Antenna stacking structure

Abstract

The antenna stack structure according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an antenna substrate layer, an antenna unit provided on one surface of the antenna substrate layer and including a radiation pattern and an antenna pad, and a pad ground portion and an insulating layer provided at the same level on an opposite surface of the antenna substrate layer opposite to the one surface. The antenna pad is superimposed on the pad ground portion in the thickness direction. The antenna pad can be used to improve radiation characteristics.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the priority of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0092579 filed on July 24, 2020, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to an antenna laminate structure, and more particularly to an antenna laminate structure comprising an antenna layer and a ground layer. Background Art

[0004] With the development of mobile communication technology, antennas for implementing high frequency band or ultra-high frequency band communications are applied to display devices such as smartphones, various objects or structures such as vehicles, buildings, etc.

[0005] The display device may include an optical structure such as a polarizing plate and various sensor structures. Therefore, when the display device includes an antenna, the antenna needs to be properly arranged and constructed to avoid interference between the optical structure and the sensor structure.

[0006] In addition, the space where the antenna can be applied may be limited by the optical structure and the sensor structure. If an additional film or structure is formed for inserting the antenna, the overall thickness and volume of the display device may be increased.

[0007] Therefore, there is a need for an antenna structure that obtains sufficient radiation and gain characteristics of the antenna within a limited space.

[0008] For example, Korean Patent Application Publication No. 10-2013-0113222 discloses an antenna structure embedded in a portable terminal, but does not fully disclose an antenna design considering optical and radiation characteristics in the above-mentioned display device. Summary of the invention

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an antenna stack structure having improved radiation characteristics.

[0010] (1) An antenna stacking structure comprising: an antenna substrate layer; an antenna unit arranged on one surface of the antenna substrate layer, the antenna unit comprising a radiation pattern and an antenna pad; and a pad grounding portion and an insulating layer arranged at the same level on an opposite surface of the antenna substrate layer opposite to the one surface, wherein the antenna pad is superimposed on the pad grounding portion in a thickness direction.

[0011] (2) The antenna stack structure according to (1) above, wherein the antenna pad includes a signal pad electrically connected to the radiation pattern and a ground pad formed around the signal pad.

[0012] (3) The antenna stacked structure according to (1) above, wherein the antenna stacked structure has a radiation region and a pad region where the antenna pad is located, and the pad ground portion is formed in the pad region.

[0013] (4) The antenna stack structure according to (1) above, further comprising a cover window provided on the antenna unit.

[0014] (5) The antenna stacked structure according to (1) above, further comprising a radiation ground portion provided on the bottom surface of the insulating layer, wherein the radiation pattern is superimposed on the radiation ground portion in the thickness direction.

[0015] (6) The antenna stack structure according to (5) above, wherein the pad ground portion and the radiation ground portion are electrically connected to each other.

[0016] (7) The antenna stack structure according to (6) above, wherein the thickness of the pad ground portion is greater than the thickness of the insulating layer, and the pad ground portion is in lateral contact with the radiation ground portion.

[0017] (8) The antenna stack structure according to (5) above, further comprising a display panel provided on the bottom surface of the insulating layer, and the display panel serves as a radiation ground.

[0018] (9) The antenna stack structure according to (8) above, wherein the display panel includes a display device having an electrode layer, and the electrode layer of the display device is used as a radiation ground, wherein the antenna substrate layer or the insulating layer is used as a packaging layer covering the display device.

[0019] (10) The antenna stack structure according to (1) above, wherein the pad ground portion is in contact with the antenna substrate layer.

[0020] (11) The antenna stack structure according to (1) above, wherein the radiation pattern has a mesh structure.

[0021] (12) According to the antenna stack structure of (11) above, the antenna unit further includes a dummy mesh pattern arranged around the radiation pattern.

[0022] The antenna stack structure according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a pad ground portion overlapping the antenna pad in the thickness direction. The antenna pad may be used to achieve resonant frequency matching and impedance optimization, thereby improving the gain and radiation characteristics at a specific frequency. In addition, the antenna pad and the pad ground portion may be adjacent to each other to further improve the antenna gain.

[0023] In some embodiments, an electrode layer of a display panel may be used as a radiation ground, and an antenna stack structure integrated with the display panel may be provided. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a laminated structure of an antenna according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0025] Figure 2 is a schematic top plan view showing a stacked structure of an antenna unit and a ground layer according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0026] Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a laminated structure of an antenna according to a comparative example.

