Radio frequency front-end module and electronic equipment
By employing a multilayer substrate structure and MIM capacitors in the RF front-end module, the problems of large area occupied by filters and capacitors and limited capacitance value range are solved, achieving reasonable layout and performance improvement, and making it suitable for various application scenarios.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-03-21
- Publication Date
- 2026-03-03
AI Technical Summary
In the existing technology, filters and capacitors occupy a large area in the RF front-end module, resulting in unreasonable layout of components on the top layer of the substrate, which affects the performance of the filters. In addition, the range of selectable capacitance values for capacitors is limited, which cannot meet the needs of different application scenarios.
A multilayer substrate structure is adopted, in which the filter is placed on the first substrate layer, and the metal plates of the capacitor are located on different substrate layers. The metal plates and the filter are partially overlapped by the MIM structure, and the capacitance value is less than 0.2pF. The MIM capacitor reduces the occupied area and maintains a reasonable component spacing.
This reduces the area occupied by filters and capacitors, ensures a reasonable layout among components, improves filter performance, and makes the selectable capacitance values of capacitors widely applicable to various application scenarios.
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Figure CN223967858U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of radio frequency filtering technology, and in particular to a radio frequency front-end module and electronic device. Background Technology
[0002] With the rapid development of wireless communication technology, radio frequency (RF) front-end modules are increasingly widely used in communication terminals. RF front-end modules typically include various components such as filters and capacitors, which occupy a certain area within the module. In existing technologies, filters and capacitors are usually distributed on the top layer of the substrate, occupying a large area. This restricts the layout of other components on the top layer of the substrate, resulting in unreasonable component spacing and affecting the performance of filters and other components. Furthermore, the range of selectable capacitance values for capacitors in existing technologies is limited, failing to meet the needs of different application scenarios. Utility Model Content
[0003] This application provides an RF front-end module and electronic device that can reduce the area occupied by filters and capacitors and improve the performance of filters.
[0004] In a first aspect, this application provides a radio frequency front-end module, which includes a substrate, a filter, and a capacitor;
[0005] The substrate includes at least a first substrate layer, a second substrate layer and a third substrate layer disposed from top to bottom, wherein the third substrate layer is used for grounding.
[0006] The filter is disposed on the first substrate layer;
[0007] The capacitor includes a first metal plate and a second metal plate, which are located on any two different substrate layers. The capacitor is connected to the filter, and the projection of the first metal plate and / or the second metal plate onto the substrate at least partially overlaps with the projection of the filter onto the substrate.
[0008] Secondly, this application provides a radio frequency front-end module, which includes a substrate, a filter, and a capacitor;
[0009] The substrate includes at least a first substrate layer, a second substrate layer, and a third substrate layer disposed from top to bottom, wherein the third substrate layer is used for grounding;
[0010] The filter is disposed on the first substrate layer;
[0011] The capacitor includes a first metal plate and a second metal plate, which are located on any two different substrate layers. The capacitor is connected to the filter and the capacitance value of the capacitor is less than 0.2pF.
[0012] Thirdly, embodiments of this application also provide an electronic device, including a radio frequency front-end module as provided in any embodiment of this application.
[0013] In summary, this application provides a radio frequency (RF) front-end module and electronic device. The RF front-end module includes a substrate, a filter, and a capacitor. The substrate includes at least a first substrate layer, a second substrate layer, and a third substrate layer disposed from top to bottom, with the third substrate layer used for grounding. The filter is disposed on the first substrate layer. The capacitor includes a first metal plate and a second metal plate, which are located on any two different substrate layers. The capacitor is connected to the filter, and the projections of the first metal plate and / or the second metal plate onto the filter on the substrate at least partially overlap. It should be understood that, compared to related technologies, this application, by employing a MIM (Metal-Insulator-Metal Capacitor) structure capacitor and by setting the first metal plate and / or the second metal plate of the capacitor to at least partially overlap with the projections of the filter onto the substrate, is beneficial for reducing the area occupied by the filter and capacitor, facilitating the rational layout of components located on the top layer of the substrate, maintaining reasonable spacing between components to ensure that the performance of the filter is not affected, and providing a wide range of selectable capacitance values suitable for various application scenarios. Attached Figure Description
[0014] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a radio frequency front-end module provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0016] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of another radio frequency front-end module provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0017] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of another radio frequency front-end module provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0018] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of another radio frequency front-end module provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0019] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of another radio frequency front-end module provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0020] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of another radio frequency front-end module provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0021] Figure 7 This is a schematic block diagram of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation
[0022] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.
