Thin system-in-package with shielded stepped mold

Abstract

A system-in-package for an electronic device having a reduced thickness is presented herein. The system-in-package includes a stepped mold, an insulating film substrate, at least one processor die, and at least one passive component. The insulating film substrate is connected to the multilayer board via a first plurality of connectors. The at least one processor die is integrated into the stepped mold and stacked onto the insulating film substrate via a second plurality of connectors. The at least one passive element is integrated into the stepped mold and stacked onto the insulating film substrate.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. patent application No. 18 / 096,174, filed on January 12, 2023, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Background Art Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to packaging technology, and more particularly, to a low-profile system-in-package with a shielded stepped mold.

[0004] Related technical description

[0005] Generally speaking, RF devices may include packages, such as system-level packages. A system-level package combines a substrate, a die, multiple integrated circuits, and / or passive devices into a single package. The system-level package may be made of a semiconductor material, such as silicon. For example, the substrate and the die may include silicon on which the integrated circuit is manufactured. The substrate, the die, and the device may be coupled by bonding to leads of the package or by solder joints (e.g., solder balls or pads). By way of example, the die may be stacked (e.g., in a two and a half dimensional (2.5D) or three dimensional (3D) stacked structure) to combine the die into the same package rather than placing it on a printed circuit board. In some cases, the system-level package may also include multiple packages that are stacked (e.g., using stacked packaging technology) or have a die embedded in a substrate.

[0006] By way of example, an RF device that supports communications over frequencies in the millimeter wave (mmWave) range typically provides support at frequencies at or near 30 GHz. In some cases, an RF device may also support mmWave communications over additional mmWave bands for a wider frequency coverage range (such as for 30 GHz to 300 GHz). Multiple antennas (e.g., antenna arrays) of an RF device may transmit signals that are combined to form beams (e.g., beamformed signals) for communicating over mmWave. In order to achieve consistent coverage (e.g., from a base station associated with mmWave communications), the RF device may include multiple antenna arrays positioned in different parts of the RF device. However, assembling these multiple antenna arrays in a system-in-package of the RF device may take up space and undesirably increase the size of the RF device. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a first system-in-package for an electronic device having a reduced thickness. The first system-in-package includes: a stepped mold; an insulating film substrate connected to a multilayer board via a first plurality of connectors; at least one processor die integrated into the stepped mold and stacked onto the insulating film substrate via a second plurality of connectors; and at least one passive component integrated into the stepped mold and stacked onto the insulating film substrate.

[0008] Embodiments of the present disclosure also relate to a second system-level package for an electronic device with a reduced thickness. The second system-level package includes: a stepped mold; an insulating film substrate connected to a multilayer board via a first plurality of connectors; at least one of a radio frequency front-end die and a power control die and at least one processor die, the at least one of the radio frequency front-end die and the power control die and the at least one processor die being integrated into the stepped mold and stacked onto the insulating film substrate via a second plurality of connectors; and a plurality of passive components having different heights, the plurality of passive components having different heights being integrated into the stepped mold and stacked onto the insulating film substrate.

[0009] Embodiments of the present disclosure also relate to a third system-in-package for an electronic device having a reduced thickness. The third system-in-package includes: a stepped mold; a multilayer board; an insulating film substrate connected to the multilayer board via a first plurality of connectors; at least one processor die integrated into the stepped mold and stacked onto the insulating film substrate via a second plurality of connectors; and a plurality of passive components integrated into the stepped mold and stacked onto the insulating film substrate, one of the plurality of passive components being stacked onto the insulating film substrate via a third plurality of connectors positioned within a recess of the insulating film substrate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Figure 1A is a high-level diagram of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0011] Figure 1B Yes Figure 1A A perspective view of a notebook computer as an embodiment of the electronic device.

[0012] Figure 1C is a representation according to one embodiment Figure 1A A front view of a handheld device of another embodiment of an electronic device.

[0013] Figure 1D is a representation according to one embodiment Figure 1A A front view of another handheld device of another embodiment of the electronic device.

[0014] Figure 1E is a representation according to one embodiment Figure 1A Another embodiment of the electronic device is a front view of a desktop computer.

[0015] Figure 1F is a representation according to one embodiment Figure 1A Front and side views of a wearable electronic device of another embodiment of the electronic device.

[0016] Figure 2 According to an embodiment Figure 1A Schematic diagram of a system package of electronic devices.

[0017] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a first system-in-package according to one embodiment.

[0018] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a second system-in-package according to one embodiment.

[0019] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a third system-in-package according to one embodiment.

[0020] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a fourth system-in-package according to one embodiment.

[0021] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a fifth system-in-package according to one embodiment.

[0022] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a sixth system-in-package according to one embodiment.

[0023] The drawings depict, and the detailed description describes, various non-limiting embodiments for purposes of illustration only. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Numerous specific details are set forth in the following detailed description in order to provide a thorough understanding of the various described embodiments. However, the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, processes, components, circuits, and networks have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure various aspects of the embodiments.

[0025] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a system-level package for an electronic device having components integrated into a stepped mold for reducing thickness. The system-level package may include a stepped mold having multiple (e.g., stepped) thicknesses for integrating components of different heights (or thicknesses). The system-level package may also include an insulating film substrate placed on a multilayer board via a connector. The multilayer board may be outside the system-level package. At least one processor die and optionally at least one RF front-end die may be integrated into the stepped mold and stacked onto the insulating film substrate via a connector. Multiple tunable passive components of different heights (or thicknesses) may be integrated into the stepped mold and stacked onto the insulating film substrate. At least one of the passive components may be connected to the insulating film substrate via a connector placed in a groove of the insulating film substrate. One of the passive components may be placed in a groove of the stepped mold and directly connected to the multilayer board via a connector. The stepped mold may be covered by a shielding film, which may be the outer layer of the system-level package. An electromagnetic interference (EMI) absorber may be placed above a portion of the shielding film. Alternatively or additionally, an EMI absorber may be placed beneath the portion of the shielding film.

[0026] Exemplary electronic devices

[0027] Embodiments of electronic devices, user interfaces for such devices, and associated processes for using such devices are described herein. In some embodiments, the device is a portable communication device, such as a mobile phone, that also includes other functionality, such as a personal digital assistant (PDA) and / or music player functionality. Exemplary embodiments of portable multifunction devices include, but are not limited to, the Apple Watch from Apple Inc. (Cupertino, California). Devices, iPod devices, Apple Equipment and device. Other portable electronic devices, such as wearable devices, laptops, or tablet computers, may optionally be used. In some embodiments, the device is not a portable communication device, but rather a desktop computer or other computing device that is not designed for portable use. In some embodiments, the disclosed electronic device may include a touch-sensitive surface (e.g., a touch screen display and / or a touchpad). The example electronic device (e.g., electronic device 100) described below in conjunction with FIG1 may include a touch-sensitive surface for receiving user input. The electronic device may also include one or more other physical user interface devices, such as a physical keyboard, mouse, and / or joystick.