[0027] Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a display panel according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0028] Figure 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a laminated structure of an antenna according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0029] Figure 6 and Figure 7 2 is a radiation diagram showing the radiation distribution of the antenna stack structure of Example 1 and the comparative example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an antenna stack structure in which a pad of an antenna unit and a pad ground portion may overlap each other in a thickness direction.

[0031] The antenna stack structure may include, for example, a microstrip patch antenna manufactured in the form of a transparent film. The antenna stack structure may be applied to, for example, a communication device for mobile communications in a high frequency band or ultra-high frequency band corresponding to 3G, 4G, 5G or higher mobile communications, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, GPS, etc.

[0032] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, those skilled in the art should understand that these embodiments described with reference to the accompanying drawings are provided to further understand the spirit of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the subject matter disclosed in the detailed description and the appended claims.

[0033] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a laminated structure of an antenna according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 2 is a schematic top plan view showing a stacked structure of an antenna unit and a ground layer according to an exemplary embodiment. For example, Figure 1 It is along Figure 2 For ease of description, Figure 2 Illustration of the antenna substrate layer 110 and the lower insulating layer 160 interposed between the antenna unit 120 and the pad ground portion 130 and between the antenna unit 120 and the radiation ground portion 190 is omitted. Figure 2Only one antenna unit is shown in the figure, but a plurality of antenna units may be arranged in an array on the antenna substrate layer 110 .

[0034] Reference Figure 1 The antenna stack structure 10 may include an antenna substrate layer 110 , an antenna unit 120 , a pad ground portion 130 , and a lower insulating layer 160 . The antenna stack structure 10 may further include an upper insulating layer 140 , a cover window 150 , and / or a radiation ground portion 190 .

[0035] The antenna substrate layer 110 may be disposed between the antenna unit 120 and at least one of the pad ground portion 130 and the radiation ground portion 190 to function as a dielectric layer of the antenna.

[0036] The antenna substrate layer 110 may include, for example, a transparent resin material. For example, the antenna substrate layer 110 may include 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 polymethyl (meth)acrylate and polyethyl (meth)acrylate; styrene resins such as polystyrene and acrylonitrile-styrene copolymers; polyolefin resins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, cycloolefin or polyolefin having a norbornene structure and ethylene-propylene copolymers; vinyl chloride resins; amide resins such as nylon and aromatic polyamide; imide resins; polyether sulfone resins; sulfone resins; polyether ether ketone resins; polyphenylene sulfide resins; vinyl alcohol resins; vinylidene chloride resins; vinyl butyral resins; allyl resins; polyoxymethylene resins; epoxy resins; polyurethane or acrylic polyurethane resins; silicone resins, etc. They may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0037] In some embodiments, an adhesive film such as an optically clear adhesive (OCA) or an optically clear resin (OCR) may be included in the antenna substrate layer 110 .

[0038] In some embodiments, the antenna substrate layer 110 may include an inorganic insulating material such as silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, glass, or the like.

[0039] In some embodiments, the antenna substrate layer 110 may be provided as a substantially single layer. In some embodiments, the antenna substrate layer 110 may include a multi-layer structure having at least two or more layers.

[0040] Capacitance or inductance may be formed between the antenna unit 120 and the pad ground portion 130 and / or the radiation ground portion 190 through the antenna substrate layer 110 , thereby adjusting the frequency band in which the antenna stack structure 10 can operate.

[0041] In some embodiments, the dielectric constant of the antenna substrate 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, and thus the desired high frequency band or ultra-high frequency band driving may not be achieved. For example, if the antenna substrate layer 110 includes glass, the antenna substrate layer 110 may have a dielectric constant of 3.5 to 8.

[0042] In an exemplary embodiment, the thickness of the antenna substrate layer 110 may be 5 μm to 200 μm. Within this range, the gain and efficiency of the antenna may be improved.

[0043] The antenna unit 120 may be disposed on one surface (eg, the top surface) of the antenna substrate layer 110. For example, the antenna unit 120 may be directly formed on the top surface of the antenna substrate layer 110.

[0044] The antenna unit 120 may include a radiation pattern 122, a transmission line 124, and / or an antenna pad.

