Antenna structure and antenna array structure

Abstract

An antenna structure according to the present invention comprises: an antenna substrate that has a first surface and a second surface which is positioned on the opposite side from the first surface; a plurality of patch antenna elements that are arranged on the first surface of the antenna substrate; a feed electrode that is formed on the second surface of the antenna substrate and electrically connected to each of the plurality of patch antenna elements; a power supply control substrate that is disposed separately from the second surface of the antenna substrate, that extends in a direction intersecting the second surface of the antenna substrate, and that has a third surface and a fourth surface which is positioned on the opposite side from the third surface; and a connection member that is disposed on a side which is the second surface side of the antenna substrate and which is the third surface side and / or the fourth surface side of the power supply control substrate, and that electrically connects the feed electrode and the power supply control substrate. The power supply control substrate includes a connection terminal. The connection member includes an insulating body part, an electrode part that is formed on a surface of the body part, a first joining part that joins the electrode part and the feed electrode by a metal bond, and a second joining part that joins the electrode part and the connection terminal by a metal bond.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an antenna structure and an antenna array structure.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, commercial services using fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication systems have been launched. As a basic technology supporting industries and society, it is expected to further accelerate the sophistication of multimedia services and provide new values.

[0003] 5G is a mobile communication system that handles high-frequency bands such as millimeter waves exceeding 10 GHz. For transmitting and receiving antennas, a patch antenna (microstrip antenna), which is a type of planar antenna composed of a dielectric substrate, radiation elements formed on both sides thereof, and a ground conductor plate, is generally used.

[0004] Also, in order to obtain a desired radiation directivity (radiation pattern), it is often used as a multi-element antenna array in which a plurality of patch antennas are regularly arranged linearly or in a planar shape. By using a multi-element antenna array, high-capacity communication becomes possible. Antenna elements such as patch antennas are connected to various signal processing circuits and power supply circuits to constitute an antenna structure (antenna module). Then, it is housed in a housing such as a case or a cover and is practically used as an antenna unit for communication.

[0005] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an antenna structure and an antenna unit composed of an antenna element unit and a circuit unit that amplifies an electrical signal converted by the antenna element unit.

[0006] In Patent Document 1, the antenna element unit and the circuit unit are each separately configured, connected to each other by a cable, arranged side by side in an external case, and housed to constitute an antenna unit.

[0007] In recent years, antenna structures containing multiple antenna elements have been used to support high-capacity communication, but because their installation locations are limited, there is a growing demand for miniaturization of antenna structures.

[0008] For example, Patent Document 2 shows an antenna structure for achieving miniaturization of an antenna device. The antenna structure of Patent Document 2 consists of a ground conductor, an antenna element portion formed on the upper surface of the ground conductor via a first dielectric substrate, and a circuit portion including a circuit pattern formed on the lower surface of the ground conductor via a second dielectric substrate and mounted circuit components. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 06-041220 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 06-152237 [Overview of the Initiative]

[0010] An antenna structure according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises: an antenna substrate having a first surface and a second surface located opposite to the first surface; a plurality of patch antenna elements arranged on the first surface of the antenna substrate; a feeding electrode formed on the second surface of the antenna substrate and electrically connected to each of the plurality of patch antenna elements; a power control substrate disposed away from the second surface of the antenna substrate, extending in a direction intersecting the second surface of the antenna substrate, and having a third surface and a fourth surface located opposite to the third surface; and a connecting member disposed on the side of the second surface of the antenna substrate and on at least one of the third or fourth surface of the power control substrate, electrically connecting the feeding electrode and the power control substrate, wherein the power control substrate includes a connecting terminal, and the connecting member includes an insulating body portion, an electrode portion formed on the surface of the body portion, a first joint portion that joins the electrode portion and the feeding electrode by metal bonding, and a second joint portion that joins the electrode portion and the connecting terminal by metal bonding. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is an end view in the XZ plane showing an example of the configuration of the antenna structure of Embodiment 1 according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the antenna structure of Embodiment 1 according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 3] This is a front view in the YZ plane showing an example of the configuration of the antenna structure of Embodiment 1 according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 4A] This is an enlarged view of part A of Figure 1, showing an example of the configuration of the connecting member of the antenna structure according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 4B] This figure shows an example of the configuration of a connecting member according to a modified example of Example 1. [Figure 4C] This figure shows another example of the configuration of the connecting member according to a modified example of Example 1. [Figure 5] This is an end view in the XZ plane showing an example of the configuration of the antenna structure of Embodiment 2 according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 6A] This is an enlarged view of part B of Figure 5, showing an example of the configuration of the connecting member of the antenna structure according to Example 2. [Figure 6B] This figure shows an example of the configuration of a connecting member according to a modified example of Example 2. [Figure 6C] This figure shows another example of the configuration of the connecting member according to a modified example of Example 2. [Figure 7] This is an end view in the XZ plane showing an example of the configuration of the antenna array structure of Embodiment 1 according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 8] This is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the antenna array structure of Embodiment 1 according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 9] This is a plan view in the XY plane showing an example of the configuration of the antenna array structure of Embodiment 1 according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 10] This is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of an antenna array structure using the antenna structure of Embodiment 2 according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 11]It is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of an antenna unit assembled with the antenna array structure and the housing of FIG. 7. [Figure 12] It is a perspective view showing another example of the configuration of an antenna unit assembled with the antenna array structure and the housing of FIG. 7. [Figure 13] It is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of an antenna unit assembled with the antenna array structure and the housing of FIG. 10. [Figure 14] It is a perspective view showing another example of the configuration of an antenna unit assembled with the antenna array structure and the housing of FIG. 10. [Figure 15] It is a flowchart showing an example of the manufacturing process of the antenna structure according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 16A] It is a schematic diagram showing an example of the manufacturing process of the antenna structure according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 16B] It is a schematic diagram showing an example of the manufacturing process of the antenna structure according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 16C] It is a schematic diagram showing an example of the manufacturing process of the antenna structure according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 16D] It is a schematic diagram showing an example of the manufacturing process of the antenna structure according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 16E] It is a schematic diagram showing an example of the manufacturing process of the antenna structure according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 16F] It is a schematic diagram showing an example of the manufacturing process of the antenna structure according to Embodiment 1.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] In the structure of the antenna structure of Patent Document 1, both the antenna element portion and the circuit portion are provided in the planar direction. In a configuration that secures the area where the antenna element portion and the circuit portion are provided side by side in the planar direction, it is difficult to miniaturize the device.

