Glass-based loading structure for reconfigurable radiation of on-chip antenna

Abstract

The invention discloses a glass-based loading structure for reconfigurable radiation of an on-chip antenna, the structure comprises a silicon substrate and a glass substrate, a plurality of through holes are formed in the glass substrate from the upper end surface to the lower end surface in a penetrating manner, and the through holes are used for longitudinally constraining electromagnetic wave radiation generated by the silicon substrate; the glass substrate is also provided with a radiation guide member, and the radiation guide member is used for guiding the electromagnetic wave radiation which is longitudinally restrained by the through hole to the horizontal direction. By optimizing the radiation performance of the antenna, the working efficiency and matching performance of the antenna can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application belongs to the technical field of packaged antennas, and in particular relates to a glass-based loading structure for reconfigurable on-chip antenna radiation. Background Art

[0002] Antennas are a crucial component of wireless communication systems. The growing trend of radio frequency (RF) and millimeter-wave spectrum applications has reduced antenna size to just a few millimeters, enabling on-chip implementation. This reduces interconnection losses and the resulting degradation of transmission signal stability caused by traditional separation of integrated circuits and antenna designs. On-chip antennas are a key technology for miniaturizing wireless communication systems and minimizing interconnection losses between the chip and antenna. While they offer significant advantages in small-size integration and low interconnection losses, they currently face numerous challenges, such as low radiation efficiency and difficulty in controlling the radiation direction.

[0003] The next generation of chip-antenna integrated packaging technologies must meet the requirements of miniaturization, ease of integration, and low interconnection loss. However, the design and implementation of on-chip antennas face numerous challenges, one of the most significant being the impact of the silicon substrate. The high dielectric constant and loss of the silicon substrate can lead to degradation of antenna performance, such as reduced gain and narrowed bandwidth.

[0004] To address the above issues, a number of innovative solutions have been proposed, including: using artificial magnetic conductor structures in on-chip antennas to suppress surface wave propagation; thinning the silicon substrate to weaken the strong surface wave coupling effect caused by the silicon substrate; and using micro-electromechanical system technology to realize on-chip spiral antennas with increased gain and wider bandwidth in the terahertz band.

[0005] However, the above solutions still have some problems: for example, although the artificial magnetic conductor structure can significantly improve the antenna gain, the final antenna gain is still low, with a maximum gain of only 0dBi; although the silicon substrate thinning technology is effective, it is not a standard process, the processing cost is very high, and excessive thinning of the substrate may affect the chip strength; the antenna in the micro-electromechanical system technology is very large, which is not conducive to the integration of wireless systems and seriously affects the packaging of the chip. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In response to the shortcomings of the existing technology, the main purpose of this application is to provide a glass-based loading structure for reconfigurable on-chip antenna radiation. By loading the glass-based structure on the silicon substrate, this application can optimize the radiation performance, gain and directivity of the antenna, and improve the working efficiency and matching performance of the antenna.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides the following technical solutions: A glass-based loading structure for reconfigurable on-chip antenna radiation comprises: a silicon substrate and a glass substrate; a plurality of through holes are provided from the upper end surface to the lower end surface of the glass substrate; the through holes are used to longitudinally constrain the electromagnetic wave radiation generated by the silicon substrate; a radiation guide is also provided on the glass substrate, the radiation guide is used to guide the electromagnetic wave radiation longitudinally constrained by the through holes to a horizontal direction.

[0008] Optionally, the glass substrate has a length of 1050 um, a width of 750 um, and a height of 210 um.

[0009] Optionally, the through hole is filled with metal material.

[0010] Optionally, the plurality of through holes are arranged at equal intervals.

[0011] Optionally, the spacing between the plurality of through holes is less than a quarter of the operating wavelength of the electromagnetic wave radiation.

[0012] Optionally, the spacing between the plurality of through holes is 100 um.

[0013] Optionally, the diameters of the plurality of through holes are the same, which is 300 um.

[0014] Optionally, the radiation guide is a metal patch.

[0015] Optionally, a redistribution layer is provided between the silicon substrate and the glass substrate.