[0045] For example, 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.

[0046] For example, the antenna unit 120 may include silver (Ag) or a silver alloy (eg, silver-palladium-copper (APC)) or copper (Cu) or a copper alloy (eg, copper-calcium (CuCa)) to achieve low resistance and a fine line width pattern.

[0047] In some embodiments, the antenna unit 120 may include a transparent conductive oxide such as indium tin oxide (ITO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), tin oxide (SnOx), zinc oxide (ZnOx), indium zinc tin oxide (IZTO), and the like.

[0048] In some embodiments, the antenna unit 120 may include a laminated structure of a transparent conductive oxide layer and a metal layer. For example, the antenna unit 120 may include a double-layer structure of a transparent conductive oxide layer-metal layer, or a three-layer structure of a transparent conductive oxide layer-metal layer-transparent conductive oxide layer. In this case, the flexibility can be improved by the metal layer, and the signal transmission speed can also be improved by the low resistance of the metal layer. The corrosion resistance and transparency can be improved by the transparent conductive oxide layer.

[0049] In some embodiments, the thickness of the antenna unit 120 may be approximately Below, preferably about to Within this range, a color shift phenomenon from a viewing surface of the antenna stack structure can be suppressed while preventing an increase in resistance of the antenna unit 120 .

[0050] The radiation pattern 122 may have, for example, a polygonal flat plate shape, and the transmission line 124 may extend from one side of the radiation pattern 122 to be electrically connected to the signal pad 126. The transmission line 124 may be formed as a single member substantially integrated with the radiation pattern 122.

[0051] In some embodiments, the antenna pad may include a signal pad 126 and may further include a ground pad 128. For example, a pair of ground pads 128 may be provided with the signal pad 126 interposed therebetween. The ground pad 128 may be electrically separated from the signal pad 126 and the transmission line 124.

[0052] In one embodiment, the ground pad 128 may be omitted. The signal pad 126 may be formed as an integral member at the end of the transmission line 124 .

[0053] In some embodiments, an end of the antenna unit 120 may be electrically connected to a circuit connection structure. The circuit connection structure may include, for example, a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB).

[0054] The antenna pad may be electrically connected to an antenna driving integrated circuit (IC) chip through a circuit connection structure such as a flexible printed circuit board. Therefore, feeding and driving control of the antenna unit may be performed through the antenna driving IC chip.

[0055] The driver IC chip may be directly disposed on the flexible circuit board. For example, the flexible circuit board (FPCB) may further include a circuit or contact that electrically connects the driver IC chip and the antenna unit. The flexible circuit board (FPCB) and the driver IC chip may be disposed close to each other, so that the signal transmission / reception path may be shortened and signal loss may be suppressed.

[0056] In one embodiment, the antenna unit 120 may be formed in a mesh structure. For example, the antenna unit 120 may be directly formed on the top surface of the antenna substrate layer 110 by a sputtering process.

[0057] In an exemplary embodiment, the radiation pattern 122 may have a mesh structure. In some embodiments, the transmission line 124 connected to the radiation pattern 122 may also have a mesh structure.

[0058] The radiation pattern 122 may include a mesh structure so that transmittance may be improved even when the radiation pattern 122 is disposed in a display area (DA) of a display device, thereby preventing electrodes from being visually recognized and preventing image quality from being deteriorated.

[0059] A dummy mesh pattern may be provided around the radiation pattern 122 and the transmission line 124. The dummy mesh pattern may be electrically and physically spaced apart from the radiation pattern 122 and the transmission line 124 by a separation region.

[0060] For example, a conductive layer including the above-mentioned metal or alloy may be formed on the antenna substrate layer 110. The conductive layer may be partially etched along the contours of the radiation pattern 122 and the transmission line 124 to form a separation region while forming a mesh structure. Thus, the antenna unit 120 and the dummy mesh pattern separated by the separation region may be formed on the antenna substrate layer 110.

[0061] In some embodiments, the signal pad 126 may be formed as a solid structure to reduce the feeding resistance. For example, the signal pad 126 may be disposed in a non-display area (NDA) or a light shielding area of ​​the display device to engage or connect to a flexible circuit board and / or an antenna driver IC chip.

