A millimeter-wave packaged antenna based on the TGV process

Abstract

The present invention discloses a millimeter-wave packaged antenna based on the TGV process, which includes a radiation component and a feeding component. The radiation component includes radiation units, and the radiation units are attached to a glass substrate. The feeding component includes a feeding port, and the feeding port is attached to a PCB substrate. The radiation component and the feeding component are coupled through a coupling component. The glass substrate is provided with glass vias, and the PCB substrate is provided with first-class metallized holes. The shielding layers on the glass substrate and the PCB substrate are interconnected through the glass vias and the first-class metallized holes, and the glass vias are copper-plated. The present invention uses the interconnection of the glass substrate and the PCB substrate as a radio frequency signal transmission channel and a ground shield, increasing the antenna stacking structure, which is beneficial to the optimization of antenna design.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of antennas, and in particular to a millimeter-wave packaged antenna based on the TGV process. Background Art

[0002] The three-dimensional interconnection (Through Glass Via, TGV) technology based on the manufacture of vias in glass has enabled the rapid development of three-dimensional integration and system-level packaging technologies due to its advantages of high-density interconnection and low-loss transmission characteristics. By adopting the TGV technology, miniaturized and integrated packaged antennas can be constructed using new designs and processes, achieving highly reliable interconnection between glass substrates under the design requirements of higher hole density, smaller hole pitch, and narrower line width / line pitch, and realizing the heterogeneous integration of passive antennas, high-density copper interconnection, and chips. There are no freely moving charges in the glass substrate material, which has excellent dielectric constant, low high-frequency loss, and good transmission characteristics, and is suitable for packaged antenna applications, especially high-frequency packaged antennas.

[0003] More layer structures and thicker dielectric substrates can improve the design freedom of packaged antennas. However, in the TGV process, too many layers will reduce the yield.

[0004] However, the glass substrate based on the TGV process is far from the ceramic or PCB substrate process in terms of the number of stacked layers, the aspect ratio of vias, and the yield, which limits the design of packaged antennas. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention aims to provide a millimeter-wave packaged antenna based on the TGV process, which can increase the antenna stack structure and is beneficial to the optimization of antenna design.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention is implemented by the following technical solutions:

[0007] The millimeter-wave packaged antenna based on the TGV process disclosed by the present invention includes a radiation component and a feeding component. The radiation component includes a radiation unit, the radiation unit is attached to a glass substrate, the feeding component includes a feeding port, and the feeding port is attached to a PCB substrate; the radiation component and the feeding component are coupled through a coupling component. The glass substrate is provided with glass vias, the PCB substrate is provided with a first type of metallized hole, and the shielding layers on the glass substrate and the PCB substrate are interconnected through the glass vias and the first type of metallized hole, and the glass vias are copper-plated.

[0008] Preferably, the radiation component and the feeding component are connected by welding.

[0009] Furthermore, solder balls are arranged on the shielding layer of the glass substrate, and the shielding layer on the PCB substrate is welded to the shielding layer on the glass substrate through the solder balls.

[0010] Preferably, the coupling component is a feeder probe, and the feeder probe is connected by soldering with solder balls.

[0011] Preferably, the radiation component includes three glass substrates stacked on top of each other from top to bottom. Shielding layers are attached to the perimeters of the top and bottom surfaces of the glass substrates, and the shielding layers on the three glass substrates are interconnected through glass vias vertically penetrating the glass substrates.

[0012] Preferably, the radiation unit includes two radiation units, which are respectively attached to the top and bottom surfaces of the top-layer glass substrate, and the shielding layer surrounds the radiation units; a coupling gap is provided in the shielding layer between the middle-layer glass substrate and the bottom-layer glass substrate, and the coupling component is arranged on the bottom surface of the bottom-layer glass substrate and the top surface of the PCB substrate.

[0013] Preferably, when the coupling component is a feeder probe, the feeder probe includes a first probe located on the top surface of the PCB substrate and a second probe located on the bottom surface of the bottom-layer glass substrate, and both the first probe and the second probe are in the shape of a keyhole.