[0028] Figure 1Ais a high-level diagram of an electronic device 100 according to one embodiment. The electronic device 100 may include one or more processors 102, memory 104, non-volatile storage 106, a display 108, input structures 112, input / output (I / O) interfaces 114, a network interface 116, a power supply 118, and a transceiver 110, among other components. Figure 1A The various functional blocks shown in the may include hardware elements (including circuits), software elements (including computer code stored on a computer-readable medium), or a combination of both hardware elements and software elements. It should be noted that Figure 1A This is merely one example of a particular implementation and is intended to illustrate the types of components that may be present in electronic device 100 .

[0029] By way of example, the electronic device 100 may represent Figure 1B The notebook computer depicted in Figure 1C The handheld device depicted in Figure 1D The handheld device depicted in Figure 1E The desktop computer depicted in Figure 1F It should be noted that the block diagram of the wearable electronic device or similar device depicted in Figure 1A The processor 102 and other related items in the system may be generally referred to herein as "data processing circuitry". Such data processing circuitry may be embodied in whole or in part as software, hardware, or any combination thereof. Figure 1A The processor 102 and other related items in the electronic device 100 may be a single contained processing module, or may be fully or partially incorporated into any of the other elements within the electronic device 100.

[0030] exist Figure 1AIn the electronic device 100, the processor 102 may be operably coupled to the memory 104 and the non-volatile storage 106 to execute various algorithms. For example, an algorithm for adjusting the input / output power of an antenna may be stored in the memory 104 and / or the non-volatile storage 106. Such algorithms or instructions executed by the processor 102 may be stored in any suitable article of manufacture including one or more tangible computer-readable media. In addition, antenna gain lookup tables for determining total transmit gain and / or total receive gain may be stored in the memory 104 and / or the non-volatile storage 106. Specifically, one or more codebooks may be stored in the memory 104 and / or the non-volatile storage 106. Tangible computer-readable media may include the memory 104 and / or the non-volatile storage 106, individually or collectively, to store algorithms or instructions. The memory 104 and the non-volatile storage 106 may include any suitable article of manufacture for storing data and executable instructions, such as random access memory, read-only memory, rewritable flash memory, a hard drive, and an optical disk. Additionally, programs encoded on such computer program products (eg, operating systems) may also include instructions executable by the processor 102 to enable the electronic device 100 to provide various functions.

[0031] In some embodiments, the display 108 can be a liquid crystal display (LCD) that can facilitate a user viewing images generated on the electronic device 100. In some embodiments, the display 108 can include a touch screen that can facilitate user interaction with a user interface of the electronic device 100. Furthermore, it should be understood that in some embodiments, the display 108 can include one or more light emitting diode (LED) displays, organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays, active matrix organic light emitting diode (AMOLED) displays, or some combination of these and / or other display technologies.

[0032] The input structures 112 of the electronic device 100 may enable a user to interact with the electronic device 100 (e.g., pressing a button to increase or decrease the volume level). As with the network interface 116, the I / O interface 114 may enable the electronic device 100 to interact with various other electronic devices. The network interface 116 may include, for example, one or more interfaces for a personal area network (PAN) such as a Network, Local Area Network (LAN) or Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) such as 802.11x networks, and / or wide area networks (WANs) such as 3rd generation (3G) cellular networks, Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), 4th generation (4G) cellular networks, Long Term Evolution (LTE) cellular network, Long Term Evolution Licensed Assisted Access (LTE-LAA) cellular network, 5th Generation (5G) cellular network, and / or New Radio (NR) cellular network. Specifically, the network interface 116 may include, for example, one or more interfaces for using the Release-15 cellular communication standard of the 5G specification including the millimeter wave (mmWave) frequency range (e.g., 30 GHz to 300 GHz). The transceiver 110 of the electronic device 100, including a transmitter and a receiver, may allow communication through the aforementioned networks (e.g., 5G, Wi-Fi, LTE-LAA, etc.).

[0033] The network interface 116 may also include, for example, one or more interfaces for broadband fixed wireless access networks (eg, ), mobile broadband wireless network (mobile ), asynchronous digital subscriber lines (e.g., ADSL, VDSL), terrestrial digital video broadcasting Network and its extension DVB handheld devices Networks, ultra-wideband (UWB) networks, alternating current (AC) power lines, etc.

[0034] In some embodiments, the electronic device 100 uses the transceiver 110 to communicate with the user via the aforementioned wireless network (e.g., move 4G, 5G, etc.) to communicate. The transceiver 110 may include circuitry for both wirelessly receiving a receive signal at a receiver and wirelessly transmitting a transmit signal (e.g., a data signal, a wireless data signal, a wireless carrier signal, a radio frequency signal) from a transmitter. In some embodiments, the transceiver 110 may include a transmitter and a receiver combined into a single unit, or in other embodiments, the transceiver 110 may include a transmitter separate from a receiver. The transceiver 110 may transmit and receive radio frequency signals to support wireless applications such as, for example, a PAN network (e.g., ), WLAN networks (e.g., 802.11x ), WAN networks (e.g., 3G, 4G, 5G, NR, and and LTE-LAA cellular networks), Web, mobile Network, ADSL and VDSL network, and As further illustrated, the electronic device 100 may include a power supply 118. The power supply 118 may include any suitable power source, such as a rechargeable lithium polymer (Li-poly) battery and / or an alternating current (AC) power converter.

[0035] In some embodiments, the electronic device 100 can take the form of a computer, a portable electronic device, a wearable electronic device, or other types of electronic devices. Such computers can be computers that are generally portable (such as laptop computers, notebook computers, and tablet computers), or computers that are generally used in one location (such as desktop computers, workstations, and / or servers). In some embodiments, the electronic device 100 in the form of a computer can be a computer available from Apple Inc. (Cupertino, California). Pro, MacBook mini or Mac Model. By way of example, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 1B 1 , the electronic device 100 is illustrated in the form of a notebook computer 120. The notebook computer 120 may include a housing or casing 122, a display 108, input structures 112, and ports for an I / O interface 114. In one embodiment, the input structures 112 (such as a keyboard and / or touchpad) may be used to interact with the computer 120, such as to launch, control, or operate a graphical user interface (GUI) or an application running on the computer 120. For example, the keyboard and / or touchpad may allow a user to navigate a user interface and / or application interface displayed on the display 108.

[0036] Figure 1C A front view of a handheld device 130 is depicted, which represents one embodiment of the electronic device 100. The handheld device 130 may represent, for example, a portable phone, a media player, a personal data organizer, a handheld gaming platform, or any combination of such devices. By way of example, the handheld device 130 may be a device available from Apple Inc. (Cupertino, California). Model. The handheld device 130 may include a housing 122 to protect internal components from physical damage and / or shield these internal components from electromagnetic interference. The housing 122 may surround the display 108. The I / O interface 114 may be opened through the housing 122 and may include, for example, an I / O port for hard-wired connection for charging and / or content manipulation using standard connectors and protocols such as the Lightning connector provided by Apple Inc. (Cupertino, California), a universal serial bus (USB), or other similar connectors and protocols. The interface 114 may be associated with wiring and connectors within the radio frequency package of the electronic device 100. The wiring and connectors may allow specific areas within the system package of the electronic device 100 to be used for placing components that facilitate supporting multiple wireless communication protocols and capabilities. By way of example, if the handheld device 130 is positioned upward along the positive portion of the z-axis and facing the positive portion of the y-axis, the antenna array of the right panel of the handheld device 130 may be set and transmit signals in the positive portion of the x-axis. Similarly, the antenna array of the left side panel can be set and transmit signals in the negative part of the x-axis, the antenna array of the front glass panel (e.g., the front surface panel) can be set and transmit signals in the positive part of the y-axis, and the antenna array of the rear glass panel (e.g., the rear surface panel) can be set and transmit signals in the negative part of the y-axis.

