Antenna-in-package substrate and Antenna-in-package module including the same

Abstract

The present invention relates to an antenna-in-package substrate that suppresses mutual coupling of electromagnetic waves between two patch antennas by placing an interference blocking pattern (inductive post) in the boundary region between two patch antennas arranged adjacent to each other to block mutual interference between the two patch antennas, and an antenna-in-package module including the same.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an antenna-in-package substrate and an antenna-in-package module including the same, and more specifically, to an antenna-in-package module that suppresses mutual coupling of electromagnetic waves between antennas. Background Technology

[0002] Wireless communication systems, essential to modern society, rely heavily on antenna quality for optimal performance. Interference between antennas primarily stems from electromagnetic coupling and significantly damages these systems. As such interference increases, not only does antenna efficiency decrease, but data transmission speeds also drop, thereby compromising the reliability of the entire communication system.

[0003] This issue is particularly critical in patch antenna arrays, which are widely used in 5G millimeter wave (mmWave) and ultra-high-speed communication systems, and even minimal interference can have a significant adverse effect.

[0004] As illustrated in FIG. 1, two adjacent patch antennas (A1, A2) are particularly susceptible to mutual coupling due to their proximity within the array, as they have a small, low-profile configuration. When the two patch antennas (A1, A2) radiate, surface waves are generated between the substrates, causing mutual interference between the antennas. Therefore, a technique is required to improve mutual interference between the antennas. The problem to be solved

[0005] The present invention provides an antenna-in-package substrate that suppresses mutual coupling of electromagnetic waves between antennas, and an antenna-in-package module including the same. means of solving the problem

[0006] An antenna-in-package substrate according to the present invention for achieving such an objective comprises: a first patch antenna; a second patch antenna disposed adjacent to the first patch antenna in a first horizontal direction; and an interference blocking pattern disposed in a boundary region between the first patch antenna and the second patch antenna to suppress mutual coupling of electromagnetic waves.

[0007] In the antenna-in-package substrate according to the present invention, the interference blocking pattern comprises at least one pad extending in a second horizontal direction orthogonal to the first horizontal direction in an area adjacent to the first patch antenna and the second patch antenna, and a via having one end connected to the center of each of the second directions of the pad and extending in a third direction orthogonal to the first horizontal direction and the second horizontal direction.

[0008] In the antenna-in-package substrate according to the present invention, the interference blocking pattern is formed in any one of the following forms: a first type consisting of one pad and one via connected to the pad; a second type consisting of two pads spaced apart from each other in a first horizontal direction and two vias connected to each pad; a third type consisting of three pads spaced apart from each other in a first horizontal direction and three vias connected to each pad; and a fourth type consisting of four pads spaced apart from each other in a first horizontal direction and four vias connected to each pad.

[0009] In the antenna-in-package substrate according to the present invention, the distance between each pad forming the interference blocking pattern can be 0.05 mm to 0.15 mm in the first horizontal direction.

[0010] An antenna-in-package substrate according to the present invention, having an interference blocking pattern formed according to the first design, can exhibit an S-parameter value of -40dB at 27 GHz.

[0011] In the antenna-in-package substrate according to the present invention, the pad may be made of copper (Cu) and have a rectangular shape with a width of 0.3 mm and a length of 5 mm, and the via may be made of a cylinder with a diameter of 0.1 mm.

[0012] In the antenna-in-package substrate according to the present invention, the distance between the center of the first patch antenna and the center of the second patch antenna can be 4 mm to 6 mm.

[0013] In the antenna-in-package substrate according to the present invention, the first patch antenna and the second patch antenna each comprise a transmission line portion that transmits a signal, an antenna portion disposed above the transmission line portion in the third direction, and a core portion disposed between the transmission line portion and the antenna portion.

[0014] In an antenna-in-package substrate according to the present invention, the transmission line portion includes a plurality of ground layers stacked spaced apart from each other in the third direction and a plurality of ground insulation layers disposed between the plurality of ground layers, and the antenna portion may include a plurality of antenna layers stacked spaced apart from each other in the third direction and a plurality of antenna insulation layers disposed between the plurality of antenna layers.

[0015] In an antenna-in-package substrate according to the present invention, the antenna portion has a first thickness in the third direction, the transmission line portion has a second thickness in the third direction, and the first thickness is greater than the second thickness.

[0016] In the antenna-in-package substrate according to the present invention, the interference blocking pattern is disposed on the uppermost antenna layer among the plurality of antenna layers.

[0017] In an antenna-in-package substrate according to the present invention, the plurality of antenna layers comprises: a low band vertical polar patch; a low band horizontal polar patch disposed above the low band vertical polar patch; a high band driven patch disposed above the low band horizontal polar patch; and a high band stack patch disposed above the high band driven patch.

[0018] In the antenna-in-package substrate according to the present invention, the antenna portion comprises a first transmission via that supplies power to the low-band vertical deflection patch; a second transmission via that supplies power to the low-band horizontal deflection patch; and a feed portion composed of a third transmission via and a fourth transmission via that supplies power to the high-band driving patch.