[0062] Thus, the signal pad 126 may be disposed outside of a user's viewing area. In one embodiment, the signal pad 126 may consist essentially of a metal or alloy.

[0063] The pad ground portion 130 may be disposed on the facing surface (e.g., bottom surface) of the antenna substrate layer 110. The pad ground portion 130 may be formed on one side of the antenna unit 120 opposite to the antenna substrate layer 110. The antenna pad may be superimposed on the pad ground portion 130 in the thickness direction of the antenna stack structure 10. In this case, the antenna pad may be used to adjust the resonant frequency and impedance. Therefore, the antenna gain and radiation characteristics may be improved.

[0064] In an exemplary embodiment, the pad ground portion 130 may contact the surface of the antenna substrate layer 110. For example, the pad ground portion 130 may be directly formed on the surface (e.g., the bottom surface) of the antenna substrate layer 110. In this case, the distance between the pad ground portion 130 and the antenna pad of the antenna unit 120 may be reduced. Therefore, the antenna gain may be further improved and the impedance may be effectively matched.

[0065] In an exemplary embodiment, the antenna stack structure 10 may include a pad area PA where the antenna pad is located and a radiation area RA excluding the pad area PA. The radiation pattern 122 may be formed in the radiation area RA. In some embodiments, the pad ground portion 130 may be formed only in the pad area PA and may not extend to the radiation area RA.

[0066] For example, the pad grounding portion 130 may include a conductive layer. The conductive layer may include a metal or a conductive metal compound. Preferably, the pad grounding portion 130 may be formed of a low-resistance metal so that the frequency and impedance can be effectively adjusted and matched.

[0067] For example, 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), molybdenum (Mo), tin (Sn), calcium (Ca) or alloys thereof may be used without considering transparency. Preferably, the low resistance metal may include copper, aluminum, silver-palladium-copper alloy and / or copper-calcium alloy.

[0068] In an exemplary embodiment, the thickness of the pad grounding portion 130 may be 100 nm to 25 μm. For example, if the pad grounding portion 130 is formed in the pad area PA of the antenna substrate layer 110 by a metal deposition process (e.g., a sputtering process), the thickness of the pad grounding portion 130 may be 100 nm to 1 μm. For example, if the pad grounding portion 130 is formed by a mechanical method such as metal printing or coating, the thickness of the pad grounding portion 130 may be 5 μm to 25 μm.

[0069] In an exemplary embodiment, the pad ground portion 130 may be electrically connected to the ground pad 128 of the antenna unit 120. For example, the pad ground portion 130 and the ground pad 128 of the antenna unit 120 may be connected through a via or a contact penetrating the antenna substrate layer 110.

[0070] In some embodiments, the pad ground portion 130 may be electrically connected to the ground pad 128 of the antenna unit 120 through a bypass ground line that bypasses the side surface of the antenna substrate layer 110. In this case, the antenna gain may be improved.

[0071] The lower insulating layer 160 may be formed at the same layer or level as the pad ground portion 130. For example, the lower insulating layer 160 may be in contact with the bottom surface of the antenna substrate layer 110. In some embodiments, the lower insulating layer 160 may cover the bottom surface of the pad ground portion 130 or a surface of the pad ground portion that is not in contact with the antenna substrate layer 110.

[0072] In exemplary embodiments, the lower insulating layer 160 may include at least one of an organic insulating layer and an inorganic insulating layer.

[0073] The organic insulating layer may include polyacrylate, polymethacrylate (e.g., PMMA), polyimide, polyamide, polyvinyl alcohol, polyamic acid, polyolefin (e.g., PE, PP), polystyrene, polynorbornene, phenylmaleimide copolymer, polyazobenzene, polyphthalamide, polyester (e.g., PET, PBT), polyarylate, cinnamate polymer, coumarin polymer, benzo[c]pyrrolidone polymer, chalcone polymer, aromatic acetylene polymer, etc. They may be used alone or in combination.

[0074] For example, the organic insulating layer may be formed by coating and drying a composition including the above-mentioned polymer material. The thickness of the organic insulating layer may be about 1 μm to 5 μm, preferably about 1.5 μm to 2.5 μm.

[0075] The inorganic insulating layer may include a single layer or a multi-layer structure and may be formed of a metal oxide or a metal nitride. For example, the inorganic insulating layer may include at least one of SiNx, SiON, Al2O3, SiO2, and TiO2.