[0023] The flowchart shown in the attached diagram is for illustrative purposes only and does not necessarily include all content and operations / steps, nor does it necessarily have to be performed in the order described. For example, some operations / steps can be broken down, combined, or partially merged, so the actual execution order may change depending on the actual situation.
[0024] It should be understood that the terminology used in this specification is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of the application. As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
[0025] It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as used in this application specification and the appended claims means any combination of one or more of the associated listed items and all possible combinations, and includes such combinations.
[0026] The following detailed description of some embodiments of this application is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the following embodiments and features can be combined with each other.
[0027] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a radio frequency front-end module provided in an embodiment of this application.
[0028] like Figure 1 As shown, the radio frequency front-end module 100 includes a substrate 10, a filter 20, and a capacitor 30. The substrate 10 includes at least a first substrate layer 11, a second substrate layer 12, and a third substrate layer 13 arranged from top to bottom. That is, the second substrate layer 12 is arranged below the first substrate layer 11, and the third substrate layer 13 is arranged below the second substrate layer 12, thereby forming a substrate 10 with a multi-layer substrate structure. The third substrate layer 13 is used for grounding.
[0029] In the embodiments of this application, the number of substrate layers is at least 3, but it can also be 4 or any number, and no specific limitation is made here.
[0030] In at least one embodiment, the filter 20 is disposed on the first substrate layer 11, which is generally the top layer. The first metal plate 31 and the second metal plate 32 constituting the capacitor 30 can be disposed on other substrate layers besides the first substrate layer 11, thereby enabling the filter 20 to maintain a certain distance from the capacitor 30 in the thickness direction and avoiding mutual interference between the capacitor 30 and the filter 20. In another embodiment, one of the metal plates of the capacitor 30 can also be disposed on the first substrate layer 11, thereby making the layout of the capacitor 30 and the filter more compact.
[0031] The filter 20 can be any type of filter, such as an IPD filter or an LTCC filter, and is not specifically limited here. Preferably, the filter 20 is generally an IPD filter, which enables the RF front-end module 100 to achieve better out-of-band rejection and saves area.
[0032] The capacitor 30 includes a first metal plate 31 and a second metal plate 32, which are located on any two different substrate layers. The capacitor 30 is connected to the filter 20, and the projection of the first metal plate 31 and / or the second metal plate 32 onto the filter 20 on the substrate 10 at least partially overlaps.
[0033] Among them, capacitor 30 is a MIM capacitor. The structure of a MIM capacitor generally includes two metal electrodes and an insulating layer. The first metal plate 31 and the second metal plate 32 are the two metal electrodes in the MIM capacitor.
[0034] For example, if the first metal plate 31 is located on the first substrate layer 11, the second metal plate 32 is located on the second substrate layer 12, the filter 20 and the first metal plate 31 are both located on the first substrate layer 11, and the projections of the second metal plate 32 and the filter 20 on the substrate 10 at least partially overlap, since the third substrate layer 13 does not have a metal plate, the third substrate layer 13 can be used for complete grounding.
[0035] For example, if the first metal plate 31 is located on the first substrate layer 11 and the second metal plate 32 is located on the third substrate layer 13, and the filter 20 and the first metal plate 31 are both located on the first substrate layer 11, and the projections of the second metal plate 32 and the filter 20 on the substrate 10 at least partially overlap, since the third substrate layer 13 is provided with metal plates, the third substrate layer 13 can be used for partial grounding.
[0036] like Figure 1As shown, exemplarily, if the first metal plate 31 is located on the second substrate layer 12, the second metal plate 32 is located on the third substrate layer 13, and the filter 20 is located on the first substrate layer 11, the second metal plate 32 and the third metal plate both overlap at least partially with the projection of the filter 20 on the substrate 10. Since the third substrate layer 13 is provided with metal plates, the third substrate layer 13 is used for local grounding.
[0037] In related technologies, since filters and other components (e.g., transformers) are generally located on the top layer of the substrate (i.e., the first substrate layer), if surface-mount capacitors are used, the capacitors can only be placed between the components on the top layer of the substrate. This results in a compact layout of components on the top layer of the substrate, reducing the spacing between components and affecting the performance of the filter, as well as the electrical connection between the filter and other components. This application uses a capacitor 30 with a MIM structure. Specifically, by setting the first metal plate 31 and / or the second metal plate 32 of the capacitor 30 to at least partially overlap with the projection of the filter 20 on the substrate 10, it is beneficial to reduce the area occupied by the filter 20 and the capacitor 30, and to facilitate a reasonable layout of components on the first substrate layer 11, maintaining a reasonable spacing between components to ensure that the performance of the filter 20 is not affected. Furthermore, the capacitor 30 has a wide range of selectable capacitance values, making it suitable for various application scenarios.