[0013] Furthermore, the overall size of the antenna structure is determined by the mounting area of ​​the circuit components mounted on the side of the dielectric substrate opposite to the surface where the antenna element is located. For this reason, with the antenna structure shown in Patent Document 2, even if the antenna element is miniaturized, it is difficult to realize a compact antenna structure smaller than the mounting area of ​​the circuit components.

[0014] Furthermore, even when arranging multiple antenna elements to form an antenna array structure, the spacing between the antenna elements is constrained by the mounting area of ​​circuit components mounted on the opposite side of the dielectric substrate from the surface where the antenna elements are located. Therefore, it is difficult to realize an antenna array structure in which multiple small antenna elements are mounted closely together.

[0015] Therefore, the purpose of this disclosure is to provide an antenna structure that facilitates the miniaturization of antenna devices.

[0016] According to a first aspect of this disclosure, an antenna structure is provided comprising: an antenna substrate having a first surface and a second surface located opposite to the first surface; a plurality of patch antenna elements arranged on the first surface of the antenna substrate; a feeding electrode formed on the second surface of the antenna substrate and electrically connected to each of the plurality of patch antenna elements; a power control substrate positioned away from the second surface of the antenna substrate, extending in a direction intersecting the second surface of the antenna substrate, and having a third surface and a fourth surface located opposite to the third surface; and a connecting member positioned on the side of the second surface of the antenna substrate and on at least one of the third or fourth surfaces of the power control substrate, electrically connecting the feeding electrode and the power control substrate, wherein the power control substrate includes a connecting terminal, and the connecting member includes an insulating body portion, an electrode portion formed on the surface of the body portion, a first joint portion that joins the electrode portion and the feeding electrode by metal bonding, and a second joint portion that joins the electrode portion and the connecting terminal by metal bonding.

[0017] According to this embodiment, an antenna structure that facilitates miniaturization of antenna devices can be provided.

[0018] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, the connection member includes a first connection member disposed on the side of the third surface of the power control substrate, and a second connection member disposed on the side of the fourth surface of the power control substrate and facing the first connection member with a gap therebetween, and an end portion of the power control substrate is disposed in the gap, providing the antenna structure according to the first aspect.

[0019] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, when the width of the gap in the direction in which the first connection member and the second connection member are arranged is L and the thickness of the power control substrate is T, (T + 0.05 mm) < L < (T + 1 mm) is satisfied, providing the antenna structure according to the second aspect.

[0020] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, the connection member is arranged along the direction in which the plurality of patch antenna elements are arranged, providing the antenna structure according to the first or second aspect.

[0021] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, the main body portion of the connection member is made of a resin material, and the resin material includes any one of LCP, PPA, ABS, PEEK, and PC, providing the antenna structure according to the first or second aspect.

[0022] According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, the composition of the first joint portion is different from the composition of the second joint portion, providing the antenna structure according to the first or second aspect.

[0023] According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, a plurality of antenna structures according to the first or second aspect are provided, the plurality of patch antenna elements are arranged along a first direction on the first surface of the antenna substrate, and the plurality of antenna structures are arranged along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, providing an antenna array structure.

[0024] According to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, in the direction of the arrangement of the plurality of antenna structures, the interval between adjacent end faces of adjacent antenna substrates is greater than 0 mm and not more than 10 mm, providing the antenna array structure according to the seventh aspect.

[0025] Furthermore, by appropriately combining any of the above various embodiments, the effects of each can be achieved.

[0026] The embodiments will be described in detail below, with reference to the drawings as appropriate. However, unnecessarily detailed explanations may be omitted. For example, detailed explanations of already well-known matters and redundant explanations of substantially identical configurations may be omitted. This is to avoid the following explanation becoming unnecessarily verbose and to facilitate understanding for those skilled in the art.

[0027] An antenna structure, an antenna array structure, and a method for manufacturing the same according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 10. The accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand this disclosure and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims. In addition, elements are exaggerated in each figure for the sake of clarity. Substantially identical components in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0028] Embodiment 1 (Configuration of the antenna structure in Example 1) The overall configuration of the antenna structure according to Embodiment 1 of this disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. Figure 1 is an end view in the XZ plane showing an example of the configuration of the antenna structure 21 of Embodiment 1. Figure 2 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the antenna structure 21 of Embodiment 1. Figure 3 is a front view in the YZ plane showing an example of the configuration of the antenna structure 21 of Embodiment 1.

