A highly integrated microwave transceiver component

Abstract

The present invention discloses a highly integrated microwave transceiver assembly, belonging to the technical field of active phased array antenna transceiver assemblies. The present invention uses an AlN HTCC substrate, a molybdenum copper or oxygen-free copper frame, and a cover plate to form an integrated package. In addition to dissipating heat through the solder balls on the bottom of the substrate, the heat of the transceiver assembly can also be dissipated through multiple paths through the frame to the side walls and through the cover plate to the heat dissipation components on the top. This can greatly reduce the thermal resistance of the package, lower the chip junction temperature, and improve chip reliability. The number of chips inside the transceiver assembly can be reduced from the previous six to two, effectively reducing the layout area of ​​the internal components and improving the integration of the transceiver assembly. In addition, the reduced device layout area under the same package size can be used to increase the side package thickness and improve heat dissipation capacity. By optimizing the circuit form, the number and type of internal components are reduced, which not only reduces the cost of components, but also facilitates assembly and helps reduce production costs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of active phased array antenna transceiver components, and in particular to a highly integrated microwave transceiver component. Background Art

[0002] With the increasing application of active phased array antenna systems in military and civilian applications such as aerospace, they are typically required to be compact, lightweight, and high-performance. This necessitates the development of miniaturization and high integration. However, the performance of the transceiver component, the most widely installed core component in an antenna system, significantly affects the overall performance of the entire antenna system. This is especially true for platforms like satellites and airborne platforms, where payload requirements are stringent. Making the transceiver component as lightweight and compact as possible has become a pressing challenge.

[0003] In order to solve the problem of lightweight and miniaturized components, it is necessary to start from the functional characteristics of the transceiver components and optimize the design in combination with the internal circuit structure of the components. The main factors affecting the size of the component are the area required for the internal device arrangement and the packaging form adopted by the component. The devices inside the transceiver component mainly include microwave chips, power control chips, ring isolators and peripheral resistors and capacitors. Microwave chips usually include limiters, low-noise amplifiers, compensation amplifiers, CNC phase shifters, CNC attenuators, transceiver switches, driver amplifiers and power amplifiers. Power control chips include wave control chips, receiving power modulation chips, gate voltage chips, transmitting power driver chips and transmitting power modulation MOS tube chips. The above devices are numerous and occupy a large amount of space inside the component, so they can be further optimized:

[0004] 1. Use transceiver switch chip instead of ring isolator;

[0005] 2. Integrate the limiter and low noise amplifier chip into a limiting low noise amplifier chip;

[0006] 3. Integrate the compensation amplifier, digitally controlled phase shifter, digitally controlled attenuator, transceiver switch, driver amplifier, wave control chip, etc. into an amplitude and phase multifunctional chip;

[0007] 4. The receiving power modulation chip, gate voltage chip and transmitting power driver chip are integrated into a multifunctional power modulation chip.

[0008] Through these optimizations, the number of over ten chips within the module can be reduced to six, significantly reducing the area within the component's internal device layout. This significant reduction in layout area also allows for a shift from component-level packaging to device-level packaging, with options including SM, QFP, QFN, and BGA. These packages integrate the transceiver substrate and housing, eliminating the need for microwave and low-frequency connectors, significantly reducing package size. BGA packaging, on the other hand, is more widely used because its RF interface can be designed as a pseudo-coaxial structure, offering superior high-frequency microwave transmission characteristics.

[0009] Typically, BGA packages for transceiver components utilize an alumina HTCC substrate and a Kovar alloy frame. These two components are welded together using silver and copper to form the housing. The Kovar cover is then joined to the housing using parallel seam welding to create an airtight, integrated package. While this package is compact, lightweight, and easy to install, its underlying alumina ceramic substrate has low thermal conductivity. Furthermore, when used in antenna arrays, transceivers are typically mounted on a composite dielectric substrate with low thermal conductivity. This results in high thermal resistance between the heat-generating chip within the component and the external heat dissipation surface, making heat dissipation difficult.

[0010] The above problems need to be solved urgently. Therefore, a highly integrated microwave transceiver component is proposed. Summary of the Invention

[0011] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is: how to make the transceiver component realize lightweight and miniaturized design while improving its heat dissipation performance, reducing the chip junction temperature, and improving the reliability of the transceiver component, thereby providing a highly integrated microwave transceiver component.

