Electronic device

Abstract

The invention provides an electronic device. The electronic device includes a circuit structure, an interconnect structure disposed over the circuit structure, and an antenna element disposed over the interconnect structure. The antenna element defines a first notch having a sidewall, and the sidewall of the first notch of the antenna element is configured to feed a signal to the antenna element and electrically connect to the interconnect structure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electronic device. Background Art

[0002] An electronic device that uses an antenna for signal transmission (e.g., a radio frequency (RF) signal) may include an antenna layer and a circuit layer electrically connected thereto. Conventionally, a coupling component may be coupled to a feed point and / or a ground point of the antenna layer. The coupling component requires installation space, which may be a bottleneck for packaging minimization and production efficiency. In addition, signal transmission through the coupling component may be unstable and may unintentionally affect antenna performance. Summary of the invention

[0003] In some arrangements, an electronic device includes: a circuit structure; an interconnect structure disposed over the circuit structure; and an antenna element disposed over the interconnect structure. The antenna element defines a first recess having sidewalls, and the sidewalls of the first recess of the antenna element are configured to feed a signal to the antenna element and electrically connect to the interconnect structure.

[0004] In some arrangements, an electronic device includes: an antenna component including an antenna pattern; a packaging structure disposed below the antenna component; and a connector contacting a sidewall of the antenna pattern and electrically connecting the antenna pattern and the packaging structure.

[0005] In some arrangements, an electronic device includes: a packaging structure including an electronic component; and an antenna component supported by the packaging structure, wherein the antenna component at least partially covers a first side surface of the packaging structure and has an antenna pattern electrically connected to the electronic component. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] Aspects of some arrangements of the present disclosure are best understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.It should be noted that the various structures may not be drawn to scale, and that the dimensions of the various structures may be arbitrarily increased or reduced for clarity of discussion.

[0007] Figure 1A Cross-sectional views illustrating electronic devices according to some arrangements of the present disclosure.

[0008] Figure 1B Cross-sectional views illustrating electronic devices according to some arrangements of the present disclosure.

[0009] Figure 1C Perspective views illustrating electronic devices according to some arrangements of the present disclosure.

[0010] Figure 2A , 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 2H, 2I, 2J, and 2K are cross-sections of one or more stages in a method of manufacturing an electronic device according to some arrangements of the present disclosure.

[0011] Figure 3 Cross-sectional views illustrating electronic devices according to some arrangements of the present disclosure.

[0012] Figure 4A , 4B , 4C, 4D, 4E, 4F, and 4G are cross-sections of one or more stages in a method of manufacturing an electronic device according to some arrangements of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 5 Cross-sectional views illustrating electronic devices according to some arrangements of the present disclosure.

[0014] Fig. 6A , 6B , 6C, 6D, and 6E are cross-sections of one or more stages in a method of manufacturing an electronic device according to some arrangements of the present disclosure.

[0015] Fig. 7A Cross-sectional views illustrating electronic devices according to some arrangements of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 7B Cross-sectional views illustrating electronic devices according to some arrangements of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 7C Perspective views illustrating electronic devices according to some arrangements of the present disclosure.

[0018] Fig. 8A and 8B is a cross-section of one or more stages in a method of manufacturing an electronic device according to some arrangements of the present disclosure.

[0019] Fig. 9A Cross-sectional views illustrating electronic devices according to some arrangements of the present disclosure.

[0020] Fig. 9B Cross-sectional views illustrating electronic devices according to some arrangements of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The following disclosure provides many different arrangements or examples of different features of the provided themes. Specific examples of components and arrangements are described below to explain certain aspects of the present disclosure. Of course, these components and arrangements are only examples and are not intended to be restrictive. For example, in the following description, a first feature is formed above or on a second feature, and an arrangement in which the first feature and the second feature are directly contacted or arranged may be included, and an arrangement in which an additional feature may be formed or arranged between the first feature and the second feature so that the first feature and the second feature may not be directly contacted may also be included. In addition, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and / or letters in various examples. This repetition is for the purpose of simplification and clarity and does not itself indicate the relationship between the various arrangements and / or configurations discussed.

[0022] Unless otherwise specified, spatial descriptions such as "above", "below", "up", "left", "right", "lower", "top", "bottom", "vertical", "horizontal", "side", "above", "below", "upper", "above", "below", etc. are indicated relative to the orientation shown in the figure. It should be understood that the spatial descriptions used herein are for illustrative purposes only, and that embodiments of the structures described herein may be spatially arranged in any orientation or manner, provided that the advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure are not deviated by such arrangements.

[0023] Figure 1A A cross-sectional view illustrating an electronic device 1a according to some arrangements of the present disclosure. In some arrangements, the electronic device 1a may be or include, for example, an antenna device or an antenna package. In some arrangements, the electronic device 1a may include a carrier 10, 11, an encapsulant 12, an interconnect structure 13, a cover 14, 15, an antenna element 16, a bonding material 17, and a power source 18. The cover (also referred to as a bottom cover, a carrier, or a bottom carrier) 14 and the cover (also referred to as a top cover, a carrier, or a top carrier) 15 may collectively surround the carrier 10, 11, the encapsulant 12, the interconnect structure 13, the bonding material 17, and the power source 18.

[0024] The carrier 10 may include a system board, a mainboard or a printed circuit board (PCB). The carrier 10 may include a circuit structure or an interconnect structure, such as a redistribution layer (RDL), a circuit layer, a conductive trace, a conductive pad, a conductive via, etc.