[0029] As shown in Figure 1, the antenna structure 21 according to this embodiment comprises an antenna substrate 1, a power control board 6, and a connecting member 11A. In this embodiment, the antenna substrate 1 is arranged parallel to the XY plane, and the power control board 6 is arranged away from the upper surface (the +Z side shown) of the antenna substrate 1 that is parallel to the XY plane, and can extend in a direction intersecting the upper surface of the antenna substrate 1. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1-3, the power control board 6 extends parallel to the YZ plane which is perpendicular to the antenna substrate 1. The connecting member 11A is arranged on the side of the +X side surface 6B of the power control board 6 that extends parallel to the YZ plane, and connects the antenna substrate 1 and the power control board 6. The configuration of the connecting member 11A will be described in detail later. In this specification, the -Z side surface of the antenna substrate 1 that is parallel to the XY plane is referred to as the "lower surface" or "first surface," and the opposite surface (the +Z side surface shown) is referred to as the "upper surface" or "second surface." Furthermore, the surface 6A on the -X side of the power control board 6, which is parallel to the YZ plane, is called the "third surface," and the surface 6B on the opposite side (the +X side) is called the "fourth surface."

[0030] In this embodiment, the antenna substrate 1 uses Panasonic's multilayer substrate material "MEGTRON7" as the base material. "MEGTRON7" is a multilayer substrate material with low transmission loss characteristics. By using it, highly efficient antenna performance can be achieved, and substrate design with a high degree of freedom can be performed. However, the antenna substrate 1 is not limited to "MEGTRON7," and may be made of other glass epoxy materials or ceramic materials, for example. Also, the shape and dimensions of the antenna substrate 1 can be manufactured according to the application. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2-3, the antenna substrate 1 has a rectangular shape in the XY plane, with a width of 3 mm in the X direction, a length of 22 mm in the Y direction, and a thickness of 0.8 mm in the Z direction.

[0031] As shown in Figure 2, multiple patch antenna elements 2 are arranged on the lower surface (first surface) of the antenna substrate 1 along the direction Y shown in the figure. In this embodiment, the patch antenna elements 2 are made of copper foil with a thickness of 18 μm and have a rectangular shape with dimensions of 2 mm × 2 mm. Also in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the antenna structure 21 comprises seven rectangular patch antenna elements 2, and these patch antenna elements 2 are arranged linearly along the direction Y shown at equal intervals of 1 mm. In this way, by arranging multiple patch antenna elements 2 linearly along the longitudinal direction (direction Y shown) of the rectangular antenna substrate 1, a compact antenna structure can be constructed.

[0032] This disclosure does not limit the shape, number, or spacing of the patch antenna elements included in the antenna structure. The patch antenna elements 2 may have other shapes, such as circular shapes, and the number of patch antenna elements constituting the antenna structure 21 may be set according to the application of the antenna structure. Furthermore, the multiple patch antenna elements 2 may be arranged at equal intervals or at different intervals.

[0033] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, multiple feeding electrodes 3 are arranged on the upper surface (second surface) of the antenna substrate 1 opposite to the surface on which the patch antenna elements 2 are arranged. The feeding electrodes 3 are electrically connected to the multiple patch antenna elements 2, for example, by through holes, and are used to feed power to the patch antenna elements 2. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, the feeding electrodes 3 include multiple electrodes arranged on the upper surface of the antenna substrate 1, facing the arrangement of patch antenna elements 2 on the lower surface, along the Y direction shown in the figure. This allows the feeding electrodes 3 to feed power to each of the multiple patch antenna elements 2 separately. Furthermore, by arranging the individual electrodes included in the feeding electrodes 3 along the arrangement direction of the patch antenna elements 2, a more compact antenna structure can be constructed.

[0034] The power control board 6 can be constructed, for example, by mounting circuit components (not shown) that constitute the signal circuit and power supply circuit on a double-sided printed circuit board. The power control board 6 has connection terminals 7, and in this embodiment, the connection terminals 7 include a plurality of terminals provided along the Y direction shown in the figure. Each of the plurality of terminals is electrically connected to each of the patch antenna elements 2 through the electrode portion 5A (described later) and the power supply electrode 3 of the connecting member 11A. As a result, the power control board 6 can provide each patch antenna element 2 with a predetermined excitation amplitude phase distribution, thereby realizing the desired radiation directivity of the antenna structure 21. The power control board 6 can be arranged so as to extend in a direction intersecting the upper surface of the antenna board 1. In this embodiment, the power control board 6 is arranged in the YZ plane parallel to the arrangement direction of the patch antenna elements 2. As a result, the antenna structure can be made even more compact.

[0035] The shape and dimensions of the power control board 6 can be manufactured according to the application. In this embodiment, as shown in the figure, the power control board 6 is arranged in the YZ plane parallel to the arrangement direction of the patch antenna elements 2 and has a rectangular shape in the YZ plane. In this embodiment, the power control board 6 is manufactured with a length of 22 mm in the Y direction, a length of 25 mm in the Z direction, and a thickness of 1.6 mm in the X direction.

[0036] In the antenna structure 21 of Embodiment 1, the antenna substrate 1 and the power control board 6 are connected by a connecting member. The configuration of the connecting member in Embodiment 1 and its modified form will be described below with reference to Figures 1-3 and further to Figures 4A-4C. Figure 4A is an enlarged view of part A of Figure 1, showing an example of the configuration of the connecting member 11A of the antenna structure 21 according to Embodiment 1. Figure 4B is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the connecting member 11B according to a modified form of Embodiment 1. Figure 4C is a diagram showing another example of the configuration of the connecting member 11C according to a modified form of Embodiment 1.