[0012] The present invention solves the above technical problems through the following technical solutions. The present invention includes a cover plate, a frame, a substrate and BGA solder balls arranged in sequence from top to bottom;

[0013] The lower surface of the cover plate is provided with a groove structure, forming a concave-convex structure with the partition wall provided in the frame;

[0014] The surrounding frame and the base plate together form a box body, and a partition wall is provided inside the surrounding frame;

[0015] The substrate is multi-layered, with microwave signal vertical interconnection circuits, control signal interconnection circuits, and a power distribution network on the inner layer, and amplitude and phase multifunctional chips, transceiver multifunctional chips, and resistor and capacitor components on the surface layer. The substrate is vertically interconnected with external interfaces via BGA solder balls.

[0016] The BGA solder balls are arranged on the lower surface of the substrate.

[0017] Furthermore, the frame is made of molybdenum copper or oxygen-free copper material, the bottom of the frame and the substrate are welded with silver copper to form a box body, and the top of the frame and the cover are welded with gold tin to achieve airtight packaging.

[0018] Furthermore, the substrate is an AlN HTCC substrate with 5 to 20 layers.

[0019] Furthermore, a transceiver multifunctional substrate is provided on the base plate, which is made of molybdenum copper or oxygen-free copper material and is used for welding the transceiver multifunctional chip.

[0020] Furthermore, in the case where the highly integrated microwave transceiver assembly includes n transceiver channels, a transceiver multifunctional chip and an amplitude and phase multifunctional chip are provided on the upper surface of the substrate for each transceiver channel, wherein n≥1;

[0021] The transceiver shared ports of the transceiver multifunctional chips in the n transceiver channels are interconnected with the external interface via the AlN HTCC substrate and BGA solder balls;

[0022] The receiving output ports and transmitting input ports of the transceiver multifunctional chips in the n transceiver channels are interconnected with the receiving input ports and transmitting output ports of the n-channel amplitude and phase multifunctional chip through the surface of the AlN HTCC substrate. Finally, the input and output are synthesized through the total port of the amplitude and phase multifunctional chip. The total port signal is interconnected with the external interface through the AlN HTCC substrate and BGA solder balls.

[0023] Furthermore, the transceiver multifunctional chip includes a switch circuit, a limiter circuit, a low-noise amplifier circuit and a power amplifier circuit.

[0024] Furthermore, the power amplifier circuit inside the transceiver multifunctional chip adopts an enhancement transistor circuit, and uses TTL or LVTTL level to adjust the gate to perform transmission pulse power modulation.

[0025] Furthermore, the amplitude-phase multifunctional chip has a microwave circuit with n channels of phase shifting, attenuation, transmit-receive switching, compensation amplification and 1:n synthesis network, and also integrates a data serial-to-parallel conversion circuit, a logic judgment protection circuit, a receiving power modulation circuit and a transmitting drive circuit.

[0026] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0027] 1. The transceiver assembly of the present invention utilizes an AlN HTCC substrate, a molybdenum-copper or oxygen-free copper frame, and a cover plate to form an integrated package. The thermal conductivity of the aluminum nitride substrate in this package structure is typically greater than 170 W / (mK), nearly 10 times higher than that of an aluminum oxide substrate, making it more conducive to heat dissipation from internal components. Furthermore, the thermal conductivity of the molybdenum-copper or oxygen-free copper material of the package frame and cover plate is at least 160 W / (mK), significantly higher than the 21 W / (mK) of Kovar material. Therefore, in addition to dissipating heat through the solder balls on the bottom of the substrate, the heat of the transceiver assembly can also be dissipated through multiple paths, from the frame to the sidewalls and from the cover plate to the heat dissipation components on the top. This significantly reduces the thermal resistance of the package, lowers the chip junction temperature, and improves chip reliability.

