Antenna Package and Image Display Device

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an antenna package and an image display device are provided. The antenna package includes an antenna unit and a circuit board bonded to the antenna unit. The circuit board includes: a core layer including a plurality of portions having different widths from each other in a plan view, the core layer having a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other; and circuit wirings disposed on the first surface of the core layer and electrically connected to the antenna unit.

Description

[0001] Cross - reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10 - 2020 - 0067482, filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) on June 4, 2020, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to an antenna package and an image display device. More particularly, the present invention relates to an antenna package including an antenna device and a circuit board, and an image display device including the antenna package. Background Art

[0004] With the development of information technology, wireless communication technologies such as Wi - Fi and Bluetooth are combined with image display devices in the form of smart phones. In this case, an antenna can be combined with the image display device to provide a communication function.

[0005] With the rapid development of mobile communication technology, an antenna capable of high - frequency or ultra - high - frequency communication is required in an image display device.

[0006] To achieve the radiation driving of the antenna, a circuit board for feeding and control signal transmission can be connected to the antenna. The circuit board can be bent to be connected to, for example, a driving integrated circuit chip. In this case, bending stress may cause damage to the circuit wiring and failure of the connection to the antenna.

[0007] In addition, as the thickness of the image display device incorporating the antenna becomes increasingly smaller, the degree of bending of the circuit board may increase. In this case, the above - mentioned bending defects may be further aggravated. Therefore, an antenna package design is needed that enhances the reliability of the bonding of the circuit board and the circuit connection while maintaining or improving the radiation characteristics of the antenna.

[0008] For example, Korean Patent Application Publication No. 2013 - 0095451 discloses an antenna integrated with a display panel, but does not teach or provide any effective circuit connection. Summary of the Invention

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an antenna package having improved electrical and mechanical reliability.

[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image display device including an antenna package having improved electrical and mechanical reliability.

[0011] (1) An antenna package, comprising: an antenna unit; and a circuit board joined to the antenna unit, wherein the circuit board includes: a core layer including a plurality of portions having different widths from each other in a plan view, the core layer having a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other; and circuit wirings disposed on the first surface of the core layer and electrically connected to the antenna unit.

[0012] (2) The antenna package according to (1) above, wherein the core layer includes an antenna connection portion close to the antenna unit and a circuit extension portion having a smaller width than the antenna connection portion.

[0013] (3) The antenna package according to (2) above, wherein the antenna connection portion includes a joining portion joined to the antenna unit and an intermediate portion disposed between the joining portion and the circuit extension portion.

[0014] (4) The antenna package according to (3) above, wherein the width of the intermediate portion is smaller than that of the joining portion and the width of the intermediate portion is larger than that of the circuit extension portion.

[0015] (5) The antenna package according to (4) above, wherein the intermediate portion includes a first intermediate portion and a second intermediate portion sequentially positioned in a direction from the joining portion to the circuit connection portion, and the width of the second intermediate portion is smaller than that of the first intermediate portion.

[0016] (6) The antenna package according to (5) above, wherein the antenna unit includes a plurality of antenna units, the circuit wirings include a first merging wiring that couples a predetermined number of the antenna units among the plurality of antenna units to each other and a second merging wiring that couples the first merging wiring, and the first merging wiring is disposed on the first intermediate portion, and the second merging wiring is disposed on the second intermediate portion.

[0017] (7) The antenna package according to (2) above, wherein the antenna unit includes a plurality of antenna units, and the circuit wirings include a plurality of circuit wirings each independently connected to each of the plurality of antenna units to continuously extend on the antenna connection portion and the circuit extension portion.

[0018] (8) The antenna package according to (2) above, wherein the circuit wirings include a plurality of circuit wirings, and the circuit board includes an opening formed in the antenna connection portion between the plurality of circuit wirings.

[0019] (9) The antenna package according to (2) above, wherein the circuit wirings include a plurality of circuit wirings, and the circuit board includes a separation slit formed in the circuit extension portion between the plurality of circuit wirings.

[0020] (10) The antenna package according to (2) above, wherein the circuit board includes an opening region continuously formed along the antenna connection portion and the circuit extension portion.

[0021] (11) The antenna package according to (10) above, wherein the circuit wiring includes a plurality of circuit wirings, and the circuit board includes strip lines separated by opening regions, and each of the plurality of circuit wirings extends in each strip line.