[0016] Optionally, a folded array antenna is provided between the redistribution layer and the glass substrate.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, this application has the following beneficial effects: This application significantly improves the antenna's radiation performance by adding a through-hole and metal patch structure to the glass substrate. The added glass-based structure effectively suppresses lateral leakage of electromagnetic waves, optimizes the propagation path of electromagnetic waves, and concentrates the radiated energy in a predetermined direction, thereby increasing the antenna's gain and radiation efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a glass-based loading structure for reconfigurable on-chip antenna radiation provided by one embodiment of the present application; Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A top view of the glass-based loading structure shown; Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A side view of the glass-based loading structure shown; Figure 4This is a schematic diagram of the simulation results of the reflection loss S11 provided in another embodiment of the present application; Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of radiation efficiency simulation results provided by another embodiment of the present application; Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of gain simulation results provided by another embodiment of the present application; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the radiation direction of the antenna loaded with a glass-based structure; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the antenna radiation direction without a loaded glass-based structure.

[0019] The following are the descriptions of the reference numerals: 1. Glass substrate; 2. Through hole; 3. Radiation guide; 4. Folded array antenna; 5. Redistribution layer; 6. Silicon substrate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on the embodiments of the present invention without making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0021] It should be noted that all directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of the present invention are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the various components under a certain specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0022] In the present invention, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "connection" and "fixation" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, "fixation" can mean fixed connection, detachable connection, or integration; mechanical connection or electrical connection; direct connection or indirect connection through an intermediate medium; internal communication between two elements or interaction between two elements, unless otherwise specified. Those skilled in the art will be able to understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on specific circumstances.

[0023] In addition, if there are descriptions involving "first", "second", etc. in the embodiments of the present invention, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. are only for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or suggesting their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. In addition, the meaning of "and / or" appearing throughout the text includes three parallel schemes. Taking "A and / or B" as an example, it includes scheme A, or scheme B, or a scheme in which A and B are satisfied at the same time. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but it must be based on the ability of ordinary technicians in this field to implement. When the combination of technical solutions is mutually contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a glass-based loading structure for reconfigurable on-chip antenna radiation provided by one embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Top view of the glass-based loading structure shown, Figure 3 yes Figure 1 The side view of the glass-based loading structure is shown in FIG. Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the loading structure includes: a silicon substrate 6 and a glass substrate 1, and a plurality of through holes 2 are provided from the upper end surface to the lower end surface of the glass substrate 1, and the through holes 2 are used to longitudinally constrain the electromagnetic wave radiation generated by the silicon substrate 6; a radiation guide 3 is also provided on the glass substrate 1, and the radiation guide 3 is used to guide the electromagnetic wave radiation longitudinally constrained by the through holes 2 to a horizontal direction.

[0025] Traditional on-chip antennas face the problems of low radiation efficiency and difficulty in controlling the radiation direction due to the high dielectric constant and loss of the silicon substrate. In particular, electromagnetic wave radiation is prone to lateral leakage, resulting in low radiation efficiency and insufficient gain. In view of this, in the glass-based loading structure proposed in this application, the through holes can form a structure similar to the sidewalls of a waveguide, which can longitudinally constrain the electromagnetic wave radiation generated by the silicon substrate; the radiation guide can pull the constrained electromagnetic wave radiation, forcing the electromagnetic wave radiation to be concentrated and turned from the vertical direction to the horizontal direction with respect to the glass substrate, thereby realizing the on-chip antenna in the 210GHz frequency band from side-firing to end-firing, thereby improving the electromagnetic wave radiation gain and radiation efficiency.

[0026] In another embodiment, the glass substrate 1 has a length of 1050 um, a width of 750 um, and a height of 210 um.

[0027] In this embodiment, the dimensions of the glass substrate 1 are set to 1050μm × 750μm × 210μm, optimized based on the antenna's design requirements and operating frequency (210 GHz). This size provides sufficient space to accommodate all key antenna components, such as metal patches, vias, and other circuit structures, ensuring the antenna's radiation performance and electromagnetic wave guidance capabilities. However, if the glass substrate is too large, the antenna may become oversized, affecting integration and space efficiency. This may also result in a longer signal transmission path and increased losses. If the glass substrate is too small, it may not be able to accommodate all components, limiting the antenna's radiation performance and structural stability, and may even cause electromagnetic interference between components. Therefore, the 1050μm × 750μm × 210μm dimensions maintain antenna performance while ensuring a compact structure and efficient space utilization, meeting the antenna's operating requirements.

[0028] In addition, the glass substrate 1 used in this application is made of BF33 glass (Borofloat33, a high borosilicate glass plate). This material has a relative dielectric constant ε=3.78 and a loss tangent value tanδ≈0.002. It has excellent radio frequency performance and low cost.

[0029] In another exemplary embodiment, the through hole 2 is filled with metal material.