[0037] The input structures 112, in conjunction with the display 108, can allow a user to control the handheld device 130. For example, the input structures 112 can activate or deactivate the handheld device 130, navigate the user interface to a home screen, a user-configurable application screen, and / or activate a voice recognition feature of the handheld device 130. Other input structures 112 can provide volume control or switch between a vibrate mode and a ring mode. The input structures 112 can also include a microphone that can capture the user's voice for various voice-related features, and a speaker that can enable audio playback and / or certain phone capabilities. The input structures 112 can also include a headphone input that can provide a connection to an external speaker and / or headphones.

[0038] Figure 1D A front view of another handheld device 140 is depicted, which represents another embodiment of the electronic device 100. The handheld device 140 may represent, for example, a tablet computer, or one of various portable computing devices. By way of example, the handheld device 140 may be a tablet-sized embodiment of the electronic device 100, such as the one available from Apple Inc. (Cupertino, California). model.

[0039] Go to Figure 1E , the computer 150 may represent Figure 1AAnother embodiment of the electronic device 100 is shown. The computer 150 may be any computer, such as a desktop computer, a server, or a notebook computer, but may also be a stand-alone media player or video game console. By way of example, the computer 150 may be a computer from Apple Inc. (Cupertino, California). or other similar devices. It should be noted that computer 150 may also represent a personal computer (PC) from another manufacturer. A similar housing 122 may be provided to protect and enclose the internal components of computer 150, such as display 108. In some embodiments, a user of computer 150 may interact with computer 150 using various peripheral input structures 112 such as keyboard 152 or mouse 154 (e.g., input structures 112) that may be connected to computer 150.

[0040] Similarly, Figure 1F A wearable electronic device 160 is depicted as another embodiment of the electronic device 100 that can be configured to operate using the techniques described herein. By way of example, the wearable electronic device 160, which can include a wristband 162, can be an Apple However, in other embodiments, the wearable electronic device 160 may include any wearable electronic device, such as, for example, a wearable motion monitoring device (e.g., a pedometer, an accelerometer, a heart rate monitor), or other devices from another manufacturer. The display 108 of the wearable electronic device 160 enclosed by the housing 122 may include a touch screen display 108 (e.g., an LCD, an LED display, an OLED display, an AMOLED display, etc.) and an input structure 112 that allows a user to interact with the user interface of the wearable electronic device 160.

[0041] Figure 2 yes Figure 1A FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a system-in-package 200 for an electronic device 100. Although the depicted embodiment shows multiple panels on different sides and on the same layer of the electronic device 100, the system described herein is also applicable to stacked panels, such as a three-dimensional (3D) stack of printed circuit boards. That is, one or more of the panels can be positioned on top of or below one or more other panels. In addition, at least one of the panels can include a redistribution printed circuit board that provides connections between the panels coupled to the redistribution printed circuit board.

[0042] In the depicted embodiment, the system-in-package 200 includes packaging for a front glass panel 232 (e.g., a front surface panel or cover glass panel), a main logic board 233 having a back glass panel 234, a left side panel 236, and a right side panel 238. Although the following description describes panels 232, 234, 236, and 238 as being disposed on the front, back, left, and right sides of the electronic device 100, respectively, to represent a particular embodiment, the system-in-package 200 described herein may additionally or alternatively include panels disposed at other areas of the electronic device 100 that may include one or more antennas. For example, the system-in-package 200 may also include a top-side panel or a bottom-side panel disposed on the top or bottom of the electronic device 100, respectively, adjacent to the left side panel 236 and the right side panel 238. Furthermore, although the following description describes one antenna array to represent a particular embodiment, the system-in-package 200 described herein may additionally or alternatively include multiple antenna arrays.

[0043] The main logic board 233 may include a rear glass panel 234, a power management circuit 239, a transceiver 220, an antenna array selector 237, an application processor 235, and a first antenna array 250A. The application processor 235 may be coupled to the power management circuit 239 to control power functions, including power functions related to wireless communication. The power management circuit 239 may include one or more integrated circuits and controls the power provided to the main logic board 233 and / or components of the electronic device 100 (including, for example, the transceiver 220 and / or the antenna array selector 237) (e.g., via the processor 102). By way of example, the power management circuit 239 may control the following processes: supplying power to the main logic board 233, providing power to components on or coupled to the main logic board 233, panels 232, 234, 236, and / or 238; selecting power; power sequencing; converting direct current (DC) for specific power-related functions; charging the battery of the electronic device 100, etc.

[0044] As shown, the transceiver 220 can be coupled to the antenna array selector 237, the first antenna array 250A of the rear glass panel 234, and the components of the front glass panel 232. The antenna array 250A includes multiple antennas that transmit and / or receive wireless signals and can form a directional beam using the signal transmitted by each of the antennas. The transceiver 220 can be an embodiment of the transceiver 110. As previously described with respect to Figure 1AAs discussed, the transceiver 110 is a device that includes a transmitter and a receiver in a single package and can use the antennas in the first antenna array 250A to send and receive data via wireless signals conveyed at a specific radio frequency. Specifically, the transceiver 220 may include a transmitter and a receiver that include components that facilitate the transmission and reception of wireless signals, such as those components that transmit and receive between electronic devices 100 using mmWave communication technology or any other suitable communication protocol. When communicating on mmWave frequencies, the electronic device 100 may utilize beamforming technology to form a directional beam, as previously mentioned. The transmitter of the transceiver 220 may include one or more phase shifters, a transmitter power detector, and a power amplifier. The transmitter phase shifter can modulate (e.g., shift the phase of) the transmit signal (e.g., the wireless signal transmitted from the antennas in the first antenna array 250A) and can form a beam that can be steered in a specific direction (e.g., a directional beam), such as toward another electronic device (e.g., another electronic device 100 or a base station). The power amplifier can amplify the power level of the transmit signal. Specifically, a power amplifier supply voltage may be supplied to the power amplifier to control the amount of amplification provided by the power amplifier (e.g., to increase or decrease amplification, which may affect the antenna gain at the corresponding antenna). The transmitter power detector may measure the power of transmit signals transmitted from the antennas in the first antenna array 250A.

[0045] The receiver of transceiver 220 may include one or more receiver phase shifters, a low-noise amplifier, and a receiver power detector. The receiver phase shifter and receiver power detector may operate similarly to the transmitter phase shifter and transmitter power detector. The low-noise amplifier may amplify the power level of a received signal (e.g., a wireless signal received at an antenna in first antenna array 250A). Additional components in the transmitter and / or receiver may include, but are not limited to, filters, mixers, and / or attenuators.

