Electronic device and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract

An electronic device and a manufacturing method thereof include stacking an antenna module on a circuit board provided with a reflector to form a three-dimensional antenna structure, so that the reflector can effectively reflect signals from the antenna module to improve the signal directivity of the antenna module, thereby enabling the radiation direction of the antenna module to be directed toward a desired direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an electronic device, and more particularly to an electronic device having an antenna module and a method for manufacturing the same. Background Technology

[0002] The improved image quality of current multimedia content has led to larger file sizes, which in turn requires larger bandwidth for wireless transmission, resulting in the development of fifth-generation wireless transmission (5G). In addition, due to the higher transmission frequency, 5G also requires larger sizes for its related wireless communication modules.

[0003] Figure 1 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of existing electronic device 1. (See diagram below.) Figure 1 As shown, the electronic device 1 includes: a circuit board 10, a plurality of electronic components 11 disposed on the circuit board 10, an antenna structure 12, and a package 13. The electronic components 11 are disposed on the circuit board 10 and electrically connected to the circuit board 10. The antenna structure 12 is planar and has an antenna body 120 and a conductor 121. The antenna body 120 is electrically connected to the electronic components 11 via the conductor 121. The package 13 covers the electronic components 11 and a portion of the conductor 121.

[0004] However, in the existing electronic device 1, the antenna structure 12 is planar, so the electromagnetic radiation characteristics between the antenna structure 12 and the electronic component 11 will be limited.

[0005] Therefore, overcoming the problems of the existing technologies has become an urgent issue for the industry. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of the problems of the prior art, the present invention provides an electronic device and a method for manufacturing the same, such that the radiation direction of the antenna module can be oriented in an ideal direction.

[0007] The present invention provides an electronic device, comprising: a circuit board; a carrier structure having opposing first and second sides, and stacked on the circuit board via a plurality of conductive elements on the second side; an electronic component disposed on the first side of the carrier structure and electrically connected to the carrier structure; an antenna carrier disposed on the first side of the carrier structure, and having an antenna layer disposed on one side of the antenna carrier opposite to the first side of the carrier structure; an encapsulation layer disposed on the first side of the carrier structure to encapsulate the electronic component and the antenna carrier; an antenna portion coupled to the encapsulation layer on the first side of the carrier structure and communicatively connected to the antenna carrier, and the antenna portion corresponding to the antenna layer of the antenna carrier; and a reflector disposed on the side of the circuit board opposite to the antenna carrier and communicatively connected to the antenna carrier.

[0008] The present invention also provides a method for manufacturing an electronic device, comprising the steps of: providing a carrier structure having a first side and a second side opposite to each other; disposing an electronic component and an antenna carrier on the first side of the carrier structure, wherein the electronic component and the antenna carrier are electrically connected to the carrier structure; forming an encapsulation layer on the first side of the carrier structure to cover the electronic component and the antenna carrier; attaching an antenna portion communicating with the antenna carrier to the encapsulation layer on the first side of the carrier structure; and mounting the carrier structure on a circuit board having a reflector via a plurality of conductive elements on the second side thereof; wherein the antenna carrier has an antenna layer disposed on one side of the carrier structure opposite to the first side; wherein the antenna portion corresponds to the antenna layer of the antenna carrier; and wherein the reflector is disposed on the side of the circuit board opposite to the antenna carrier and is communicating with the antenna carrier.

[0009] In the aforementioned electronic device and its manufacturing method, the antenna carrier is further provided with a grounding line.

[0010] In the aforementioned electronic device and its manufacturing method, the antenna layer is a coplanar waveguide, and the width of the reflector is greater than the width of the coplanar waveguide.

[0011] In the aforementioned electronic device and its manufacturing method, the antenna section includes an antenna body that is communicatively connected to the antenna carrier, and the position of the antenna body corresponds to the position of the antenna carrier.

[0012] In the aforementioned electronic device and its manufacturing method, the position of the reflector corresponds to the position of the antenna carrier.

[0013] As can be seen from the above, the electronic device and its manufacturing method of the present invention mainly involve stacking the antenna carrier, the antenna part and the reflector to form a three-dimensional antenna structure, so that the reflector can effectively reflect the signal from the antenna part through the antenna carrier, thereby improving the signal directivity of the antenna part and enabling the radiation direction of the antenna part to be in the ideal direction.