[0014] Preferably, the coupling gap is a U-shaped gap.

[0015] Preferably, the feeding port is located on the bottom surface of the PCB substrate, and the feeding port is connected to the coupling component through a second type of metallized hole.

[0016] Further preferably, the feeding port is disc-shaped.

[0017] The present invention uses the interconnection of a glass substrate and a PCB substrate as a radio frequency signal transmission channel and a ground shield, increasing the antenna stacking structure, which is beneficial to the optimization of antenna design.

[0018] The present invention is a circularly polarized millimeter-wave packaged antenna with good performance.

[0019] The present invention adopts the form of combining a glass substrate and a PCB substrate, places the radiation unit in the glass substrate, and places the feeding and interconnection in the PCB substrate. Obviously, the PCB substrate can be replaced with more layers according to actual situations and realize more complex functions, which is easy to implement.

[0020] The present invention adopts a multi-layer antenna structure with probe coupling feeding, and the glass via (TGV) only serves as the interconnection of the ground shield between layers, which can reduce the antenna failure caused by poor copper filling in the glass via. Description of the Drawings

[0021] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the stacking structure of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the glass substrate part.

[0023] Figure 3 It is a schematic structural diagram of the PCB substrate part.

[0024] Figure 4 It is the assembly drawing of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 5 It is the S11 curve graph of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 6 It is the gain curve graph of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 7 It is the axial ratio curve graph of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 8 It is the 31 GHz radiation pattern of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 9 It is the 33 GHz radiation pattern of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 10 It is the 35 GHz radiation pattern of the present invention. Detailed implementation manners

[0031] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention clearer and more understandable, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0032] Embodiment 1

[0033] As Figures 1 to 4 shown, this embodiment discloses a millimeter-wave packaged antenna based on the TGV process, specifically as follows:

[0034] According to different substrate materials, it is divided into two parts, including a radiation component 1, a feeding component 2, and a coupling component 3 for realizing signal coupling.

[0035] Among them: The radiation component 1 includes that between the L1 to L4 layers is a glass substrate 11, and an antenna pattern is formed on the surface through processes such as dielectric etching, copper electroplating, RDL re-wiring, and Seal Ring preparation. After each glass substrate 11 undergoes laser etching for drilling, PVD substrate sputtering, copper plating filling, and CMP thinning, glass vias 14 (TGV) are formed to form a shielding layer as a ground shield 13. Then, the glass substrates 11 are connected together by using a wafer-level bonding process. The glass vias 14 from the L1 layer to the L4 layer are all connected.

[0036] The feeding component 2 includes: The substrate between L5 and L6 layers is the PCB substrate 23, specifically RO4350B, and patterns are formed through the PCB process. First-class metallized vias 24 are fabricated around the periphery as ground shields, and the first-class metallized vias 24 connect the ground (shield layer) from L5 layer to L6 layer together. Meanwhile, there is a feeding port 22 on the L6 layer for RF interconnection with the chip.

[0037] In this embodiment, the coupling component 3 uses a feeding probe. Solder balls 31 are planted on the feeding probe at the center of the L4 layer and the surrounding ground shield layers, and the glass substrate 11 is soldered to the PCB substrate 23 through the flip-chip process (FC). Thus, the signal feeding port 22, the feeding probe, the ground shield structure, and the RF ground 21 are all interconnected.

[0038] The metal pattern between L1 and L2 layers is the antenna radiation unit 1. The double-layer radiation unit can increase the standing-wave bandwidth of the antenna; the L3 layer is the coupling slot layer 15, where a U-shaped slot is etched on the entire metal layer, and the L4 layer is a keyhole-shaped feeding probe. This kind of coupling feeding structure can also increase the standing-wave bandwidth of the antenna.

[0039] The L5 layer is a keyhole-shaped metal pattern similar to the L4 layer; the L6 layer is a metal layer as the RF ground 21, and a disk is etched in the middle to form a coaxial-like structure as the feeding port 22 of the antenna. The feeding port 22 and the keyhole-shaped feeding probe on the L5 layer are interconnected using second-class metallized vias 25.

