole. In addition, the feed via 630 may have various shapes, such as a cylindrical shape or an hourglass shape.

[0060] The electronic component 700 may include various types of active components and / or passive components. For example, the electronic component 700 may include an RFIC 710, a power management integrated circuit (PMIC) 720, etc. In addition, the electronic component 700 may include chip passive components such as chip capacitors or chip inductors. These electronic components 700 may be connected to at least a portion of the multiple second wiring layers 220 of the second region 200 of the wiring structure 300 through connecting metal parts 715 and 725, respectively. The connecting metal parts 715 and 725 may be formed using a low melting point metal (e.g., tin (Sn) or an alloy containing tin (Sn)) having a melting point lower than that of copper (Cu). For example, the connecting metal parts 715 and 725 may be formed using solder, but this is only an example, and its material is not limited thereto.

[0061] Figure 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another example of the antenna module.

[0062] Reference Figure 5In antenna module 800B according to another example, in addition to the components of antenna module 800A according to the above example, an integrated circuit (IC) 730 and passive components 740 are surface-mounted on the lower surface of wiring structure 300 as electronic components. IC 730 may include an RFIC, a PMIC, etc. Passive components 740 may include chip capacitors, chip inductors, etc. IC 730 may be surface-mounted using connecting metal members 735. Passive components 740 may also be surface-mounted using connecting metals such as solder. IC 730 may be secured by underfill resin 750a provided on the lower surface of wiring structure 300. Underfill resin 750a may include a known insulating resin with adhesive properties (such as epoxy resin). If desired, an interposer 780 may be provided on the lower surface of wiring structure 300. Interposer 780 may be provided in parallel with electronic components such as IC 730 and passive components 740. The interposer 780 can be connected to at least a portion of the multiple second wiring layers 220 of the second region 200 of the wiring structure 300 via the upper connecting metal piece 785. In addition, the interposer 780 can be connected to other types of printed circuit boards (such as, a mainboard) via the lower connecting metal piece 787. For example, the antenna module 800B can be mounted on a mainboard or the like via the interposer 780. The interposer 780 can be fixed by the bottom filling resin 750b. The interposer 780 can be an organic interposer using an insulating resin as an insulator. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the interposer 780 can be a silicon interposer using silicon as an insulator. The interposer 780 can be a single substrate in the form of an annular portion having a through portion (an electronic component is provided in the through portion), or can include a plurality of substrates arranged spaced apart from each other. The other contents are substantially the same as those described above, and their detailed description is omitted.

[0063] Figure 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another example of the antenna module.

[0064] Reference Figure 6 In an antenna module 800C according to another example, in addition to the components in the antenna module 800B according to the above-mentioned other example, a molding material portion 791 is further included. The molding material portion 791 is provided on the lower surface of the wiring structure 300 and covers the electronic components (e.g., IC 730 and passive components 740). The electronic components can be protected by the molding material portion 791. The molding material portion 791 can be a known epoxy molding compound (EMC). However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and ABF or the like can be used as the molding material portion 791. The other contents are substantially the same as those described above, and their detailed description is omitted.

[0065] Figure 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another example of the antenna module.

[0066] Reference Figure 7 In another example, antenna module 800D, in addition to the components of antenna module 800B according to the above-described other example, further includes a shielding cover 792, which is disposed on the lower surface of wiring structure 300 and surrounds electronic components (e.g., IC 730 and passive components 740). Shielding cover 792 can provide electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. Shielding cover 792 can be made of a metal material. Examples of the metal material include copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), silver (Ag), tin (Sn), gold (Au), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), titanium (Ti), or alloys thereof. However, the material of shielding cover 792 is not limited to metal, and shielding cover 792 can be, for example, a synthetic resin material containing metal powder. If desired, connectors 795 and 797 can also be disposed on the lower surface of wiring structure 300. Left connector 795 can be an RF receptacle and can be connected to at least a portion of the plurality of second wiring layers 220 of second region 200 of wiring structure 300. The right connector 797 may be a connector for connecting signals and / or power and may be connected to at least a portion of the plurality of second wiring layers 220 of the second region 200 of the wiring structure 300. The antenna module 800D may be connected to another type of printed circuit board (such as a mainboard) through the connectors 795 and 797. The rest of the contents are substantially the same as those described above, and a detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0067] Figure 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another example of the antenna module.

[0068] Reference Figure 8 In an antenna module 800E according to another example, in addition to the components in the antenna module 800A according to the above example, a heat dissipation member 798 may be provided in the through-portion 400H of the metal structure 400. The heat dissipation member 798 may be provided in parallel with the antenna 600. The heat dissipation member 798 may contact the antenna 600, but is not limited thereto, and the two may be physically separated. Through the heat dissipation member 798, a better heat dissipation effect can be expected. The heat dissipation member 798 may be connected to at least a portion of the plurality of first wiring layers 120 of the first region 100 of the wiring structure 300, for example, by connecting vias to a ground pattern. The heat dissipation member 798 may include a thermal interface material (TIM), and may include, for example, a graphite-based TIM for better heat dissipation, but is not limited thereto. In addition, if necessary, the heat dissipation member 798 may also be embedded and provided at a suitable position in the wiring structure 300. The rest of the contents are substantially the same as those described above, and a detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0069] As described above, as one of the effects of the present disclosure, an antenna module having an excellent heat dissipation effect can be provided.

[0070] As another of the various effects of the present disclosure, an antenna module capable of effectively reducing signal interference may be provided.