[0030] In this embodiment, the metal material is, for example, copper. By filling the through-hole 2 with copper, sidewalls resembling a waveguide structure can be formed, mimicking the reflection effect of the waveguide structure. This effectively longitudinally confines the electromagnetic radiation generated by the silicon substrate 6, thereby suppressing lateral leakage of the electromagnetic radiation. Specifically, when the electromagnetic radiation propagates within the copper-filled through-hole 2, the conductive copper reflects the electromagnetic radiation, so that the electromagnetic radiation within the waveguide can only propagate along the direction of the waveguide and cannot leak into the surrounding space. This characteristic effectively limits the lateral diffusion of the electromagnetic radiation, ensuring more concentrated and efficient transmission of the electromagnetic radiation.

[0031] In another exemplary embodiment, the plurality of through holes 2 are arranged at equal intervals.

[0032] In this embodiment, Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the several through holes can be arranged in a certain geometric shape, for example, they can be arranged in a rectangular arrangement, a circular arrangement or a hexagonal arrangement. However, it has been verified that the rectangular arrangement is the best geometric arrangement for the following reasons: First, the rectangular arrangement can maximize the use of the given space, so that the through holes can be arranged in the most compact manner. This arrangement can effectively reduce the gaps, thereby improving the density and efficiency of the antenna. Compared with the circular arrangement or other irregular arrangements, the rectangular arrangement has a higher space utilization rate and can accommodate more through holes in the same area. Second, the through holes in the rectangular arrangement can maintain a relatively uniform electromagnetic field distribution during the propagation of electromagnetic waves, avoiding the energy leakage that may be caused by irregular arrangements. By arranging the through holes in a rectangular manner in the glass substrate, the waveguide structure can be effectively simulated, which helps to constrain the electromagnetic waves to propagate in a specific direction and improve the radiation efficiency and gain of the antenna.

[0033] In another exemplary embodiment, the spacing between the plurality of through holes 2 is less than a quarter of the operating wavelength of the electromagnetic wave radiation.

[0034] In this embodiment, the spacing between adjacent through holes should be less than one quarter of the working wavelength of the electromagnetic wave radiation. For example, assuming that the working frequency of the electromagnetic wave radiation is 210 GHz, according to the wavelength calculation formula ,in, Indicates wavelength; represents the speed of light, about 3×10 8 m / s; represents the operating frequency; the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave radiation is , the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave radiation is 1428.6um, and its quarter wavelength is 357.15um, that is, the spacing of the through holes must be less than 357.15um.

[0035] It should be noted that after multiple experimental optimizations of antenna performance (through different spacing settings, such as 100μm, 200μm, 300μm, etc.), this application finally compared and determined that 100um is the optimal value for the through-hole spacing. By setting the through-hole spacing to this value, the waveguide effect can be effectively maintained, ensuring that electromagnetic waves propagate in the predetermined direction and preventing energy from leaking to unintended directions, thereby improving the radiation efficiency and gain of the antenna. In addition, this design can optimize the radiation directivity of the antenna, allowing energy to be concentratedly radiated in the end-fire direction, which helps to improve the overall performance of the antenna in the 210GHz frequency band. Therefore, a through-hole spacing of 100μm not only meets the requirements of the waveguide structure, but also effectively improves the working efficiency of the antenna.

[0036] In another exemplary embodiment, the diameters of the plurality of through holes 2 are the same, which is 300 um.

[0037] In this embodiment, the diameter of the through hole is set to 300μm, which is obtained through optimization based on the requirements of the operating wavelength and waveguide structure. According to the operating frequency of 210 GHz, the wavelength is about 1428.6μm. In order to ensure that the electromagnetic waves can effectively pass through the through hole and be constrained, the diameter of the through hole needs to meet certain design conditions. Through experimental optimization, this application selects 300μm as the diameter of the through hole to ensure that the through hole can form an effective waveguide structure, which can effectively constrain the propagation of electromagnetic waves without causing excessive energy loss or scattering. This diameter can achieve a better electromagnetic wave confinement effect while avoiding the leakage of electromagnetic waves or loss of waveguide effect due to the through hole being too large. In addition, this size setting can also help optimize the radiation efficiency and gain of the antenna, ensuring that the electromagnetic wave energy can be concentrated in the predetermined radiation direction, thereby improving the overall performance of the antenna.

[0038] In another exemplary embodiment, the radiation guide 3 is a metal patch.