[0025] The carrier 11 may include a substrate. For example, the carrier 11 may include a PCB, such as a paper-based copper foil laminate, a composite copper foil laminate, or a polymer-impregnated glass fiber-based copper foil laminate. Similar to the carrier 10, the carrier 11 may include a circuit structure or an interconnect structure, such as an RDL. For example, the carrier 11 may have a surface 111 facing away from the carrier 10. The carrier 11 may include one or more conductive pads (not illustrated in the figure) close to the surface 111 of the carrier 11, adjacent to the surface 111 of the carrier 11, or embedded in the surface 111 of the carrier 11 and exposed by the surface 111 of the carrier 11. The carrier 11 may include a dielectric layer (such as a solder resist layer, not illustrated in the figure) above the surface 111 of the carrier 11 to fully or partially expose for electronic components (for example, Figure 2K In some arrangements, the carrier 11 may include or may be a circuit layer or a routing layer, such as a radio frequency (RF) routing layer. In some arrangements, the interconnect structure of the carrier 11 and the components mounted on the carrier 11 may include or may be referred to as components of the electronic device 1a. The components may be configured to feed a signal (e.g., an RF signal) to a radiating portion (e.g., an antenna element 16) of the electronic device 1a.

[0026] In some arrangements, dimensions (eg, width, length, thickness, area, etc.) of carrier 10 may be greater than dimensions of carrier 11 .

[0027] In some arrangements, carrier 10 and carrier 11 may provide power routing paths (or power paths) for components mounted above carrier 11. For example, carrier 10 may be configured to receive power from power source 18. Carrier 10 and carrier 11 may provide multiple power paths to electronic components (e.g., Figure 2K Electronic components 20 and electronic components 21).

[0028] The encapsulant 12 may be disposed above or on the surface 111 of the carrier 11. The encapsulant 12 may include an insulating material or a dielectric material. In some arrangements, the encapsulant 12 may include an epoxy resin with a filler, a molding material (e.g., an epoxy molding material or other molding material), a polyimide, a phenolic compound or material, a material in which silicone is dispersed, or a combination thereof. The encapsulant 12 may have a side surface substantially coplanar with the side surface of the carrier 11. The encapsulant 12 may have a surface 121 facing away from the carrier 11. The encapsulant 12 may have an opening or recess 12r recessed from the surface 121. The recess 12r may have an inclined sidewall. For example, the recess 12r may gradually narrow toward the carrier 11. In some arrangements, the recess 12r may have a sidewall substantially perpendicular to the surface 111 of the carrier 11 (or the surface 121 of the encapsulant 12). The top surface (or upper surface) 13t of the interconnect structure 13 may be a portion of the base (or bottom surface) 12rb of the recess 12r. The encapsulant 12 may have a thickness 12t ranging from about 0.6 millimeters (mm) to about 1.2 mm, for example 0.9 mm.

[0029] The interconnect structure 13 may be disposed over the surface 111 of the carrier 11. The interconnect structure 13 may include, but is not limited to, conductive pillars, bonding wires, conductive vias, stacked vias, etc. The interconnect structure 13 may be electrically connected to the carrier 11 through electrical contacts 13e. In some arrangements, the electrical contacts 13e may include solder balls or solder bumps, such as controlled collapse chip connection (C4) bumps, ball grid arrays (BGA), or land grid arrays (LGA).

[0030] The interconnect structure 13 may be at least partially covered, encapsulated or surrounded by the encapsulant 12. The interconnect structure 13 may extend through the encapsulant 12. The interconnect structure 13 may extend from the surface 111 of the carrier 11 to the recess 12r. The top surface 13t of the interconnect structure 13 may be at least partially exposed from the recess 12r. In some arrangements, the top surface 13t of the interconnect structure 13 may be completely exposed from the recess 12r. In some arrangements, the surface area of ​​the top surface 13t of the interconnect structure 13 may be less than the surface area of ​​the base (or bottom surface) 12rb of the recess 12r. In some arrangements, the surface area of ​​the top surface 13t of the interconnect structure 13 may be substantially equal to the surface area of ​​the base 12rb of the recess 12r. In some arrangements, the bottom surface of the interconnect structure 13 may contact (e.g., directly contact) the surface 111 of the carrier 11 and / or the electrical contact 13e.

[0031] In some arrangements, the length of the interconnect structure 13 along a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface 111 of the carrier 11 (e.g., the shortest distance between the top surface 13t and its bottom surface) may be less than the thickness 12t of the encapsulant 12, for example, less than 0.9 mm. In some arrangements, the width 13w (or diameter) of the interconnect structure 13 may range from about 0.2 mm to about 0.8 mm, for example, about 0.3 mm, about 0.4 mm, about 0.5 mm, about 0.6 mm, about 0.7 mm.

[0032] The cover 14 may have a base and a sidewall extending from the base. The base may contact or accommodate the power supply 18, and the sidewall may contact the carrier 10. The cover 15 may be detachable from the cover 14. The cover 15 may be attached, removed, and reattached relative to the cover 14. The cover 15 may be attached to the cover 14 by mechanical or magnetic means. The mechanical or magnetic means may prevent the cover 14 and the cover 15 from being accidentally separated. The mechanical or magnetic means may include locking elements, fastening elements, retaining elements, etc. More specifically, the mechanical or magnetic means may include pins, posts, springs, plugs, buffers, buckles, fixing clips, profiles, etc.

[0033] The cover 15 may include a compound, such as a liquid crystal compound. For example, the cover 15 may include a compound with a liquid crystal base, such as a liquid crystal polymer (LCP). The cover 15 may withstand temperatures up to 260 degrees Celsius or higher. The cover 15 may have a dielectric constant (Dk) between about 2 and 6. The cover 15 may have a dissipation factor (Df) between about 0 and 0.009.

[0034] In some arrangements, cover 15 may include epoxy, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), soda-lime silicate glass, alkali-aluminosilicate glass, liquid silicone rubber (LSR), polycarbonate (PC), nylon, polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), etc. Cover 14 may have substantially the same material and / or properties as cover 15. In some arrangements, cover 14 and cover 15 may have different materials and / or different properties.

[0035] The cover 15 may have a main portion (or body) and an extension 15s extending from the main portion toward the enclosure 12. The main portion may include a planar structure and have a thickness 15t. The main portion may include a sidewall that contacts the sidewall of the cover 14. The main portion may be spaced apart from the enclosure 12. The main portion may not contact the enclosure 12. The main portion may define an air cavity (or air space) above the enclosure 12. The enclosure 12 may not be covered by the cover 15. The enclosure 12 may not contact the main portion, but may contact the extension 15s.