[0037] (Configuration of connecting members) The connecting member 11A of the antenna structure 21 in Embodiment 1 can be positioned on either the third surface 6A or the fourth surface 6B of the power control board 6. The connecting member 11A according to Embodiment 1 is composed of an insulating main body 4, an electrode portion 5A formed on the surface of the main body 4, a first joint portion 8, and a second joint portion 9. The first joint portion 8 connects the electrode portion 5A to the power supply electrode 3, and the second joint portion 9 connects the electrode portion 5A to the connection terminal 7 of the power control board. Both the first joint portion 8 and the second joint portion 9 are constructed by metal bonding. In this way, the connecting member 11A can support the power control board 6, which extends in a direction intersecting the upper surface of the antenna board 1, by electrically connecting and mechanically bonding the power control board 6 and the power supply electrode 3. Note that the connecting members 11B and 11C in the modified example of Embodiment 1 shown in Figures 4B and 4C differ from the connecting member 11A in the form of the electrode portions 5B and 5C, but the other components are substantially the same as those of the connecting member 11A and are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0038] The shape and dimensions of the connecting members 11A, 11B, and 11C can be manufactured according to the application. In this embodiment, the connecting members 11A, 11B, and 11C are arranged along the arrangement direction of the patch antenna elements 2 on the lower surface of the antenna substrate 1, have a rectangular parallelepiped shape with their longitudinal direction extending in the Y direction shown in the figure, and are arranged parallel to the power control board 6 which is arranged parallel to the YZ plane. This makes it possible to construct a compact antenna structure 21.

[0039] In this embodiment, the main body portion 4 of the connecting members 11A, 11B, and 11C is manufactured with a width Wc in the X direction of the figure, a height Hc in the Z direction of 3.0 mm, and a length Lc in the Y direction (shown in Figure 3) of 22 mm. In this embodiment, the power control board 6 and the main body portion 4 of the connecting members 11A, 11B, and 11C are manufactured to have approximately the same length in the Y direction, but this disclosure is not limited to this. The power control board 6 and the main body portion 4 may have different lengths in the Y direction.

[0040] As shown in Figure 4A-4C, although not limited thereto, in this embodiment, the connection terminal 7 is located near the end 6a of the power control board 6. The power control board 6 can be held by the connection terminal 7 being provided on the fourth surface 6B of the power control board 6 and being joined by the second joint 9 to the connecting members 11A, 11B, and 11C located on the side of the fourth surface 6B. Note that the power control board 6 is not limited to having the connection terminal 7 provided on the fourth surface 6B and being connected to the connecting members 11A, 11B, and 11C by the second joint 9 on the side of the fourth surface 6B. For example, the connection terminal 7 may be provided on the third surface 6A of the power control board 6 and connected to the connecting members 11A, 11B, and 11C by the second joint 9 on the side of the third surface 6A.

[0041] The end portion 6a of the power control board 6 may be positioned in contact with the upper surface 1a of the antenna board 1, or it may be positioned at a predetermined distance from the upper surface 1a. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 4A-4C, the end portion 6a of the power control board 6 is positioned at a distance d from the upper surface 1a of the antenna board 1. The distance d may be, for example, 0 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less. By positioning the power control board 6 away from the upper surface 1a of the antenna board 1, a path for air to flow between the power control board 6 and the antenna board 1 can be secured. This allows heat generated from the electronic components mounted on the power control board 6 to be dissipated, and the temperature rise of the power control board 6 or the antenna board 1 due to heat generation from the electronic components can be suppressed.

[0042] The main body portion 4 of the connecting members 11A, 11B, and 11C is made of an insulating resin material. In this embodiment, the main body portion 4 uses LCP (liquid crystal polymer) with a dielectric constant of 4.3 and a dielectric loss tangent of 0.015, but is not limited to this, and may include any one of LCP (liquid crystal polymer), PPA (polyphthalamide), ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene copolymer synthetic resin), PEEK (polyether ether ketone resin), and PC (polycarbonate resin).

[0043] The electrode portions 5A, 5B, and 5C of the connecting members 11A, 11B, and 11C can be formed on the entire surface of the main body 4 or on any part thereof. In this embodiment, for example, the electrode portion 5A according to Embodiment 1 shown in Figure 4A is formed on the upper surface 4b of the main body 4, a part of the lower surface 4a, a part of the inner surface 4A facing the power supply control board 6, and the outer surface 4B facing the opposite side of the power supply control board 6. The electrode portion 5B according to a modified example of Embodiment 1 shown in Figure 4B is formed on the upper surface 4b of the main body 4, a part of the lower surface 4a, and the inner surface 4A. Furthermore, the electrode portion 5C according to a modified example of Embodiment 1 shown in Figure 4C is formed on a part of the lower surface 4a and a part of the inner surface 4A of the main body 4. Note that the electrode portions of the connecting members are not limited to these forms and may be formed in forms different from the examples shown in Figures 4A-4C depending on the application.

[0044] In this embodiment, the electrode portions 5A, 5B, and 5C are formed sequentially by a plating method using copper (Cu) with a thickness of 10 μm, nickel (Ni) with a thickness of 0.2 μm, and gold (Au) with a thickness of 0.05 μm. The electrode portions 5A, 5B, and 5C are not limited to those formed by the plating method, but may also be formed by other materials or methods such as printing or dispensing conductive resin.