[0038] In some embodiments, the overlapping area of the projection of the first metal plate 31 and / or the second metal plate 32 and the filter 20 onto the substrate 10 is 30%-50% of the projected area of the capacitor 30. This allows the projections of the first metal plate 31 and / or the second metal plate 32 in the thickness direction to partially overlap, thereby reducing the area occupied by the filter and the capacitor while ensuring optimal filter performance.
[0039] The overlapping area of the first metal plate 31 and / or the second metal plate 32 with the projection of the filter 20 on the substrate 10 can be any one of 30%, 40%, 45% and 50% of the projected area of the capacitor 30.
[0040] For example, if the first metal plate 31 is located on the first substrate layer 11 and the second metal plate 32 is located on the second substrate layer 12, the overlapping area of the projection of the second metal plate 32 and the filter 20 on the substrate 10 is 32%-48% of the projected area of the capacitor 30.
[0041] For example, if the first metal plate 31 is located on the first substrate layer 11 and the second metal plate 32 is located on the third substrate layer 13, the overlapping area of the projection of the second metal plate 32 and the filter 20 on the substrate 10 is 35%-45% of the projected area of the capacitor 30.
[0042] For example, if the first metal plate 31 is located on the second substrate layer 12 and the second metal plate 32 is located on the third substrate layer 13, the overlapping area of the first metal plate 31 and the second metal plate 32 with the projection of the filter 20 on the substrate 10 is 40%-43% of the projected area of the capacitor 30.
[0043] In some embodiments, the capacitance of capacitor 30 is less than 0.2pF.
[0044] Compared to the surface mount capacitor 30 used in related technologies, the selectable value of the capacitor 30 in the surface mount capacitor 30 method generally needs to be greater than 0.2pF. However, the selectable value of the capacitor 30 using the MIM structure in this application is not limited. Therefore, the capacitance value of the capacitor 30 is less than 0.2pF, which allows the capacitor 30 to be accurately matched to the required capacitance value, thereby further improving the performance of the matching circuit.
[0045] For example, the capacitance value of capacitor 30 can be controlled to be less than 0.2pF. For instance, the capacitance value of capacitor 30 can be 0.05pF, 0.1pF, 0.15pF, and 0.2pF, thereby enabling capacitor 30 to be precisely matched to the required capacitance value, which in turn can further improve the performance of the matching circuit.
[0046] In some embodiments, the capacitance value of capacitor 30 is in the range of [0.14pF, 0.16pF].
[0047] For example, the capacitance value of capacitor 30 can be controlled to be less than [0.14pF, 0.16pF]. For example, the capacitance value of capacitor 30 can be 0.14pF, 0.15pF and 0.16pF, so that capacitor 30 can be accurately matched to the required capacitance value, thereby enabling the matching circuit to achieve the best performance.
[0048] In the embodiments of this application, when the substrate 10 includes a first substrate layer 11, a second substrate layer 12 and a third substrate layer 13 disposed from top to bottom, the substrate 10 may also include one or more substrate layers. The following describes various cases in which the substrate 10 includes more than three substrate layers.
[0049] like Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments, the first metal plate 31 is located on the first substrate layer 11, the second metal plate 32 is located on the second substrate layer 12, and the substrate 10 further includes at least one fourth substrate layer 14, which is disposed between the first substrate layer 11 and the second substrate layer 12. The area of the first metal plate 31 projected onto the fourth substrate layer 14 is a hollow area, and the area of the second metal plate 32 projected onto the fourth substrate layer 14 is a hollow area.
[0050] For example, the substrate 10 further includes at least one fourth substrate layer 14, which is disposed between the first substrate layer 11 and the second substrate layer 12. That is, the fourth substrate layer 14 is disposed below the first substrate layer 11, the second substrate layer 12 is disposed below the fourth substrate layer 14, and the third substrate layer 13 is disposed below the second substrate layer 12. Since the first metal plate 31 is located on the first substrate layer 11 and the second metal plate 32 is located on the second substrate layer 12, a fourth substrate layer 14 for clearance is added between the first substrate layer 11 and the second substrate layer 12, thereby enabling the filter 20 to achieve its corresponding out-of-band rejection index and in-band performance index.