[0046] The antenna array selector 237, which can be coupled to the transceiver 220, can activate or enable communications from one or more of the antennas in the antenna array 250 (such as the first antenna array 250A). For example, based on data throughput, the antenna array selector 237 can selectively enable multiple antennas to accommodate data throughput. As shown, the first antenna array 250A is disposed at the rear glass panel 234. The rear glass panel 234 may include one or more printed circuit boards coupled to the rear surface (e.g., rear glass) of the electronic device 100. As shown, the first antenna array 250A may include an M×N array of first frequency band antennas 251 (Band 1), second frequency band antennas 253 (Band 2), and third frequency band antennas 255 (Band 3). The M×N array may refer to M rows (e.g., one or more rows) and N columns (e.g., one or more columns) of antennas, where the number of rows, columns, and / or antennas in the rows and columns may include any number of antennas suitable for a particular application (e.g., communication via mmWave). Additionally, although the following description describes an antenna array 250 having a specific number of first frequency band antennas 251, second frequency band antennas 253, and third frequency band antennas 255, which represents a specific embodiment, the antenna array 250 may include any one or more of the first frequency band antennas 251, second frequency band antennas 253, and / or third frequency band antennas 255. The first frequency band antennas 251 may enable communication in a first frequency band or frequency range, the second frequency band antennas 253 may enable communication in a second frequency band or frequency range, and the third frequency band antennas 255 may enable communication in a third frequency band or frequency range. In some embodiments, the first frequency band, the second frequency band, and the third frequency band may include different frequency ranges. By way of example, the first frequency band may include low-band frequencies such as 700 MHz to 1.0 GHz, the second frequency band antennas 253 may enable communication in mid-band frequencies (such as 1.8 GHz to 2.2 GHz), and the third frequency band antennas 255 may enable communication in high-band frequencies (such as 20 GHz to 80 GHz).

[0047] Additionally, the transceiver 220 may be coupled to a power management module (PMM) 241 and an amplifier radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) 242 of the front glass panel 232. The power management module 241 may provide power to the power amplifier of the transceiver 220 to amplify the power of the transmit signal. The amplifier RFIC 242 may provide a mixing circuit to demodulate the radio frequency signal received by the transceiver 220 and modulate the intermediate frequency signal into a radio frequency signal for use in transmitting the transmit signal from the transceiver 220.

[0048] In some embodiments, the application processor 235 can control (e.g., via the antenna array selector 237) the antenna array selector 237 and / or the transceiver 220, and by extension, the antenna arrays 250 of the front glass panel 232, the back glass panel 234, the left side panel 236, and / or the right side panel 238. That is, the antenna array selector 237 can enable one or more of the antennas in one or more antenna arrays 250 (e.g., antenna arrays 250A, 250B, 250C, 250D) to transmit or receive wireless signals via the transceiver 220. In some embodiments, the antenna array selector 237 can enable the antennas of the right side panel 238 to transmit signals that contribute to a beamforming signal that is pointed right relative to the electronic device 100. By way of example, if Figure 1C If the electronic device 130 is positioned upward in the positive portion of the z-axis and facing the positive portion of the y-axis, the right side panel 238 can be positioned and transmit signals in the positive portion of the x-axis. The application processor 235 can also be communicatively coupled to the power management circuit 239 of each of the front glass panel 232, the main logic board 233, the back glass panel 234, the left side panel 236, and the right side panel 238 to control power-related functions for each of the panels.

[0049] The application processor 235 may include one or more microprocessors, one or more "general purpose" microprocessors, one or more special-purpose microprocessors, and / or one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or some combination thereof. For example, the application processor 235 may include one or more reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processors. In some cases, the application processor 235 may perform processing (e.g., execute software programs and / or instructions) for specific functions, such as specific wireless communication-related functions. The specific functions may include receiving or generating wireless signals, selecting a specific antenna for transmitting or receiving signals using the antenna array selector 237, selecting an amplification level to amplify a transmit signal using the power management circuit 239, determining the gain of wireless signals transmitted and / or received from a specific transmitter and / or receiver associated with a specific antenna of the antenna array 250, and the like. In some cases, the application processor 235 may be integrated with the processor 102 and perform additional functions related to wireless communication, such as functions related to the display 108, adjusting bandwidth consumption, and the like.

[0050] In some embodiments, the application processor 235 can communicate with one or more memory devices ( Figure 2 Not shown) (such as Figure 1AThe memory device may communicate with the application processor 235 (e.g., memory 104) for processing instructions to perform functions related to wireless communication. The memory device may store information such as control software, configuration information, etc. In some embodiments, the application processor 235 and the memory device may be external to the main logic board 233 and / or the system package 230. The memory device may include tangible, non-transitory machine-readable media, such as volatile memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM)) and / or non-volatile memory (e.g., read-only memory (ROM)). The memory device may store a variety of information and may be used for a variety of purposes. For example, the memory device may store machine-readable and / or processor-executable instructions (e.g., in the form of software or a computer program) for execution by the application processor 235, such as instructions for enabling communication from a specific antenna that transmits or receives a signal that contributes to a beamformed signal transmitted or received at a specific frequency in a specific beam direction. The memory device may include one or more storage devices (e.g., non-volatile storage devices), which may include ROM, flash memory, a hard drive, or any other suitable optical, magnetic, or solid-state storage medium, or a combination thereof.

[0051] As shown, the system package 230 also includes a front glass panel 232, which may include one or more printed circuit boards coupled to a cover glass associated with the display 108. The front glass panel 232 may include a second antenna array 250B having M×N first frequency band antennas 251, M×N second frequency band antennas 253, and / or M×N third frequency band antennas 255. The antennas in the second antenna array 250B operate similarly to the antennas in the first antenna array 250A of the main logic board 233. That is, by way of example, the first frequency band antennas 251 may communicate wireless signals at low-band frequencies (e.g., 700 MHz to 1.0 GHz), the second frequency band antennas 253 may communicate wireless signals at mid-band frequencies (e.g., 1.8 GHz to 2.2 GHz), and the third frequency band antennas 255 may communicate wireless signals at high-band frequencies (e.g., 20 GHz to 80 GHz).

[0052] The front glass panel 232 may also include an amplifier RFIC 242 (e.g., a low noise amplifier (LNA) and a power amplifier (PA) radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) and a power management module 241. The amplifier RFIC 242 may include circuitry between the antenna and the mixing circuitry that processes, for example, a signal at an incoming radio frequency (RF) before it is converted or demodulated to a lower intermediate frequency (IF) for processing (e.g., from RF to IF). By way of example, the amplifier RFIC 242 may include a processor 102 that processes instructions for functions performed by the amplifier RFIC 242 (e.g., instructions related to frequency conversion, transmitting a signal from a specific antenna with specific amplification, receiving a signal at a specific antenna, etc.) and / or a memory 104 that stores instructions related to the functions performed by the amplifier RFIC 242. In some embodiments, the amplifier RFIC 242 may include a bandpass filter that passes frequencies within a specific range and / or a bandstop filter that filters out frequencies from the specific range, a low noise amplifier that increases the signal strength of an incoming signal, a local oscillator that generates a radio frequency signal offset from the incoming signal to mix with the incoming signal, and / or a mixer that mixes the incoming signal with a signal from a local oscillator to convert the incoming signal to an intermediate frequency. The power converter (e.g., a direct current (DC) to DC converter (DC-DC converter)) of the power management module 241 can supply power to a power amplifier of the electronic device 100, for example, for amplifying a transmit signal. Therefore, dynamically changing the supply voltage from the power converter can correspondingly change the amount of amplification of the transmit signal from the power amplifier. In addition, the average power tracking (APT) of the power management module 241 can change the DC supply voltage based on the output power level to maintain the linearity of the power amplifier, while improving efficiency (e.g., reducing unnecessary power consumption of the power amplifier).

