Antenna module and communication device mounted with same

Abstract

An antenna module (100) is provided with: a first substrate (131) having a first surface and a second surface facing each other; a second substrate (132) having a third surface and a fourth surface that face each other, the second substrate (132) being disposed such that the second surface and the third surface of the first substrate (131) face each other; radiation elements (141A-141D) provided on the first surface side of the first substrate (131); a first ground electrode (GND1) which is provided on the first substrate (131) and which faces the radiating elements (141A-141D) in the normal direction of the first substrate (131); a power inductor (180) that is provided closer to the second substrate (132) than the first ground electrode (GND1) when the first substrate (131) is viewed in a plane from the normal direction; and electronic components (110, 170) provided on the fourth surface side of the second substrate (132) and connected to the power inductor (180), the power inductor (180) having: a magnetic core (181); and a winding (182) wound around the magnetic core (181) across the first substrate (131) and the second substrate (132), and provided with recesses (1310, 1320) in which the magnetic core (181) is disposed on at least one of the second surface side of the first substrate (131) and the third surface side of the second substrate (132).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an antenna module and a communication device equipped with the antenna module, and more particularly, to a technology for suppressing degradation of antenna characteristics. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, many devices that use antenna modules have been required to be miniaturized and thinned, and antenna modules are required to be low in height. Generally, an antenna module includes a substrate, a radiating element mounted on the substrate, and various electronic components. For example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-186741 (Patent Document 1) describes an antenna module in which an antenna element is mounted on one surface of a substrate and a plurality of electronic components are arranged on the other surface of the substrate.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-186741 Summary of the invention

[0006] Problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] Representative examples of such electronic components mounted on the substrate of the antenna module include RFIC (Radio Frequency Integrated Circuit), PMIC (Power Management Integrated Circuit), and power inductors. By suppressing the height of these electronic components in the normal direction relative to the substrate surface, the antenna module can be made low in height. In particular, the size of the power inductor is much larger than that of other electronic components, so thinning the power inductor is effective for making the antenna module low in height.

[0008] The power inductor is composed of a magnetic core and a winding wound around the magnetic core. In order to improve the DC superposition characteristics of the power inductor, the thickness of the magnetic core needs to be increased. If the thickness of the power inductor is reduced in order to achieve a low height of the antenna module, the DC superposition characteristics of the power inductor will be reduced, and the antenna characteristics of the antenna module will be degraded.

[0009] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present disclosure is to reduce the height of an antenna module without deteriorating antenna characteristics.

[0010] Solutions for solving problems

[0011] The antenna module disclosed in the present invention includes: a first substrate having a first surface and a second surface relative to each other; a second substrate having a third surface and a fourth surface relative to each other, and arranged in a manner that the second surface of the first substrate is relative to the third surface; a first ground electrode, which is provided on the first substrate and is opposite to the radiation element in the normal direction of the first substrate; a power inductor, which is provided at a position closer to the second substrate side than the first ground electrode when the first substrate is observed from the plane in the normal direction; and an electronic component, which is provided on the fourth surface side of the second substrate and is connected to the power inductor, and the power inductor includes: a magnetic core; and a winding, which is wound around the magnetic core across the first substrate and the second substrate, and a recess for arranging the magnetic core is provided on at least one of the second surface side of the first substrate and the third surface side of the second substrate.

[0012] Effects of the Invention

[0013] According to the present disclosure, the height of the antenna module can be reduced without deteriorating antenna characteristics. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of a communication device to which the antenna module according to Embodiment 1 is applied.

[0015] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A top view and a side perspective view of the antenna module.

[0016] Figure 3 It means it is applied to Figure 1 A diagram showing a specific example of a power inductor for an antenna module.

[0017] Figure 4 It is a side perspective view of the antenna module according to the second embodiment.

[0018] Figure 5 This is a side perspective view of the antenna module according to the third embodiment.

[0019] Figure 6 It is a side perspective view of the antenna module according to the fourth embodiment.

[0020] Figure 7 This is a side perspective view of the antenna module according to the fifth embodiment.

[0021] Figure 8 It is a side perspective view of the antenna module according to the sixth embodiment.

[0022] Fig. 9 This is a block diagram of a communication device to which the antenna module of Embodiment 7 is applied.

[0023] Fig.10 yes Fig. 9 A top view of the antenna module.

[0024] Fig.11 Is installed Fig. 9 A side view of the status of the antenna module.

[0025] Fig.12 It is used to illustrate Fig. 9 A diagram showing the connection configuration of a power supply line relative to a radiating element in an antenna module. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, the same reference numerals are given to the same or corresponding parts in the drawings, and their description will not be repeated.

[0027] [Implementation Method 1]

[0028] (Basic structure of communication device)

[0029] Figure 1 This is an example of a block diagram of a communication device 10 to which the antenna module 100 of Embodiment 1 is applied. The communication device 10 is, for example, a portable terminal such as a mobile phone, a smart phone, or a tablet computer, a personal computer with a communication function, etc. An example of a frequency band of radio waves used by the antenna module 100 of Embodiment 1 is radio waves in the millimeter wave band with a center frequency of, for example, 28 GHz and 60 GHz, but radio waves in other frequency bands can also be applied to the antenna module of the present disclosure.

[0030] Reference Figure 1 The communication device 10 includes an antenna module 100 and a BBIC 200 constituting a baseband signal processing circuit. The antenna module 100 includes an RFIC 110, a PMIC 170, a power inductor 180, and an antenna device 120. The RFIC 110 and the PMIC 170 are examples of electronic components (power supply circuits).

[0031] PMIC 170 and RFIC 110 are connected via a plurality of signal paths. The plurality of signal paths include a path directly connecting PMIC 170 and RFIC 110 and a path connecting PMIC 170 and RFIC 110 via power inductor 180. A signal for power supply is transmitted from PMIC 170 to RFIC 110 via power inductor 180.

[0032] The communication device 10 up-converts the signal transmitted from the BBIC 200 to the antenna module 100 into a high frequency signal by the RFIC 110 and radiates it from the antenna device 120. The communication device 10 transmits the high frequency signal received by the antenna device 120 to the RFIC 110 and down-converts it and processes the signal by the BBIC 200.

[0033] The antenna device 120 includes dielectric substrates 131 and 132 and radiating elements 141A to 141D. The radiating elements 141A to 141D are all patch antennas having a flat plate shape.

[0034] The radiation elements 141A to 141D are arranged on the dielectric substrate 131. The dielectric substrate 132 is arranged to overlap with the dielectric substrate 131. Figure 1 , an example is shown in which the radiation elements 141A to 141D are arranged in a row to form a one-dimensional array. Instead of such an arrangement, the radiation elements 141A to 141D may be arranged in a two-dimensional array. The number of radiation elements arranged on the dielectric substrate 131 is not limited to four. It is sufficient to arrange one or more radiation elements on the dielectric substrate 131.

[0035] RFIC 110 includes switches 111A to 111D, 113A to 113D, and 117 , power amplifiers 112AT to 112DT, low noise amplifiers 112AR to 112DR, attenuators 114A to 114D, phase shifters 115A to 115D, a signal synthesizer / demultiplexer 116 , a mixer 118 , and an amplifier circuit 119 .

[0036] When transmitting a high-frequency signal, switches 111A to 111D and 113A to 113D are switched to the power amplifiers 112AT to 112DT, and switch 117 is connected to the transmitting-side amplifier of amplifier circuit 119. When receiving a high-frequency signal, switches 111A to 111D and 113A to 113D are switched to the low-noise amplifiers 112AR to 112DR, and switch 117 is connected to the receiving-side amplifier of amplifier circuit 119.