[0051] like Figure 3 As shown, in some embodiments, the substrate 10 further includes a fourth substrate layer 14 disposed between the first substrate layer 11 and the second substrate layer 12, a first metal plate 31 disposed on the fourth substrate layer 14, and a second metal plate 32 disposed on the second substrate layer 12.
[0052] For example, the substrate 10 further includes at least one fourth substrate layer 14, which is disposed between the first substrate layer 11 and the second substrate layer 12. That is, the fourth substrate layer 14 is disposed below the first substrate layer 11, the second substrate layer 12 is disposed below the fourth substrate layer 14, and the third substrate layer 13 is disposed below the second substrate layer 12. Since the first metal plate 31 is located on the fourth substrate layer 14 and the second metal plate 32 is located on the second substrate layer 12, the first metal plate 31 and the second metal plate 32 are not located on the same substrate layer as the filter 20, and the third substrate layer 13 can be used for complete grounding. This allows the projections of the first metal plate 31 and the second metal plate 32 onto the filter 20 to at least partially overlap, which helps to reduce the area occupied by the filter 20 and the capacitor 30, thereby further improving the performance of the filter 20.
[0053] like Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments, the substrate 10 further includes a fourth substrate layer 14 and a fifth substrate layer 15 disposed between the first substrate layer 11 and the second substrate layer 12. The fourth substrate layer 14 is disposed adjacent to the first substrate layer 11, and the fifth substrate layer 15 is disposed adjacent to the second substrate layer 12. A first metal plate 31 is disposed on the fifth substrate layer 15, and a second metal plate 32 is disposed on the second substrate layer 12.
[0054] For example, the substrate 10 further includes a fourth substrate layer 14 and a fifth substrate layer 15 disposed between the first substrate layer 11 and the second substrate layer 12. The fourth substrate layer 14 is disposed adjacent to the first substrate layer 11, and the fifth substrate layer 15 is disposed adjacent to the second substrate layer 12. That is, the fourth substrate layer 14 is disposed below the first substrate layer 11, the fifth substrate layer 15 is disposed below the fourth substrate layer 14, the second substrate layer 12 is disposed below the fifth substrate layer 15, and the third substrate layer 13 is disposed below the second substrate layer 12. Since the first metal plate 31 is disposed on the fifth substrate layer 15, the second metal plate 32 is disposed on the second substrate layer 12, and the filter 20 is disposed on the first substrate layer 11, and since the first substrate layer 11 and the fifth substrate layer 15 are separated by the fourth substrate layer 14, and since neither the first metal plate 31 nor the second metal plate 32 is disposed on the first substrate layer 11, it is beneficial to the reasonable layout of the components located on the top layer of the substrate 10, so that the components maintain a reasonable spacing, thereby ensuring that the performance of the filter 20 is not affected.
[0055] If the first metal plate 31 or the second metal plate 32 is disposed on the fourth substrate layer 14, since the first substrate layer 11 and the fourth substrate layer 14 are disposed adjacent to each other, the metal plate located on the fourth substrate layer 14 may affect the performance of the filter 20 located on the first substrate layer 11. Therefore, the first metal plate 31 is disposed on the fifth substrate layer 15 and the second metal plate 32 is disposed on the second substrate layer 12, so as to ensure that the performance of the filter 20 is not affected.
[0056] like Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments, the first metal plate 31 is located on the second substrate layer 12, the second metal plate 32 is located on the third substrate layer 13, and the substrate 10 further includes at least one sixth substrate layer 16 for grounding. The sixth substrate layer 16 is disposed on the bottom side of the third substrate layer 13, wherein the area on which the second metal plate 32 is projected onto the sixth substrate layer 16 is a hollow area.
[0057] For example, the substrate 10 further includes at least one sixth substrate layer 16 for grounding. The sixth substrate layer 16 is disposed on the bottom side of the third substrate layer 13, that is, the second substrate layer 12 is disposed below the first substrate layer 11, the third substrate layer 13 is disposed below the second substrate layer 12, and the sixth substrate layer 16 is disposed below the third substrate layer 13. In order to meet the out-of-band rejection and in-band performance indicators, the filter 20 also needs to have clearance on the substrate layer below it. Therefore, both the third substrate layer 13 and the sixth substrate layer 16 are used for grounding to meet the out-of-band rejection and in-band performance indicators of the filter 20.
[0058] It should be noted that there can be one or more sixth substrate layers 16. The number of sixth substrate layers 16 can be determined based on the module simulation results of filter 20, and no specific limit is made here.