[0019] In the antenna-in-package substrate according to the present invention, the low-band band is 27.5 GHz to 28.3 GHz, and the high-band band has a range of 37 GHz to 40 GHz.

[0020] An antenna-in-package module according to the present invention comprises an antenna-in-package substrate and a driving substrate disposed below the antenna-in-package substrate and performing an operation to transmit or receive a signal to be radiated through the antenna-in-package substrate.

[0021] In the antenna-in-package module according to the present invention, the driving board may include: a connector that receives external power and exchanges transmission and reception data with the antenna-in-package board; a mixer that generates a transmission signal to be radiated through the antenna-in-package board or converts a reception signal received through the antenna-in-package board into a data signal; a beam former that applies a phase difference to the transmission signal and transmits it through the antenna-in-package board; and a power management integrated circuit that generates a driving voltage for driving the mixer and the beam former using power received from the connector.

[0022] In the antenna-in-package module according to the present invention, the antenna-in-package substrate may include a 1 x 4 array patch antenna. Effects of the invention

[0023] The antenna-in-package substrate according to the present invention and the antenna-in-package module including the same can improve the performance of the antenna by reducing mutual interference between patch antennas. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0024] Figure 1 is an example diagram showing mutual interference caused by surface waves in a typical patch antenna array. Figure 2 is an example diagram showing a package substrate that is an antenna including an interference blocking pattern. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an antenna-in-package substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a plan view of an antenna-type package substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an interference blocking pattern of an antenna-in-package substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view along line I-I' of the package substrate, which is the antenna shown in Figure 4. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of an antenna package substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the stacked state of an antenna-in-package substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a plan view showing the configuration of an antenna-in-package substrate according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is an exemplary diagram showing various types of interference blocking patterns that can be applied to an antenna-in-package substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a bottom view of the package substrate, which is the antenna shown in FIG. 9. FIG. 12a is an exemplary diagram showing the performance of an antenna-in-package substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12b is an exemplary diagram showing antenna interference in an antenna-in-package substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a bottom perspective view of an antenna-in-package module according to an embodiment of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0025] With respect to the embodiments of the present invention disclosed in the text, specific structural or functional descriptions are provided merely for the purpose of explaining the embodiments of the present invention, and the embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in various forms and should not be interpreted as being limited to the embodiments described in the text.

[0026] The present invention is capable of various modifications and may take various forms, and specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the text. However, this is not intended to limit the invention to the specific disclosed forms, and it should be understood that the invention includes all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0027] Terms such as "first," "second," etc., may be used to describe various components, but said components are not limited by said terms. These terms are used solely for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, the first component may be named the second component, and similarly, the second component may be named the first component.

[0028] When it is stated that one component is "connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that while it may be directly connected or connected to that other component, there may also be other components present in between. Conversely, when it is stated that one component is "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components present in between. Other expressions describing the relationship between components, such as "between" and "exactly between," or "adjacent to" and "directly adjacent to," should be interpreted in the same way. Likewise, the meaning of "placed on" may imply that it is placed directly on the surface of a component or placed above it at a distance from the surface.

[0029] The terms used in this application are used merely to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this application, terms such as “comprising” or “having” are intended to specify the existence of the disclosed features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof, and should be understood as not precluding the existence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0030] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as generally understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and should not be interpreted in an ideal or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined in this application.

[0031] Meanwhile, if an embodiment can be implemented differently, the functions or operations specified within a particular block may occur in a different order than that specified in the flowchart. For example, two consecutive blocks may actually be executed substantially simultaneously, or, depending on the related functions or operations, the blocks may be executed in reverse order.

[0032] Hereinafter, an antenna-in-package substrate according to the present invention and an antenna-in-package module including the same will be described with reference to the attached drawings.

[0033] FIG. 2 is an example diagram showing an antenna-in-package substrate including an interference blocking pattern. An antenna-in-package refers to a hybrid antenna substrate, an antenna array substrate, an antenna array, etc. As shown, an interference blocking pattern (Inductive post: IP) is placed between two patch antennas (A1, A2) arranged adjacent to each other. An array antenna in which two patch antennas (A1, A2) are arranged side by side with a separation distance of more than half a wavelength can concentrate signals in a specific direction or change the beam direction in real time, and can provide higher gain compared to a single element. In addition, it can reduce radio interference and selectively receive only the desired signal through directional control, and can be utilized in various fields such as radar, communication systems, satellite communication, 5G networks, and military applications.

[0034] Inductive posts can optimize the interaction between signals radiated by each antenna (A1, A2) or minimize unwanted interference. An inductive post is a small inductive device with inductance characteristics that absorbs or prevents unwanted signal interference from other antennas by hindering changes in current. To minimize interference, inductive posts control the phase of each antenna to ensure that the radiation pattern between adjacent antennas is not distorted. Consequently, the overall propagation efficiency of the antennas can be improved, and they play a particularly important role in the high-frequency band.