[0022] (12) The antenna package according to (2) above, wherein the circuit wiring includes a plurality of circuit wirings provided on a first surface of the core layer, and the distance between adjacent circuit wirings among the plurality of circuit wirings is at least three times the width of each of them.

[0023] (13) The antenna package according to (1) above, wherein the circuit wiring includes a plurality of circuit wirings, and the circuit board further includes a ground layer formed on a second surface of the core layer to commonly cover the plurality of circuit wirings in a plan view.

[0024] (14) The antenna package according to (1) above, wherein the antenna unit includes: a radiation pattern; a transmission line extending from the radiation pattern; a signal pad formed at an end of the transmission line and electrically connected to the circuit wiring of the circuit board; and a ground pad provided around the signal pad and separated from the signal pad and the transmission line.

[0025] (15) The antenna package according to (14) above, wherein the circuit board further includes bonding pads provided on the first surface of the core layer around the circuit wiring.

[0026] (16) The antenna package according to (15) above, wherein the bonding pads and the ground pads are bonded to each other.

[0027] (17) An image display device including the antenna package according to the above exemplary embodiment.

[0028] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the circuit board connected to the antenna unit can have a variable width. For example, the bent portion of the circuit board can have a relatively small width, so that it can be easily bent to be electrically connected to the driving integrated circuit chip.

[0029] In some embodiments, the circuit board may include an antenna connection portion having a larger width and a circuit extension portion having a smaller width. The bonding stability with the antenna unit can be achieved through the antenna connection portion, and the bending stability can be improved through the circuit extension portion. The circuit board may include an opening region, thereby further improving the bending characteristics. Description of the Drawings

[0030] Figure 1 and Figure 2 are respectively a schematic top plan view and a schematic cross-sectional view showing an antenna package according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0031] Figure 3 is a schematic top plan view showing an antenna package according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0032] Figure 4 and Figure 5 is a schematic top plan view showing an antenna package according to some exemplary embodiments.

[0033] Figures 6 to 8 is a schematic top plan view showing an antenna package according to some exemplary embodiments.

[0034] Figure 9 is a schematic top plan view showing an antenna package according to some exemplary embodiments.

[0035] Figure 10 shows a schematic top plan view of an image display device according to an exemplary embodiment. Detailed Description

[0036] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an antenna package is proposed, which includes an antenna unit and a circuit board with a variable width. In addition, an image display device including the antenna package is also proposed.

[0037] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, those skilled in the art should understand that these embodiments described with reference to the drawings are for further understanding the spirit of the present invention and are not intended to limit the subject matter to be protected disclosed in the detailed description and the appended claims.

[0038] The terms "first", "second", "upper", "lower", "top", "bottom", etc. used in the present application do not represent absolute positions, but are used to relatively distinguish different elements and positions.

[0039] Figure 1 and Figure 2 are a schematic top plan view and a schematic cross-sectional view showing an antenna package according to an exemplary embodiment, respectively.

[0040] Referring to Figure 1 , the antenna package may include an antenna device 100 and a circuit board 200. The circuit board 200 may include a core layer 210 and circuit wirings 220 formed on the core layer 210. The circuit wirings 220 and the antenna unit 120 included in the antenna device 100 may be electrically connected to each other.

[0041] The antenna device 100 may include an antenna dielectric layer 110 and an antenna unit 120 disposed on the antenna dielectric layer 110.

[0042] The antenna dielectric layer 110 may include, for example, a transparent resin film, such as polyester resins, such as polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene isophthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, and polybutylene terephthalate; cellulose resins, such as diacetyl cellulose and triacetyl cellulose; polycarbonate resins; acrylic resins, such as poly(methyl)methacrylate and poly(ethyl)methacrylate; styrene resins, such as polystyrene and acrylonitrile-styrene copolymer; polyolefin resins, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, cycloolefin, or polyolefin with a norbornene structure, and ethylene-propylene copolymer; vinyl chloride resins; amide resins, such as nylon and aromatic polyamide; imide resins; polyethersulfone resins; sulfone resins; polyetheretherketone resins; polyphenylene sulfide resin; vinyl alcohol resins; vinylidene chloride resins; vinyl butyral resins; allylated compounds; polyoxymethylene resins; epoxy resins; polyurethane or acrylic polyurethane resins; silicone resins, etc. They can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0043] The antenna dielectric layer 110 may include an adhesive material such as an optically clear adhesive (OCA), an optically clear resin (OCR), etc. In some embodiments, the antenna dielectric layer 110 may include an inorganic insulating material such as glass, silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, etc.