[0045] The first joint 8, which connects the electrode sections 5A, 5B, and 5C to the power supply electrode 3, and the second joint 9, which connects the electrode sections 5A, 5B, and 5C to the connection terminal 7 of the power control board, are both constructed using metal bonding. This allows the first joint 8 and the second joint 9 to possess both electrical conductivity and mechanical strength. In this embodiment, the first joint 8 is constructed using solder with a Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu composition, and the second joint 9 is constructed using Sn-Bi solder. However, the metal bonding material constituting the first joint 8 and the second joint 9 is not limited to these; for example, conductive paste such as Ag or Cu, or other bonding materials may be used. Furthermore, the first joint 8 and the second joint 9 can be constructed using metal bonding materials with different compositions. This will be described in detail later.

[0046] (Configuration of the antenna structure in Example 2) The configuration of the antenna structure of Embodiment 2 according to Embodiment 1 of this disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 5 to 6C. Figure 5 is an end view in the XZ plane showing an example of the configuration of the antenna structure 21a of Embodiment 2 according to Embodiment 1. Figure 6A is an enlarged view of part B of Figure 5 showing an example of the configuration 11a of the connecting member of the antenna structure 21a according to Embodiment 2. Figure 6B is a diagram showing an example of the configuration 11b of the connecting member according to a modified example of Embodiment 2. Figure 6C is a diagram showing another example 11c of the configuration of the connecting member according to a modified example of Embodiment 2.

[0047] The antenna structure 21a of Embodiment 2 shown in Figure 5 comprises an antenna substrate 1, a power control board 6, and a connecting member 11a. In this embodiment, the antenna substrate 1 is arranged parallel to the XY plane, and the power control board 6 is arranged away from the upper surface of the antenna substrate 1 parallel to the XY plane (the surface on the +Z side in the figure), extends in a direction intersecting the upper surface of the antenna substrate 1, and is arranged parallel to the YZ plane in the figure. The connecting member 11a is arranged on the upper surface side of the antenna substrate 1 and connects the antenna substrate 1 and the power control board 6. As shown in the figure, the antenna structure 21a of Embodiment 2 differs from the antenna structure 21 of Embodiment 1 shown in Figure 1 in that the connecting member 11a includes a first connecting member 11A1 arranged on the third surface 6A side of the power control board 6, and a second connecting member 11A2 arranged on the fourth surface 6B side and facing the first connecting member 11A1 with a gap between them.

[0048] Each of the first connecting member 11A1 and the second connecting member 11A2 of the antenna structure 21a's connecting member 11a is composed of an insulating main body 4, an electrode portion 5A formed on the surface of the main body 4, a first joint portion 8, and a second joint portion 9. The first joint portion 8 connects the electrode portion 5A to the feed electrode 3, and the second joint portion 9 connects the electrode portion 5A to the connection terminal 7 of the power control board. Both the first joint portion 8 and the second joint portion 9 are constructed by metal bonding. In this way, the connecting member 11a can support the power control board 6, which extends in a direction intersecting the upper surface of the antenna board 1, by electrically connecting and mechanically bonding the power control board 6 and the feed electrode 3.

[0049] As shown in Figure 6A, the first connecting member 11A1 and the second connecting member 11A2 of connecting member 11a can be configured substantially the same as the connecting member 11A in Embodiment 1 shown in Figure 4A. Similarly, the first connecting member 11B1 and the second connecting member 11B2 of connecting member 11b in the modified example of Embodiment 2 shown in Figure 6B can be configured substantially the same as the connecting member 11B in the modified example of Embodiment 1 shown in Figure 4B. Furthermore, the first connecting member 11C1 and the second connecting member 11C2 of connecting member 11c in the modified example of Embodiment 2 shown in Figure 6C can be configured substantially the same as the connecting member 11C in the modified example of Embodiment 1 shown in Figure 4C. Hereafter, a detailed explanation of the first connecting member 11A1 and the second connecting member 11A2 of connecting member 11a in Embodiment 2, and the first connecting member 11B1, 11C1 and the second connecting member 11B2, 11C2 of connecting members 11b and 11c in the modified example of Embodiment 2 will be omitted.

[0050] As shown in Figure 5-6C, in the antenna structure 21a, the end portion 6a of the power control board 6 is positioned in the gap between the first and second connecting members of the connecting members 11a, 11b, and 11c. While not limited to this, in this embodiment, a connecting terminal 7 is positioned near the end portion 6a of the power control board 6, and as shown in the figure, the connecting terminal 7 is provided on the third surface 6A and the fourth surface 6B of the power control board 6, respectively, which are parallel to the YZ plane. Each of the connecting terminals 7 provided on the third surface 6A and the fourth surface 6B of the power control board 6 is joined to the first and second connecting members of the connecting members 11a, 11b, and 11c, respectively, by the second joint portion 9. This allows the power control board 6 to be held stably, and an antenna structure 21 with a structure resistant to vibration and shock can be constructed. Note that the power control board 6 is not limited to one in which the connecting terminals 7 are provided on both the third surface 6A and the fourth surface 6B and connected to the first and second connecting members, respectively. For example, the connection terminal 7 may be provided on either the third surface 6A or the fourth surface 6B of the power control board 6, and connected to one of the first connecting member or the second connecting member by the second joint 9.