[0059] In some embodiments, the first metal plate 31 and the second metal plate 32 are located on any two adjacent substrate layers, and / or the first metal plate 31 and the second metal plate 32 are located on any two substrate layers other than the first substrate layer 11.
[0060] For example, the first metal plate 31 and the second metal plate 32 are located on any two adjacent substrate layers. For instance, if the fourth substrate layer 14 and the second substrate layer 12 are adjacent to each other, the first metal plate 31 and the second metal plate 32 can be respectively disposed on the fourth substrate layer 14 and the second substrate layer 12.
[0061] like Figure 6 As shown, in some embodiments, the RF front-end module 100 further includes a transformer 40, and a capacitor 30 is connected to the output terminal of the transformer 40. The transformer 40 includes a primary coil L1 and a secondary coil L2 coupled to each other. The primary coil L1 is disposed on the first substrate layer 11, and the secondary coil L2 is disposed on the second substrate layer 12. The projections of the capacitor 30, the primary coil L1, and the secondary coil L2 on the substrate 10 do not overlap. This ensures that a sufficient distance is maintained between the filter 20 and the transformer 40 to guarantee that the performance of the filter 20 is not affected.
[0062] In related technologies, since filters and transformers are generally located on the top layer of a substrate (i.e., the first substrate layer), a short distance between the inductor in the transformer and the filter can affect the normal operation of the filter and the electrical connection between the filter and other components. This application addresses this by employing a capacitor 30 with a MIM structure. Specifically, by ensuring that the first metal plate 31 and / or the second metal plate 32 of the capacitor 30 at least partially overlap with the projection of the filter 20 onto the substrate 10, and by ensuring that the projections of the capacitor 30 on the substrate 10 do not overlap with those of the primary coil L1 and the secondary coil L2, the area occupied by the filter 20 and the capacitor 30 can be reduced. This also facilitates the layout of the filter 20 and the transformer 30 on the first substrate layer 11, maintaining a reasonable distance between the filter 20 and the transformer 30, thereby ensuring that the performance of the filter 20 is not affected.
[0063] Transformer 40 can be used for impedance matching.
[0064] For example, the primary coil L1 can be disposed on the first substrate layer 11, and the secondary coil L2 can be disposed on the second substrate layer 12, and the projections of the capacitor 30 onto the substrate 10 of the primary coil L1 and the secondary coil L2 do not overlap. Since electromagnetic coupling between the capacitor 30 and the primary coil L1 and the secondary coil L2 may cause signal interference or noise, designing the capacitor 30 so that its projections onto the substrate 10 do not overlap can significantly reduce this coupling effect, thereby reducing electromagnetic interference and improving signal quality. It also improves heat dissipation efficiency and facilitates wiring and maintenance.
[0065] In some embodiments, the turns ratio of the secondary coil L2 to the primary coil L1 is in the range of [2:1, 3:1]. Therefore, impedance matching can be achieved by setting the turns ratio of the secondary coil L2 to the primary coil L1, enabling the transformer 40 to achieve a better impedance transformation ratio.
[0066] For example, when the impedance at the output of transformer 40 decreases, the turns ratio of transformer 40 can be reduced.
[0067] For example, the turns ratio of the secondary coil L2 to the primary coil L1 can be any one of 2:1, 2.3:1, 2.5:1, 2.8:1, and 3:1. In this embodiment, the turns ratio of the secondary coil L2 to the primary coil L1 is set in the range of [2:1, 3:1], which reduces the turns ratio of the transformer 40 while avoiding any impact on the efficiency of power amplification.
[0068] In some embodiments, the first end of capacitor 30 is connected to the input end of filter 20 and the output end of transformer 40, and the second end of capacitor 30 is grounded.
[0069] For example, the first end of capacitor 30 is connected to the input end of filter 20 and the output end of transformer 40, and the second end of capacitor 30 is grounded. This achieves the parallel connection of capacitor 30 between filter 20 and transformer 40, so that capacitor 30 of the MIM structure participates in the matching circuit. Capacitor 30 can be used to increase the output impedance of the matching circuit.
[0070] In some embodiments, the substrate 10 further includes metal vias and traces. The first metal plate 31 is connected to the input terminal of the filter 20 through the metal vias and is connected to the output terminal of the transformer 40 through traces. The second metal plate 32 is connected to the ground of the third substrate layer 13.