[0036] The extension 15s may extend between the main portion and the surface 121 of the encapsulation 12. The extension 15s may contact the surface 121 of the encapsulation 12, such as Figure 1A . However, in some arrangements, the extension 15s may be spaced apart from the surface 121 of the enclosure 12. The extension 15s may not contact the surface 121 of the enclosure 12. The cover 15 may have an opening or recess recessed from the main portion (indicated by the arrow of the recess 16r of the antenna element 16). The recess of the cover 15 and the recess 16r of the antenna element 16 may have different bodies and constitute a single recess 16r, because the antenna element 16 may be conformally placed above the cover 15.

[0037] The extension 15s may be or define a side wall of a recess of the cover 15. The side wall of the recess defined by the extension 15s may gradually narrow toward the enclosure 12. For example, the side wall of the recess defined by the extension 15s may have an end (also referred to as a first end) 15s1 close to (or connected to) the main portion and an end (also referred to as a second end) 15s2 away from the main portion. In a cross-sectional view, the end 15s1 may define an opening (also referred to as a first opening) having a width (also referred to as a first width) 15w1, and the end 15s2 may define an opening (also referred to as a second opening) having a width (also referred to as a second width) 15w2 less than the width 15w1. For example, the width 15w1 of the opening defined by the end 15s1 may be the maximum width or diameter of the recess. For example, the width 15w2 of the opening defined by the end 15s2 may be the minimum width or diameter of the recess. In some arrangements, the tapered configuration of the sidewalls of the recess defined by the extension 15s may facilitate welding operations (eg, Figure 2K ), because the bonding material 17 can more easily climb onto the extension 15s. Moreover, the tapered structure can facilitate the antenna element 16 (such as Figure 4E Electroplating of the substrate (shown in FIG. 1 ).

[0038] In some arrangements, the width 15w2 may be substantially equal to the width 13w of the interconnect structure 13. In some arrangements, the width 15w2 may be greater than the width 13w of the interconnect structure 13 (eg, Figure 3 In some arrangements, the width 15w2 may be smaller than the width 13w of the interconnect structure 13 (eg, Figure 5 ).

[0039] The main portion of the cover 15 may have a thickness 15t in the range of about 0.5 mm to about 1.1 mm, for example 0.8 mm. The distance (e.g., the shortest distance) 15st between the main portion and the surface 121 of the enclosure 12 may range from about 1.1 mm to about 1.7 mm, for example 1.4 mm. As previously described, the main portion may define an air cavity above the enclosure 12, and the size of the air cavity may range from about 1.1 mm to about 1.7 mm, for example 1.4 mm. The extension 15s may be disposed or positioned in the air cavity.

[0040] The antenna element 16 may be disposed above or on the cover 15. The antenna element 16 may be configured to radiate and / or receive electromagnetic (EM) signals, such as radio frequency (RF) signals. The antenna element 16 may include an antenna array or an antenna pattern. The antenna element 16 may be of any suitable type, such as a patch antenna, a slot-coupled antenna, a stacked patch, a dipole, a monopole, etc., and may have different orientations and / or polarizations.

[0041] The antenna element 16 may include an ultra-wideband antenna. In the simulation results of S11 (dB) versus frequency of the antenna element 16, the frequency range / band where the reflection is very low (less than 10% of the feed signal, ie -10 dB) is approximately 7.86 GHz and 8.06 GHz.

[0042] The antenna element 16 may include a conductive material such as a metal or a metal alloy. Examples of conductive materials include gold (Au), silver (Ag), copper (Cu), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), other metals or alloys, or a combination of two or more thereof.

[0043] The antenna element 16 may be supported by the cover 15. The antenna element 16 may be conformally disposed above the main portion and the extension 15s of the cover 15. The antenna element 16 and the cover 15 may be supported by the encapsulation 12. Since the antenna element 16 is supported by the cover 15, the cover 15 including the antenna element 16 may be considered as an antenna assembly. On the other hand, other elements (e.g., the carrier 10, 11, the encapsulation 12, the interconnection structure 13, the bonding material 17, the power source 18 and the Figure 2K The electronic components 20 and 21 in the figure can be regarded as packaging structures.

[0044] The antenna element 16 may have a main portion (or body or base portion) 16m disposed above or on the cover 15 and an extension 16s extending from the main portion 16m toward the enclosure 12. The main portion may include a planar structure. The main portion 16m of the antenna element 16 may be disposed above or on the main portion of the cover 15.

[0045] The extension 16s may be disposed above or on the sidewalls of the recess defined by the extension 15s. The extension 16s may extend between the main portion 16m of the antenna element 16 and the surface 121 of the encapsulant 12. The extension 16s may extend along the sidewalls of the recess defined by the extension 15s, such as Figure 1A However, in some arrangements, the extension 16s may not extend along the sidewalls of the recess defined by the extension 15s. The antenna element 16 may have an opening or recess 16r recessed from the main portion 16m of the antenna element 16.

[0046] The extension 16s may be or define the sidewalls of the recess 16r. The sidewalls of the recess 16r defined by the extension 16s may gradually narrow toward the enclosure 12. In some arrangements, the extension 16s may include or serve as a transmission line (e.g., a coaxial cable, a two-wire line, a waveguide, etc.). For example, the interconnect structure 13 may be electrically connected to the antenna element 16 through the extension 16s and the bonding material 17.

[0047] The extension 16s and the bonding material 17 may be configured to feed the RF signal into the antenna element 16. In some arrangements, the antenna element 16 may be provided with an electronic component (e.g., Figure 2K The electronic components 20 and 21 in the figure and / or the feeding network (not shown) generate the RF signal.

[0048] In some arrangements, the carrier 10 may include a ground element (not shown), such as a reference layer, a ground layer, or a ground plane. The ground layer may be configured to ground the antenna element 16. In some arrangements, the ground layer may be configured to provide a return path for the RF signal and reduce signal noise.