[0014] Furthermore, the vertical projected area of ​​the reflector relative to the first side of the support structure is larger than the vertical projected area of ​​the antenna carrier relative to the first side of the support structure to prevent scattering and reduce gain.

[0015] In addition, a coplanar waveguide (CPW) is provided through the antenna carrier to increase the distance between the CPW and the reflector, so that the electronic device can achieve better resonance and better antenna performance. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an existing electronic device.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the electronic device of the present invention.

[0018] Figures 3A to 3F This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the manufacturing method of the electronic device of the present invention.

[0019] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0020] 1,2: Electronic devices

[0021] 10,2b: Circuit board

[0022] 11,21: Electronic components

[0023] 12: Antenna Structure

[0024] 120,24a: Antenna body

[0025] 121: Conductor

[0026] 13: Packaging Material

[0027] 2a: Antenna Module

[0028] 20: Load-bearing structure

[0029] 20a: First side

[0030] 20b: Second side

[0031] 200: Insulation layer

[0032] 201: Line Layer

[0033] 21a: Surface of Action

[0034] 21b: Non-acting surface

[0035] 210, 220: Conductive bumps

[0036] 22: Antenna Carrier

[0037] 22a: Antenna layer

[0038] 23: Encapsulation layer

[0039] 24: Antenna section

[0040] 24b: Encapsulation

[0041] 240: Dielectric layer

[0042] 242: Insulating protective layer

[0043] 25: Reflector

[0044] 26: Conductive elements

[0045] 9: Support components

[0046] 90: Adhesive layer

[0047] A: First Area

[0048] B: Second Area

[0049] H: Distance

[0050] P1: Width of the reflector

[0051] P2: Width of the coplanar waveguide. Detailed Implementation

[0052] The following describes the implementation of the present invention through specific embodiments. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification.

[0053] It should be understood that the structures, proportions, sizes, etc., illustrated in the accompanying drawings are merely for illustrative purposes to aid those skilled in the art in understanding and reading the content disclosed herein, and are not intended to limit the conditions under which the invention can be implemented. Therefore, they have no substantial technical significance. Any modifications to the structure, changes in proportions, or adjustments to size, without affecting the effects and objectives achieved by the invention, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed herein. Furthermore, the terms such as "above," "first," "second," and "a" used in this specification are merely for clarity of description and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Changes or adjustments to their relative relationships, without substantially altering the technical content, should also be considered within the scope of the invention's implementation.

[0054] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the electronic device 2 of the present invention. The electronic device 2 includes at least: an antenna module 2a and a circuit board 2b with a reflector 25 disposed thereon, wherein the antenna module 2a includes a support structure 20, an electronic component 21, an antenna carrier 22, an encapsulation layer 23 and an antenna portion 24.

[0055] The support structure 20 has a first side 20a and a second side 20b opposite to each other, and a plurality of conductive elements 26, such as solder balls, are implanted on the second side 20b to be bonded to the circuit board 2b via the conductive elements 26.

[0056] Electronic component 21 is disposed on the first side 20a of the support structure 20 and electrically connected to the support structure 20. Antenna carrier 22 is also disposed on the first side 20a of the support structure 20, and the antenna carrier 22 is separately configured from the electronic component 21.

[0057] An encapsulation layer 23 is disposed on the first side 20a of the support structure 20 and covers the electronic component 21 and the antenna carrier 22. The antenna part 24 has an antenna body 24a covered by an insulating layer, which is disposed on the encapsulation layer 23 and is communicatively connected to the antenna carrier 22.

[0058] The reflector 25 is disposed on one side of the circuit board 2b relative to the second side 20b of the support structure 20 (i.e., the reflector 25 is disposed between the second side 20b of the support structure 20 and the circuit board 2b), and is communicatively connected to the antenna carrier 22.

[0059] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the electronic device 2 of the present invention, by disposing the reflector 25 on the circuit board 2b, enables the reflector 25 to effectively reflect the signal from the antenna body 24a of the antenna section 24 via the antenna carrier 22, thereby improving the signal directivity of the antenna body 24a and enabling the radiation direction of the antenna body 24a to be in the ideal direction.