[0071] For example, a first pad is provided on the substrate layer where the first metal plate 31 is located. The first metal plate 31 is connected to a metal via through the first pad. The metal via penetrates the substrate layer where the first metal plate 31 is located and the substrate layer where the filter 20 is located. The first metal plate 31 is electrically connected to the input terminal of the filter 20 through the metal via, thereby realizing the connection between the filter 20 and the first terminal of the capacitor. The first metal plate 31 can also be connected to a trace wound on the substrate layer through the first pad. The first metal plate 31 is connected to the output terminal of the transformer 40 through the trace, thereby realizing the connection between the transformer 40 and the first terminal of the capacitor 30. The second metal plate 32 is connected to the ground of the third substrate layer 13, thereby realizing the parallel connection of the capacitor 30 between the filter 20 and the transformer 40, so that the capacitor 30 of the MIM structure participates in the matching to form a matching circuit.
[0072] In some embodiments, capacitor 30 and traces form a resonant circuit configured to suppress harmonic signals of the RF front-end module 100. By introducing resonant circuits at the input and output of filter 20 to form transmission zeros, passband isolation and far-end rejection can be improved.
[0073] For example, capacitor 30 and traces can form a resonant circuit. Specifically, the inductance can be slightly changed by altering the thickness and length of the traces, thereby optimizing the loadline performance.
[0074] Loadline performance refers to the stability and efficiency of a resonant circuit under different loads. A high-performance loadline can provide sufficient current to meet load requirements while ensuring stable output voltage and minimizing energy loss.
[0075] In some embodiments, the RF front-end module 100 further includes a power amplifier circuit 50, the output of which is connected to the input of the transformer 40.
[0076] The power amplifier circuit 50 can be a differential amplifier circuit used to amplify the power of the radio frequency signal. For example, the differential amplifier circuit can be a dual-input, dual-output differential amplifier circuit, or it can be a single-input, dual-output differential amplifier circuit.
[0077] Specifically, the output of the power amplifier circuit 50 can be connected to the input of the transformer 40.
[0078] like Figure 6As shown, in some embodiments, the power amplifier circuit 50 is a differential amplifier circuit, the transformer 40 is a balun, the first end of the primary coil L1 of the balun is connected to the first output terminal of the differential amplifier circuit, the second end of the primary coil L1 of the balun is connected to the second output terminal of the differential amplifier circuit, the first end of the secondary coil L2 is connected to the capacitor 30, and the second end of the secondary coil L2 is grounded.
[0079] The differential amplifier circuit includes a first differential output terminal 51 and a second differential output terminal 52. The first differential output terminal 51 and the second differential output terminal 52 respectively output a first radio frequency signal and a second radio frequency signal, and the phase difference between the first radio frequency signal and the second radio frequency signal is 180°.
[0080] For example, the balun and capacitor 30 can be used to form a matching circuit. The first end of the primary coil L1 is the first input terminal 41 of the matching circuit, and the second end of the primary coil L1 is the second input terminal 42 of the matching circuit. The first input terminal 41 and the second input terminal 42 are respectively connected to the first differential output terminal 51 and the second differential output terminal 52 of the differential amplifier circuit. The first end of the secondary coil L2 is connected to the output terminal 43 of the matching circuit, and the second end of the secondary coil L2 is grounded. The output terminal 43 of the matching circuit is connected to the filter 20. The balun can be used to match the impedance between the first input terminal 41, the second input terminal 42, and the output terminal 43.
[0081] In some embodiments, the filter 20 is connected to the first substrate layer 11 via an inverted connection.
[0082] For example, connecting the filter 20 to the first substrate layer 11 via an inverted connection not only reduces subsequent packaging costs but also effectively avoids losses and improves power output efficiency, thereby better optimizing the bandwidth performance of the RF front-end module 100.
[0083] The following will provide a detailed description of another radio frequency front-end module 100 provided in the embodiments of this application.
[0084] like Figure 1 As shown, the radio frequency front-end module 100 includes a substrate 10, a filter 20, and a capacitor 30. The substrate 10 includes at least a first substrate layer 11, a second substrate layer 12, and a third substrate layer 13 arranged from top to bottom. That is, the second substrate layer 12 is arranged below the first substrate layer 11, and the third substrate layer 13 is arranged below the second substrate layer 12, thereby forming a substrate 10 with a multi-layer substrate structure. The third substrate layer 13 is used for grounding.
[0085] The filter 20 is disposed on the first substrate layer 11, which is generally the top layer. Since the filter 20 generally needs to maintain a certain distance from the capacitor 30, the filter 20 is disposed on the first substrate layer 11 (top layer), and the capacitor 30 is disposed on another substrate layer, so that the filter 20 can maintain a certain distance from the capacitor 30 at least in the thickness direction.