[0037] The signal transmitted from BBIC 200 to RFIC 110 is amplified by amplifier circuit 119 and up-converted by mixer 118. The transmission signal, which is a high-frequency signal obtained by up-conversion, is demultiplexed into four signals by signal synthesizer / demultiplexer 116, and is supplied to radiation elements 141A to 141D through four signal paths. At this time, the directivity of antenna device 120 can be adjusted by adjusting the phase shifting degree of phase shifters 115A to 115D arranged in each signal path. In addition, attenuators 114A to 114D adjust the strength of the transmission signal.

[0038] The high frequency signals received by the radiation elements 141A to 141D are combined by the signal combiner / demultiplexer 116 via four different signal paths. The combined received signals are down-converted by the mixer 118, amplified by the amplifier circuit 119, and transmitted to the BBIC 200.

[0039] The RFIC 110 is formed, for example, as a single-chip integrated circuit component including the above-mentioned circuit structure. Alternatively, it can also be formed as a separate integrated circuit component for each power supply circuit. Moreover, regarding the devices corresponding to each radiating element (switch, power amplifier, low noise amplifier, attenuator, phase shifter), it can also be formed as a single-chip integrated circuit component for each corresponding radiating element.

[0040] (Structure of antenna module)

[0041] Next, use Figure 2 Next, the structure of the antenna module 100 according to the first embodiment will be described in detail. Figure 2 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an antenna module 100 according to Embodiment 1. Figure 2 , a top view of the antenna module 100 is shown in the upper layer ( Figure 2 (A)), with a side perspective view shown at the bottom ( Figure 2 (B)).

[0042] The antenna module 100 includes the radiating elements 141A to 141D, the RFIC 110 , the PMIC 170 , and the power inductor 180 , as well as the dielectric substrate 131 , the dielectric substrate 132 , the power supply lines 151A to 151D, and the ground electrode GND1 .

[0043] The dielectric substrates 131 and 132 have a rectangular shape when viewed from a plane in the normal direction. The dielectric substrates 131 and 132 are, for example, low temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC: Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramics) multilayer substrates, multilayer resin substrates formed by stacking multiple resin layers composed of resins such as epoxy and polyimide, multilayer resin substrates formed by stacking multiple resin layers composed of liquid crystal polymers (LCP) with a lower dielectric constant, multilayer resin substrates formed by stacking multiple resin layers composed of fluorine-based resins, multilayer resin substrates formed by stacking multiple resin layers composed of PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) materials, or ceramic multilayer substrates other than LTCC. In addition, the dielectric substrate 131 does not have to be a multilayer structure, and may be a single-layer substrate.

[0044] In the following description, the normal direction of the dielectric substrate 131 is defined as the Z-axis direction. In a plane perpendicular to the Z-axis direction, the arrangement direction of the radiation elements 141A to 141D is defined as the X-axis, and the direction orthogonal to the X-axis is defined as the Y-axis.

[0045] like Figure 2As shown, dielectric substrates 131 and 132 are arranged overlapping in the Z-axis direction and connected by a plurality of solder bumps 160. Substrate surface S2 of dielectric substrate 131 faces substrate surface S3 of dielectric substrate 132. Radiating elements 141A to 141D are arranged on substrate surface S1 of dielectric substrate 131.

[0046] The RFIC 110 and the PMIC 170 are disposed on the substrate surface S4 of the dielectric substrate 132. Figure 2 As shown by the dotted line, the RFIC 110 and the PMIC 170 may also be sealed by a sealing body 190 formed by applying a sealing resin and a sputtering shield. The RFIC 110 and the PMIC 170 are connected to the substrate surface S4 by a plurality of solder bumps 160. The RFIC 110 and the PMIC 170 may also be connected to the dielectric substrate 132 by a multi-pole connector provided on the substrate surface S4.

[0047] The radiation elements 141A to 141D are flat plate-shaped electrodes having a rectangular shape. The radiation elements 141A to 141D are arranged on the dielectric substrate 131 in a state exposed to the substrate surface S1. The radiation elements 141A to 141D may also be arranged inside the dielectric substrate 131. High-frequency signals are supplied from the RFIC 110 to the radiation elements 141A to 141D via the power supply lines 151A to 151D, respectively. The power supply lines 151A to 151D are an example of power supply lines that supply high-frequency signals output from electronic components to the radiation elements.

[0048] The ground electrode GND1 faces the radiation elements 141A to 141D in the normal direction of the dielectric substrate 131. The ground electrode GND1 is arranged in the dielectric substrate 131 so as to cover substantially the entire area of ​​a plane including the X-axis and the Y-axis in the dielectric substrate 131.

[0049] The power inductor 180 is located between the dielectric substrate 131 and the dielectric substrate 132. A capacitor for ripple suppression may be arranged in a path between the power inductor 180 and the RFIC 110. Alternatively, the capacitor for ripple suppression may be buried in the same position as the power inductor 180 for the purpose of reducing the height. When the dielectric substrate 131 is observed from a plane perpendicular to the normal direction, the power inductor 180 is arranged at a position closer to the dielectric substrate 132 than the ground electrode GND1. The power inductor 180 is composed of a magnetic core 181 and a winding 182 wound around the magnetic core 181.

[0050] Here, refer to Figure 3 , a specific example of the power inductor 180 is described. Figure 3 It means it is applied to Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a specific example of a power inductor of the antenna module 100 .

[0051] exist Figure 3 (A) shows a power inductor 180 composed of a toroidal coil. Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1A , the power inductor 180 formed of a toroidal coil includes a toroidal magnetic core 181 and a winding 182 wound around the magnetic core 181 .

[0052] Unlike coils using a rod-shaped core, the toroidal coil has less magnetic flux leaking out of the winding 182, so it has higher stability. Therefore, by using a toroidal coil, the influence of high-frequency noise can be reduced. When a toroidal coil is used as the power inductor 180, the imaginary central axis CL is parallel to the Z-axis direction. Figure 2 The recess 1310 is shown configured with a toroidal coil.

[0053] exist Figure 3 (B) shows a power inductor 180A composed of a rod-shaped magnetic core 181A and a winding 182A. Such a power inductor 180A may be used in the antenna module 100 instead of the power inductor 180 composed of a toroidal coil. When the power inductor 180A is used, Figure 2 The recess 1310 shown is provided with a power inductor 180A. At this time, it is desirable to configure the power inductor 180A in such a manner that the imaginary central axis CL that passes through the center of the rod-shaped magnetic core 181A is parallel to the X-axis direction. If configured in this way, the direction of the magnetic flux generated in the power inductor 180A is parallel to the X-axis direction. Therefore, in the case where the central axis CL is configured in parallel with the X-axis direction, compared with the case where the central axis CL is configured in a manner perpendicular to the X-axis direction, the influence of the magnetic flux on the antenna and RFIC 110 can be reduced, and the stability of the antenna module 100 can be improved.

[0054] Back to Figure 2 , the description of the antenna module 100 is continued. Figure 2 As shown in (B), a recess 1310 for arranging the magnetic core 181 is formed on the substrate surface S2 side of the dielectric substrate 131. When the magnetic core 181 is arranged in the recess 1310, the surface of the magnetic core 181 on the substrate surface S2 side is flush with the substrate surface S2. The surface of the magnetic core 181 on the substrate surface S2 side and the substrate surface S3 of the dielectric substrate 132 are connected by a plurality of solder bumps 160.

[0055] The winding 182 is wound around the magnetic core so as to cross the dielectric substrate 131 and the dielectric substrate 132. The winding 182 is formed on the dielectric substrate 131 and the dielectric substrate 132, and is composed of a via conductor extending in the normal direction of the dielectric substrate 131, a wiring extending orthogonal to the normal direction, and a solder bump 160 connecting the surface of the magnetic core 181 on the substrate surface S2 side and the substrate surface S3 of the dielectric substrate 132.