[0028] 2. The transceiver component of the present invention adopts a transceiver multifunctional chip including a limiter, a low noise amplifier and a power amplifier, and the power amplifier of the transceiver multifunctional chip adopts the TTL or LVTTL level generated by the amplitude and phase multifunction to directly perform pulse modulation, eliminating the negative gate voltage generation circuit, the transmission power drive and the transmission power MOS tube; the types of chips inside the transceiver component can be reduced from the previous 6 to 2, effectively reducing the layout area of ​​the internal devices and improving the integration of the transceiver component; in addition, the reduced device layout area under the same package size can be used to increase the side package thickness and improve the heat dissipation capacity.

[0029] 3. The transceiver assembly of the present invention reduces the types and quantities of internal components by optimizing the circuit form, which not only reduces the cost of components, but also facilitates assembly and helps reduce production costs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the internal circuit of a four-channel highly integrated transceiver assembly in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A partial enlarged view of part A in the middle;

[0032] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A partial enlarged view of part B in the middle;

[0033] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structure of a four-channel highly integrated transceiver component in an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The following is a detailed description of an embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is implemented based on the technical solution of the present invention, and provides a detailed implementation method and specific operation process. However, the protection scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment.

[0035] This embodiment provides a technical solution: a highly integrated microwave transceiver component, such as Figure 1 As shown, a highly integrated microwave transceiver component with four transceiver channels is taken as an example for detailed introduction.

[0036] The four transceiver channels are integrated into a BGA package on an AlN HTCC substrate to achieve functions such as four-channel transceiver amplification, phase shift attenuation, etc.

[0037] Figure 1 This is a principle block diagram of a four-channel highly integrated microwave transceiver assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention:

[0038] The transceiver component mainly includes: a transceiver multifunctional chip and a 4-channel amplitude and phase multifunctional chip.

[0039] The multifunctional transceiver chip, consisting of a switch circuit, a limiter circuit, a low-noise amplifier circuit, and a power amplifier circuit, replaces the switch chip, the limiter low-noise amplifier chip, and the power amplifier chip. Compared to the previous three components, this reduces the board layout area, simplifies the number of gold wire interconnects, and improves system reliability.

[0040] The power amplifier circuit inside the transceiver multifunctional chip adopts an enhancement transistor circuit, and uses TTL or LVTTL level to adjust the gate to modulate the transmitting pulse power supply.

[0041] In addition to the microwave circuitry for four channels of phase shifting, attenuation, transceiver switching, compensation amplification, and a 1:4 synthesis network, the four-channel amplitude-phase multifunction chip also integrates data serial-to-parallel conversion circuitry, logic judgment and protection circuitry, receive power modulation circuitry, and transmit modulation driver circuitry. The receive power modulation circuitry directly provides the receive pulse modulation power required for the transceiver chip's low-noise amplifier circuitry. The transmit modulation driver circuitry generates TTL or LVTTL voltage levels, directly providing the drive signal for the transmit pulse modulation required by the transceiver chip's power amplifier circuitry. Compared to traditional solutions, this eliminates the four-channel negative gate voltage generation circuitry, transmit power driver circuitry, and transmit power MOSFET circuitry, effectively reducing the internal component layout area and improving the integration of the transceiver components. This reduced component layout area can be used to increase the side package thickness and improve heat dissipation.

[0042] The transmit and receive shared ports of the transmit and receive multifunctional chips in the four transmit and receive channels are interconnected with external interfaces via an AlN HTCC substrate and BGA solder balls;

[0043] The receive output and transmit input ports of the transceiver multifunction chips in each of the four transceiver channels are interconnected with the receive input and transmit output ports of the four-channel amplitude and phase multifunction chips through the AlN HTCC substrate surface. Finally, the input and output are combined through the amplitude and phase multifunction chip's master port. The master port signals are interconnected with external interfaces via the AlN HTCC substrate and BGA solder balls.

[0044] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the four-channel highly integrated radar transceiver assembly in this embodiment, which specifically includes the following structure:

[0045] The cover plate 1 is made of molybdenum copper or oxygen-free copper. The lower surface of the cover plate has a groove structure, which can form a concave-convex structure with the partition wall in the frame to improve the electromagnetic shielding effect.

[0046] The frame 2 is made of molybdenum copper or oxygen-free copper material and can form a box body together with the AlN HTCC substrate 4. The frame 2 has partition walls inside to improve the isolation between channels inside the component and the electromagnetic shielding inside the channels.