[0053] As shown, the system-in-package 200 also includes a left side panel 236, which may include one or more printed circuit boards connected to the left side of the electronic device 100. The left side panel 236 may also include a power management circuit 239, a transceiver 220, and a third antenna array 250C. Similarly, the system-in-package 200 includes a right side panel 238. The right side panel 238 may also include a power management circuit 239, a transceiver 220, and a fourth antenna array 250D. The power management circuit 239, transceiver 220, and antenna arrays 250C and 250D may operate and function similarly to the power management circuit 239, transceiver 220, and first antenna array 250A discussed with respect to the main logic board 233. As shown, the third antenna array 250C and the fourth antenna array 250D include M×N first frequency band antennas 251, second frequency band antennas 253, and third frequency band antennas 255. As previously mentioned, by way of example, the first band antenna 251 may communicate wireless signals at low-band frequencies, the second band antenna 253 may communicate wireless signals at mid-band frequencies, and the third band antenna 255 may communicate wireless signals at high-band frequencies.

[0054] As previously discussed, it can be difficult to integrate the antennas in the antenna array 250, the transceiver 220, and the power management circuitry 239 within the same specific area within the package of the panel of the system-in-package 200. Specifically, the transceiver 220 and the antenna array 250 can be co-located (e.g., near each other in the same or substantially the same area) within the package so that the transceiver 220 can effectively control the amplification, phase, gain, etc. of the wireless signal while minimizing signal loss and noise that might otherwise be caused by a longer communication path between the transceiver 220 and the antenna array 250 (e.g., not co-located). Similarly, the power management circuitry 239 can be co-located with the transceiver 220 and the antenna array 250 so that the transceiver 220 can effectively control power-related functions of the wireless signals from the antennas of the antenna array 250 while also minimizing signal loss and noise. Furthermore, the electronic device 100 can include additional antennas to achieve higher data throughput via the antennas and / or provide higher gain of the wireless signals from the antennas. In some embodiments, the electronic device 100 includes additional components and / or additional antennas to accommodate carrier aggregation specific to a particular wireless carrier. The system-in-package 200 can efficiently accommodate co-located components, an additional number of antennas, other components, and / or packaging specifications while reducing the footprint (or maintaining the original system-in-package 200 size after adding the additional components and antennas).

[0055] Although the following description describes space reduction (e.g., thickness reduction) packaging techniques applied to a particular panel of the system-in-package 200, these techniques may also be applied to other panels of the system-in-package 200. By way of example, the description of space reduction (e.g., thickness reduction) packaging techniques applied to the front glass panel 232 may also be applied to the main logic board 233, the back glass panel 234, the left side panel 236, and / or the right side panel 238. Figures 3 to 8 Details are provided on various thickness reduction packaging technologies for system-in-package integration.

[0056] Example System-in-Package

[0057] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a system-in-package 300 according to one embodiment that can be integrated into the electronic device 100. The system-in-package 300 can be a system-in-package integrated into the front glass panel 232, the main logic board 233, the back glass panel 234, the left side panel 236, or the right side panel 238. The system-in-package 300 can include at least one processor die 302, a first passive component 304, a second passive component 310, a stepped mold 306, and an insulating film substrate 322.

[0058] Processor die 302 can be integrated into stepped mold 306 and stacked onto insulating film substrate 322 via connector 316 (e.g., solder ball connector). Processor die 302 can include at least one microprocessor, at least one "general purpose" microprocessor, at least one dedicated microprocessor, at least one ASIC, or some combination thereof. In some embodiments, processor die 302 can perform processing for specific functions, such as specific wireless communication related functions. Processor die 302 can be an embodiment of application processor 235.

[0059] The stepped mold 306 is a mold cavity having portions of varying heights (or thicknesses) along, for example, the z-dimension. The stepped mold 306 can allow for the integration of components of the system-in-package 300 having varying thicknesses to reduce the overall thickness of the system-in-package 300. The stepped mold 306 can also be used to incorporate at least one shielding layer into the system-in-package 300. Additionally or alternatively, the stepped mold 306 can also be used to incorporate at least one heat dissipating material into the system-in-package 300. The thickness of the stepped mold 306 can be, for example, between 0.395 mm and 0.415 mm.

[0060] The insulating film substrate 322 can be connected to the multilayer board 326 via a connector 324 (e.g., a bump, a microbump, a hybrid bond, a copper pillar, a land grid array (LGA) connector, or a ball grid array (BGA) connector). The insulating film substrate 322 can be an insulating build-up material. Alternatively, the insulating film substrate 322 can be replaced with an interposer. The multilayer board 326 can be outside the system-level package 300. The multilayer board 326 can be replaced with a flexible board 326. Alternatively, the multilayer board 326 can be replaced with a board 326 having at least one embedded component. At least one additional passive component 312 (e.g., a capacitor, an inductor, a resistor, a voltage regulator, etc.) can be directly stacked onto the multilayer board 326 via a connector 314 (e.g., an LGA connector or a BGA connector).

[0061] Each of the first passive component 304 and the second passive component 310 can be integrated into the stepped mold 306. The first passive component 304 and the second passive component 310 can be capacitors, inductors, resistors, voltage regulators, some other type of passive components, or some combination thereof. The first passive component 304 and the second passive component 410 can have different heights (or thicknesses). The first passive component 304 can be directly stacked onto the insulating film substrate 322. The second passive component 310 can be connected to the insulating film substrate 322 via a connector 318 (e.g., an LGA connector or a BGA connector).

[0062] The system-level package 300 may further include a shielding layer 308 covering the stepped mold 306 as an outer layer of the system-level package 300. The shielding layer 308 may provide electrical shielding for the components in the system-level package 300. The thickness of the shielding layer 308 may be, for example, between 7 μm and 15 μm. The system-level package 300 may further include an absorber layer 320 (e.g., an EMI absorber) placed over at least a portion of the outer surface of the shielding layer 308. Alternatively, Figure 3 (not shown in FIG), the absorber layer 320 may be placed under a portion of the inner surface of the shielding layer 308. The maximum thickness of the system-in-package 300 may be, for example, 0.697 mm.

[0063] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a system-in-package 400 according to one embodiment that can be integrated into the electronic device 100. The system-in-package 400 can be a system-in-package integrated into the front glass panel 232, the main logic board 233, the back glass panel 234, the left side panel 236, or the right side panel 238. The system-in-package 400 can include at least one processor die 402, a first passive component 404, a second passive component 406, a third passive component 408, a stepped mold 410, and an insulating film substrate 418.