[0049] In some arrangements, the space between the main portion of cover 15 and carrier 10 may act as a resonant cavity. For example, EM waves radiated or emitted by antenna element 16 may resonate in the resonant cavity. In some arrangements, the main portion may define an air cavity above enclosure 12, and the air cavity may be part of the resonant cavity.

[0050] In some arrangements, the distance between a major portion of cover 15 and carrier 10 (eg, the sum of the shortest distance, distance 15st, thickness 12t, and thickness 11t) may be about one quarter of the wavelength of an EM wave radiated by antenna element 16.

[0051] The bonding material 17 may be disposed in the recess 12r of the encapsulation 12. The bonding material 17 may at least partially protrude from the surface 121 of the encapsulation 12. The bonding material 17 may be at least partially surrounded by the extension 15s and / or the extension 16s. The bonding material 17 may include a reflowable material or a welding material. In some arrangements, the bonding material 17 may include gallium (Ga), indium (In), tin (Sn), bismuth (Bi), or other suitable materials. The reflowable temperature of the bonding material 17 may be about 260 degrees Celsius or higher.

[0052] The power source 18 may be disposed above or on the carrier 10. The power source 18 may include a battery. In some arrangements, the power source 18 may be configured to provide a power signal (or power) to an electronic component (e.g., Figure 2K In some arrangements, the number and location of power supplies may be adjusted according to design requirements, such as cost, size, ease of maintenance, etc. For example, covers 14 and 15 may be opened to replace power supply 18.

[0053] Figure 1B A cross-sectional view of the electronic device 1a is illustrated after reflow or melting of the bonding material 17. The interconnect structure 13 and the extension 16s of the antenna element 16 are connected by the bonding material 17.

[0054] In some arrangements, when the reflowable temperature of the bonding material 17 is reached (which may be approximately 260 degrees Celsius or greater), the bonding material 17 may soften, liquefy, or become flowable and may climb / flow onto the extension 16s of the antenna element 16 (e.g., into the recess 16r defined by the extension 16s).

[0055] In some arrangements, the bonding material 17 may be connected to the extension 16s of the antenna element 16 to form a bonding structure or bonding element. In some arrangements, the bonding material 17 may provide a connection between the extension 16s of the antenna element 16 and the interconnect structure 13. In some arrangements, the bonding material 17 may wet with the extension 16s of the antenna element 16 and maintain contact with the extension 16s of the antenna element 16. The bonding material 17 may be supported by the cover 15. The bonding material 17 may be supported by the antenna element 16. The antenna element 16 and the bonding material 17 may be conformally disposed above the main portion and the extension 15s of the cover 15. The antenna element 16 and the bonding material 17 may be conformally disposed on the top surface (or upper surface, such as Figure 1A ) above the

[0056] In some arrangements, the bonding structure may have a curved side surface when viewed in cross-section due to the surface tension exhibited by the reflowable material of the bonding material 17 at the reflowable temperature. In some arrangements, the bonding material 17 may completely or partially fill the recess 16r defined by the extension 16s, depending on the amount of the bonding material 17. In some arrangements, the bonding material 17 may contact the lower portion (or lower surface) of the extension 16s.

[0057] Figure 1C A perspective view illustrating an electronic device 1c according to some arrangements of the present disclosure. Figure 1A and Figure 1C The same or similar elements may be provided with the same reference numerals and / or letters and will not be repeated below for the sake of brevity.

[0058] In some arrangements, for example, the electronic device 1c may be or include a wireless device, such as a user equipment (UE), a mobile station, a mobile device, a device communicating with the Internet of Things (IoT), a target sensor, etc. The electronic device 1c may be configured in applications including but not limited to data collection, positioning, tracking, etc.

[0059] The electronic device 1c may include a plurality of antenna elements, including antenna elements 16 and 16'. The antenna elements may each have a notch, such as notches 16r and 16r'. The bonding materials 17 and 17' (at the Figure 2K Before the welding operation in FIG. 1 ). The notch may be arranged at the farthest point to avoid EM interference. For example, the notch may be arranged at the farthest point to prevent the antenna elements from interfering with each other.

[0060] In some arrangements, the antenna elements may have different frequencies (or operating frequencies) or bandwidths (or operating bandwidths). For example, the antenna elements may be configured to radiate EM waves of different frequencies or different bandwidths. For example, the antenna element 16 may have an operating frequency that is higher than the operating frequency of the antenna element 16', or vice versa. For example, the antenna element 16 may operate at a frequency of about 39 GHz, and the antenna element 16' may operate at a frequency of about 28 GHz, or vice versa.

[0061] In some arrangements, the antenna elements may each include a plate or plate shape. The antenna elements may each include a rectangular shape. However, the antenna elements may each include other shapes, such as circular, elliptical, triangular, quadrilateral, polygonal, etc. Figure 1C The shapes, positions and numbers of antenna elements in FIG. 1 are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. The more antennas there are, the more accurate the position is.

[0062] In a comparative arrangement, the coupling component may be coupled to the feed point and / or ground point of the antenna layer. The coupling component requires installation space, which may be a bottleneck for packaging minimization and production efficiency. In addition, signal transmission through the coupling component may be unstable and may unintentionally affect antenna performance.

[0063] According to some arrangements of the present disclosure, a radiating portion (e.g., an antenna assembly including antenna element 16) and a circuit system portion (e.g., other elements considered as a package structure (e.g., carrier 10, 11, encapsulation 12, interconnect structure 13, bonding material 17, power supply 18 and Figure 2K The electronic components 20 and 21 in the embodiment of the present invention do not require coupling components and the manufacturing cost is low. The size of the electronic device 1c along the x / y axis (for example, parallel to Figure 1A The surface 111 of the carrier 11 in FIG.

[0064] In addition, the air cavity between the main part of the cover 15 and the enclosure 12 can act as a resonant cavity. The air cavity has a relatively lower dielectric constant (Dk) than the enclosure 12. The signal transmission loss of the electronic device 1c can be reduced, and the antenna gain of the electronic device 1c can be increased.