[0044] In some embodiments, the dielectric constant of the antenna dielectric layer 110 may be adjusted to a range of about 1.5 to about 12. When the dielectric constant exceeds about 12, the driving frequency may be excessively reduced, so that the driving at a desired high frequency band or ultra-high frequency band may not be achieved.

[0045] The antenna unit 120 may be formed on the top surface of the antenna dielectric layer 110. For example, a plurality of antenna units 120 may be arranged in an array along the width direction of the antenna dielectric layer 110 or the antenna package to form a horizontal row of antenna units.

[0046] The antenna unit 120 may include a radiation pattern 122 and a transmission line 124. The radiation pattern 122 may have a shape of, for example, a polygonal flat plate, and the transmission line may extend from one side of the radiation pattern 122. The transmission line 124 may be formed as a single member substantially integral with the radiation pattern 122.

[0047] The antenna unit 120 may further include a signal pad 126. The signal pad 126 may be connected to the end of the transmission line 124. In one embodiment, the signal pad 126 may be formed as a member substantially integral with the transmission line 124, and the end of the transmission line 124 may serve as the signal pad 126.

[0048] In some embodiments, a ground pad 128 may be disposed around the signal pad 126. For example, a pair of ground pads 128 may face each other with the signal pad 126 interposed therebetween.

[0049] For example, the ground pad 128 may be electrically and physically separated from the transmission line 124 around the signal pad 126.

[0050] In an exemplary embodiment, the antenna unit 120 or the radiation pattern 122 may provide signal transmission / reception in a high frequency band or an ultra-high frequency band (e.g., 3G, 4G, 5G, or higher communication). In a non-limiting example, the resonant frequency of the antenna unit 120 may be approximately 20 to 30 GHz (e.g., approximately 28 GHz) or approximately 30 to 40 GHz (e.g., approximately 38 GHz).

[0051] The antenna unit 120 may include silver (Ag), gold (Au), copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), chromium (Cr), titanium (Ti), tungsten (W), niobium (Nb), tantalum (Ta), vanadium (V), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), tin (Sn), molybdenum (Mo), calcium (Ca), or an alloy containing at least one of these metals. They may be used alone or in combination.

[0052] In one embodiment, the antenna unit 120 may include silver (Ag) or a silver alloy (e.g., silver-palladium-copper (APC)) or copper (Cu) or a copper alloy (e.g., copper-calcium (CuCa)) to achieve a low resistance and a fine line width pattern.

[0053] The antenna pattern 120 may include a transparent conductive oxide, such as indium tin oxide (ITO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), zinc oxide (ZnOx), indium zinc tin oxide (IZTO), etc.

[0054] In some embodiments, the antenna unit 120 may include a stacked structure of a transparent conductive oxide layer and a metal layer. For example, the antenna unit 120 may include a bilayer structure of a transparent conductive oxide layer - metal layer, or a trilayer structure of a transparent conductive oxide layer - metal layer - transparent conductive oxide layer. In this case, flexibility may be improved by the metal layer, and the signal transmission speed may be increased by the low resistance of the metal layer. Corrosion resistance and transparency may be improved by the transparent conductive oxide layer.

[0055] In some embodiments, the radiation pattern 122 and the transmission line 124 may include a mesh pattern structure to improve the light transmittance. In this case, a dummy mesh pattern (not shown) may be formed around the radiation pattern 122 and the transmission line 124.

[0056] Considering reducing the feeding resistance, improving the noise absorption efficiency, etc., the signal pad 126 and the ground pad 125 can be solid patterns formed of the above-mentioned metal or alloy.

[0057] The circuit board 200 may include a core layer 210 and circuit wirings 220 formed on the surface of the core layer 210. For example, the circuit board 200 may be a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB).

[0058] The core layer 210 may include, for example, a flexible resin such as polyimide resin, modified polyimide (MPI), epoxy resin, polyester, cycloolefin polymer (COP), liquid crystal polymer (LCP), etc. The core layer 120 may include an inner insulating layer included in the circuit board 200.