[0056] One end of the winding 182 is connected to the PMIC 170, and the other end of the winding 182 is connected to the RFIC 110. The winding 182 constitutes a power supply line that connects the RFIC 110 and the PMIC 170 via the magnetic core 181 of the power inductor 180. A signal for power supply is transmitted from the PMIC 170 to the RFIC 110 via the power supply line constituted by the winding 182. The RFIC 110 and the PMIC 170 are examples of electronic components connected to the power inductor 180. The winding at the dielectric substrate 132 in the winding 182 may also be constituted by only the wiring wound on the substrate surface S3. In the case of such a configuration, the winding can be made closer to the magnetic core 181 compared to the case where the winding at the dielectric substrate 132 includes a passage. As a result, the DC superposition characteristics of the power inductor 180 can be further improved.

[0057] As described above, the antenna module 100 is formed by overlapping the dielectric substrate 131 having the magnetic core 181 disposed in the recess 1310 with the dielectric substrate 132 having electronic components such as the RFIC 110 and the PMIC 170 mounted thereon. The power inductor 180 included in the antenna module 100 is formed by winding the winding 182 around the magnetic core 181 across the dielectric substrate 131 and the dielectric substrate 132.

[0058] By configuring the antenna module 100 in this way, the thickness of the power inductor 180 in the Z-axis direction can be absorbed by the dielectric substrate 131 . As a result, the thickness of the antenna module 100 in the Z-axis direction can be prevented from increasing due to the power inductor 180 .

[0059] It is also conceivable to arrange the RFIC 110 or the PMIC 170 in the recess 1310 instead of the magnetic core 181. In the present embodiment, the magnetic core 181 is particularly arranged in the recess 1310 for the following reason.

[0060] First, the size of the power inductor 180 including the magnetic core 181 is much thicker than the size of other electronic components, so reducing the thickness of the magnetic core 181 has an effect on the thickness of the antenna module 100, which is effective in reducing the height of the antenna module. Second, there is room for further thinning the thickness of the RFIC 110 and the PMIC 170, while the thickness of the power inductor 180 has to be increased in order to improve the DC superposition characteristics. Third, the RFIC 110 and the PMIC 170 generate a lot of heat, so if these components are arranged between the dielectric substrate 131 and the dielectric substrate 132, a heat dissipation structure needs to be provided, resulting in a complicated structure.

[0061] For the above reasons, in this embodiment, the magnetic core 181 of the power inductor 180 is selected as the object to be arranged in the recess 1310. According to this embodiment, the antenna module 100 can be made low in height without sacrificing the thickness of the power inductor 180, that is, without deteriorating the antenna characteristics due to the reduction of the DC superposition characteristics of the power inductor 180.

[0062] Furthermore, in order to reduce the height of the antenna module 100, it is desirable to further reduce the thickness of the dielectric substrates 131 and 132 in the Z-axis direction. In this case, the thickness of the dielectric substrate 131 needs to be designed in consideration of the influence of the thickness of the substrate on the antenna characteristics of the radiating elements 141A to 141D. This is because if the distance between the radiating elements 141A to 141D and the ground electrode GND1 is shortened as a result of designing the dielectric substrate 131 to be thin, good antenna characteristics cannot be obtained.

[0063] like Figure 2 As shown in (B), the area of ​​the dielectric substrate 132 can be divided into the area T1 and the area T2 with the ground electrode GND1 as the boundary. The thickness of the area T1 in the Z-axis direction is equivalent to the distance between the radiation elements 141A to 141D and the ground electrode GND1. In order to obtain good antenna characteristics, it is important to sufficiently ensure the distance between the radiation elements 141A to 141D and the ground electrode GND1. Therefore, even if the antenna module 100 is aimed at being low in height, it is not desirable to reduce the thickness of the area T1.

[0064] In this viewpoint, in the present embodiment, the thickness of the region T1 that affects the antenna characteristics is maintained at an appropriate thickness and the thickness of the region T2 is reduced. For example, the thickness of the region T2 is designed in consideration of the thickness of the power inductor 180 including the magnetic core 181. Thus, by further reducing the thickness of the dielectric substrate 131, the antenna module 100 can be further reduced in height, and the reduction in antenna characteristics can be suppressed.

[0065] like Figure 2 As shown in (A), when the dielectric substrate 132 is viewed from the plane in the normal direction, the power inductor 180 and the PMIC 170 are arranged so as to overlap. Similarly, when the dielectric substrate 132 is viewed from the plane in the normal direction, the power inductor 180 and the RFIC 110 are arranged so as to overlap.

[0066] Thus, an effect is achieved in which the size of the antenna module 100 in the X-axis direction can be reduced. Furthermore, one end of the winding 182 of the power inductor 180 can be connected to the PMIC 170 at the shortest distance, and the other end of the winding 182 of the power inductor 180 can be connected to the RFIC 110 at the shortest distance. Thus, the length of the power supply line connecting the PMIC 170 and the RFIC 110 can be shortened. In this way, the length of the power supply line that transmits the high-frequency signal can be shortened, thereby reducing the high-frequency noise that has an adverse effect on the antenna characteristics of the radiating element. As a result, the degradation of the antenna characteristics of the antenna module 100 can be suppressed. Furthermore, the distance between the PMIC 170 and the RFIC 110 can be shortened, thereby also reducing the size (area) of the dielectric substrate 132. In embodiment 1, the power inductor 180 is arranged in the area between the PMIC 170 and the RFIC 110 (see Figure 2 ). Thus, the length of the power supply line connecting the PMIC 170 and the RFIC 110 can be shortened. As a result, high-frequency noise can be reduced.

[0067] like Figure 2 As shown in (A), the power supply lines 151A to 151D are not wired through the internal ground of the power inductor 180, but are wired through a portion separated from the power inductor 180 in the Y-axis direction. That is, in the antenna module 100, when viewed from a plane in the normal direction of the dielectric substrate 131, the power supply lines 151A to 151D are arranged at a position that does not overlap with the power inductor 180. Thus, the power supply lines 151A to 151D and the power inductor 180 can be arranged separately. As a result, it is possible to suppress the situation in which noise is mixed into the signal flowing in the power supply lines 151A to 151D due to the influence of the power inductor 180.

[0068] More specifically, in the antenna module 100, when viewed from a plane in a direction (Y-axis direction) that is orthogonal to the normal direction of the dielectric substrate 131 and orthogonal to the long side of the dielectric substrate 131, the power supply lines 151A to 151D are arranged at positions that do not overlap with the power inductor 180. Thus, the power supply lines 151A to 151D and the power inductor 180 can be arranged separately within the limited range of the arrangement dimensions at the dielectric substrates 131 and 132. As a result, it is possible to suppress the mixing of noise into the signals flowing in the power supply lines 151A to 151D due to the influence of the power inductor 180.

[0069] As described above, according to Embodiment 1, the height of the antenna module can be reduced without deteriorating the antenna characteristics. In particular, in Embodiment 1, the power inductor 180 is arranged in the antenna module 100 using the thickness of the dielectric substrate 131, so that the influence of the thickness of the power inductor 180 on the thickness of the antenna module 100 can be reduced.

[0070] In addition, here, an example is described in which both RFIC 110 and PMIC 170 overlap with power inductor 180 when dielectric substrate 132 is viewed from a plane in the normal direction. However, it is also possible to configure in such a way that only one of RFIC 110 and PMIC 170 overlaps with power inductor 180 when dielectric substrate 132 is viewed from a plane in the normal direction.

[0071] In Embodiment 1, an example in which the magnetic core 181 is disposed on the dielectric substrate 131 is described, but the magnetic core 181 may be disposed on the dielectric substrate 132. In this case, a recessed portion may be provided on the substrate surface S3 side of the dielectric substrate 132 instead of the recessed portion 1310.