[0051] In this embodiment, the first and second connecting members of the connecting members 11a, 11b, and 11c have a rectangular parallelepiped shape with their longitudinal direction extending in the Y direction shown in the figure, and are arranged along the direction in which the patch antenna elements 2 are arranged, forming a gap parallel to the Y direction. By placing the end portion 6a of the power control board 6 in this gap, a compact antenna structure 21a can be constructed.

[0052] The dimension of the gap between the first and second connection members of the connection members 11a, 11b, and 11c can be fabricated according to the application. In order to dispose the end portion 6a of the power control board 6 within the gap, the width L of the gap in the direction in which the first and second connection members are arranged is at least larger than the thickness T of the power control board 6. For example, the width L of the gap in the illustrated X direction and the thickness T of the power control board 6 can be configured to satisfy (T + 0.05 mm) < L < (T + 1 mm). In the present embodiment, in the illustrated X direction, the width L of the gap is 2 mm and the thickness T of the power control board 6 is 1.6 mm. Further, as illustrated, the antenna structure 21a according to Example 2, similar to the antenna structure 21 according to Example 1, has the end portion 6a of the power control board 6 disposed at a distance d from the upper surface 1a of the antenna board 1. Thereby, a path for air to flow between the power control board 6 and the antenna board 1 is ensured, and an increase in the temperature of the power control board 6 or the antenna board 1 due to heat generation of the electronic components mounted on the power control board 6 can be suppressed.

[0053] The main body portion 4, the electrode portions 5A, 5B, 5C, the first joining portion 8, and the second joining portion 9 of the first and second connection members of the connection members 11a, 11b, 11c according to Example 2 can be fabricated by substantially the same configuration, dimensions, manufacturing methods, etc. as those of the connection members 11A, 11B, 11C according to Example 1 described above. Here, detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0054] In this way, the antenna structures 21, 21a according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure are configured by connecting the antenna board 1 disposed parallel to the X - Y plane and the power control board 6 extending in a direction intersecting the upper surface of the antenna board 1 with the connection members 11A, 11B, 11C or 11a, 11b, 11c.

[0055] With this configuration, the patch antenna element 2 and the power control board 6 on which the circuit components constituting the signal circuit and power supply circuit are mounted are arranged in directions that intersect each other. Therefore, the arrangement of the antenna element is not restricted by, for example, the mounting area of ​​the circuit components constituting the signal circuit and power supply circuit, and an antenna structure 21, 21a that facilitates miniaturization of the antenna device can be provided.

[0056] Next, the configuration of the antenna array structure according to Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to Figures 7 to 10.

[0057] (Configuration of the antenna array structure) Figure 7 is an end view in the XZ plane showing an example of the configuration of the antenna array structure 22 according to Embodiment 1. Figure 8 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the antenna array structure 22 according to Embodiment 1. Figure 9 is a plan view in the XY plane showing an example of the configuration of the antenna array structure 22 according to Embodiment 1.

[0058] As shown in Figure 7-9, the antenna array structure 22 is composed of a plurality of antenna structures 21 according to Embodiment 1 of the first example. In this embodiment, the plurality of patch antenna elements 2 of each antenna structure 21 are arranged along the Y direction shown on the lower surface (first surface) of the antenna substrate. Furthermore, the plurality of antenna structures 21 are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the direction of arrangement of the patch antenna elements 2, in this embodiment, along the X direction shown. In this way, an antenna array structure 22 is configured that comprises an array of patch antenna elements 2 arranged in a matrix.

[0059] The number of antenna structures 21 constituting the antenna array structure 22 can be set according to the application of the antenna array structure. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 8-9, the antenna array structure 22 comprises six antenna structures 21, and each antenna structure 21 is configured to have seven patch antenna elements 2. The antenna array structure 22 configured in this way has 7 × 6 patch antenna elements 2. For example, if m antenna structures 21 are provided, and each antenna structure 21 has n patch antenna elements 2, then an antenna array structure 22 containing n × m patch antenna elements 2 is configured. By using an antenna array structure containing a large number of patch antenna elements, high-capacity communication can be realized.

[0060] In the antenna array structure 22, each antenna structure 21 may be arranged at equal intervals or at different intervals. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 7-9, in the X direction in which the six antenna structures 21 are arranged, each antenna substrate 1 is arranged at equal intervals. Although not limited to this, in this embodiment, each antenna structure 21 constituting the antenna array structure 22 is provided with a rectangular antenna substrate 1 in the XY plane. In the direction of arrangement of the antenna structures 21 (in this embodiment, the X direction shown), the spacing S between adjacent end faces of adjacent antenna substrates 1 is set to 0.5 mm. By arranging the antenna substrates 1 with spacing, the heat generated by the circuit components mounted on the power control board 6 of each antenna structure 21 can be dissipated, and the temperature rise of the power control board 6 due to the heat generated by the circuit components can be suppressed. In the direction of arrangement of the antenna structures 21, the spacing S between adjacent end faces of adjacent antenna substrates 1 may be, for example, greater than 0 mm and 10 mm or less.

[0061] According to the configuration of the antenna structure 21 in this disclosure, the patch antenna elements 2 and the power control board 6 on which circuit components constituting the signal circuit and the power supply circuit are mounted are arranged in directions that intersect each other. Therefore, when arranging multiple antenna structures 21 in the antenna array structure 22, multiple antenna structures 21 can be arranged without the spacing S being constrained by, for example, the power control board 6 or the circuit components mounted on the power control board 6. Consequently, an antenna array structure 22 can be constructed in which the patch antenna elements 2 of each antenna structure are arranged closely together in a matrix, thereby making it possible to provide a compact antenna array device.