[0059] The circuit wirings 220 may be provided on the first surface 210a of the core layer 210 (e.g., Figure 2 the bottom surface of the core layer 210 in ). For example, the circuit board 200 may further include a cover film that may be formed on the first surface 210a of the core layer 210 to cover the circuit wirings 220.

[0060] The circuit wirings 220 may be used as antenna feeding wirings. For example, a part of the cover film of the circuit board 200 may be removed to expose the end portions of the circuit wirings 220. The exposed end portions of the circuit wirings 220 may be joined to the signal pads 126.

[0061] For example, a conductive intermediate structure 150 such as an anisotropic conductive film (ACF) may be commonly attached to the signal pad 126 and the ground pad 128, and then a bonding region BR of the circuit board 200 where the exposed end portions of the circuit wirings 220 are located may be provided on the conductive intermediate structure 150. Thereafter, the bonding region BR of the circuit board 200 may be attached to the antenna device 100 through a heat treatment / pressurization process, so that the circuit wirings 220 can be electrically connected to each signal pad 126.

[0062] The ground pad 128 may be provided around the signal pad 126, so that the adhesion to the anisotropic conductive film (ACF) can be enhanced and the bonding stability can be improved.

[0063] As Figure 1 shown, the circuit wirings 220 may be individually and independently connected to each antenna unit 120. Therefore, power supply / drive control can be independently performed for each of the multiple antenna units 120. For example, different phase signals may be provided to the antenna units 120 through the circuit wirings 220 connected to each antenna unit 120.

[0064] The circuit board 200 or the core layer 210 may have a variable width. In an exemplary embodiment, the circuit board 200 or the core layer 210 may include an antenna connection portion 210a and a circuit extension portion 210b having different widths.

[0065] One end of the antenna connection portion 210a may include a bonding region BR and may be bonded to the pads 126 and 128 of the antenna device 100 via the bonding region BR.

[0066] The circuit wiring 220 may extend from the bonding region BR toward the opposite end of the circuit board 200. For example, the circuit wiring 220 may include a bent portion (as shown by the dashed ellipse in Figure 1 for entering into the circuit extension portion 210b) located on the antenna connection portion 210a.

[0067] In an exemplary embodiment, the width of the circuit extension portion 210b may be smaller than that of the antenna connection portion 210a. As described above, the circuit wiring 220 may extend on the circuit extension portion 210b with a relatively narrow interval therebetween through the bent portion.

[0068] The antenna driving integrated circuit (IC) chip 290 may be mounted on the circuit extension portion 210b or the opposite end of the circuit board 200 to be electrically connected to the circuit wiring 220. Therefore, the feeding and driving signals may be provided to the antenna unit 120 through the antenna driving IC chip 290 via the circuit wiring 220.

[0069] In some embodiments, an intermediate circuit board 280 is disposed on the opposite end of the circuit extension portion 210b, and the antenna driving IC chip 290 may be disposed on the intermediate circuit board 280, for example, using surface mount technology (SMT).

[0070] For example, the intermediate circuit board 280 may have a higher strength or lower ductility than the circuit board 200. Therefore, the mounting stability of the antenna driving IC chip 290 can be improved. For example, the intermediate circuit board 280 may include a core layer formed of a resin impregnated with an inorganic material such as glass fiber (e.g., prepreg) and an intermediate circuit formed in the core layer.

[0071] As described above, the circuit board 200 may include a plurality of portions having different widths. In an exemplary embodiment, sufficient bonding stability with the antenna device 100 can be achieved through the antenna connection portion 210a having a relatively large width. In addition, a sufficient interval can be maintained between the circuit wirings 220 in the antenna connection portion 210a, so that the independence of the feeding / signals provided to each antenna unit 120 can be improved.

[0072] In addition, the flexibility and circuit connection characteristics of the antenna package can be improved by a circuit extension portion 210b having a relatively small width. For example, the antenna driving IC chip 290 can be disposed at a rear side portion of the image display device, and the antenna device 100 can be disposed on a front side portion of the image display device.

[0073] In this case, the circuit extension portion 210b can be bent toward the rear side portion of the image display device to facilitate circuit connection with the antenna driving IC chip 290. In addition, mechanical damage to the circuit wiring 220 caused by stress propagation due to an excessive increase in the bending area can be prevented, and thus power feeding and signal supply at low resistance can be achieved with high reliability.