[0072] [Implementation Method 2]

[0073] Figure 4 1 and 2 are a plan view and a side perspective view of an antenna module 100A according to Embodiment 2. The antenna module 100A includes an RFIC 110 , a PMIC 170 , and an antenna device 120A.

[0074] The antenna module 100A of the second embodiment is different from the antenna module 100 of the first embodiment in that a portion of the magnetic core 181 protrudes from the substrate surface S2. The portion of the magnetic core 181 of the antenna module 100A of the second embodiment protrudes from the substrate surface S2, and the protruding portion is present in the space between the dielectric substrates 131 and 132.

[0075] In Embodiment 2, the magnetic core 181 is arranged to protrude toward the dielectric substrate 132 relative to the substrate surface S2. According to Embodiment 2, it is not necessary to accommodate the entirety of the magnetic core 181 in the recess 1310, so the depth of the recess 1310 in the Z-axis direction can be reduced compared to Embodiment 1. Thus, the thickness of the dielectric substrate 131 can be reduced. As a result, the antenna module 100A can be further reduced in height.

[0076] In the second embodiment, the depth of the recess 1310 in the Z-axis direction may be set to the same dimension as that in the first embodiment. In this case, the depth of the recess 1310 in the Z-axis direction may be set to the same dimension as that in the first embodiment. Figure 2 The magnetic core 181 shown is a thick magnetic core. Even when such a magnetic core is used, the portion of the magnetic core protruding from the recess 1310 can be accommodated in the space between the dielectric substrate 131 and the dielectric substrate 132 .

[0077] This allows the use of power inductor 180 having a better DC biasing characteristic than in Embodiment 1. Therefore, according to Embodiment 2, the antenna module 100A can be made lower in height and the performance of the antenna module 100A can be improved by using power inductor 180 having a better DC biasing characteristic.

[0078] like Figure 4 As shown, in Embodiment 2, a gap is provided between the surface of the magnetic core 181 and the substrate surface S3 of the dielectric substrate 132. The gap is provided to absorb the variation in the size of the power inductor 180 generated when the power inductor 180 is manufactured.

[0079] That is, by providing such a gap, even if there is some deviation in the thickness of the magnetic core 181 in the Z-axis direction constituting the power inductor 180, the magnetic core 181 can be accommodated between the dielectric substrate 131 and the dielectric substrate 132. In addition, it is also possible to design the size of the gap between the dielectric substrate 131 and the dielectric substrate 132 on the premise that the surface of the magnetic core 181 is in contact with the substrate surface S3 of the dielectric substrate 132 without providing such a gap.

[0080] The structure of the antenna module 100A is the same as that of the antenna module 100 except that a part of the magnetic core 181 protrudes from the substrate surface S2. Therefore, detailed description of other structures of the antenna module 100A will not be repeated here.

[0081] [Implementation method 3]

[0082] Figure 51 is a side perspective view of an antenna module 100B according to Embodiment 3. The antenna module 100B includes an RFIC 110 , a PMIC 170 , and an antenna device 120B.

[0083] The antenna module 100B of the third embodiment is different from the antenna module 100 of the first embodiment in that a part of the magnetic core 181 protrudes relative to the substrate surface S2 and a part of the protruding part is arranged inside the dielectric substrate 132A. Figure 5 As shown, a recessed portion 1320 for arranging a part of the magnetic core 181 is formed on the substrate surface S3 side of the dielectric substrate 132A.

[0084] In the third embodiment, the magnetic core 181 is arranged in the recess 1310 of the dielectric substrate 131, the recess 1320 of the dielectric substrate 132A, and the space between the dielectric substrate 131 and the dielectric substrate 132A. The recess 1310 is an example of a first recess provided on the substrate surface S2 side of the dielectric substrate 131. The recess 1320 is an example of a second recess provided on the substrate surface S3 side of the dielectric substrate 132 and opposite to the first recess.

[0085] According to Embodiment 3, since the entire magnetic core 181 does not need to be accommodated in the recess 1310, the depth of the recess 1310 in the Z-axis direction can be reduced compared to Embodiment 1. This can reduce the thickness of the dielectric substrate 131. As a result, the height of the antenna module 100B can be further reduced.

[0086] In particular, in the third embodiment, the thickness of the magnetic core 181 is absorbed by the recess 1310 formed in the dielectric substrate 131 and the recess 1320 formed in the dielectric substrate 132A. Therefore, according to the third embodiment, the depth of the recess 1310 in the Z-axis direction can be reduced compared with the second embodiment. As a result, according to the third embodiment, the height of the antenna module 100B can be reduced compared with the first and second embodiments.

[0087] In the third embodiment, the depth of the recess 1310 in the Z-axis direction may be set to the same dimension as that in the first embodiment. In this case, the depth of the recess 1310 in the Z-axis direction may be set to the same dimension as that in the first embodiment. Figure 2 The magnetic core 181 shown is a thick magnetic core. Even when such a magnetic core is used, the portion of the magnetic core protruding from the recess 1310 can be accommodated in the space between the dielectric substrate 131 and the dielectric substrate 132 and the recess 1320 .

[0088] This allows the use of power inductor 180 having a better DC bias characteristic than in Embodiments 1 and 2. Therefore, according to Embodiment 3, the antenna module 100B can be made lower in height and the performance of the antenna module 100B can be improved by using power inductor 180 having a better DC bias characteristic.

[0089] The structure of the antenna module 100B is the same as that of the antenna module 100 except that a portion of the magnetic core 181 protrudes from the substrate surface S2 and a portion of the protruding portion is located inside the dielectric substrate 132A. Therefore, detailed description of other structures of the antenna module 100B will not be repeated here.

[0090] [Implementation Method 4]

[0091] Figure 6 1 is a side perspective view of an antenna module 100C according to Embodiment 4. The antenna module 100C includes an RFIC 110 , a PMIC 170 , and an antenna device 120C.

[0092] The antenna module 100C of the fourth embodiment corresponds to a structure in which the magnetic core 181 of the antenna module 100B of the third embodiment is divided into two. Figure 6 As shown, in the antenna module 100C according to the fourth embodiment, the power inductor 180B includes a magnetic core 181 b , a magnetic core 181 c , and a winding 182 wound around the magnetic cores 181 b and 181 c .

[0093] The magnetic core 181b is disposed in the recessed portion 1310. The magnetic core 181c is disposed in the recessed portion 1320. The magnetic core 181b is an example of a first core. The magnetic core 181c is an example of a second core.

[0094] In the antenna module 100C according to the fourth embodiment, a gap exists between the magnetic core 181 b and the magnetic core 181 c . In contrast, in the antenna module 100B according to the third embodiment, the magnetic core 181 is integrally formed, and thus such a gap does not exist.

[0095] The gaps existing in the magnetic core may become the main cause of disturbing the flow of magnetic flux, and thus may have an adverse effect on the DC superposition characteristics of the power inductor. In this regard, compared with the fourth embodiment using the split magnetic cores 181b and 181c, the third embodiment using the integrated magnetic core 181 has room for providing an antenna module with higher antenna characteristics.

[0096] However, when the split magnetic cores 181 b and 181 c are used, there is an advantage that the margin in the X-axis direction when designing the recesses 1310 and 1320 can be reduced compared to when the integrated magnetic core 181 is used. The details of this advantage will be described below.

[0097] When the dimensions of the recesses 1310 and 1320 are designed on the premise that the integrated magnetic core 181 is disposed between the dielectric substrates 131 and 132 , it is necessary to determine the margins of the recesses 1310 and 1320 in the X-axis direction in consideration of two viewpoints.