[0065] Figure 2A , 2B , 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 2H, 2I, 2J, and 2K are cross-sections of one or more stages of a method of manufacturing an electronic device according to some arrangements of the present disclosure. In some arrangements, Figure 1C The electronic device 1c in the Figure 2A , 2B , 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 2H, 2I, 2J and 2K. In some arrangements, the cross section is taken through line AA' Figure 1C cross section.

[0066] refer to Figure 2A , providing a carrier 11. In some arrangements, the carrier 11 may include a copper clad laminate (CCL) substrate, which includes several carrier units, one of which may be separated from another carrier unit by a score line (not shown). Since each of the carrier units undergoes similar or identical processes in the manufacturing method, only one exemplary carrier unit is illustrated in the cross-sectional view for convenience.

[0067] refer to Figure 2B, the interconnect structures 13 and 13' may be disposed above or on the surface 111 of the carrier 11. The interconnect structures 13 and 13' may be connected to the carrier 11 through the electrical contacts 13e. The electronic components 20 and 21 may be disposed above or on the surface 111 of the carrier 11. The electronic components 20 and 21 may each be electrically coupled to the carrier 11 through solder bonding, Cu to Cu bonding, wire bonding, or hybrid bonding.

[0068] Electronic component 20 and electronic component 21 may each be a chip or die including a semiconductor substrate, one or more integrated circuit devices and one or more overlying interconnect structures. The integrated circuit device may include active devices such as transistors and / or passive devices such as resistors, capacitors, inductors, or a combination thereof. In some arrangements, electronic component 20 and electronic component 21 may each include a transmitter, a receiver, or a transceiver. In some arrangements, electronic component 20 and electronic component 21 may each include a processing unit and / or a controller. In some arrangements, electronic component 20 and electronic component 21 may each include a radio frequency IC (RFIC), an analog-to-digital (A / D) converter, a digital / analog (D / A) converter, a filter, a low noise amplifier (LNA), a power amplifier, a multiplexer, a demultiplexer, a modulator and / or a demodulator, etc. In some arrangements, depending on the design requirements, there may be any number of electronic components.

[0069] Electronic components 20 and 21 may each be electrically coupled to an antenna element (eg, Figure 2K 1 and 13'). The electronic components 20 and 21 may each be electrically coupled to the antenna elements through the carrier 11 and the interconnect structures 13 and 13'. In some arrangements, the electronic components 20 and 21 may each be configured to generate RF signals for transmission via the antenna elements and / or process RF signals received from the antenna elements. In some arrangements, the signal transmission path may be obtained through the carrier 11 and the interconnect structures 13 and 13'.

[0070] In some arrangements, the electronic components 20 and the electronic components 21 may each be configured to control the antenna elements. For example, the electronic components 20 and the electronic components 21 may each be configured to control the feed start and end time, the feed duration, the number of feed points, the location of the feed points, RF impedance matching, the transmit start and end time, the receive start and end time, the ground start and end time, the ground duration, the number of ground points, the location of the ground points, the frequency (or operating frequency), the bandwidth (or operating bandwidth), the wavelength of the EM wave, etc.

[0071] refer to Figure 2C, the encapsulant 12 may be disposed over the carrier 11 to cover the electronic components 20 and 21 and the interconnect structures 13 and 13'. In some arrangements, the encapsulant 12 may be formed by a molding technique such as transfer molding, injection molding, or compression molding.

[0072] refer to Figure 2D , a portion of the encapsulant 12 may be removed by, for example, a grinding operation.

[0073] refer to Figure 2E , a portion of the encapsulant 12 may be removed by, for example, a laser cutting operation to form recesses 12r and 12r' of the encapsulant 12. A top surface of the interconnect structure 13 may be exposed from the recess 12r, and a top surface of the interconnect structure 13' may be exposed from the recess 12r'.

[0074] refer to Figure 2F , bonding materials 17 and 17 ′ may be disposed in recesses 12 r and 12 r ′ of encapsulation 12 , respectively.

[0075] refer to Figure 2G , the carrier 11 and the encapsulant 12 are singulated or cut into a plurality of individual units in a singulation operation. In some arrangements, the singulation operation may be applied using a saw blade or a laser cutting tool. The singulation operation may include cutting or sawing four sides of the carrier unit. Individual units indicated by dashed boxes are obtained.

[0076] refer to Figure 2H ,from Figure 2G The individual units obtained by the singulation operation in the embodiment may be disposed above the carrier 10. The power supply 18 may be disposed above the carrier 10. In some arrangements, Figure 2G The bonding materials 17 and 17' are formed after the singulation operation in the embodiment. In some arrangements, the bonding materials 17 and 17' can be formed after the singulation operation in the embodiment. Figure 2H The bonding materials 17 and 17' are formed after the singulation operation in the embodiment.

[0077] refer to Fig.2I ,from Figure 2H The obtained individual units can be placed in the cover 14. The cover 14 can have a base and a side wall extending from the base. The base can contact the power supply 18, and the side wall can contact the carrier 10.

[0078] refer to Figure 2J, the cover 15 can be attached to the cover 14 by, for example, using an alignment machine. In some arrangements, the antenna elements 16 and 16' can be preformed in the cover 15 by a laser direct structuring (LDS) process. For example, the antenna design can be transferred to a surface, an injection molded structure (which can include a liquid crystal polymer (LCP)) by activating the surface with a laser beam. During activation, a physicochemical reaction can produce metal nuclei. In addition to activation, the laser beam can also form a micro-rough surface, and copper will firmly anchor itself on the micro-rough surface during metallization. After activation, an electroplating process can be performed to form the antenna elements 16 and 16'.

[0079] refer to Figure 2K , a soldering operation may be performed to reflow or melt the bonding materials 17 and 17'. Figure 2J The structure is placed in a heat chamber, and a welding operation can be performed by heating the chamber and / or passing a heated gas or liquid medium through the recesses 16r and 16r' to heat the joining materials 17 and 17'.