[0064] Processor die 402 can be integrated into stepped mold 410 and stacked onto insulating film substrate 418 via connector 416 (e.g., solder ball connector). Processor die 402 can include at least one microprocessor, at least one "general purpose" microprocessor, at least one dedicated microprocessor, at least one ASIC, or some combination thereof. In some embodiments, processor die 402 can perform processing for specific functions, such as specific wireless communication related functions. Processor die 402 can be an embodiment of application processor 235.

[0065] The stepped mold 410 is a mold cavity having portions of varying heights (or thicknesses) along, for example, the z-dimension. The stepped mold 410 can allow for the integration of components of the system-in-package 400 having varying thicknesses to reduce the overall thickness of the system-in-package 400. The stepped mold 410 can also be used to incorporate at least one shielding layer into the system-in-package 400. Additionally or alternatively, the stepped mold 410 can also be used to incorporate at least one heat dissipating material into the system-in-package 400. The thickness of the stepped mold 410 can be, for example, between 0.57 mm and 0.59 mm.

[0066] The insulating film substrate 418 may be connected to a multilayer board ( Figure 4 ). The insulating film substrate may be an insulating laminate material. Alternatively, the insulating film substrate 418 may be replaced with an interposer. Each of the first passive element 404, the second passive element 406, and the third passive element 408 may be integrated into the stepped mold 410. The first passive element 404, the second passive element 406, and the third passive element 408 may be capacitors, inductors, resistors, voltage regulators, some other type of passive element, or some combination thereof. The first passive element 404, the second passive element 406, and the third passive element 408 may have different heights (or thicknesses). The passive element 404 may be stacked directly onto the insulating film substrate 418. The second passive element 406 may be connected to the insulating film substrate 418 via a connector 420 (e.g., an LGA connector or a BGA connector). The third passive element 408 may be connected to the insulating film substrate 418 via a connector 422 (e.g., an LGA connector or a BGA connector).

[0067] The system-level package 400 may further include a shielding layer 412 covering the stepped mold 410 as an outer layer of the system-level package 400. The shielding layer 412 may provide electrical shielding for the components in the system-level package 400. The thickness of the shielding layer 412 may be, for example, between 7 μm and 15 μm. The system-level package 400 may further include an absorber layer 414 (e.g., an EMI absorber) placed over at least a portion of the outer surface of the shielding layer 412. Alternatively, Figure 4 (not shown in FIG), the absorber layer 414 may be placed under a portion of the inner surface of the shielding layer 412. The maximum thickness of the system-in-package 400 may be, for example, 0.865 mm.

[0068] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a system-in-package 500 according to one embodiment that can be integrated into the electronic device 100. The system-in-package 500 can be a system-in-package integrated into the front glass panel 232, the main logic board 233, the back glass panel 234, the left side panel 236, or the right side panel 238. The system-in-package 500 can include at least one processor die 502, a first passive component 504, a second passive component 506, a stepped mold 508, and an insulating film substrate 510.

[0069] Processor die 502 can be integrated into stepped mold 508 and stacked onto insulating film substrate 520 via connector 516 (e.g., solder ball connector). Processor die 502 can include at least one microprocessor, at least one "general purpose" microprocessor, at least one dedicated microprocessor, at least one ASIC, or some combination thereof. In some embodiments, processor die 502 can perform processing for specific functions, such as specific wireless communication related functions. Processor die 502 can be an embodiment of application processor 235.

[0070] The stepped mold 508 is a mold cavity having portions of varying heights (or thicknesses) along, for example, the z-dimension. The stepped mold 508 can allow for the integration of components of the system-in-package 500 having varying thicknesses to reduce the overall thickness of the system-in-package 500. The stepped mold 508 can also be used to incorporate at least one shielding layer into the system-in-package 500. Additionally or alternatively, the stepped mold 508 can also be used to incorporate at least one heat dissipation material into the system-in-package 500. The thickness of the stepped mold 508 can be, for example, between 0.395 mm and 0.415 mm.

[0071] The insulating film substrate 520 can be connected to the multilayer board 526 via a connector 522 (e.g., a solder ball connector). The insulating film substrate 520 can be an insulating build-up material. Alternatively, the insulating film substrate 520 can be replaced with an interposer. The multilayer board 526 can be outside the system-level package 500. The multilayer board 526 can be replaced with a flexible board 526. Alternatively, the multilayer board 526 can be replaced with a board 526 having at least one embedded component. At least one additional passive component 514 (e.g., a capacitor, an inductor, a resistor, etc.) can be directly stacked onto the multilayer board 526 via a connector 524 (e.g., an LGA connector or a BGA connector).

[0072] Each of the first passive component 504 and the second passive component 506 can be integrated into the stepped mold 508. The first passive component 504 and the second passive component 506 can be capacitors, inductors, resistors, voltage regulators, some other type of passive components, or some combination thereof. The first passive component 504 and the second passive component 506 can have different heights (or thicknesses). The first passive component 504 can be directly stacked onto the insulating film substrate 520. The second passive component 506 can be connected to the insulating film substrate 520 via a connector 518 (e.g., an LGA connector or a BGA connector).

[0073] The system-level package 500 may further include a shielding layer 510 covering the stepped mold 508 as an outer layer of the system-level package 500. The shielding layer 510 may provide electrical shielding for the components in the system-level package 500. The thickness of the shielding layer 510 may be, for example, between 7 μm and 15 μm. The system-level package 500 may further include an absorber layer 512 (e.g., an EMI absorber) placed over at least a portion of the outer surface of the shielding layer 510. Alternatively, Figure 5 (not shown in FIG), the absorber layer 512 may be placed under a portion of the inner surface of the shielding layer 510. The maximum thickness of the system-in-package 500 may be, for example, 0.752 mm.

[0074] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a system-in-package 60 according to one embodiment that can be integrated into the electronic device 100. The system-in-package 600 can be a system-in-package integrated into the front glass panel 232, the main logic board 233, the back glass panel 234, the left side panel 236, or the right side panel 238. The system-in-package 600 can include at least one processor die 602, a first passive component 604, a second passive component 606, a stepped mold 608, and an insulating film substrate 610.

[0075] Processor die 602 may be integrated into stepped mold 608 and stacked onto insulating film substrate 610 via connector 618 (e.g., solder ball connector). Processor die 602 may include at least one microprocessor, at least one "general purpose" microprocessor, at least one dedicated microprocessor, at least one ASIC, or some combination thereof. In some embodiments, processor die 602 may perform processing for a specific function, such as a specific wireless communication-related function. Processor die 602 may be an embodiment of application processor 235.

[0076] The stepped mold 608 is a mold cavity having portions of varying heights (or thicknesses) along, for example, the z-dimension. The stepped mold 608 can allow for the integration of components of the system-in-package 600 having varying thicknesses to reduce the overall thickness of the system-in-package 600. The stepped mold 608 can also be used to incorporate at least one shielding layer into the system-in-package 600. Additionally or alternatively, the stepped mold 608 can also be used to incorporate at least one heat dissipation material into the system-in-package 600. The thickness of the stepped mold 608 can be, for example, between 0.35 mm and 0.37 mm.