[0074] As Figure 2 shown, the ground layer 230 can be disposed on the second surface 210b of the core layer 210. The ground layer 230 can commonly cover the circuit wiring 220 in a plan view. The ground layer 230 can absorb or shield noise and signal interference around the circuit wiring 220. Additionally, the ground layer 230 can promote the generation of an electric field from the circuit wiring 220, thereby improving signal transmission efficiency.

[0075] While reducing the width of the circuit extension portion 210b as described above, the gap between the circuit wirings 220 can be maintained to generate a sufficient electric field through the ground layer 230. In some embodiments, the distance between adjacent circuit wirings 220 on the circuit extension portion 210b can be more than three times the line width of each circuit wiring 220.

[0076] In some embodiments, the antenna ground layer 130 can be formed on the bottom surface of the antenna dielectric layer 110. The antenna ground layer 130 can overlap the radiation pattern 122 of the antenna unit 120 in the thickness direction. A substantially vertically radiating antenna can be realized by generating an electric field or inductance between the radiation pattern 122 and the antenna ground layer 130.

[0077] In one embodiment, the antenna ground layer 130 can completely cover the radiation pattern 122 in a plan view and can not overlap with the pads 126 and 128.

[0078] The above-mentioned circuit wiring 220, ground layer 230, and antenna ground layer 130 can include the above-mentioned metals and / or alloys.

[0079] In one embodiment, a conductive member of the display device to which the antenna package is applied can be used as the antenna ground layer 130.

[0080] The conductive member may include, for example, a gate electrode of a thin film transistor (TFT) included in a display panel, various wirings such as a scan line or a data line, or various electrodes such as a pixel electrode or a common electrode.

[0081] In one embodiment, a metal member such as a SUS board, a sensor member such as a digital converter, a heat sink, etc., provided at the rear of the display device may be used as the antenna ground layer 130.

[0082] Figure 3 is a schematic top plan view showing an antenna package according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0083] Referring to Figure 3 , a plurality of antenna units 120 may be coupled through circuit wirings. For example, the circuit wirings may include combining wirings 222 and 224 and a drive signal wiring 226.

[0084] The combining wirings 222 and 224 may be provided on the antenna connection portion 210a of the circuit board 200, and may include a first combining wiring 222 and a second combining wiring 224. The first combining wiring 222 may be joined to a signal pad 126 of the antenna unit 120. For example, two radiation patterns 120 may be coupled through the first combining wiring 222 to form a radiation group. The second combining wiring 224 may be connected to a plurality of first combining wirings 222 to combine the plurality of radiation groups with each other.

[0085] An end of the drive signal wiring 226 may branch from the second combining wiring 224. The drive signal wiring 226 may extend on the circuit extension portion 210b, and opposite ends of the drive signal wiring 226 may be electrically connected to the antenna drive IC chip 290.

[0086] Figure 3 The coupling configuration of the antenna unit 110 shown is an example, and may be appropriately changed in consideration of the size and radiation type of the antenna device.

[0087] Figure 4 and Figure 5 are schematic top plan views showing an antenna package according to some exemplary embodiments.

[0088] Referring to Figure 4 , the above-described antenna connection portion 210a may further include a plurality of portions having different widths. In an exemplary embodiment, the antenna connection portion may include a bonding portion 211a and an intermediate portion 211b.

[0089] The bonding portion 211a may include Figure 1 the bonding region BR shown, and may have a sufficient width to cover all pads 126 and 128 included in the antenna device 100.

[0090] The width of the middle portion 211b may be smaller than that of the joining portion 211a. In an exemplary embodiment, a bent portion of the circuit wiring 220 represented by a dashed ellipse may be provided on the middle portion 211b. In an exemplary embodiment, the width of the middle portion 211b may be larger than that of the circuit extension portion 210b.

[0091] Referring to Figure 5 , and also referring to Figure 3 as described, the circuit wiring may include merging wirings 222 and 224 and a drive signal wiring 226. The antenna connection portion of the circuit board 200 may include the joining portion 211a and the middle portion as referred to Figure 4 to.

[0092] In an exemplary embodiment, the middle portion may further include a plurality of portions having different widths. For example, the middle portion may include a first middle portion 211b1 and a second middle portion 211b2.