[0062] Similarly, an antenna array structure can be constructed using multiple antenna structures 21a according to Embodiment 2. Figure 10 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of an antenna array structure 22a using the antenna structure 21a of Embodiment 2 according to Embodiment 1. Furthermore, connecting members according to various modified examples of antenna structures 21 and 21a can, of course, also be applied to the configuration of an antenna array structure. A detailed explanation is omitted here.

[0063] The antenna array structure can be further assembled with a housing to form an antenna unit. The configuration of the antenna unit will be explained with reference to Figures 11 to 14.

[0064] (Antenna unit configuration) Figure 11 is a perspective view showing an example 23a of the configuration of an antenna unit assembled from the antenna array structure 22 and housing 12a shown in Figure 7. Figure 12 is a perspective view showing another example 23b of the configuration of an antenna unit assembled from the antenna array structure 22 and housings 12a and 12b shown in Figure 7.

[0065] The antenna unit 23a shown in Figure 11 is constructed by attaching the end 6b (upper end on the +Z side in the figure) opposite to the end 6a of the multiple power control boards 6 of the antenna array structure 22 that is close to the antenna board 1 to the housing 12a. The antenna unit 23b shown in Figure 12 has the ends 6b of the multiple power control boards 6 of the antenna array structure 22 attached to the housing 12a. Furthermore, along the arrangement direction of the antenna array structure 22 (X direction in the figure), one or both (not shown) of the parts 6c and 6d on both sides that connect the ends 6a and 6b of the individual power control boards 6 can be attached to the housing 12b.

[0066] Figure 13 is a perspective view showing an example configuration 24a of an antenna unit assembled from the antenna array structure 22a and housing 12a shown in Figure 10. Figure 14 is a perspective view showing another example configuration 24b of an antenna unit assembled from the antenna array structure 22a and housings 12a and 12b shown in Figure 10. Antenna units 24a and 24b can be configured substantially the same as antenna units 23a and 23b. A detailed explanation is omitted here.

[0067] The antenna unit, by assembling the antenna array structure and the housing, ensures the strength of the antenna array structure and improves ease of assembly.

[0068] Next, the manufacturing process of the antenna structure will be described with reference to Figures 15 to 16F. Figure 15 is a flowchart showing an example of the manufacturing process of the antenna structure 21. Figures 16A to 16F are schematic diagrams showing an example of the manufacturing process of the antenna structure 21 according to Embodiment 1. Note that the mounting of the patch antenna elements 2 on the antenna substrate 1 and the fabrication of the feed electrodes 3 can be done using conventionally known methods, so the explanation of these manufacturing methods will be omitted below.

[0069] (Manufacturing method for antenna structures) As shown in Figure 15, the manufacturing method of the antenna structure 21 may include steps S1 to S6. Each step will be described below with reference to the schematic diagrams shown in Figures 16A-16F.

[0070] (Step S1) As shown in Figure 16A, the first solder paste 13 is applied to the feed electrode 3 of the antenna substrate 1. The first solder paste 13 can be supplied using a screen printing method, for example, by using one with a composition of Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu. The metal mask used for screen printing may be, for example, one with a thickness of 80 μm. Note that the supply of the first solder paste 13 is not limited to the screen printing method, and may be supplied using other methods such as the dispensing method or the inkjet method.

[0071] (Step S2) As shown in Figure 16B, the connecting member 11A is placed on the antenna substrate 1 to which the first solder paste 13 was applied in step S1. Here, using a connecting member 11A in which an electrode portion 5A including multiple surface electrodes is formed on the main body portion 4, the connecting member 11A is positioned and attached to the antenna substrate 1 so that each of the surface electrodes of the electrode portion 5A corresponds to each of the feed electrodes 3 formed on the antenna substrate 1. In the embodiment shown in Figure 16B, the connecting member 11A is positioned with its longitudinal direction along the illustrated Y direction.

[0072] (Step S3) As shown in Figure 16C, a first joint 8 is formed to join the electrode portion 5A and the power supply electrode 3. Here, the antenna substrate 1 on which the connecting member 11A is placed, obtained in step S2, is subjected to a heating reflow process at a peak temperature of 240°C, for example, to melt and solidify the first solder paste 13, thereby forming a first joint 8 as a metal joint that joins the power supply electrode 3 of the antenna substrate 1 and the electrode portion 5A of the connecting member 11A.

[0073] (Step S4) Next, as shown in Figure 16D, the power control board 6 is positioned. Here, a power control board 6 equipped with a connection terminal 7 containing multiple terminals can be used. In the embodiment shown in Figure 16D, the power control board 6 is positioned in the YZ plane on which the power control board 6 is located, such that each of the output terminals of the power control board 6 corresponds to each of the surface electrodes of the electrode portion 5A of the connection member 11A, with respect to the antenna substrate 1 obtained in step S3.

[0074] (Step S5) Next, as shown in Figure 16E, the second solder paste 14 is applied to the contact points between each of the connection terminals 7 of the power control board 6 and each of the surface electrodes of the electrode portion 5A of the connecting member 11A. Here, the second solder paste 14 can be supplied to the antenna board 1 on which the power control board 6 is positioned, as obtained in step S4, for example, using the dispensing method.