[0060] Figures 3A to 3F This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the manufacturing method of the electronic device 2 of the present invention.

[0061] like Figure 3A As shown, a support structure 20 is provided on a support member 9. The support structure 20 has opposing first sides 20a and second sides 20b, wherein the first side 20a defines adjacent first regions A and second regions B, and the support structure 20 is attached to the support member 9 via its second side 20b. Next, at least one electronic component 21 is disposed on the first region A of the first side 20a of the support structure 20, and at least one antenna carrier 22 is disposed on the second region B of the first side 20a of the support structure 20. The antenna carrier 22 and the electronic component 21 are configured separately.

[0062] In this embodiment, the supporting structure 20 is composed of an insulating layer (dielectric layer) 200 and a circuit layer 201, such as a fan-out redistribution layer (RDL). The material forming the circuit layer 201 can be copper or gold, while the material forming the insulating layer 200 can be a dielectric material such as polybenzoxazole (PBO), polyimide (PI), or prepreg (PP).

[0063] Furthermore, the support member 9 may be, for example, a plate of semiconductor material (such as silicon or glass), and the load-bearing structure 20 may be fixed to the support member 9 by means of a material such as an adhesive layer 90.

[0064] Furthermore, the electronic component 21 can be an active component, a passive component, or a combination of both. The active component is, for example, a semiconductor chip, while the passive component is, for example, a resistor, capacitor, or inductor. In this embodiment, the electronic component 21 is a semiconductor chip, such as a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFID) chip, which has opposing active surfaces 21a and non-active surfaces 21b. The electronic component 21 is disposed on the circuit layer 201 via multiple conductive bumps 210 made of solder material in a flip-chip manner and is electrically connected to the circuit layer 201; alternatively, the electronic component 21 can be electrically connected to the circuit layer 201 via multiple bonding wires (not shown) in a wire bonding manner; or, the electronic component 21 can directly contact the circuit layer 201. However, the manner in which the electronic component 21 is electrically connected to the carrier structure 20 is not limited to the above.

[0065] Furthermore, the antenna carrier 22 is made of glass or silicon material covering the antenna elements, and has an antenna layer 22a and an antenna ground disposed on one side relative to the first side 20a of the carrier structure 20. In this embodiment, the antenna carrier 22 is a chip-scale device, such as a carrier chip, and its antenna layer 22a is a coplanar waveguide (CPW). Additionally, as... Figure 3A As shown, the antenna carrier 22 can be disposed on the circuit layer 201 in a flip-chip manner via a plurality of conductive bumps 220 made of solder material, so as to electrically connect the circuit layer 201.

[0066] like Figure 3B As shown, an encapsulation layer 23 is formed on the first side 20a of the carrier structure 20 to encapsulate the electronic component 21 and the antenna carrier 22. In this embodiment, the encapsulation layer 23 is an insulating dielectric material, such as ABF (Ajinomoto Build-up Film), photosensitive resin, polyimide (PI), bismaleimide triazine (BT), FR5 prepreg (PP), dry film, epoxy resin, molding compound, epoxy molding compound (EMC), or other suitable materials, which can be formed on the first side 20a of the carrier structure 20 by lamination or molding.

[0067] like Figure 3CAs shown, an antenna portion 24 is formed on the encapsulation layer 23, and the antenna portion 24 includes a dielectric layer 240 formed on the encapsulation layer 23 and an antenna body 24a formed on the dielectric layer 240. In this embodiment, the antenna body 24a is a patch antenna, which is attached to the dielectric layer 240. In other embodiments, a metal layer may also be formed as the antenna body 24a by means such as electroplating, chemical plating, physical vapor deposition, sputtering, or other suitable methods.

[0068] Furthermore, the antenna body 24a and the antenna layer 22a are communicatively connected (e.g., by signal inductive coupling). For example, the position of the antenna body 24a corresponds to the position of the antenna carrier 22, that is, the two are vertically opposite each other within the second region B of the first side 20a.

[0069] Furthermore, the encapsulation layer 23 and the dielectric layer 240 can be made of the same or different materials, without any particular limitation. Alternatively, the dielectric layer 240 can be omitted, and the antenna body 24a can be directly disposed on the encapsulation layer 23.