[0076] For example, the inorganic insulating layer may be formed as a SiON layer or a SiO 2 layer, or a double layer of a SiON layer and a SiO 2 layer.

[0077] For example, the inorganic insulating layer may be formed by a deposition process such as a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. The thickness of the inorganic insulating layer may be about 100 nm to 1000 nm, preferably about 200 nm to 400 nm.

[0078] In an exemplary embodiment, the lower insulating layer 160 may further include an adhesive layer such as an optically clear adhesive (OCA) layer, an optically clear resin (OCR) layer, etc. For example, the radiation ground 190 may be attached to the organic / inorganic insulating layer or the antenna substrate layer 110 using the adhesive layer.

[0079] In exemplary embodiments, the adhesive layer may have a thickness of about 25 μm to 300 μm.

[0080] Figure 3 Schematic cross-sectional view showing a laminated structure of an antenna according to a comparative example. Figure 1 Detailed description of elements and structures described that are substantially the same or similar.

[0081] Reference Figure 3 , the antenna stack structure 20 of the comparative example may not include the pad ground portion 130 disposed on the bottom surface of the antenna substrate layer 110 , but may include the radiation ground portion 190 disposed on the bottom surface of the lower insulating layer 160 .

[0082] In this case, the distance between the antenna unit 120 and the radiation ground 190 may increase the thickness of the lower insulating layer 160. In this case, the antenna gain may be reduced, and the impedance may not be effectively adjusted.

[0083] For example, if the display panel 200 is used as the radiation ground 190 , the display panel 200 may be attached to the antenna stack structure via the lower insulating layer 160 including the adhesive layer, and the distance between the antenna unit 120 and the display panel 200 may be increased.

[0084] However, according to an exemplary embodiment, even if the display panel 200 is attached to the antenna stack structure through the lower insulating layer 160 serving as an adhesive layer, the pad ground portion 130 may be formed on the bottom surface of the antenna substrate layer 110. Therefore, the distance from the pad ground portion 130 to the antenna unit 120 and the antenna pad may be reduced. Therefore, the antenna gain and impedance matching may be improved.

[0085] In an exemplary embodiment, the radiation ground portion 190 may be disposed on a surface (e.g., a bottom surface) of the lower insulating layer 160 opposite to the antenna substrate layer 110. For example, the radiation ground portion 190 may be disposed below the pad ground portion 130. In this case, the pad ground portion 130 and the radiation ground portion 190 may be electrically and physically separated.

[0086] The radiation pattern 122 of the antenna unit 120 may be superimposed on the radiation ground portion 190 in the thickness direction of the antenna stack structure 10. In this case, the resonance frequency and impedance of the antenna may be adjusted using the radiation pattern 122 and the entire antenna pad.

[0087] In one embodiment, the radiation ground portion 190 may be formed only in the radiation area RA and may not overlap with the antenna pad. In one embodiment, the radiation ground portion 190 may completely cover the antenna unit 120 in a plan view.

[0088] In an exemplary embodiment, an upper insulating layer 140 may be disposed on the antenna unit 120. The upper insulating layer 140 may cover a top surface of the antenna unit 120. The upper insulating layer 140 may include at least one of an organic insulating layer and an inorganic insulating layer substantially the same as used for the lower insulating layer 160.

[0089] In some embodiments, the upper insulating layer 140 may further include an upper adhesive layer including a pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) or an optically clear adhesive (OCA), which may include acrylic resin, silicone-based resin, epoxy-based resin, or the like.

[0090] The upper adhesive layer may attach the cover window 150 to the antenna unit 120 or the organic / inorganic insulating layer. In some embodiments, the upper adhesive layer may be omitted, and the organic / inorganic insulating layer may be directly attached to the cover window 150 .

[0091] The cover window 150 may be disposed on the antenna unit 120. The cover window 150 may be disposed on an opposite side of the antenna substrate layer 110. The cover window 150 may be disposed on a viewing surface or an outermost surface of the antenna stack structure 10.

[0092] The cover window 150 may include, for example, glass or a flexible resin material such as polyimide, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), acrylic resin, silicone-based resin, or the like.

[0093] In some embodiments, the cover window 150 may have a thickness of about 10 μm to 100 μm. Preferably, the cover window 150 may have a thickness of about 30 μm to 60 μm.