[0080] In some arrangements, such as Figure 2K As shown in FIG. 1 , the bonding materials 17 and 17' may soften or become flowable so as to crawl into the recesses 16r and 16r'. The bonding materials 17 and 17' may be connected to the antenna elements 16 and 16', respectively, so as to form a continuous body of the bonding structure.

[0081] In some arrangements, the bonding temperature for bonding antenna elements 16 and 16' and interconnect structures 13 and 13' (or the reflowable temperature of bonding material 17) may be about 260 degrees Celsius or higher. Thus, cover 15 may withstand temperatures up to 260 degrees Celsius or higher.

[0082] Figure 3 A cross-sectional view illustrating an electronic device 3 according to some arrangements of the present disclosure. Figure 3 The electronic device 3 is similar to Figure 1A The electronic device 1a in FIG. 1 is different from the electronic device 1a in FIG. 1 and ...

[0083] The electronic device 3 may not include the carrier 10 and the cover 14. The cover 15 may cover the encapsulation 12. The cover 15 may be in contact with the encapsulation 12. The resonant cavity may not include an air cavity to reduce the size of the electronic device 3. The width (e.g., minimum width) 15w2 of the distal end of the recess of the cover 15 may be greater than the width 13w of the interconnection structure 13. Since the molding material (e.g., the minimum width) of the encapsulation 12 cannot be electroplated, the resonant cavity may not include an air cavity to reduce the size of the electronic device 3. Figure 4E ), so the bonding material 17 can be used to connect the interconnect structure 13 to the extension 16s of the antenna element 16.

[0084] In some arrangements, the greater width 15 w 2 of the cover 15 may enhance the structural strength and stability of the interconnect structure 13 .

[0085] In some arrangements, the power source 18 may include a rechargeable battery. In some arrangements, the electronic device 3 may include a charging port 30 and may be connected to an external power source through a connector (e.g., a cable or wire). Power may be supplied to the power source 18 through the connector, the charging port 30, and the conductive structure of the carrier 11. In some other arrangements, the power source 18 may be charged by using a self-generator (e.g., an inductive charger), sunlight, or a contactless charging method. For example, the power source 18 may not require a connector and may be charged wirelessly. Therefore, no battery replacement is required.

[0086] Figure 4A , 4B 4C, 4D, 4E, 4F, and 4G are cross-sections of one or more stages of a method of manufacturing an electronic device according to some arrangements of the present disclosure. In some arrangements, Figure 3 The electronic device 3 in the Figure 4A , 4B , 4C, 4D, 4E, 4F and 4G are manufactured by the following operations.

[0087] Reference Figure 2C After Figure 4A , a portion of the encapsulant 12 may be removed by, for example, a grinding operation.

[0088] refer to Figure 4B In a singulation operation, the carrier 11 and the encapsulant 12 are singulated or cut into a plurality of individual units. Individual units indicated by dashed boxes are obtained.

[0089] refer to Figure 4C The cover 15 can be formed by a molding technique such as transfer molding, injection molding or compression molding to cover the Figure 4B Individual units obtained by single cutting operation.

[0090] refer to Figure 4D , a portion of the encapsulant 12 and a portion of the cover 15 may be removed by, for example, a laser cutting operation to form recesses 12r and 12r' through the encapsulant 12 and the cover 15. The top surface of the interconnection structure 13 may be exposed from the recess 12r, and the top surface of the interconnection structure 13' may be exposed from the recess 12r'. A portion of the cover 15 may be removed to form an opening 30r for connecting the power source 18.

[0091] refer to Figure 4E, the antenna elements 16 and 16' may be formed in the recesses 12r and 12r' by electroplating. A conductive film may be formed over the sidewalls of the recesses 12r and 12r'. In addition, the charging port 30 may be formed in the opening 30r for connecting the power source 18. In some arrangements, the antenna elements 16 and 16' may be formed in the recesses 12r and 12r' by a laser direct structuring (LDS) process.

[0092] refer to Figure 4F , bonding materials 17 and 17' may be disposed in recesses 12r and 12r', respectively. Since encapsulant 12 may not be plated, bonding material 17 may be configured to connect interconnect structure 13 to antenna element 16, and bonding material 17' may be configured to connect interconnect structure 13' to antenna element 16'.

[0093] refer to Figure 4G , a soldering operation may be performed to reflow or melt the bonding materials 17 and 17'. The bonding materials 17 and 17' may soften or become flowable. The bonding materials 17 and 17' may cover the bottom surface of the recesses 12r and 12r'. In some arrangements, the bonding materials 17 and 17' may crawl over the antenna elements 16 and 16' (or crawl into the recesses 16r and 16r').

[0094] Figure 5 A cross-sectional view illustrating an electronic device 5 according to some arrangements of the present disclosure. Figure 5 The electronic device 5 is similar to Figure 3 The electronic device 3 in the embodiment is different as follows.

[0095] The width (e.g., minimum width) 15w2 of the distal end of the recess of the cover 15 may be smaller than the width 13w of the interconnection structure 13. In some arrangements, as the width 15w2 becomes smaller, more antenna elements may be arranged or placed above the cover 15. In addition, since the interconnection structure 13 contacts the cover 15 and the molding material of the encapsulant 12 is not exposed, the bonding material 17 is not required. Therefore, the design flexibility of the connection between the interconnection structure 13 and the antenna element is better.

[0096] Fig. 6A , 6B , 6C, 6D, and 6E are cross-sections of one or more stages of a method of manufacturing an electronic device according to some arrangements of the present disclosure. In some arrangements, Figure 5 The electronic device 5 can be Fig. 6A , 6B , 6C, 6D and 6E are manufactured by the following operations.

[0097] Reference Figure 2C After Fig. 6A, a portion of the encapsulant 12 may be removed by, for example, a grinding operation. The top surfaces 13t and 13t' of the interconnect structures 13 and 13' may be substantially coplanar with the surface 121 of the encapsulant 12.

[0098] refer to Figure 6B In a singulation operation, the carrier 11 and the encapsulant 12 are singulated or cut into a plurality of individual units. Individual units indicated by dashed boxes are obtained.