[0086] The capacitor 30 includes a first metal plate 31 and a second metal plate 32, which are located on any two different substrate layers. The capacitor 30 is connected to the filter 20, and the capacitance value of the capacitor 30 is less than 0.2pF.
[0087] Among them, capacitor 30 is a MIM capacitor. The structure of a MIM capacitor generally includes two metal electrodes and an insulating layer. The first metal plate 31 and the second metal plate 32 are the two metal electrodes in the MIM capacitor.
[0088] This application employs a capacitor 30 with a MIM structure and controls the capacitance value of the capacitor 30 to be less than 0.2pF. This not only reduces the area occupied by the filter 20 and the capacitor 30, but also enables the capacitor 30 to be accurately matched to the required capacitance value, thereby further improving the performance of the matching circuit and making it suitable for various application scenarios.
[0089] In some embodiments, the capacitance of capacitor 30 is 0.14pF-0.16pF.
[0090] For example, the capacitance value of capacitor 30 can be controlled to be less than [0.14pF, 0.16pF]. For example, the capacitance value of capacitor 30 can be 0.14pF, 0.15pF and 0.16pF, so that capacitor 30 can be accurately matched to the required capacitance value, thereby enabling the matching circuit to achieve the best performance.
[0091] In some embodiments, the overlapping area of the projection of the first metal plate 31 and / or the second metal plate 32 onto the substrate 10 with the filter 20 is 30%-50% of the projected area of the capacitor 30. This allows the projections of the first metal plate 31 and / or the second metal plate 32 in the thickness direction to partially overlap, thereby reducing the area occupied by the filter 20 and the capacitor 30 while ensuring that the performance of the filter 20 is optimal.
[0092] The overlapping area of the first metal plate 31 and / or the second metal plate 32 with the projection of the filter 20 on the substrate 10 can be any one of 30%, 40%, 45% and 50% of the projected area of the capacitor 30.
[0093] For example, if the first metal plate 31 is located on the first substrate layer 11 and the second metal plate 32 is located on the second substrate layer 12, the overlapping area of the projection of the second metal plate 32 and the filter 20 on the substrate 10 is 32%-48% of the projected area of the capacitor 30.
[0094] For example, if the first metal plate 31 is located on the first substrate layer 11 and the second metal plate 32 is located on the third substrate layer 13, the overlapping area of the projection of the second metal plate 32 and the filter 20 on the substrate 10 is 35%-45% of the projected area of the capacitor 30.
[0095] For example, if the first metal plate 31 is located on the second substrate layer 12 and the second metal plate 32 is located on the third substrate layer 13, the overlapping area of the first metal plate 31 and the second metal plate 32 with the projection of the filter 20 on the substrate 10 is 40%-43% of the projected area of the capacitor 30.
[0096] Please see Figure 7 , Figure 7 This is a schematic block diagram of an electronic device 1000 provided in an embodiment of this application.
[0097] like Figure 7 As shown, this application also provides an electronic device 1000, including the radio frequency front-end module 100 as provided in any embodiment of this application. This electronic device 1000 helps reduce the area occupied by the filter 20 and the capacitor 30, thereby maintaining sufficient spacing between the capacitor 30 and the filter 20 to ensure that the performance of the filter 20 is not affected. Furthermore, the capacitor 30 has a wide range of selectable capacitance values, suitable for various application scenarios, thus improving the reliability, security, and practicality of the electronic device 1000.
[0098] For example, electronic device 1000 may include devices with communication functions such as smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches, and all of the above electronic devices 1000 can realize communication functions with the outside world through radio frequency front-end module 100.
[0099] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various equivalent modifications or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this application, and these modifications or substitutions should all be covered within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.
Claims
1. A radio frequency front-end module, characterized in that, The radio frequency front-end module includes: A substrate, the substrate comprising at least a first substrate layer, a second substrate layer and a third substrate layer disposed from top to bottom, the third substrate layer being used for grounding; A filter is disposed on the first substrate layer; A capacitor comprising a first metal plate and a second metal plate located on any two different substrate layers, the capacitor being connected to the filter, and the first metal plate and / or the second metal plate at least partially overlapping the projection of the filter onto the substrate.
2. The radio frequency front-end module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The overlap area of the first metal plate and / or the second metal plate with the projection of the filter onto the substrate is 30%-50% of the projected area of the capacitor.
3. The radio frequency front-end module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The capacitance of the capacitor is less than 0.2pF.
4. The radio frequency front-end module according to claim 3, characterized in that, The capacitance value of the capacitor is in the range of [0.14pF, 0.16pF].