[0094] Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a display panel according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0095] Reference Figure 4 The display panel 200 may include a panel substrate 205, a display device, and an encapsulation layer 250 covering the display device. The display device may include an electrode layer, a pixel defining layer 220, and a display layer 230. The electrode layer may include a pixel electrode 210 and an opposing electrode 240.

[0096] A display device and an encapsulation layer 250 may be sequentially formed on the panel substrate 205 .

[0097] A pixel circuit including a thin film transistor (TFT) may be formed on the panel substrate 205, and an insulating layer covering the pixel circuit may be formed. The pixel electrode 210 may be electrically connected to a drain electrode of the TFT on the insulating layer, for example.

[0098] The pixel defining layer 220 may be formed on the insulating layer to expose the pixel electrode 210, thereby defining a pixel region. The display layer 230 may be formed on the pixel electrode 210, and the display layer 230 may include, for example, a liquid crystal layer or an organic light emitting layer. Preferably, the display layer 230 may include an organic light emitting layer, and the display panel 200 may be an OLED panel.

[0099] The counter electrode 240 may be disposed on the pixel defining layer 220 and the display layer 230. The counter electrode 240 may be used, for example, as a common electrode or a cathode of the display panel 200. An encapsulation layer 250 for protecting the display panel 200 may be stacked on the counter electrode 240.

[0100] In an exemplary embodiment, the display panel 200 may be used as the radiation ground 190. For example, an electrode layer (pixel electrode 210 or counter electrode 240) of the display panel 200 may be used as the radiation ground 190. Preferably, the counter electrode 240 having a relatively large area may be provided as the radiation ground 190.

[0101] In an exemplary embodiment, the encapsulation layer 250 may be used as the antenna substrate layer 110 or the lower insulating layer 160. In this case, the display panel 200 and the antenna stack structure 10 may be integrated to provide a thin film structure.

[0102] In an exemplary embodiment, a polarization layer may be disposed between the antenna unit 120 and the cover window 150. For example, the polarization layer may be formed on the top surface of the antenna substrate layer 110.

[0103] The polarizing layer may include a coated polarizer or polarizing plate. A coating type polarizer may include a liquid crystal coating having a polymerizable liquid crystal compound and a dichroic dye. In this case, the polarizing layer may further include an alignment layer for providing an orientation of the liquid crystal coating.

[0104] For example, the polarizing plate may include a polyvinyl alcohol-based polarizer and a protective film attached to at least one surface of the polyvinyl alcohol-based polarizer.

[0105] The upper insulating layer 140 may be disposed between the polarization layer and the antenna unit 120. For example, the upper insulating layer 140 may be formed on a surface of the antenna unit 120 or the polarization layer, and then the antenna unit 120 and the polarization layer may be attached to each other.

[0106] In example embodiments, the antenna stack structure may further include a touch sensing structure.

[0107] The touch sensing structure may include, for example, capacitive sensing electrodes. For example, the horizontal row sensing electrodes and the vertical column sensing electrodes may be arranged crosswise with each other. The touch sensing structure may also include traces interconnecting the sensing electrodes and the driver IC chip. The touch sensing structure may also include a substrate on which the sensing electrodes and the traces are formed.

[0108] Figure 5 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an antenna stack structure according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 1 Detailed description of elements and structures described that are substantially the same.

[0109] Reference Figure 5 , the pad ground portion 131 of the antenna stack structure 11 may be thicker than the lower insulating layer 160. In this case, the pad ground portion 131 may protrude from one surface of the lower insulating layer 160.

[0110] In some embodiments, the radiation ground portion 191 and the pad ground portion 131 may be electrically connected to each other. For example, the radiation ground portion 191 may contact the pad ground portion 131. In this case, the pad ground portion 131 and the radiation ground portion 191 may have an improved electromagnetic capacity while forming a grounded combined structure. Therefore, the antenna gain may be improved, and impedance matching may be effectively achieved.

[0111] In some embodiments, when the display panel 200 serves as the radiation ground 191 , the counter electrode 240 of the display panel 200 may be connected to the pad ground 131 .

[0112] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments are proposed to more specifically describe the present invention. However, the following examples are given only to illustrate the present invention, and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various substitutions and modifications can be made within the scope and spirit of the present invention. These substitutions and modifications are appropriately included in the appended claims.