[0070] like Figure 3D As shown, the support member 9 and its adhesive layer 90 are removed, exposing the second side 20b of the supporting structure 20. The antenna portion 24 may, as needed, be provided with an insulating protective layer 242 covering the antenna body 24a. In this embodiment, the adhesive layer 90 may be a release film to facilitate the removal of the support member 9.

[0071] Furthermore, the insulating protective layer 242 is a dielectric material, which is formed on the dielectric layer 240. Therefore, the insulating protective layer 242 and the dielectric layer 240 can be regarded as a whole, serving as a cover 24b to cover the antenna body 24a.

[0072] like Figure 3E As shown, a plurality of conductive elements 26, such as solder balls, are provided on the second side 20b of the support structure 20, which are electrically connected to the circuit layer 201 of the support structure 20.

[0073] like Figure 3F As shown, the carrier structure 20 is mounted on a circuit board 2b having at least one reflector 25 via the conductive elements 26, such that the circuit layer 201 of the carrier structure 20 is electrically connected to the circuit board 2b through the multiple conductive elements 26.

[0074] In this embodiment, the reflector 25 is communicatively connected to the antenna carrier 22, so that the antenna carrier 22, the antenna section 24, and the reflector 25 constitute an antenna structure. The antenna carrier 22 has a coplanar waveguide (CPW) on one side relative to the circuit board 2b, which serves as the antenna structure. A portion of the circuit layer 201 of the carrier structure 20 connects the electronic component 21 to the ground line of the antenna carrier 22, providing grounding functionality for the antenna structure. Furthermore, the width P1 of the reflector 25 is greater than the width P2 of the coplanar waveguide to avoid scattering and gain reduction. Therefore, since the coplanar waveguide (antenna layer 22a) of the antenna carrier 22 is connected to the circuit layer 201 of the carrier structure 20 via conductive bumps 220, the distance H between the CPW and the reflector 25 is increased, allowing the electronic device 2 to achieve better resonance and superior antenna performance.

[0075] Furthermore, the reflector 25 and the antenna layer 22a are mutually inducedly coupled. For example, the position of the reflector 25 corresponds to the position of the antenna carrier 22, that is, the two are vertically aligned with respect to the first side 20a.

[0076] In addition, the reflector 25 can be formed on the circuit board 2b using an RDL wiring process, so that the reflector 25 is located between the second side 20b of the support structure 20 and the circuit board 2b, and the reflector 25 does not contact the second side 20b of the support structure 20.

[0077] Therefore, in the manufacturing method of the electronic device 2 of the present invention, the antenna carrier 22, the antenna part 24 and the reflector 25 are stacked to form a three-dimensional antenna structure. In the process, the antenna carrier 22 and the antenna part 24 can be integrated with the electronic component 21, that is, packaged together, so that the packaging layer 23 can cover the electronic component 21 and the antenna carrier 22. Therefore, the mold used for the packaging process can correspond to the size of the support structure 20, which is beneficial to the packaging process.

[0078] Furthermore, the manufacturing method of the present invention, by placing the antenna section 24 in the same antenna module 2a as the electronic component 21, allows the reflector 25 of the antenna structure to be connected to any frequency radio frequency chip (the electronic component 21) of the antenna module 2a, so that the antenna section 24 of the electronic device 2 can emit 5G millimeter waves of the required frequency. Therefore, when mass-producing the electronic device 2, the manufacturing method of the present invention can produce radio frequency products of various frequencies, thereby reducing the number of production lines to reduce production costs and increasing production speed to improve production capacity.

[0079] Furthermore, in the manufacturing method of the present invention, the antenna structure is fabricated using a circuit board process, so that the antenna structure can be fabricated using a packaging process during the process, which is beneficial to the packaging operation.

[0080] Furthermore, 5G systems require more wiring configurations due to signal quality and transmission speed requirements to improve signal quality and transmission speed. The manufacturing method of the present invention utilizes a circuit board process to fabricate the circuit layer 201 of the carrier structure 20 and the antenna layer 22a of the antenna carrier 22. Under the condition that the length and width dimensions of the carrier structure 20 are fixed, the wiring space (number of layers) can be increased, thereby increasing the functionality of the antenna structure. Therefore, the electronic device 2 can provide the electrical functions required to operate the 5G system, that is, it can meet the antenna operation requirements of the 5G system.