[0071] Throughout this specification, it will be understood that when an element such as a layer, region, or wafer (substrate) is referred to as being "on" another element, "connected to" another element, or "bonded to" another element, the element may be directly "on" the other element, directly "connected to" the other element, or directly "bonded to" the other element, or there may be other elements between them. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on" another element, "directly connected to" another element, or "directly bonded to" another element, there may be no elements or layers between them. The same reference numerals always indicate the same elements. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any one and any combination of any two or more of the relevant listed items. It will be apparent that although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various members, components, regions, layers, and / or parts, these members, components, regions, layers, or parts should not be limited by these terms. These terms are merely used to distinguish one member, component, region, layer, or part from another member, component, region, layer, or part. Thus, a first member, component, region, layer or section discussed above could be termed a second member, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of example embodiments.

[0072] The terms used herein describe specific embodiments only, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, as used herein, the singular is intended to include the plural. It will also be understood that when the terms "comprise" and / or "include" are used in this specification, the presence of the stated features, quantities, steps, operations, components, elements and / or combinations thereof is recited, but the presence or addition of one or more other features, quantities, steps, operations, components, elements and / or combinations thereof is not excluded.

[0073] The values ​​of parameters used to describe elements such as 1-D dimensions (including but not limited to "length", "width", "thickness", "diameter", "distance", "gap" and / or "size"), 2-D dimensions (including but not limited to "area" and / or "size"), 3-D dimensions (including but not limited to "volume" and / or "size"), and properties of elements (including but not limited to "roughness", "density", "weight", "weight ratio" and / or "molar ratio") can be obtained by the methods and / or tools described in the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Other methods and / or tools understood by those of ordinary skill in the art may also be used even if not described in the present disclosure.

[0074] While exemplary embodiments have been shown and described above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An antenna module, comprising: a wiring structure comprising a plurality of insulating layers and a plurality of wiring layers; a metal structure provided on one surface of the wiring structure in a stacking direction and having a through portion extending through the metal structure in the stacking direction; as well as an antenna disposed on the one surface of the wiring structure, Wherein, at least a portion of the antenna is disposed in the through portion, wherein the antenna comprises a dielectric and an antenna pattern arranged on the dielectric in the stacking direction, and The metal structure is spaced apart from the dielectric in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction.

2. The antenna module according to claim 1 , further comprising an insulator covering at least a portion of each of one surface and the other surface of the metal structure and at least a portion of a wall surface of the through portion, wherein The other surface of the metal structure is opposite to the one surface of the metal structure.

3. The antenna module according to claim 2, further comprising: a parasitic pattern disposed on the one surface of the metal structure; as well as a through via penetrating the metal structure and connecting the parasitic pattern to at least a portion of the plurality of wiring layers, At least a portion of the insulator is disposed between the metal structure and the through via and between the metal structure and the parasitic pattern. 4 . The antenna module of claim 2 , further comprising a via extending through the insulator to connect the metal structure to one of the plurality of wiring layers.

5. The antenna module according to claim 2, wherein: The thickness of the insulator is 5 μm to 10 μm. The antenna module according to claim 1 , wherein: The dielectric includes a first dielectric layer, a second dielectric layer disposed above the first dielectric layer, and a bonding layer disposed between the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer. The antenna pattern includes: a patch pattern, which is provided on one surface of the first dielectric layer and embedded in the first dielectric layer; a pad pattern, which is provided on the other surface of the first dielectric layer opposite to the one surface of the first dielectric layer and connected to the patch pattern through a feeding via penetrating the first dielectric layer; and a coupling pattern, which is provided on one surface of the second dielectric layer and At least a portion of the patch pattern overlaps the coupling pattern on a plane.

7. The antenna module according to claim 6, wherein: The first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer each independently include at least one of a ceramic layer and a ceramic-polymer composite layer.

8. The antenna module according to claim 1, wherein: The antenna is connected to at least a portion of the plurality of wiring layers through a connection via.

9. The antenna module according to claim 1 , further comprising an electronic component provided on another surface of the wiring structure opposite to the one surface of the wiring structure and connected to at least a portion of the plurality of wiring layers, in, The electronic components include at least one of a power management integrated circuit, a radio frequency integrated circuit, and a passive component. 10 . The antenna module according to claim 9 , further comprising an interposer provided on the other surface of the wiring structure in parallel with the electronic component and connected to at least another portion of the plurality of wiring layers. 11 . The antenna module according to claim 10 , further comprising a molding material portion provided on the other surface of the wiring structure and covering the electronic component. 12 . The antenna module according to claim 9 , further comprising a shield case provided on the other surface of the wiring structure and surrounding the electronic component. 13 . The antenna module according to claim 12 , further comprising a connector provided on the other surface of the wiring structure in parallel with the electronic component and connected to at least another portion of the plurality of wiring layers.

14. The antenna module according to claim 1, further comprising a heat dissipation member provided on the one surface of the wiring structure, wherein At least a portion of the heat dissipation member is disposed in the through portion, Wherein, the heat dissipation component includes a thermal interface material.

15. The antenna module according to claim 1, wherein The wiring structure includes: a first region including a plurality of first insulating layers and a plurality of first wiring layers; and a second region including a plurality of second insulating layers and a plurality of second wiring layers. The first region is disposed between the metal structure and the second region, and At least a portion of the plurality of first insulating layers includes a material having a lower dielectric loss factor than a dielectric loss factor of at least a portion of the plurality of second insulating layers.

16. The antenna module according to claim 15, wherein: The plurality of first insulating layers include a laminate in which thermoplastic resin layers and thermosetting resin layers are alternately stacked, and The plurality of first wiring layers include a feed pattern and a ground pattern.

17. The antenna module according to claim 1, wherein: The metal structure includes copper.

18. The antenna module according to claim 1, wherein The thickness of the metal structure is greater than the thickness of each of the plurality of wiring layers and the thickness of each of the conductive patterns in the antenna. 19 . The antenna module according to claim 1 , further comprising a passivation layer covering at least a portion of the antenna and disposed in at least a portion of the through portion.

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