[0093] The first middle portion 211b1 may extend from the joining portion 211a and its width may be smaller than that of the joining portion 211a. In one embodiment, the first merging wiring 222 may be provided on the first middle portion 211b1.

[0094] The second middle portion 211b2 may be provided between the first middle portion 211b1 and the circuit extension portion 210b. The width of the second middle portion 211b2 may be smaller than that of the first middle portion 211b1, and its width may be larger than that of the circuit extension portion 210b. In one embodiment, the second merging wiring 224 may be provided on the second middle portion 211b2.

[0095] As in the embodiments referred to Figure 4 and Figure 5 described, the middle portion may be provided between the joining portion 211a and the circuit extension portion 210b of the circuit board 200 to sequentially reduce the width of the circuit board. For example, as Figure 5 shown, the circuit board 200 may have a stepped structure in a plan view.

[0096] Therefore, the bending stress may be sequentially distributed and buffered in the circuit board 200, and thus the mechanical stability against the bending stress may be further improved.

[0097] Figures 6 to 8 is a schematic top plan view showing an antenna package according to some exemplary embodiments.

[0098] Referring to Figures 6 to 8 , a portion of the circuit board 200 between adjacent circuit wirings 220 may be removed.

[0099] As Figure 6 shown, an opening 240 can be formed in the antenna connection portion 210a of the circuit board 200 through the core layer 210. For example, a plurality of openings 240 can be formed between portions of the circuit wiring 220 formed on the antenna connection portion 210a.

[0100] In some embodiments, the opening 240 can be formed in the entire intermediate portion 211b and the entire bonding portion 211a, and can extend to the end of the circuit board 200.

[0101] As Figure 7 shown, a separation slit 250 can be formed in the circuit extension portion 210b of the circuit board 200. For example, a plurality of separation slits 250 can be formed between portions of the circuit wiring 220 formed on the circuit extension portion 210b. In one embodiment, the separation slit 250 can extend to opposite ends of the circuit board 200.

[0102] The opening 240 and the separation slit 250 can be formed by cutting or removing a portion of the circuit board 200 located between the circuit wirings 220 using a cutting process such as laser cutting. In some embodiments, the ground layer 230 can be removed together with the core layer 210 in the opening 240 and the separation slit 250.

[0103] Referring Figure 8 , an opening area 260 can be continuously formed on the entire antenna connection portion 210a and the entire circuit extension portion 210b. For example, Figure 6 the opening 240 shown and Figure 7 the separation slit 250 shown can be combined to form the opening area 260. In this case, the circuit board 200 can include a strip line 215, and each circuit wiring 220 can independently extend on the strip line 215. The strip lines 215 can be separated from each other by the opening area 260.

[0104] As described in the embodiment shown in reference to Figures 6 to 8 , the bending characteristics and flexibility characteristics can be further improved by at least partially removing the portion of the circuit board 200 located between the circuit wirings 220.

[0105] Figure 9 is a schematic top plan view showing an antenna package according to some exemplary embodiments.

[0106] Referring Figure 9 , the circuit board 200 can further include bonding pads 225 formed around the circuit wiring 220. The bonding pads 225 can be included in the antenna connection portion 210a or the bonding portion 211a of the circuit board 200.

[0107] The bonding pads 225 may be formed together with the circuit wirings 220 on the first surface 210a of the core layer 210 (see Figure 2 ). For example, a pair of bonding pads 225 may be arranged with a circuit wiring 220 interposed therebetween.

[0108] The bonding pads 225 may be electrically and physically separated from the circuit wirings 220, and may be bonded to the ground pad 128 included in the antenna device 100 via a conductive intermediate structure 150 (see Figure 2 ). The bonding pads 225 may be included in the bonding region BR of the circuit board 200, thereby further improving the bonding stability between the circuit board 200 and the antenna device 100.

[0109] Figure 10 is a schematic top plan view showing an image display device according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0110] Referring to Figure 10 , the image display device 300 may be manufactured in the form of a smart phone, for example, and Figure 10 shows the front portion or window surface of the image display device 300. The front portion of the image display device 300 may include a display area 310 and a peripheral area 320. The peripheral area 320 may correspond to a light-shielding portion or a bezel portion of the image display device, for example.

[0111] The antenna device 100 included in the above antenna package may be disposed toward the front portion of the image display device 300, and may be disposed on the display panel, for example. In one embodiment, the radiation pattern 122 may at least partially overlap the display area 310 in a plan view.