[0077] The insulating film substrate 610 can be connected to the multilayer board 616 via a connector 620 (e.g., an LGA connector or a BGA connector). The insulating film substrate 610 can be an insulating build-up material. Alternatively, the insulating film substrate 610 can be replaced with an interposer. The multilayer board 616 can be outside the system-level package 600. Alternatively, the multilayer board 616 can be an integral part of the system-level package 600. The multilayer board 616 can be replaced with a flexible board 616. Alternatively, the multilayer board 616 can be replaced with a board 616 having at least one embedded component. At least one additional passive component 614 (e.g., a capacitor, an inductor, a resistor, etc.) can be directly stacked onto the multilayer board 616 via a connector 626 (e.g., an LGA connector or a BGA connector).

[0078] Each of the first passive component 604 and the second passive component 606 can be integrated into the stepped mold 608. The first passive component 604 and the second passive component 606 can be capacitors, inductors, resistors, voltage regulators, some other type of passive component, or some combination thereof. The first passive component 604 and the second passive component 606 can have different heights (or thicknesses). The first passive component 604 can be stacked directly onto the insulating film substrate 610. The second passive component 606 can be stacked onto the insulating film substrate 610 via connectors 624 (e.g., LGA connectors or BGA connectors), which are placed within recesses 622 of the insulating film substrate 610. By placing the connectors 624 within the recesses 622 of the insulating film substrate 610, the overall thickness of the system-level package 600 can be further reduced (e.g., compared to system-level packages 300, 400, and 500).

[0079] The system-level package 600 may further include a shielding layer 610 covering the stepped mold 608 as an outer layer of the system-level package 600. The shielding layer 610 may provide electrical shielding for the components in the system-level package 600. The thickness of the shielding layer 610 may be, for example, between 7 μm and 15 μm. The system-level package 600 may further include an absorber layer 612 (e.g., an EMI absorber) placed over at least a portion of the outer surface of the shielding layer 610. Alternatively, Figure 6 (not shown in FIG), the absorber layer 612 may be placed under a portion of the inner surface of the shielding layer 610. The maximum thickness of the system-in-package 600 may be, for example, 0.692 mm.

[0080] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a system-in-package 700 according to one embodiment that can be integrated into the electronic device 100. The system-in-package 700 can be a system-in-package integrated into the front glass panel 232, the main logic board 233, the back glass panel 234, the left side panel 236, or the right side panel 238. The system-in-package 700 can include at least one processor die 702, a first passive component 704, a second passive component 706, a stepped mold 708, and an insulating film substrate 710.

[0081] Processor die 702 may be integrated into stepped mold 708 and stacked onto insulating film substrate 710 via connector 720 (e.g., solder ball connector). Processor die 702 may include at least one microprocessor, at least one "general purpose" microprocessor, at least one dedicated microprocessor, at least one ASIC, or some combination thereof. In some embodiments, processor die 702 may perform processing for a specific function, such as a specific wireless communication-related function. Processor die 702 may be an embodiment of application processor 235.

[0082] The stepped mold 708 is a mold cavity having portions of varying heights (or thicknesses) along, for example, the z-dimension. The stepped mold 708 can allow for the integration of components of the system-in-package 700 having varying thicknesses to reduce the overall thickness of the system-in-package 700. The stepped mold 708 can also be used to incorporate at least one shielding layer into the system-in-package 700. Additionally or alternatively, the stepped mold 708 can also be used to incorporate at least one heat dissipation material into the system-in-package 700. The thickness of the stepped mold 708 can be, for example, between 0.35 mm and 0.37 mm.

[0083] The insulating film substrate 710 can be connected to the multilayer board 730 via a connector 724 (e.g., an LGA connector or a BGA connector). The insulating film substrate 710 can be an insulating build-up material. Alternatively, the insulating film substrate 710 can be replaced with an interposer. The multilayer board 730 can be outside the system-level package 700. Alternatively, the multilayer board 730 can be an integral part of the system-level package 700. The multilayer board 730 can be replaced with a flexible board 730. Alternatively, the multilayer board 730 can be replaced with a board 730 having at least one embedded component. At least one additional passive component 718 (e.g., a capacitor, an inductor, a resistor, etc.) can be directly stacked onto the multilayer board 730 via a connector 728 (e.g., an LGA connector or a BGA connector).

[0084] Each of the first passive component 704 and the second passive component 706 can be at least partially integrated into the stepped mold 708. The first passive component 704 and the second passive component 706 can be capacitors, inductors, resistors, voltage regulators, some other type of passive component, or some combination thereof. The first passive component 704 and the second passive component 706 can have different heights (or thicknesses). The first passive component 704 can be fully integrated into the stepped mold 708 and directly stacked onto the insulating film substrate 710. The second passive component 706 can be partially placed within the groove 732 of the stepped mold 708 and partially placed through the cavity 722 (e.g., a three-dimensional cavity) in the insulating film substrate 710 for stacking the second passive component 706 onto the multilayer board 730 via a connector 726 (e.g., an LGA connector or a BGA connector). A mechanical shield 734 can be placed around at least a portion of the second passive component 706 (e.g., between the stepped mold 708 and the recess 732) to prevent overmolding and shield the second passive component 706 stacked onto the multilayer board 730. By placing the second passive component 706 partially within the recess 732 of the stepped mold 708 and partially through the cavity 722 of the insulating film substrate 710, the overall thickness of the system-in-package 700 can be further reduced (e.g., compared to system-in-packages 300, 400, 500, and 600).

[0085] The system-level package 700 may also include a shielding layer 712 that covers the stepped mold 708 as an outer layer of the system-level package 700. The shielding layer 712 may provide electrical shielding for the components in the system-level package 700. The thickness of the shielding layer 712 may be, for example, between 7 μm and 15 μm. The system-level package 700 may also include an absorber layer 714 (e.g., an EMI absorber) positioned over at least a portion of the outer surface of the shielding layer 712. Thus, the absorber layer 714 may represent an outer layer of the system-level package 700. Alternatively or additionally, an absorber layer 716 (e.g., an EMI absorber) may be positioned under a portion of the inner surface of the shielding layer 712. When the thickness of the system-level package 700 permits (e.g., when the thickness of the system-level package 700 is less than a specified maximum thickness), both the absorber layer 714 and the absorber layer 716 may be employed to provide enhanced levels of electromagnetic interference absorption. The maximum thickness of the system-level package 700 may be, for example, 0.692 mm.

[0086] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a system-in-package 800 according to one embodiment that can be integrated into the electronic device 100. The system-in-package 800 can be a system-in-package integrated into the front glass panel 232, the main logic board 233, the back glass panel 234, the left side panel 236, or the right side panel 238. The system-in-package 800 can include at least one processor die 802, a first passive component 804, at least one RF front-end die 806, at least one power control die 808, a second passive component 810, a third passive component 812, a stepped mold 818, and an insulating film substrate 820.

[0087] The processor die 802 can be integrated into the stepped mold 818 and stacked onto the insulating film substrate 820 via connectors 822 (e.g., solder ball connectors). The processor die 802 can include at least one microprocessor, at least one "general purpose" microprocessor, at least one dedicated microprocessor, at least one ASIC, or some combination thereof. In some embodiments, the processor die 802 can perform processing for a specific function, such as a specific wireless communication-related function. The processor die 802 can be an embodiment of the application processor 235.