[0113] Example 1

[0114] The Cu-Ca alloy was used to form a COP dielectric layer with a thickness of 40 μm. Figure 2 The illustrated radiation pattern 122, transmission line 124, signal pad 126, and ground pad 128. The radiation pattern 122 and transmission line 124 are formed of mesh patterns, and the signal pad 126 and ground pad 128 are formed of solid patterns.

[0115] APC alloy is deposited in the pad area PA on the bottom surface of the dielectric layer by a sputtering process to form a pad ground portion having a thickness of about 300 nm. Specifically, the pad ground portion is formed to cover the entire area of ​​each of the signal pad 126 and the ground pad 128 in a plan view.

[0116] A transparent adhesive layer having a thickness of 100 μm was formed to cover the bottom surface of the dielectric layer and the pad ground portion and then attached to an OLED display panel including a metal counter electrode to prepare an antenna stack structure.

[0117] Example 2

[0118] Instead of depositing the APC alloy from Example 1, a pad ground having a thickness of 10 μm was formed by printing a silver paste.

[0119] A transparent adhesive layer having a thickness of about 100 μm is formed on a portion of the bottom surface of the dielectric layer where the pad ground is not formed. An OLED panel is attached to the bottom surface of the transparent adhesive layer.

[0120] Comparative Example

[0121] The antenna stack structure is manufactured by omitting the pad ground portion of Embodiment 1.

[0122] Experimental Example 1: Analysis of Radiation Characteristics

[0123] The radiation distribution of the antenna stack structure of Example 1 and the comparative example is analyzed to obtain Figure 6 and Figure 7 of charts.

[0124] Reference Figure 6 and Figure 7 The radiation distribution provided by the antenna stack structure of Example 1 is more circular than that of the comparative example, thereby showing a relatively uniform radiation characteristic with respect to the direction angle.

[0125] Experimental Example 2: Evaluation of Antenna Gain

[0126] The gain (dBi) of the antenna stack structures of the embodiment and the comparative example was analyzed in the range of 26 to 30 GHz. The results are shown in Table 1 below.

[0127] Table 1

[0128]

[0129] Referring to Table 1, the antenna stack structure of the embodiment provides significantly improved antenna gain around the frequency of 28.0 GHz compared to the comparative example. In addition, the antenna stack structure of the embodiment shows broadband antenna radiation with improved antenna gain in the frequency range of 26 GHz to 30 GHz.

Claims

1. An antenna stacking structure, characterized in that: It includes: an antenna substrate layer including a pad region and a radiating region; An antenna unit disposed on one surface of the antenna substrate layer, the antenna unit including a radiation pattern disposed in the radiation region and an antenna pad connected to the radiation pattern and disposed in the pad region; a pad ground portion and an insulating layer disposed at the same level on a facing surface of the antenna substrate layer opposite to the one surface; as well as A radiation ground portion provided on the bottom surface of the insulating layer, wherein the antenna pad is superimposed on the pad ground portion in a thickness direction and the radiation pattern is not superimposed on the pad ground portion in the thickness direction, and The radiation pattern is superimposed on the radiation ground in a thickness direction.

2. The antenna stack structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The antenna pad includes a signal pad electrically connected to the radiation pattern and a ground pad formed around the signal pad.

3. The antenna stack structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a covering window arranged on the antenna unit.

4. The antenna stack structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pad ground and the radiation ground are electrically connected to each other.

5. The antenna stack structure according to claim 4, characterized in that: The pad ground portion has a thickness greater than that of the insulating layer, and the pad ground portion is in lateral contact with the radiation ground portion.

6. The antenna stack structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a display panel disposed on the bottom surface of the insulating layer, and The display panel serves as the radiation ground.

7. The antenna stack structure according to claim 6, characterized in that: The display panel includes a display device having an electrode layer, and the electrode layer of the display device serves as the radiation ground portion, The antenna substrate layer or the insulating layer is used as a packaging layer covering the display device.

8. The antenna stack structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pad ground portion contacts the antenna substrate layer.

9. The antenna stack structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The radiation pattern has a mesh structure.

10. The antenna stack structure according to claim 9, characterized in that: The antenna unit further includes a dummy mesh pattern disposed around the radiation pattern.

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