[0099] refer to Figure 6C The cover 15 can be formed by a molding technique such as transfer molding, injection molding or compression molding to cover the Figure 6B Individual units obtained by single cutting operation.

[0100] refer to Fig.6D , a portion of the cover 15 may be removed by, for example, a laser cutting operation to form recesses 15r and 15r' of the cover 15. The top surface 13t of the interconnection structure 13 may be exposed from the recess 15r, and the top surface 13t' of the interconnection structure 13' may be exposed from the recess 15r'. A portion of the cover 15 may be removed to form an opening 30r for connecting the power source 18.

[0101] refer to Fig. 6E , antenna elements 16 and 16' may be formed in the recesses 15r and 15r' by electroplating. A conductive film may be formed over the side walls of the recesses 15r and 15r'. A conductive film may be formed over the top surfaces 13t and 13t' of the interconnect structures 13 and 13'. In some arrangements, antenna elements 16 and 16' may be formed in the recesses 15r and 15r' by an LDS process. For example, the cover 15 may be activated. After activation, an electroplating process may be performed to form antenna elements 16 and 16' over the side walls of the recesses 15r and 15r' and over the top surfaces 13t and 13t' of the interconnect structures 13 and 13'. In addition, a charging port 30 may be formed in an opening 30r for connecting a power source 18.

[0102] Fig. 7A A cross-sectional view illustrating an electronic device 7a according to some arrangements of the present disclosure. Fig. 7A The electronic device 7a is similar to Figure 1A The electronic device 1a and Figure 3 The electronic device 3 in the embodiment is different as follows.

[0103] The electronic device 7a may not include the cover 14. The enclosure 12 may be contained in a space 15p defined by the cover 15. The cover 15 may contact a surface 121 of the enclosure 12. The first portion 15i1 of the cover 15 may cover a side wall (or side surface) 123 of the enclosure 12. The first portion 15i1 of the cover 15 may be disposed adjacent to the side wall 123 of the enclosure 12. The first portion 15i1 of the cover 15 may be spaced apart from the side wall 123 of the enclosure 12. The second portion 15i2 of the cover 15 may contact a side wall (or side surface) 124 of the enclosure 12 opposite to the side wall 123. The size of the cover 15 and the size of the enclosure 12 may have an engineering tolerance. There may be a gap 15g1 between the cover 15 and the enclosure 12.

[0104] Figure 7B A cross-sectional view illustrating an electronic device 7b according to some arrangements of the present disclosure. Figure 7B The electronic device 7b is similar to Fig. 7A The electronic device 7a in FIG. 1 is different in that there may be gaps 15g1 and 15g2 on opposite sides of the enclosure 12. The gap 15g2 may be larger than the gap 15g1. The distance between the second portion 15i2 of the cover 15 and the side wall 124 of the enclosure 12 may be different from the distance between the first portion 15i1 of the cover 15 and the side wall 123 of the enclosure 12.

[0105] Figure 7C A perspective view illustrating an electronic device 7c according to some arrangements of the present disclosure. Fig. 7A and Figure 7C The same or similar elements between the embodiments may use the same reference numerals and / or letters and will not be repeated below for the sake of brevity. Fig. 7A The carrier 10 may include a mainboard of a user equipment (UE).

[0106] Fig. 8A and 8B is a cross-section of one or more stages of a method of manufacturing an electronic device according to some arrangements of the present disclosure. In some arrangements, Figure 7C The electronic device 7c in the Fig. 8A and 8B In some arrangements, the cross section is taken through line BB' Figure 7C cross section.

[0107] Reference Figure 2G After Fig. 8A ,from Figure 2GThe individual units obtained by the singulation operation in the embodiment of the present invention may be arranged above the carrier 10. The cover 15 may be attached to the encapsulation 12 by, for example, using an alignment machine. In some arrangements, the antenna elements 16 and 16' may be preformed in the cover 15. The bonding material 17 may be arranged in the recesses 12r and 12r' of the encapsulation 12.

[0108] refer to Figure 8B , a soldering operation may be performed to reflow or melt the bonding material 17. The bonding material 17 may soften or become flowable. The bonding material 17 may cover the bottom surface of the recess 16r. In some arrangements, the bonding material 17 may crawl over the antenna element 16 (or crawl into the recess 16r).

[0109] Fig. 9A A cross-sectional view illustrating an electronic device 9a according to some arrangements of the present disclosure. Fig. 9A The electronic device 9a is similar to Fig. 7A The electronic device 7a in FIG. 1 is different in that the cover 15 can be attached to the surface 121 of the encapsulation 12 by an adhesive layer 90. The adhesive layer 90 can be filled in the opening of the cover 15. The adhesive layer 90 can provide fixation to prevent the cover 15 from deviating from its original position due to the softening of the bonding material 17 due to heat, thereby avoiding affecting the quality of the signal transmission path and the antenna characteristics. In some arrangements, the adhesive layer 90 may include a thermosetting tape, which can be thermally and / or optically cured to provide adhesion. As an example, the material of the adhesive layer 90 may be a thermosetting gel containing monomers such as resin monomers, hardeners, catalysts, solvents, diluents, fillers and other additives.

[0110] Fig. 9B A cross-sectional view illustrating an electronic device 9b according to some arrangements of the present disclosure. Fig. 9B The electronic device 9b is similar to Fig. 9A The electronic device 9a in FIG. 1 is different in that an adhesive layer 91 is applied to the surface 121 of the encapsulant 12. In some arrangements, the adhesive layer 91 may be disposed in the gap 15g1. The adhesive layer 91 may provide fixation to prevent the cover 15 from deviating from its original position due to the softening of the bonding material 17 by heat, thereby avoiding affecting the quality of the signal transmission path and the antenna characteristics.

[0111] As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" may include plural or plural referents unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0112] As used herein, the terms "conductive," "electrically conductive," and "conductivity" refer to the ability to carry an electric current. Conductive materials are materials that present little or no resistance to the flow of electric current. One unit of measurement for conductivity is Siemens per meter (S / m). Typically, a conductive material is one that has a conductivity greater than about 10 4 S / m, for example at least 10 5 S / m or at least 10 6 S / m of a material. The conductivity of a material sometimes varies with temperature. Unless otherwise specified, the conductivity of a material is measured at room temperature.