[0112] In this case, the radiation pattern 122 may have a mesh pattern structure, and thus the light transmittance may be prevented from decreasing due to the radiation pattern 122. The antenna driving IC chip 290 included in the antenna package may be disposed in the peripheral area 320 to prevent the image quality in the display area 310 from deteriorating.

[0113] In some embodiments, the antenna package may be bent by the circuit board 200, so that, for example, the antenna driving IC chip 280 may be disposed at the rear portion of the image display device 300.

[0114] As described above, the variable width structure of the circuit board 200 may be used to improve the bending stability in the peripheral area 320. Even when the image display device 300 becomes thinner and the bending curvature of the circuit board 200 increases, a highly reliable circuit connection can be achieved without mechanical damage to the circuit wirings 220.

Claims

1. An antenna package, characterized in that, It includes: An antenna unit; And A circuit board joined to the antenna unit, wherein the circuit board includes: A core layer, which includes a plurality of portions having different widths from each other in a plan view, the core layer having a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other; and Circuit wirings, which are disposed on the first surface of the core layer and electrically connected to the antenna unit, Wherein, the core layer includes: An antenna connection portion close to the antenna unit, the antenna connection portion including an end portion of the core layer, the end portion including a joining portion joined to the antenna unit; and A circuit extension portion, which includes an opposite end portion of the core layer, the width of the circuit extension portion being smaller than the total width of the antenna connection portion; Wherein, an antenna driving integrated circuit is mounted on the opposite end portion of the core layer, the circuit wirings include a plurality of circuit wirings, and the circuit board includes an opening formed in the antenna connection portion between the plurality of circuit wirings.

2. The antenna package according to claim 1, characterized in that The antenna connection portion includes an intermediate portion disposed between the joining portion and the circuit extension portion.

3. The antenna package according to claim 2, wherein The width of the intermediate portion is smaller than that of the joining portion and the width of the intermediate portion is larger than that of the circuit extension portion.

4. The antenna package according to claim 3, wherein The intermediate portion includes a first intermediate portion and a second intermediate portion sequentially positioned in a direction from the joining portion to the circuit extension portion, and The width of the second intermediate portion is smaller than that of the first intermediate portion.

5. The antenna package according to claim 4, characterized in that, The antenna unit includes a plurality of antenna units, The circuit wirings include a first combining wiring that couples a predetermined number of antenna units among the plurality of antenna units to each other and a second combining wiring that couples the first combining wiring, and The first combining wiring is disposed on the first intermediate portion, and the second combining wiring is disposed on the second intermediate portion.

6. The antenna package according to claim 1, characterized in that The antenna unit includes a plurality of antenna units, and Each of the plurality of circuit wirings is independently connected to each of the plurality of antenna units to continuously extend on the antenna connection portion and the circuit extension portion.

7. The antenna package according to claim 1, wherein The circuit board includes a separation slit formed in the circuit extension portion between the plurality of circuit wirings.

8. The antenna package according to claim 1, wherein The circuit board includes an opening region continuously formed along the antenna connection portion and the circuit extension portion.

9. The antenna package according to claim 8, wherein The circuit board includes strip lines separated by the opening region, and each of the plurality of circuit wirings extends in each of the strip lines.

10. The antenna package according to claim 1, characterized in that, The plurality of circuit wirings are disposed on the first surface of the core layer, and The distance between adjacent circuit wirings among the plurality of circuit wirings is at least three times the width of each of them.

11. The antenna package according to claim 1, characterized in that, The circuit board further includes a ground layer, which is formed on the second surface of the core layer to commonly cover the plurality of circuit wirings in a plan view.

12. The antenna package according to claim 1, characterized in that, The antenna unit includes: A radiation pattern; A transmission line extending from the radiation pattern; A signal pad formed at an end of the transmission line and electrically connected to the circuit wiring of the circuit board; and A ground pad disposed around the signal pad and separated from the signal pad and the transmission line.

13. The antenna package according to claim 12, characterized in that, The circuit board further includes bonding pads disposed around the circuit wiring on the first surface of the core layer.

14. The antenna package according to claim 13, characterized in that, The bonding pads and the ground pads are bonded to each other.

15. An image display device, characterized in that, It includes the antenna package according to claim 1.

Images