[0047] The transceiver multifunctional substrate 3 is made of molybdenum copper or oxygen-free copper material to ensure high matching between the power amplifier and the transmission line, while having good heat dissipation capability and thermal matching between chips.

[0048] AlN HTCC substrate 4, with a total of 7 layers, the inner layer contains microwave signal vertical interconnection circuits, control signal interconnection circuits and power distribution network, and the surface layer is equipped with amplitude and phase multifunctional chips, transceiver multifunctional chips and resistors and capacitors;

[0049] BGA solder balls 5 are provided on the lower surface of the substrate 4 and are used to connect the component with external signals.

[0050] During the assembly process, the enclosure 2 is first soldered to the top surface of the AlN HTCC substrate 4 using silver-copper soldering, forming an airtight enclosure. The multifunctional transceiver chip is eutectic soldered to the substrate 3, and then soldered to the enclosure using lead-tin soldering. The remaining chips and components are secured to the AlN HTCC substrate 4 using conductive adhesive, and then electrically connected using gold wire bonding. After commissioning, the cover plate 1 is placed on the enclosure, and the two are welded using gold-tin soldering to achieve an airtight package.

[0051] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it will be understood that the above embodiments are illustrative and are not to be construed as limitations on the present invention. A person skilled in the art may change, modify, replace and modify the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A highly integrated microwave transceiver component, characterized in that: It includes a cover plate, a frame, a substrate and BGA solder balls arranged in sequence from top to bottom; The lower surface of the cover plate is provided with a groove structure, forming a concave-convex structure with the partition wall provided in the frame; The surrounding frame and the base plate together form a box body, and a partition wall is provided inside the surrounding frame; The substrate is multi-layered, with microwave signal vertical interconnection circuits, control signal interconnection circuits, and a power distribution network on the inner layer, and amplitude and phase multifunctional chips, transceiver multifunctional chips, and resistor and capacitor components on the surface layer. The substrate is vertically interconnected with external interfaces via BGA solder balls. The BGA solder balls are arranged on the lower surface of the substrate; In the case where the highly integrated microwave transceiver assembly includes n transceiver channels, a transceiver multifunctional chip and an amplitude and phase multifunctional chip are provided on the upper surface of the substrate for each transceiver channel, where n≥1; The transceiver shared ports of the transceiver multifunctional chips in the n transceiver channels are interconnected with the external interface via the AlN HTCC substrate and BGA solder balls; The receiving output ports and transmitting input ports of the transceiver multifunctional chips in the n transceiver channels are interconnected with the receiving input ports and transmitting output ports of the n-channel amplitude and phase multifunctional chips through the surface of the AlN HTCC substrate. Finally, the input and output are synthesized through the total port of the amplitude and phase multifunctional chips. The total port signal is interconnected with the external interface through the AlN HTCC substrate and BGA solder balls. The transceiver multifunctional chip includes a switch circuit, a limiter circuit, a low-noise amplifier circuit and a power amplifier circuit.

2. The highly integrated microwave transceiver assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The frame is made of molybdenum copper or oxygen-free copper. The bottom of the frame and the substrate are welded with silver copper to form a box body. The top of the frame and the cover are welded with gold tin to form an airtight package.

3. The highly integrated microwave transceiver assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The substrate is an AlN HTCC substrate with 5 to 20 layers.

4. The highly integrated microwave transceiver assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The base plate is provided with a transceiver multifunctional substrate made of molybdenum copper or oxygen-free copper material and is used for welding a transceiver multifunctional chip.

5. The highly integrated microwave transceiver assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The power amplifier circuit inside the transceiver multifunctional chip adopts an enhancement transistor circuit, and adopts TTL or LVTTL level to adjust the gate to perform transmission pulse power supply modulation.

6. The highly integrated microwave transceiver assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The amplitude-phase multifunctional chip has n-channel phase shifting, attenuation, transmit-receive switching, compensation amplification and 1:n synthesis network microwave circuits, and also integrates data serial-to-parallel conversion circuit, logic judgment protection circuit, receiving power modulation circuit and transmitting drive circuit.

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