[0113] As used herein, the terms "approximately," "substantially," "generally," "about," and "about" are used to describe and explain minor variations. When used in conjunction with an event or circumstance, these terms may refer to instances where the event or circumstance occurred exactly as well as instances where the event or circumstance occurred very approximately. For example, when used in conjunction with a numerical value, these terms may refer to a range of variation of less than or equal to ±10% of the numerical value, such as less than or equal to ±5%, less than or equal to ±4%, less than or equal to ±3%, less than or equal to ±2%, less than or equal to ±1%, less than or equal to ±0.5%, less than or equal to ±0.1%, or less than or equal to ±0.05%. For example, two numerical values ​​may be considered "substantially" the same or equal if the difference between the values ​​is less than or equal to ±10% of the average value of the values, such as less than or equal to ±5%, less than or equal to ±4%, less than or equal to ±3%, less than or equal to ±2%, less than or equal to ±1%, less than or equal to ±0.5%, less than or equal to ±0.1%, or less than or equal to ±0.05%. For example, "substantially" parallel can refer to an angle range of less than or equal to ±10° relative to 0°, such as less than or equal to ±5°, less than or equal to ±4°, less than or equal to ±3°, less than or equal to ±2°, less than or equal to ±1°, less than or equal to ±0.5°, less than or equal to ±0.1°, or less than or equal to ±0.05°. For example, "substantially" perpendicular can refer to an angle range of less than or equal to ±10° relative to 90°, such as less than or equal to ±5°, less than or equal to ±4°, less than or equal to ±3°, less than or equal to ±2°, less than or equal to ±1°, less than or equal to ±0.5°, less than or equal to ±0.1°, or less than or equal to ±0.05°.

[0114] In addition, amounts, ratios and other numerical values ​​are sometimes presented herein in a range format. It should be understood that such a range format is used for the sake of convenience and brevity, and should be flexibly construed to include not only the values ​​explicitly specified as the limits of the range, but also all individual values ​​or sub-ranges encompassed within the range, as if each value and sub-range were explicitly specified.

[0115] Although the present disclosure has been described and illustrated with reference to the specific embodiments of the present disclosure, these descriptions and illustrations are not restrictive. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be replaced without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims. The illustrations may not necessarily be drawn to scale. Due to manufacturing processes and tolerances, there may be differences between the process reproduction in the present disclosure and the actual equipment. There may be other embodiments that are not specifically described in the present disclosure. The description and drawings should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Modifications may be made to make specific situations, materials, material compositions, methods or processes suitable for the goals, spirit and scope of the present disclosure. All such modifications are deemed to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although the disclosed method has been described herein with reference to specific operations performed in a specific order, it should be understood that these operations may be combined, subdivided or reordered to form equivalent methods without departing from the teachings of the present disclosure. Therefore, unless specifically indicated herein, the order and grouping of operations are not limitations of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising: Circuit structure; an interconnect structure disposed above the circuit structure; as well as An antenna element is disposed over the interconnect structure, wherein the antenna element defines a first recess having sidewalls, and the sidewalls of the first recess of the antenna element are configured to feed a signal to the antenna element and electrically connect to the interconnect structure. 2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the sidewall of the first recess of the antenna element extends from a base portion of the antenna element toward the interconnect structure.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising: An encapsulant encapsulates the interconnect structure and supports the antenna element, wherein the encapsulant defines a second recess that exposes at least a portion of an upper surface of the interconnect structure.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising: A carrier supports the antenna element and is spaced apart from the circuit structure. 5 . The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein a space between the antenna element and the circuit structure acts as a resonant cavity for electromagnetic waves.

6. The electronic device according to claim 5, further comprising: An encapsulant encapsulates the interconnect structure and is disposed between the circuit structure and the carrier, wherein the encapsulant is a part of the resonant cavity. 7 . The electronic device according to claim 6 , wherein the carrier comprises a main portion spaced apart from the encapsulation and an extension portion extending from the main portion toward the encapsulation.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the antenna element is conformally disposed on the main portion and the extension.

9. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the antenna element is conformally disposed on an upper surface of the interconnect structure. 10 . The electronic device according to claim 7 , wherein the extension portion gradually narrows toward the enclosure.

11. An electronic device comprising: an antenna assembly comprising an antenna pattern; A packaging structure disposed below the antenna assembly; as well as A connection member contacts a side wall of the antenna pattern and electrically connects the antenna pattern and the packaging structure. The electronic device according to claim 11 , wherein the connecting member comprises a soldering material. 13 . The electronic device according to claim 11 , wherein the connection member contacts a lower surface of the antenna pattern of the antenna assembly. 14 . The electronic device according to claim 11 , wherein the packaging structure comprises an encapsulant having a recess and an interconnection structure at least partially exposed by the encapsulant, wherein a portion of the connector is disposed in the recess and electrically connects the antenna pattern and the interconnection structure.

15. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the antenna assembly includes an opening, and the connector is at least partially disposed in the opening. 16 . The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the antenna pattern is at least partially disposed in the opening and is disposed around the connection member.

17. An electronic device comprising: A package structure comprising an electronic component; as well as An antenna component is supported by the package structure, wherein the antenna component at least partially covers a first side surface of the package structure and has an antenna pattern electrically connected to the electronic component. 18 . The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein the antenna component comprises a first portion disposed adjacent to and spaced apart from the first side surface of the package structure.

19. An electronic device according to claim 18, wherein the antenna component includes a second portion, the second portion is disposed adjacent to a second side surface opposite to the first side surface of the packaging structure, wherein a distance between the first portion of the antenna component and the first side surface of the packaging structure is different from a distance between the second portion of the antenna component and the second side surface of the packaging structure.

20. The electronic device according to claim 17, further comprising: A connector is at least partially disposed within the packaging structure and the antenna assembly.

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