[0081] In summary, the electronic device and its manufacturing method of the present invention, by designing a reflector disposed on the circuit board and a coplanar waveguide disposed at the bottom of the antenna carrier, increases the distance between the reflector and the antenna carrier, thereby achieving better resonance effect and better antenna performance.

[0082] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of the present invention and are not intended to limit the invention. Any person skilled in the art can modify the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be as set forth in the claims.

Claims

1. An electronic device, characterized in that, include: Circuit board; A support structure having opposing first and second sides, and stacked on the circuit board via a plurality of conductive elements on the second side; An electronic component is disposed on the first side of the support structure and electrically connected to the support structure; An antenna carrier is disposed on the first side of the support structure, and an antenna layer is disposed on one side of the antenna carrier relative to the first side of the support structure; An encapsulation layer is disposed on the first side of the carrier structure to cover the electronic component and the antenna carrier, and the antenna layer is located inside the encapsulation layer and does not directly contact the carrier structure; The antenna portion is attached to the encapsulation layer on the first side of the support structure without directly contacting the antenna carrier. The antenna portion is communicatively connected to the antenna carrier, and the antenna portion above the encapsulation layer corresponds to the antenna layer inside the encapsulation layer. as well as A reflector is disposed on one side of the circuit board relative to the antenna carrier and is communicatively connected to the antenna carrier. The antenna layer inside the encapsulation layer is connected to the circuit layer of the carrier structure through a conductive bump on the upper part of the carrier structure. The height of the conductive bump on the upper part of the carrier structure is less than the height of the conductive element below the carrier structure. The distance between the antenna layer and the reflector is greater than the distance between the conductive bump and the reflector. The circuit layer, the conductive bump, and the antenna layer are sequentially located above the reflector.

2. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The antenna carrier is also equipped with a grounding line.

3. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The antenna layer is a coplanar waveguide, and the width of the reflector is greater than the width of the coplanar waveguide.

4. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The antenna section includes an antenna body that is communicatively connected to the antenna carrier, and the position of the antenna body corresponds to the position of the antenna carrier.

5. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The position of the reflector corresponds to the position of the antenna carrier.

6. A method for manufacturing an electronic device, characterized in that, include: A load-bearing structure is provided, having opposing first and second sides; An electronic component and an antenna carrier are disposed on the first side of the support structure, and the electronic component and the antenna carrier are electrically connected to the support structure. An encapsulation layer is formed on the first side of the support structure so that the encapsulation layer covers the electronic component and the antenna carrier; An antenna portion for communication connection to the antenna carrier is attached above the encapsulation layer on the first side of the carrier structure, and the antenna portion does not directly contact the antenna carrier; and The support structure is mounted on a circuit board with a reflector via multiple conductive elements on its second side; The antenna carrier has an antenna layer on one side of the first side of the support structure, and the antenna layer is located inside the encapsulation layer and does not directly contact the support structure. Wherein, the antenna portion above the encapsulation layer corresponds to the antenna layer inside the encapsulation layer; and The reflector is disposed on the side of the circuit board opposite to the antenna carrier and is communicatively connected to the antenna carrier. The antenna layer inside the encapsulation layer is connected to the circuit layer of the carrier structure through a conductive bump on the upper part of the carrier structure. The height of the conductive bump on the upper part of the carrier structure is less than the height of the conductive element below the carrier structure. The distance between the antenna layer and the reflector is greater than the distance between the conductive bump and the reflector. The circuit layer, the conductive bump, and the antenna layer are sequentially located above the reflector.

7. The method for manufacturing an electronic device as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that, The antenna carrier is also equipped with a grounding line.

8. The method for manufacturing an electronic device as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that, The antenna layer is a coplanar waveguide, and the width of the reflector is greater than the width of the coplanar waveguide.

9. The method for manufacturing an electronic device as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that, The antenna section includes an antenna body that is communicatively connected to the antenna carrier, and the position of the antenna body corresponds to the position of the antenna carrier.

10. The method of manufacturing an electronic device as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that, The position of the reflector corresponds to the position of the antenna carrier.

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