[0040] The solder balls at the center of the disk of the keyhole-shaped metal layer between L4 and L5 layers transmit RF signals, and the other solder balls are evenly distributed between the surrounding ground shield metal layers of the antenna for grounding and structural support.

[0041] Embodiment 2

[0042] Based on Embodiment 1, this embodiment discloses a circularly polarized millimeter-wave packaged antenna, specifically as follows:

[0043] The thickness of the glass substrate 11 between L1 and L2, and between L2 and L3 is 230um, the thickness of the glass substrate 11 between L3 and L4 is 100um, the diameter of the glass via 14 (TGV) is 60um, and the depth-to-width ratio is close to 6:1. The thickness of the PCB substrate 23 is 254um. The test performance of the circularly polarized millimeter-wave packaged antenna of this size is as follows:

[0044] As Figure 5 shown, the center frequency of the antenna is 33GHz, and the return loss is less than -10dB in the frequency band of 30.48GHz to 35.54GHz, and the relative bandwidth is 15.33%.

[0045] As Figure 6As shown, the gain of the antenna is greater than 5 dBi within the range of 31 GHz to 35 GHz.

[0046] As Figure 7 shown, the minimum axial ratio of the antenna is 2.34 dB at 33 GHz, and the axial ratio bandwidth less than 3 dB is 0.87 GHz.

[0047] As Figures 8 to 10 shown, within the range of 31 GHz to 35 GHz, the E-plane and H-plane radiation patterns of the antenna are good, and the front-to-back ratio is approximately 9 dB.

[0048] Of course, the present invention may also have many other embodiments. Without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, those skilled in the art can make various corresponding changes and deformations according to the present invention. However, these corresponding changes and deformations should all fall within the protection scope of the appended claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A millimeter-wave packaged antenna based on the TGV process, comprising a radiation component and a feeding component, characterized in that: The radiation component includes a radiation unit attached to a glass substrate, and the feeding component includes a feeding port attached to a PCB substrate; the radiation component and the feeding component are coupled through a coupling component. The glass substrate is provided with a glass through-hole, and the PCB substrate is provided with a first type of metallized hole. The shielding layers on the glass substrate and the PCB substrate are interconnected through the glass through-hole and the first type of metallized hole, and the glass through-hole is copper-plated. The radiation component includes three glass substrates stacked in sequence from top to bottom. Shielding layers are attached to the peripheries of the top surface and the bottom surface of the glass substrate, and the shielding layers on the three glass substrates are interconnected through glass through-holes vertically penetrating the glass substrate. The radiation component includes two radiation units respectively attached to the top surface and the bottom surface of the top-layer glass substrate, and the shielding layer surrounds the radiation units. A coupling gap is provided in the shielding layer between the middle-layer glass substrate and the bottom-layer glass substrate, and the coupling component is arranged on the bottom surface of the bottom-layer glass substrate and the top surface of the PCB substrate. The coupling component is a feeding probe, and the feeding probe includes a first probe located on the top surface of the PCB substrate and a second probe located on the bottom surface of the bottom-layer glass substrate. Both the first probe and the second probe are in the shape of a keyhole. The coupling gap is a U-shaped gap.

2. The millimeter-wave packaged antenna based on the TGV process according to claim 1, characterized in that: The radiation component and the feeding component are connected by soldering.

3. The millimeter-wave packaged antenna based on the TGV process according to claim 2, characterized in that: Solder balls are provided on the shielding layer of the glass substrate, and the shielding layer on the PCB substrate is soldered to the shielding layer on the glass substrate through the solder balls.

4. The millimeter-wave packaged antenna based on the TGV process according to claim 3, wherein: The feeding probe is connected by soldering through solder balls.

5. The millimeter-wave packaged antenna based on the TGV process according to claim 1, characterized in that: The feeding port is located on the bottom surface of the PCB substrate, and the feeding port is connected to the coupling component through a second type of metallized hole.

6. The millimeter-wave packaged antenna based on the TGV process according to claim 5, wherein: The feeding port is disc-shaped.

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