5. The radio frequency front-end module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first metal plate is located on the first substrate layer, the second metal plate is located on the second substrate layer, and the substrate further includes at least one fourth substrate layer disposed between the first substrate layer and the second substrate layer. The area of the first metal plate projected onto the fourth substrate layer is a cutout area, and the area of the second metal plate projected onto the fourth substrate layer is a cutout area.
6. The radio frequency front-end module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The substrate further includes a fourth substrate layer disposed between the first substrate layer and the second substrate layer, the first metal plate being disposed on the fourth substrate layer, and the second metal plate being disposed on the second substrate layer.
7. The radio frequency front-end module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The substrate further includes a fourth substrate layer and a fifth substrate layer disposed between the first substrate layer and the second substrate layer. The fourth substrate layer is disposed adjacent to the first substrate layer, and the fifth substrate layer is disposed adjacent to the second substrate layer. The first metal plate is disposed on the fifth substrate layer, and the second metal plate is disposed on the second substrate layer.
8. The radio frequency front-end module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first metal plate is located on the second substrate layer, the second metal plate is located on the third substrate layer, and the substrate further includes at least one sixth substrate layer for grounding. The sixth substrate layer is disposed on the bottom side of the third substrate layer, wherein the area on which the second metal plate is projected onto the sixth substrate layer is a hollow area.
9. The radio frequency front-end module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first metal plate and the second metal plate are located on any two adjacent substrate layers, and / or the first metal plate and the second metal plate are located on any two substrate layers other than the first substrate layer.
10. The radio frequency front-end module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The radio frequency front-end module also includes: A transformer, wherein the capacitor is connected to the output terminal of the transformer; The transformer includes a primary coil and a secondary coil coupled to each other. The primary coil is disposed on the first substrate layer, and the secondary coil is disposed on the second substrate layer. The capacitor does not overlap with the projections of the primary coil and the secondary coil on the substrate.
11. The radio frequency front-end module according to claim 10, characterized in that, The turns ratio of the secondary coil to the primary coil is in the range of [2:1, 3:1].
12. The radio frequency front-end module according to claim 10, characterized in that, The first end of the capacitor is connected to the input end of the filter and the output end of the transformer, and the second end of the capacitor is grounded.
13. The radio frequency front-end module according to claim 12, characterized in that, The substrate further includes metal vias and traces. The first metal plate is connected to the input terminal of the filter through the metal vias, and the first metal plate is connected to the output terminal of the transformer through the traces. The second metal plate is connected to the ground of the third substrate layer.
14. The radio frequency front-end module according to claim 13, characterized in that, The capacitor and the trace form a resonant circuit, which is configured to suppress harmonic signals of the radio frequency front-end module.
15. The radio frequency front-end module according to claim 10, characterized in that, The radio frequency front-end module also includes a power amplifier circuit, the output of which is connected to the input of the transformer.
16. The radio frequency front-end module according to claim 15, characterized in that, The power amplifier circuit is a differential amplifier circuit, the transformer is a balun, the first end of the primary coil of the balun is connected to the first output terminal of the differential amplifier circuit, the second end of the primary coil of the balun is connected to the second output terminal of the differential amplifier circuit, the first end of the secondary coil is connected to the capacitor, and the second end of the secondary coil is grounded.
17. The radio frequency front-end module according to any one of claims 1-16, characterized in that, The filter is connected to the first substrate layer via an inverted connection.
18. A radio frequency front-end module, characterized in that, The radio frequency front-end module includes: A substrate, the substrate comprising at least a first substrate layer, a second substrate layer and a third substrate layer disposed from top to bottom, the third substrate layer being used for grounding; A filter is disposed on the first substrate layer; A capacitor comprising a first metal plate and a second metal plate, the first metal plate and the second metal plate being located on any two different substrate layers, the capacitor being connected to the filter and having a capacitance value of less than 0.2pF.
19. The radio frequency front-end module according to claim 18, characterized in that, The capacitance of the capacitor is 0.14pF-0.16pF.
20. The radio frequency front-end module according to claim 18, characterized in that, The first metal plate and / or the second metal plate at least partially overlap with the projection of the filter onto the substrate.
21. The radio frequency front-end module according to claim 20, characterized in that, The overlap area of the first metal plate and / or the second metal plate with the projection of the filter onto the substrate is 30%-50% of the projected area of the capacitor.
22. An electronic device, characterized in that, This includes the radio frequency front-end module as described in any one of claims 1-17 or the radio frequency front-end module as described in any one of claims 18-21.