[0098] The first point to be considered is the relationship between the size of the recesses 1310 and 1320 and the size of the magnetic core 181. If the size of the former is larger than the size of the latter, the magnetic core 181 will not enter the recesses 1310 and 1320. Generally, the size of the magnetic core 181 varies during the manufacturing process. Therefore, it is necessary to design the size of the recesses 1310 and 1320 by providing margins in the X-axis direction for each of the recesses 1310 and 1320 in consideration of the deviation in the size of the magnetic core 181.

[0099] The second point to be considered is the positional relationship between the magnetic core 181 and the other recess when the substrate surface S2 of the dielectric substrate 131 overlaps the substrate surface S3 of the dielectric substrate 132 in a state where the magnetic core 181 is arranged in one of the recesses 1310 and 1320. If the deviation of this positional relationship is large, even if a margin in the X-axis direction is provided for each of the recesses 1310 and 1320 in consideration of the deviation of the size of the magnetic core 181, the magnetic core 181 may not enter the other recess.

[0100] Therefore, when the size of the recesses 1310 and 1320 is designed on the premise that the integrated magnetic core 181 is arranged between the dielectric substrates 131 and 132, it is necessary to sufficiently increase the margin of the recesses 1310 and 1320 in the X-axis direction. As a result, in the manufactured antenna module, the gap between the recesses 1310 and 1320 and the magnetic core 181 becomes larger. Since the gap between the recesses 1310 and 1320 and the magnetic core 181 becomes larger, the size of the power inductor 180 becomes smaller relative to the same occupied volume, and as a result, the DC superposition characteristics are reduced. On the other hand, if the DC superposition characteristics are to be maintained, the volume of the recesses 1310 and 1320 has to be increased, and as a result, the size of the dielectric substrate 131 is enlarged.

[0101] In contrast, when the dimensions of the recesses 1310 and 1320 are designed on the premise that the split magnetic cores 181b and 181c are arranged between the dielectric substrates 131 and 132, the margins of the recesses 1310 and 1320 in the X-axis direction can be determined by considering only the relationship between the dimensions of the recess 1310 and the dimensions of the magnetic core 181b and the relationship between the dimensions of the recess 1320 and the dimensions of the magnetic core 181c.

[0102] By determining the margin in this way, the magnetic core 181b can be arranged in the recess 1310 without any problem, and the magnetic core 181c can be arranged in the recess 1320 without any problem. When the dielectric substrate 131 with the magnetic core 181b arranged in the recess 1310 and the dielectric substrate 132 with the magnetic core 181c arranged in the recess 1320 are overlapped, the magnetic cores 181b and 181c can be manufactured by aligning the magnetic cores 181b and 181c. Figure 6 By manufacturing the antenna module 100C in this way, the gap between the recessed portion 1310 and the magnetic core 181b and the gap between the recessed portion 1320 and the magnetic core 181c can be reduced.

[0103] Therefore, when the split magnetic cores 181b and 181c are used, there is an advantage that the margin in the X-axis direction when designing the recesses 1310 and 1320 can be reduced compared to the case of using the integrated magnetic core 181. By reducing the margin in the X-axis direction, it is possible to suppress the size of the power inductor 180 from being miniaturized, and as a result, it is possible to ensure the desired DC superposition characteristics. In addition, it is possible to suppress the volume increase of the recesses 1310 and 1320, and as a result, it is possible to suppress the size increase of the dielectric substrate 131.

[0104] As described above, when split magnetic cores 181b and 181c are used, the gap between the magnetic cores 181b and 181c may be a major cause of disturbing the flow of magnetic flux. Therefore, in Embodiment 4, the cross-sectional area of ​​the magnetic core 181b and the cross-sectional area of ​​the magnetic core 181c facing each other across the gap between the magnetic cores 181b and 181c are made the same.

[0105] Thus, the flow of magnetic flux of magnetic core 181b is the same as the flow of magnetic flux of magnetic core 181c, so the gap can be prevented from hindering the flow of magnetic flux. As a result, even if split magnetic cores 181b and 181c are used, power inductor 180B can be realized that can suppress degradation of DC superposition characteristics.

[0106] The structure of the antenna module 100C is the same as that of the antenna module 100B except that the magnetic core is divided into two. Therefore, detailed description of the other structures of the antenna module 100C will not be repeated here.

[0107] [Implementation method 5]

[0108] Figure 7 It is a side perspective view of an antenna module 100D according to Embodiment 5. The antenna module 100D includes an RFIC 110 , a PMIC 170 , and an antenna device 120D.

[0109] The antenna module 100D of the fifth embodiment is different from the antenna module 100 of the first embodiment in the wiring path of the power supply lines 151A to 151D. In particular, when the dielectric substrate 131 is viewed from the Y-axis direction (a direction orthogonal to the normal direction), the power supply lines 151C and 151D are arranged at a position overlapping the power inductor 180. However, the power supply lines 151C and 151D are not wired through the internal ground of the power inductor 180, but are wired through a portion separated from the power inductor 180 in the Y-axis direction.

[0110] Here, an example is shown in which, when the dielectric substrate 131 is viewed from the Y-axis direction (a direction perpendicular to the normal direction), the power supply lines 151C and 151D among the power supply lines 151A to 151D are arranged so as to overlap with the power inductor 180. However, the power supply lines 151A to 151D may all be arranged so as to overlap with the power inductor 180 depending on the size and arrangement position of the power inductor 180 in the X-axis direction.

[0111] In the first embodiment described above, the feed lines 151A to 151D extending from the RFIC 110 to the radiating elements 141A to 141D are extended in the X-axis direction using the region T1 of the dielectric substrate 131 and connected to the radiating elements 141A to 141D. Therefore, in the first embodiment, it is necessary to ensure a thickness in the region T1 for extending the feed lines 151A to 151D in the X-axis direction. As a result, the dielectric substrate 131 may become thicker.

[0112] In contrast, in the fifth embodiment, the feed lines 151A to 151D from the RFIC 110 to the radiating elements 141A to 141D are extended in the X-axis direction using the region T2 of the dielectric substrate 131 and connected to the radiating elements 141A to 141D. In particular, the feed lines 151C and 151D to the radiating elements 141C and 141D pass through a position overlapping with the power inductor 180 when the dielectric substrate 131 is viewed in a plan view from the Y-axis direction.

[0113] Assuming that the power supply lines 151C and 151D are arranged so as to pass between the power inductor 180 and the ground electrode GND11, it is necessary to provide a space for arranging the power supply lines 151C and 151D between the power inductor 180 and the ground electrode GND11. In this case, it is necessary to thicken the region T2. ​​However, by arranging the power supply lines 151C and 151D so as to pass through a position overlapping with the power inductor 180 as in Embodiment 5, the thickness of the region T2 can be further reduced.

[0114] Furthermore, the frequency band of the signal flowing to the power supply lines 151A to 151D is greatly different from the frequency band of the signal flowing to the power inductor 180. Therefore, even if the power supply lines 151A to 151D are arranged near the power inductor 180, it is considered that unnecessary electromagnetic field coupling that adversely affects the antenna characteristics is unlikely to occur there.

[0115] In Embodiment 5, it is desirable to adopt Figure 3 The power inductor 180 shown in (A) is composed of a toroidal coil. In the toroidal coil, the amount of magnetic flux in the winding 182 leaking out is small, so the stability is high. Therefore, even if the power supply lines 151A to 151D are arranged next to the power inductor 180, it is possible to suppress the magnetic flux generated by the power inductor 180 from interfering with the signals of the power supply lines 151A to 151D.