[0088] The stepped mold 818 is a mold cavity having portions of different heights (or thicknesses) along, for example, the z dimension. The stepped mold 818 can allow for the integration of components of the system-level package 800 of different thicknesses to reduce the overall thickness of the system-level package 800. The stepped mold 818 can also be used to include at least one shielding layer into the system-level package 800. Additionally or alternatively, the stepped mold 818 can also be used to include at least one heat dissipation material into the system-level package 800. The thickness of the stepped mold 818 can be, for example, between 0.57 mm and 0.59 mm. The insulating film substrate 820 can be connected to the multilayer board ( Figure 8 (not shown in the figure). The insulating film substrate 820 may be an insulating buildup layer material. Alternatively, the insulating film substrate 820 may be replaced with an interposer.

[0089] The RF front-end die 806 can provide wireless communication functionality for the system-in-package 800. The RF front-end die 806 can be integrated into a stepped mold 818 and stacked onto an insulating film substrate 820 via a connector 824 (e.g., a solder ball connector). The RF front-end die 806 can be an embodiment of the transceiver 220. The power control die 808 can provide power control for, for example, the processor die 802 and / or the RF front-end die 806. The power control die 808 can be integrated into a stepped mold 818 and stacked onto an insulating film substrate 820 via a connector 824 (e.g., a solder ball connector). The power control die 808 can be an embodiment of the power management circuit 239 and / or the power management module 241.

[0090] Each of the first passive component 804, the second passive component 810, and the third passive component 812 can be integrated into the stepped mold 818. In some embodiments, one or more of the passive components 804, 810, and 812 include a voltage regulator. The first passive component 804, the second passive component 810, and the third passive component 812 can be a capacitor, an inductor, a resistor, or some combination thereof. The first passive component 804, the second passive component 810, and the third passive component 812 can have different heights (or thicknesses). The first passive component 804 can be stacked directly onto the insulating film substrate 820. The second passive component 810 can be stacked onto the insulating film substrate 820 via a connector 828 (e.g., an LGA connector). In one or more embodiments, the connector 828 is placed in a groove 832 of the insulating film substrate 820. The third passive component 812 can be stacked onto the insulating film substrate 820 via a connector 830 (e.g., an LGA connector). In one or more embodiments, the connector 830 can be placed within the recess 832 of the insulating film substrate 820. By integrating both the second passive component 810 and the third passive component 812 into the stepped mold 818 and by placing their associated connectors 828 and 830 within the recess 832 of the insulating film substrate 820, the overall thickness of the system-in-package 800 can be further reduced (e.g., compared to system-in-packages 600 and 700).

[0091] The system-level package 800 may also include a shielding layer 816 that covers the stepped mold 818 as an outer layer of the system-level package 800. The shielding layer 816 may provide electrical shielding for the components in the system-level package 800. The thickness of the shielding layer 816 may be, for example, between 7 μm and 15 μm. The system-level package 800 may also include an absorber layer 814 (e.g., an EMI absorber) placed over at least a portion of the outer surface of the shielding layer 816. Alternatively, the absorber layer 814 may be placed under a portion of the inner surface of the shielding layer 816. By utilizing an extension 836 of the shielding layer 816 placed within the stepped mold 818, the processor die 802 may be further shielded from the RF front-end die 806, the power control die 808, and the passive components 804, 810, 812. The maximum thickness of the system-level package 800 may be, for example, 0.865 mm.

[0092] While specific embodiments and applications have been illustrated and described, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction and components disclosed herein, and that various modifications, changes and variations that will be apparent to those skilled in the art may be made in the arrangement, operation and details of the methods and apparatus disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A system-level package, comprising: Stepped mold; an insulating film substrate connected to the multilayer board via a first plurality of connectors; at least one processor die integrated into the stepped mold and stacked onto the insulating film substrate via a second plurality of connectors; as well as At least one passive component is integrated into the stepped mold and stacked onto the insulating film substrate. 2 . The system-in-package of claim 1 , wherein the at least one passive component comprises a plurality of passive components having different heights integrated into the stepped mold. 3 . The system-in-package according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one passive element is stacked onto the insulating film substrate via a plurality of land grid array (LGA) connectors placed within recesses of the insulating film substrate. 4 . The system-in-package according to claim 1 , wherein a passive component of the at least one passive component is partially placed within the groove of the stepped mold and passes through the cavity of the insulating film substrate. 5 . The system-in-package of claim 4 , wherein the passive components are directly connected to the multilayer board via a third plurality of connectors.

6. The system-in-package of claim 4, wherein a mechanical shield is placed around at least a portion of the passive component. 7 . The system-in-package according to claim 1 , further comprising a shielding layer covering the stepped mold as an outer layer of the system-in-package. 8 . The system-in-package of claim 7 , further comprising an electromagnetic interference (EMI) absorber positioned over a portion of the outer surface of the shielding layer. 9 . The system-in-package of claim 7 , further comprising an electromagnetic interference (EMI) absorber positioned under a portion of the inner surface of the shielding layer.

10. The system-in-package of claim 1, wherein: The first plurality of connectors comprises a plurality of land grid array (LGA) connectors or a plurality of ball grid array (BGA) connectors; and The second plurality of connectors includes a plurality of solder ball connectors.

11. The system-in-package of claim 1, wherein the insulating film substrate comprises an insulating build-up layer material.

12. The system-level package according to claim 1 further includes at least one of a radio frequency front-end die and a power control die, wherein the at least one of the radio frequency front-end die and the power control die is integrated into the stepped mold and stacked onto the insulating film substrate via a third plurality of connectors.

13. The system-in-package of claim 1, wherein the multi-layer board is external to the system-in-package.

14. A system-level package, comprising: Stepped mold; an insulating film substrate connected to the multilayer board via a first plurality of connectors; at least one of a radio frequency front-end die and a power control die and at least one processor die, the at least one of the radio frequency front-end die and the power control die and the at least one processor die being integrated into the stepped mold and stacked onto the insulating film substrate via a second plurality of connectors; as well as A plurality of passive components having different heights are integrated into the stepped mold and stacked on the insulating film substrate. 15 . The system-in-package of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of passive elements are stacked onto the insulating film substrate via a plurality of land grid array (LGA) connectors. 16 . The system-in-package according to claim 15 , wherein the plurality of LGA connectors are placed in grooves of the insulating film substrate. 17 . The system-in-package according to claim 14 , further comprising a shielding layer covering the stepped mold as an outer layer of the system-in-package.

18. The system-in-package of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor die is shielded from the at least one of the RF front-end die and the power control die via an extension of the shielding layer positioned within the stepped mold.

19. A system-level package, comprising: Stepped mold; Multilayer board; an insulating film substrate connected to the multilayer board via a first plurality of connectors; at least one processor die integrated into the stepped mold and stacked onto the insulating film substrate via a second plurality of connectors; as well as A plurality of passive components are integrated into the stepped mold and stacked onto the insulating film substrate, wherein one passive component among the plurality of passive components is stacked onto the insulating film substrate via a third plurality of connectors placed within the groove of the insulating film substrate.

20. The system-in-package of claim 19, further comprising at least one passive component directly connected to the multilayer board via a fourth plurality of connectors.

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