[0075] The second solder paste 14 forms a second joint 9 that joins the connection terminal 7 and the electrode portion 5A through a subsequent heat reflow process (the later step S6). During the subsequent heat reflow process, the first solder paste 13 constituting the first joint 8 may remelt due to heat conduction during the process. To prevent this, the first joint and the second joint can be made of metal bonding materials having different compositions. For example, the second solder paste 14 has a lower melting point than the first solder paste 13. For example, a Sn-Bi composition can be used as the second solder paste 14. However, the second solder paste 14 is not limited to a Sn-Bi composition; any composition with a lower melting point than the first solder paste 13 can be used.

[0076] Furthermore, the composition of the second solder cream 14 does not necessarily have to have a melting point lower than that of the first solder cream 13. For example, if the remelting of the first solder cream 13 due to heat conduction does not occur during the manufacturing process, the second solder cream 14 may be made of a material having the same melting point (composition) as the first solder cream 13.

[0077] (Step S6) Next, as shown in Figure 16F, a second joint is formed to connect the connection terminal 7 and the electrode portion 5A. Here, the antenna substrate 1 to which the second solder paste 14 obtained in step S5 has been applied is subjected to a heating reflow process at a peak temperature of 180°C, for example, to melt and solidify the second solder paste 14, thereby forming a second joint 9 as a metal joint to connect the connection terminal 7 of the power control board 6 and the electrode portion 5A of the connecting member 11A.

[0078] The antenna structure 21 can be manufactured through the above process. However, the method of manufacturing the antenna structure 21 via S1 to S6 is merely an example, and the manufacturing of the antenna structure 21 is not limited to this method. Furthermore, the materials or manufacturing conditions used in the manufacturing process of the antenna structure 21 are also just examples and are not limited to those described above.

[0079] In the above embodiment, an antenna structure in which patch antenna elements are arranged in a planar shape was described, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the antenna structure may be composed of patch antenna elements arranged in a curved shape.

[0080] Furthermore, although the above embodiments describe an antenna array structure composed of antenna structures having similar configurations, this disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the antenna array structure may include antenna structures having different configurations from each other.

[0081] As described above, the attached drawings and detailed description are provided to illustrate the embodiments of the technology described herein. Therefore, the components described in the attached drawings and detailed description may include not only components essential for solving the problem, but also components that are not essential for solving the problem, in order to illustrate the technology described above. Therefore, the mere presence of such non-essential components in the attached drawings and detailed description should not be immediately assumed to mean that those non-essential components are essential.

[0082] While this disclosure is fully described in relation to preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Such modifications, as well as embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments, are also included in the technical scope of this disclosure. [Industrial applicability]

[0083] This disclosure is applicable to antenna devices including antenna structures and antenna array structures. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0084] 1 Antenna board 2 Patch antenna elements 3 Power supply electrodes 4. Main body of the connecting member 5A, 5B, 5C Electrode parts of connecting members 6 Power Control Board 7 Connection terminals 8 1st joint 9 Second joint 11A, 11B, 11C Connecting Members 11a, 11b, 11c Connecting members 12a, 12b enclosure 13. First Cream Solder 14. Second cream solder 21,21a Antenna structure 22,22a Antenna array structure 23a, 23b, 24a, 24b Antenna Unit

Claims

1. An antenna substrate having a first surface and a second surface located opposite to the first surface, A plurality of patch antenna elements arranged on the first surface of the antenna substrate, A feeding electrode is formed on the second surface of the antenna substrate and is electrically connected to each of the plurality of patch antenna elements, A power control board is positioned away from the second surface of the antenna substrate, extends in a direction intersecting the second surface of the antenna substrate, and has a third surface and a fourth surface located on the opposite side of the third surface. A connecting member is provided on the side of the second surface of the antenna substrate and on at least one of the third or fourth surfaces of the power supply control substrate, and electrically connects the power supply electrode and the power supply control substrate. Equipped with, The power control board includes connection terminals, The aforementioned connecting member is The main body has insulating properties, An electrode portion formed on the surface of the main body portion, A first joining portion that joins the electrode portion and the power supply electrode by metal bonding, A second joint that joins the electrode portion and the connection terminal by metal bonding, including, Antenna structure.

2. The aforementioned connecting member is A first connecting member is disposed on the third surface side of the power control board, A second connecting member is positioned on the fourth surface side of the power control board and faces the first connecting member with a gap between them, Includes, The end of the power control board is positioned in the gap. The antenna structure according to claim 1.

3. If L is the width of the gap between the first connecting member and the second connecting member in the direction in which they are aligned, and T is the thickness of the power control board, then (T + 0.05 mm) < L < (T + 1 mm) is satisfied. The antenna structure according to claim 2.

4. The connecting member is arranged along the direction in which the plurality of patch antenna elements are arranged. The antenna structure according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The main body of the connecting member is made of resin material. The aforementioned resin material includes one of LCP, PPA, ABS, PEEK, and PC. The antenna structure according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The composition of the first joint and the composition of the second joint are different. The antenna structure according to claim 1 or 2.

7. A plurality of the antenna structures described in claim 1 or 2, The plurality of patch antenna elements are arranged on the first surface of the antenna substrate along the first direction. The multiple antenna structures are arranged along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. Antenna array structure.

8. In the direction of the arrangement of the multiple antenna structures, the distance between adjacent end faces of adjacent antenna substrates is greater than 0 mm and less than or equal to 10 mm. The antenna array structure according to claim 7.

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