[0116] Thus, in the fifth embodiment, when the dielectric substrate 131 is viewed from the Y-axis direction, the feed lines 151C and 151D are arranged so as to overlap with the power inductor 180. This allows the area T2 to be thinned. Figure 2 Even when the magnetic core 181 shown is relatively thick, the increase in thickness can be absorbed by designing the wiring of the power supply line. According to Embodiment 5, the antenna module 100A can be made low-profile and the performance of the antenna module 100D can be improved by using the power inductor 180 having excellent DC superposition characteristics.

[0117] The configuration of the antenna module 100D is the same as that of the antenna module 100 except for the wiring paths of the power supply lines 151A to 151D. Therefore, detailed description of the other configurations of the antenna module 100D will not be repeated here.

[0118] [Implementation Method 6]

[0119] Figure 8 It is a side perspective view of an antenna module 100E according to Embodiment 6. The antenna module 100E includes an RFIC 110 , a PMIC 170 , and an antenna device 120E.

[0120] The antenna module 100E of the sixth embodiment is different from the antenna module 100 of the first embodiment in that the ground electrode GND2 is disposed on the dielectric substrate 132. In the antenna module 100E of the sixth embodiment, the power inductor 180 is disposed between the ground electrode GND1 on the dielectric substrate 131 side and the ground electrode GND2 on the dielectric substrate 132 side.

[0121] According to Embodiment 6, the ground electrode GND1 can suppress electromagnetic field coupling that may occur between the power inductor 180 and the radiation elements 141A to 141D, and the ground electrode GND2 can suppress electromagnetic field coupling that may occur between the power inductor 180 and the RFIC 110 and the PMIC 170. Thus, it is possible to suppress the degradation of the antenna characteristics of the antenna module 100E, and reduce the mixing of high-frequency noise into the RFIC 110 and the PMIC 170.

[0122] The structure of the antenna module 100E is the same as that of the antenna module 100 except that the ground electrode GND2 is arranged on the dielectric substrate 132 side. Therefore, detailed description of other structures of the antenna module 100E will not be repeated here.

[0123] In the present disclosure, it is intended to arbitrarily combine any two or three or more of the embodiments described above.

[0124] [Implementation method 7]

[0125] In Embodiment 7, a form of an antenna module for a base station to which the structure of the above-mentioned power module can be applied will be described.

[0126] Fig. 9 FIG. 1 is an example of a block diagram of a communication device 10A to which the antenna module 100F according to the seventh embodiment is applied. Fig. 9 , the communication device 10A and Figure 1 The communication device 10 shown in FIG. 1 also includes an antenna module 100A and a BBIC 200 . The antenna module 100F includes an RFIC 110A, an antenna device 120F, a power supply circuit 195 , and a control circuit 196 .

[0127] The antenna device 120F of the antenna module 100F includes at least one antenna group, and one antenna group includes eight radiating elements. Fig. 91, for ease of description, an example is described in which the antenna device 120F includes one antenna group, in other words, includes eight radiating elements 121A to 121H. The radiating elements H are arranged in a 2×4 array on the dielectric substrate 135. In the following description, a plurality of radiating elements may be referred to as “radiating element 121”.

[0128] The antenna group is divided into four element pairs. Each element pair includes two radiating elements adjacent to each other. Specifically, the first element pair includes radiating elements 121A and 121B, and the second element pair includes radiating elements 121C and 121D. In addition, the third element pair includes radiating elements 121E and 121F, and the fourth element pair includes radiating elements 121G and 121. As described later, high-frequency signals from a common power supply line are supplied to the two radiating elements of each element pair.

[0129] In the antenna module 100F, one RFIC is provided for each antenna group. In other words, one RFIC supplies high-frequency signals to eight radiating elements. Therefore, when the antenna module 100F includes a plurality of antenna groups, the same number of RFICs as the number of antenna groups are provided.

[0130] The antenna module 100F is a so-called dual-band type antenna module capable of radiating two different polarization directions from each radiating element. Therefore, the RFIC 110A includes a circuit for supplying a high-frequency signal corresponding to a radio wave in a first polarization direction and a circuit for supplying a high-frequency signal corresponding to a radio wave in a second polarization direction.

[0131] Specifically, the RFIC 110A includes switches 111A to 111H, 113A to 113H, 117A, 117B, power amplifiers 112AT to 112HT, low noise amplifiers 112AR to 112HR, attenuators 114A to 114H, phase shifters 115A to 115H, signal synthesizers / demultiplexers 116A, 116B, mixers 118A, 118B, and amplifier circuits 119A and 119B. Among them, the switches 111A to 111D, 113A to 113D, 117A, power amplifiers 112AT to 112DT, low noise amplifiers 112AR to 112DR, attenuators 114A to 114D, phase shifters 115A to 115D, signal synthesizers / demultiplexers 116A, mixers 118A, and amplifier circuits 119A are circuits for the first polarized wave. In addition, switches 111E to 111H, 113E to 113H, 117B, power amplifiers 112ET to 112HT, low noise amplifiers 112ER to 112HR, attenuators 114E to 114H, phase shifters 115E to 115H, signal synthesizer / demultiplexer 116B, mixer 118B, and amplifier circuit 119B are circuits for the second polarized wave. The structures of the circuits for each polarized wave are similar to those in Figure 1 The RFIC 110 shown in FIG. 1 is the same, so the detailed description will not be repeated.

[0132] The high-frequency signal for the first polarized wave is supplied from the switch 111A to the radiating elements 121A and 121B of the first element pair, and the high-frequency signal for the second polarized wave is supplied from the switch 111E to the radiating elements 121A and 121B of the first element pair. The high-frequency signal for the first polarized wave is supplied from the switch 111B to the radiating elements 121C and 121D of the second element pair, and the high-frequency signal for the second polarized wave is supplied from the switch 111F to the radiating elements 121C and 121D of the second element pair. The high-frequency signal for the first polarized wave is supplied from the switch 111C to the radiating elements 121E and 121F of the third element pair, and the high-frequency signal for the second polarized wave is supplied from the switch 111G to the radiating elements 121E and 121F of the third element pair. The high frequency signal for the first polarization is supplied from the switch 111D to the radiating elements 121G and 121H of the fourth element pair, and the high frequency signal for the second polarization is supplied from the switch 111H to the radiating elements 121G and 121H of the fourth element pair.

[0133] The power circuit 195 converts the power receiving voltage from outside the antenna module 100F into a predetermined voltage, and generates a power supply voltage for operating the RFIC 110A, the control circuit 196, and the power circuit 195. The power circuit 195 includes the PMIC 170 and the power inductor 180 of the first embodiment.

[0134] The control circuit 196 is a circuit for controlling active elements such as switches and amplifier circuits included in the RFIC 110A, and includes, for example, a control IC composed of a digital circuit.

[0135] Next, use Fig.10 and Fig.11 Next, a specific structure of the antenna module 100F will be described. Fig.10 yes Fig. 9 A top view of the antenna module 100F. Fig.11 The communication device 10A is equipped with Fig. 9 A side view of a state of the antenna module 100F.

[0136] Reference Fig.10 and Fig.11 The antenna module 100F includes a dielectric substrate 135 on which a plurality of radiation elements 121 are arranged and a dielectric substrate 136 on which the RFIC 100A is mounted. The dielectric substrates 135 and 136 each have a flat plate shape and have a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from a plane in the normal direction. Fig.10 and Fig.11 In the diagram, the normal direction of the dielectric substrate 135 is set as the Z-axis direction, the long side direction is set as the X-axis direction, and the short side direction is set as the Y-axis direction.

[0137] like Fig.10 As shown, eight antenna groups, i.e., 64 radiating elements 121, are arranged in an 8×8 array on a dielectric substrate 135. Fig.10 and Fig.11 In the example, the radiation element 121 is arranged in the inner layer of the dielectric substrate 135 , but the radiation element 121 may be arranged so as to be exposed to the substrate surface S10 of the dielectric substrate 135 in the positive direction of the Z axis.