[0039] In this embodiment, the metal patch can be, for example, a metal copper patch. The metal copper patch can act as a director to optimize the performance of the antenna by guiding the radiation direction of the electromagnetic wave radiation. When the electromagnetic wave radiation radiates from the silicon substrate, the metal copper patch can pull the electromagnetic wave radiation energy and redirect it from the downward radiation direction to the horizontal direction. This design can effectively reduce the lateral radiation of the antenna and concentrate the radiation energy in a predetermined direction, thereby improving the radiation efficiency and gain of the antenna. In addition, the metal copper patch further optimizes the radiation performance and directivity of the antenna by avoiding unnecessary energy loss. As a passive metal patch, the metal copper patch generates an induced current through the radiation field generated by the antenna. Based on the phase relationship between the current and the induced current on the metal patch, the metal patch guides the electromagnetic energy originally radiated toward the silicon substrate to the horizontal direction. Through this optimization, the metal copper patch not only improves the radiation pattern of the antenna, but also improves the gain and overall working efficiency of the antenna in the end-fire direction.

[0040] In addition, in this embodiment, the metal copper patch has a side length of 300 μm and a thickness of 5 μm. It should be noted that these dimensions were achieved by optimizing antenna performance and radiation directivity. During the design process, the size of the metal copper patch needs to match the antenna's operating frequency and radiation characteristics to ensure it can effectively guide electromagnetic waves and optimize radiation. A metal patch with a side length of 300 μm can generate a suitable induced current at an operating frequency of 210 GHz while maintaining an appropriate current distribution, effectively guiding electromagnetic wave energy horizontally and reducing unnecessary lateral radiation. A patch thickness of 5 μm ensures sufficient conductivity to support electromagnetic wave guidance without causing excessive power loss or compromising radiation performance. With this size setting, the metal copper patch can fully utilize its electromagnetic wave guiding function, thereby optimizing the antenna's radiation pattern and improving gain and radiation efficiency.

[0041] In another embodiment, a redistribution layer 5 is provided between the silicon substrate 6 and the glass substrate 1 .

[0042] In this embodiment, the redistribution layer 5 provides electrical connections and signal transmission pathways, transmitting signals from the silicon substrate to the antenna via metal wiring, thereby enabling the excitation and radiation of electromagnetic waves. This layer ensures the efficient transfer of electromagnetic radiation from the silicon substrate 6 to the antenna and optimizes the propagation path of electromagnetic radiation.

[0043] In another embodiment, a folded array antenna 4 is provided between the redistribution layer 5 and the glass substrate 1 .

[0044] In this embodiment, the folded array antenna 4 includes a main feed oscillator located in the center of the silicon substrate, with two feed arms (thin and thick) extending from either side. The thin arm of the main oscillator adheres to the inside of the copper layer for grounding, while the thick arm adheres to the outside of the silicon dioxide layer for power feeding. This design, through an effective feeding structure, ensures that electromagnetic wave energy is radiated in a predetermined direction, thereby achieving a transition from side-fire to end-fire radiation and improving the antenna's radiation efficiency and gain.

[0045] Below, this application combines Figures 4 to 8 The radiation effect of the above-mentioned glass-based loading structure is explained.

[0046] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the S11 simulation results of an antenna loaded with a glass-based structure provided by another embodiment of the present application, wherein S11 is a standard indicator for measuring antenna reflection loss, which is used to evaluate the matching degree of the antenna within the working frequency band. The smaller the S11 value, the better the matching performance of the antenna and the lower the reflection loss. Figure 4As shown in the figure, the S11 value of the antenna loaded with the glass-based structure is consistently less than -10 dB within the frequency range of 201.0 GHz to 230.0 GHz, demonstrating good matching performance within this frequency band. Furthermore, the antenna has a bandwidth of 29.0 GHz and a relative bandwidth of 13.4%, indicating that the antenna can cover a wide frequency range. Furthermore, the S11 value is less than -15 dB between 208.4 GHz and 226.7 GHz, further verifying that the antenna's reflection loss is significantly reduced. Overall, these simulation results demonstrate that loading the glass-based structure significantly reduces the antenna's radiated energy reflection, improving its operating efficiency and performance. Figure 5 FIG2 is a schematic diagram of the radiation efficiency simulation results of an antenna loaded with a glass-based structure provided in another embodiment of the present application. Radiation efficiency is one of the important indicators of antenna performance, reflecting the antenna's ability to convert input signals into radiated energy. Figure 5 The simulation results show that within the S11 bandwidth, the radiation efficiency of the antenna loaded with the glass-based structure is greater than 78%, and the radiation efficiency can reach 95% at 200 GHz.