[0138] The dielectric substrate 136 is mounted on the region of the lower surface of the radiating element 121 on the substrate surface S11 in the negative direction of the Z axis of the dielectric substrate 135 by means of solder bumps 165. The RFIC 110A is mounted on the dielectric substrate 136. A high frequency signal is supplied from the RFIC 110A to each radiating element 121 via the solder bumps 165. Although not shown in the figure, Fig.11 The RFIC110A contains 8 groups in Fig. 9 The circuit described in .

[0139] A control circuit 196 is disposed on the substrate surface S10 of the dielectric substrate 135. In addition, a power supply circuit 195 is disposed on the substrate surface S11 of the dielectric substrate 135. Fig.11 In the figure, the power supply circuit 195 is shown as one element, but the elements included in the power supply circuit 195 can also be dispersedly arranged on the dielectric substrate 135.

[0140] In this case, the power inductor included in the power circuit 195 is arranged, for example, across the dielectric substrate 135 and the dielectric substrate 136. Alternatively, when the dielectric substrate 135 is composed of a combination of two different dielectric substrates, the power inductor is arranged across the two dielectric substrates.

[0141] A connector 210 is disposed on the substrate surface S11 of the dielectric substrate 135. The connector 210 is configured to be connectable to a connector 215 of a mounting substrate 250 fixed to the housing 50 of the communication device 10A. By connecting the connector 210 and the connector 215, the antenna module 100F is mounted on the mounting substrate 250.

[0142] The surface of the RFIC 110A in the negative direction of the Z axis is connected to the heat-conducting member 270 arranged on the metal block 260 via the soldering bump 166. The heat-conducting member 270 is formed of a member with a relatively high thermal conductivity such as copper or aluminum. The metal block 260 is fixed to the housing 50 of the communication device 10A. In other words, the RFIC 110A is supported by the metal block 260 and the heat-conducting member 270. By setting it as such a structure, the heat generated at the RFIC 110A is released along the heat-conducting member 270, the metal block 260 and the housing 50, so that the degradation of the characteristics of the RFIC 110A caused by heat can be suppressed. In addition, as Fig.11 As shown, a heat sink 265 may be disposed between the metal block 260 and the housing 50 to further improve the heat dissipation effect.

[0143] Fig.12 1 is a diagram for explaining the connection form of the power supply line of each element pair with respect to the radiation element. Fig.12 In the example, the connection of the feeder line of the first element pair including the radiation elements 121A and 121B is described. Fig.12 In the diagram, the normal direction of the dielectric substrate 135 is defined as the Z axis, the arrangement direction of the radiation elements 121A and 121B is defined as the X axis, and the direction perpendicular to the X axis and the Z axis is defined as the Y axis. The radiation element 121B is disposed away from the radiation element 121A in the positive direction of the X axis.

[0144] Reference Fig.12 , one feeding point for radio waves polarized in the X-axis direction and two feeding points for radio waves polarized in the Y-axis direction are arranged in the radiation elements 121A and 121B, respectively. More specifically, for the radiation element 121A, a feeding point SP1A is arranged at a position offset from the center of the radiation element 121A in the negative direction of the X-axis. In addition, a feeding point SP21A is arranged at a position offset from the center of the radiation element 121A in the positive direction of the Y-axis, and a feeding point SP22A is arranged at a position offset from the center of the radiation element 121A in the negative direction of the Y-axis.

[0145] The radiating element 121B has a feed point SP1B disposed at a position offset from the center of the radiating element 121B in the positive direction of the X axis. In addition, a feed point SP21B is disposed at a position offset from the center of the radiating element 121B in the positive direction of the Y axis, and a feed point SP22B is disposed at a position offset from the center of the radiating element 121B in the negative direction of the Y axis.

[0146] Switch 111A from RFIC 110A ( Fig. 9 ) is branched at a branch point N1 and connected to a power supply point SP1A of the radiation element 121A and a power supply point SP1B of the radiation element 121B. The switch 111E ( Fig. 9 ) is branched at a branch point N2, and one of the branches is further branched at a branch point N3 to be connected to the power supply points SP21A and SP22A of the radiation element 121A. The other of the power supply lines 155B branched at the branch point N2 is further branched at a branch point N4 to be connected to the power supply points SP21B and SP22B of the radiation element 121B.

[0147] Here, the distance from the branch point N1 of the feed line 155A to the feed point SP1A of the radiation element 121A along the feed line 155A is set to L1, and the distance from the branch point N1 to the feed point SP1B of the radiation element 121B along the feed line 155A is set to L2 (L1<L2). When the effective wavelength in the dielectric substrate of the radio wave radiated from the radiation elements 121A and 121B is set to λ, the distance L1 and the distance L2 are set to be λ / 2 or an odd multiple of λ / 2. In other words, the phase of the high-frequency signal supplied to the feed point SP1A and the phase of the high-frequency signal supplied to the feed point SP1B are set to be opposite to each other.

[0148] As described above, the feeding point SP1A of the radiation element 121A is offset from the center of the element to the negative direction of the X axis, and the feeding point SP1B of the radiation element 121B is offset from the center of the element to the positive direction of the X axis. Therefore, if high-frequency signals of the same phase are supplied to the feeding points SP1A and SP1B, radio waves of opposite phases are radiated from the radiation elements 121A and 121B. Therefore, by making the distances from the branch point N1 of the power supply line 155A to the feeding points SP1A and SP1B different and supplying high-frequency signals of opposite phases to the feeding points SP1A and SP1B, radio waves of the same phase can be radiated from the radiation elements 121A and 121B.

[0149] Next, the radio wave with the Y-axis direction as the polarization direction is described. In the power supply line 155B, the distance from the branch point N3 to the power supply point SP21A and the distance from the branch point N4 to the power supply point SP21B are set to L3. In addition, in the power supply line 155B, the distance from the branch point N3 to the power supply point SP22A and the distance from the branch point N4 to the power supply point SP22B are set to L4 (L3<L4). In addition, the distance between the branch point N2 and the branch point N3 and the distance between the branch point N2 and the branch point N4 are set to the same distance.

[0150] Furthermore, when the effective wavelength in the dielectric substrate of the radio waves radiated from the radiation elements 121A and 121B is λ, the difference between the distance L3 and the distance L4 is set to λ / 2 or an odd multiple of λ / 2. Thus, high-frequency signals with opposite phases are supplied to the power supply point SP21A and the power supply point SP22A. Similarly, high-frequency signals with opposite phases are supplied to the power supply point SP21B and the power supply point SP22B.

[0151] In the radiation element 121A, the feed point SP21A and the feed point SP22A are offset in the opposite directions of the Y axis with respect to the center of the radiation element 121A. Similarly, in the radiation element 121B, the feed point SP21B and the feed point SP22B are offset in the opposite directions of the Y axis with respect to the center of the radiation element 121B. Therefore, in each radiation element, by supplying high-frequency signals of opposite phases to the two feed points, the phase of the radio wave corresponding to one feed point and the phase of the radio wave corresponding to the other feed point become the same phase.

[0152] Furthermore, since the distances from the branch point N2 to the branch points N3 and N4 are set to be equal, the phases of the radio waves radiated from the radiation elements 121A and 121B with the Y-axis direction as the polarization direction are the same.

[0153] By connecting the feed lines of the two radiating elements constituting the element pair in the above-described manner, the phases of the radio waves in the respective polarization directions radiated from the two radiating elements can be unified, thereby maximizing the antenna gain in the normal direction of the substrate.

[0154] Furthermore, the high frequency signals supplied to the two feeding points may be substantially opposite in phase, even if they are not completely opposite in phase. In this specification, substantially opposite in phase includes a phase difference in the range of 180°±10°.