[0047] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of gain simulation results provided by another embodiment of the present application. Gain is another important indicator for measuring antenna radiation capability, reflecting the comparison of the antenna's radiation intensity in a certain direction with that of an ideal antenna. Figure 6 The simulation shows the gain variation of the antenna at different frequencies, especially in the 210 GHz band, the gain of the antenna is greater than 4.2 dB, and the maximum gain of 5.78 dB is achieved at 205 GHz. Figure 6 , which can show that the antenna loaded with a glass-based structure can effectively concentrate the radiation energy, thereby improving the overall radiation performance of the antenna.

[0048] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the radiation direction of the antenna loaded with a glass-based structure; Figure 7 It can be shown that after loading the glass-based structure, the radiation energy of the antenna is mainly concentrated in the horizontal direction, the radiation direction is more concentrated, and the gain can be improved (the gain of the antenna in the vertical direction is less than 0.5, and the gain in the horizontal direction is about 4.0). Figure 7 ,It can be shown that the introduction of the glass-based structure can effectively improve the radiation directivity of the antenna, and concentrate the energy radiated from all sides to the horizontal direction, thereby improving the overall performance and radiation effect of the antenna, especially in the end-fire direction.

[0049] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the antenna radiation direction without a loaded glass-based structure. Figure 8In the antenna, the radiation direction is relatively dispersed and the gain is low, especially in the vertical direction, where the radiation gain is more significant, while the radiation gain in the horizontal direction is low (the antenna gain in the vertical direction is about 1.4, and in the horizontal direction is about 1.8). Figure 7 ,When the glass structure is not loaded, the radiation effect of the antenna is ,poor and the energy cannot be effectively concentrated, resulting in ,low radiation efficiency and gain of the antenna.

[0050] pass Figures 4 to 8 , it can be seen that the present application can obtain significant advantages of multiple schemes by loading a glass-based structure on a silicon substrate. First, the antenna loaded with a glass-based structure performs well in terms of reflection loss (S11), can maintain good matching in a wide range of operating frequency bands, reduce energy reflection, and improve signal transmission efficiency. Secondly, the radiation efficiency of the antenna is significantly improved, and it can efficiently convert electromagnetic waves into radiation energy and reduce energy loss. In addition, the increase in gain indicates that the antenna can concentrate energy and enhance radiation capability, especially in the end-fire direction, further optimizing the radiation effect. Finally, after loading the glass-based structure, the radiation directivity of the antenna is significantly improved, and the energy is more concentrated in the predetermined direction, avoiding unnecessary lateral radiation, thereby enhancing the directivity and overall performance of the antenna. In summary, the present application scheme has shown significant advantages in reflection loss, radiation efficiency, gain and radiation directivity by loading a glass-based structure, thereby improving the overall performance of the antenna.

[0051] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present application and do not limit the patent scope of the present application. Any equivalent structure or equivalent process transformation made using the contents of the present application specification and drawings, or directly or indirectly applied in other related technical fields, are also included in the patent protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A glass-based loading structure for reconfigurable on-chip antenna radiation, characterized in that: The structure includes: Silicon substrate and glass substrate, A plurality of through holes are provided from the upper end surface to the lower end surface of the glass substrate, and the through holes are used to longitudinally confine the electromagnetic wave radiation generated by the silicon substrate; A radiation guide is further provided on the glass substrate, and is used to guide the electromagnetic wave radiation longitudinally confined by the through hole to a horizontal direction.

2. The structure according to claim 1, characterized in that The glass substrate has a length of 1050 μm, a width of 750 μm, and a height of 210 μm.

3. The structure according to claim 1, characterized in that The plurality of through holes are filled with metal material.

4. The structure according to claim 3, characterized in that The plurality of through holes are arranged at equal intervals.

5. The structure according to claim 4, characterized in that The spacing between the plurality of through holes is less than a quarter of the working wavelength of the electromagnetic wave radiation.

6. The structure according to claim 5, characterized in that The spacing between the plurality of through holes is 100 um.

7. The structure according to claim 6, characterized in that The diameters of the plurality of through holes are the same, which is 300 μm.

8. The structure according to claim 1, characterized in that The radiation guide is a metal patch.

9. The structure according to claim 1, characterized in that A redistribution layer is provided between the silicon substrate and the glass substrate.

10. The structure according to claim 9, characterized in that A folded array antenna is arranged between the redistribution layer and the glass substrate.

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