[0155] [form]

[0156] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the above-described embodiments are specific examples of the following aspects.

[0157] (Item 1) An antenna module of one form includes: a first substrate having a first surface and a second surface relative to each other; a second substrate having a third surface and a fourth surface relative to each other, and arranged in a manner that the second surface of the first substrate is opposite to the third surface; a radiating element, which is arranged on the first surface side of the first substrate; a first grounding electrode, which is arranged on the first substrate and is opposite to the radiating element in the normal direction of the first substrate; a power inductor, which is arranged at a position closer to the second substrate side than the first grounding electrode when the first substrate is observed from the plane in the normal direction; and an electronic component, which is arranged on the fourth surface side of the second substrate and is connected to the power inductor, the power inductor having: a magnetic core; and a winding, which is wound around the magnetic core across the first substrate and the second substrate, and a recess for arranging the magnetic core is provided on at least one of the second surface side of the first substrate and the third surface side of the second substrate.

[0158] (Item 2) According to the antenna module of Item 1, the magnetic core is arranged so as to protrude toward the second substrate with respect to the second surface.

[0159] (Item 3) According to the antenna module of Item 1 or Item 2, the recess is a first recess provided on the second surface side of the first substrate, a second recess opposite to the first recess is provided on the third surface side of the second substrate, and a magnetic core is arranged in the first recess and the second recess.

[0160] (Item 4) According to the antenna module of Item 1 or Item 2, the recess is a first recess provided on the second surface side of the first substrate, a second recess opposite to the first recess is provided on the third surface side of the second substrate, the magnetic core is separated into a first core and a second core, the first core is arranged in the first recess, and the second core is arranged in the second recess.

[0161] (Item 5) According to the antenna module of any one of Items 1 to 4, the antenna module also includes a power supply line, which is arranged on the first substrate and supplies the signal output from the electronic component to the radiation element, and the power supply line is arranged at a position that does not overlap with the power inductor when observed in the plane in the normal direction of the first substrate.

[0162] (Item 6) According to the antenna module of any one of items 1 to 4, the antenna module also includes a power supply line, which is arranged on the first substrate and supplies the signal output from the electronic component to the radiation element, and when the first substrate is observed from a plane in a direction orthogonal to the normal direction, the power supply line is wired at a position overlapping with the power inductor.

[0163] (Item 7) According to the antenna module of any one of items 1 to 4, the antenna module also includes a power supply line, which is arranged on the first substrate and supplies the signal output from the electronic component to the radiation element, the first substrate is a rectangular substrate having long sides and short sides, and the power supply line is wired at a position that does not overlap with the power inductor when observed from a plane in a direction orthogonal to the normal direction of the first substrate and orthogonal to the long side.

[0164] (Item 8) According to any one of Items 1 to 7, the antenna module further includes a second ground electrode disposed on the second substrate, and the power inductor is disposed between the first ground electrode and the second ground electrode in a normal direction of the second substrate.

[0165] (Item 9) According to the antenna module of any one of Items 1 to 8, the electronic components include RFIC, i.e., a radio frequency integrated circuit, and PMIC, i.e., a power management integrated circuit, and when the second substrate is observed from a plane in the normal direction, the power inductor overlaps with at least one of the RFIC and the PMIC.

[0166] (Item 10) In the antenna module according to any one of Items 1 to 9, the power inductor is formed of a toroidal coil.

[0167] (Item 11) A communication device in another form is equipped with the antenna module according to any one of Items 1 to 10.

[0168] The embodiments disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all aspects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than the description of the embodiments above, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0169] Description of Reference Numerals

[0170] 10, 10A, communication device; 50, housing; 100, 100A~100F, antenna module; 110, 110A, RFIC; 111A~111H, 113A~113H, 117, 117A, 117B, switch; 112AR~112HR, low noise amplifier; 112AT~112HT, power amplifier; 114A~114H, attenuator; 115A~116 15H, phase shifter; 116, 116A, 116B, signal synthesis / demultiplexer; 118, 118A, 118B, mixer; 119, 119A, 119B, amplifier circuit; 120, 120A~120F, antenna device; 121, 121A~121H, 141, 141A~141D, radiation element; 131, 132, 132A, 135, 136, dielectric substrate board; 151A-151D, 155A, 155B, power supply line; 160, 165, 166, soldering bump; 170, PMIC; 180, 180A, 180B, power inductor; 181, 181A, 181b, 181c, magnetic core; 182, 182A, winding; 190, sealing body; 195, power supply circuit; 196, control circuit; 200, BBIC; 21 0, 215, connector; 250, mounting substrate; 260, metal block; 265, heat sink; 270, thermally conductive component; 1310, 1320, recess; CL, center axis; GND1, GND2, ground electrodes; S1~S4, S10, S11, substrate surface; SP1A, SP1B, SP21A, SP21B, SP22A, SP22B, power supply points; T1, T2, thickness.

Claims

1. An antenna module, wherein: The antenna module includes: A first substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other; a second substrate having a third surface and a fourth surface facing each other, and arranged in such a manner that the second surface of the first substrate faces the third surface; a radiation element provided on the first substrate and on the first surface side; a first ground electrode, which is provided on the first substrate and is opposite to the radiation element in a normal direction of the first substrate; a power inductor provided at a position closer to the second substrate than the first ground electrode; and an electronic component provided on the fourth surface side of the second substrate and connected to the power inductor, The power inductor has: a magnetic core; and a winding wound around the magnetic core so as to straddle the first substrate and the second substrate, A recessed portion in which the magnetic core is arranged is provided on at least one of the second surface side of the first substrate and the third surface side of the second substrate.

2. The antenna module according to claim 1, wherein: The magnetic core is arranged so as to protrude toward the second substrate relative to the second surface.

3. The antenna module according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The recessed portion is a first recessed portion provided on the second surface side of the first substrate, A second recessed portion is provided on the third surface side of the second substrate and is opposite to the first recessed portion. The magnetic core is arranged in the first recessed portion and the second recessed portion.

4. The antenna module according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The recessed portion is a first recessed portion provided on the second surface side of the first substrate, A second recessed portion is provided on the third surface side of the second substrate and is opposite to the first recessed portion. The magnetic core is separated into a first core and a second core, The first core is arranged in the first recessed portion, The second core is arranged in the second recessed portion.

5. The antenna module according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The antenna module further includes a power supply line, which is disposed on the first substrate and supplies a signal output from the electronic component to the radiation element. The feed line is disposed at a position not overlapping with the power inductor when viewed in a plane direction normal to the first substrate.

6. The antenna module according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The antenna module further includes a power supply line, which is disposed on the first substrate and supplies a signal output from the electronic component to the radiation element. When the first substrate is viewed from a plane in a direction perpendicular to the normal direction, the feed line is arranged at a position overlapping the power inductor.

7. The antenna module according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The antenna module further includes a power supply line, which is disposed on the first substrate and supplies a signal output from the electronic component to the radiation element. The first substrate is a rectangular substrate having long sides and short sides. The feed line is arranged at a position not overlapping with the power inductor when viewed from a plane in a direction perpendicular to the normal direction of the first substrate and perpendicular to the long side.

8. The antenna module according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: The antenna module further includes a second ground electrode disposed on the second substrate. The power inductor is arranged between the first ground electrode and the second ground electrode in a normal direction of the second substrate.

9. The antenna module according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The electronic components include RFIC (radio frequency integrated circuit) and PMIC (power management integrated circuit). When the second substrate is viewed from a plane in a normal direction, the power inductor overlaps with at least one of the RFIC and the PMIC.

10. The antenna module according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein: The power inductor is formed of a toroidal coil.

11. A communication device, wherein: This communication device is equipped with the antenna module according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

Images