[0035] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an antenna-in-package substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a plan view of an antenna-in-package substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an interference blocking pattern.

[0036] An antenna-in-package substrate (100) may include a plurality (K) of antenna regions arranged in a first horizontal direction (i.e., y-axis direction). Here, K may be a positive integer greater than or equal to 2. For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 5, the substrate may include first and second antenna regions (A1, A2), but the embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, as in the embodiment of FIG. 6, an antenna-in-package substrate is possible in which patch antennas (A1, A2, A3, A4) of the same size are arranged in a 1 x 4 array.

[0037] Each antenna area may have the same size. That is, the size of the first antenna area (A1) and the size of the second antenna area (A2) may be the same. Each antenna area includes an antenna section (110) and a transmission line section (120) (indicated in FIG. 8), and a dummy metal layer (111) is placed on the outside of the antenna section (110). Since the actual role of the antenna section (110) is to transmit and receive wireless signals, it is referred to as an "antenna" in the following description in consideration of its actual function.

[0038] According to an embodiment, an insulating layer may be further disposed between the antenna portion (110) and the dummy metal layer (111) on the same horizontal plane. The dummy metal layer (111) can prevent phenomena such as twisting or bending of the substrate.

[0039] In the antenna-in-package substrate (100) according to the embodiment, an interference blocking pattern (Inductive post: IP) is placed in the area where two antenna regions (A1, A2) are adjacent to each other, that is, in the area where each dummy metal layer (111) of the two antenna regions overlaps.

[0040] The length (L11) of the first patch antenna (110-1) in the first antenna area (A1) is equal to the width (W11). That is, the first patch antenna (110-1) may have a square shape in a planar form. This is one embodiment and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0041] The second patch antenna (110-2) may be formed with the same shape as the first patch antenna (110-1). The second patch antenna (110-1) may have a planar square shape similar to the first patch antenna (110-1), and the length (L12) of the second patch antenna (110-2) is equal to the width (W12).

[0042] The length (L11) of the first patch antenna (110-1) is equal to the length (L12) of the first patch antenna (110-1), and the width (W11) of the first patch antenna (110-1) has the same value as the width (W12) of the second patch antenna (110-2).

[0043] Meanwhile, the distance between the center of the first patch antenna (110-1) and the center of the second patch antenna (110-2) may be spaced apart by 4 mm to 6 mm, and preferably by 5.2 mm. The distance between the center of the first patch antenna (110-1) and the center of the second patch antenna (110-2) may be set to correspond to the frequency band of the signal according to the present disclosure.

[0044] As illustrated in FIG. 5, the interference blocking pattern (IP) comprises at least one pad (P1) that is arranged in a second horizontal direction (x-axis direction) orthogonal to the first horizontal direction (y-axis direction) in an area where each dummy metal layer (111) of the first patch antenna (110-1) and the second patch antenna (110-2) contacts each other, and a via (V1) that is connected at one end to the second direction of the pad (P1) and extends in a third direction (z-axis direction) orthogonal to the first horizontal direction (y-axis direction) and the second horizontal direction (x-axis direction).

[0045] The pad (P1) may be composed of one selected from copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), and tin (Sn), or made of two or more alloy materials, and may be formed in a rectangular shape with a width (W1) of 0.3 mm and a length (L1) of 5 mm. The pad (P1) is placed on the same plane as the uppermost surface in the third direction (z-axis direction) of each patch antenna area (A, A2).

[0046] The above via (V1) is formed in a cylindrical shape and its diameter (D1) can be 0.1 mm.

[0047] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view along line I-I' of the antenna-in-package substrate illustrated in FIG. 4, FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the antenna-in-package substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the stacked state of the antenna-in-package substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0048] As described above, the antenna-in-substrate package substrate (100) comprises a transmission line portion (120) that transmits a signal, an antenna portion (110) positioned above the transmission line portion (120) in the third direction (z-axis direction), and a core portion (Core layer: CL) positioned between the transmission line portion (120) and the antenna portion (110).

[0049] The transmission line section (120) includes a plurality of grounding layers (GL1 to GL5) stacked and spaced apart from each other in the third direction (z-axis direction) and a plurality of grounding insulation layers (IL7 to IL10) disposed between the plurality of grounding layers (GL1 to GL5).

[0050] The antenna section (110) includes a plurality of antenna layers (LBVP, LBHP, HBDP, HBSP) stacked and spaced apart from each other in the third direction (z-axis direction) and a plurality of antenna insulating layers (IL1~IL4) disposed between the plurality of antenna layers (LBVP, LBHP, HBDP, HBSP).

[0051] Each of the multiple ground insulation layers (IL7 to IL10), the multiple antenna insulation layers (IL1 to IL4), and the insulation layers (IL5, IL6) disposed on the upper and lower parts of the core (CL) can be implemented with an insulating material (hereinafter referred to as "insulating material"). For example, such insulating materials may include thermosetting resins such as epoxy resin, thermoplastic resins such as polyimide, or materials containing reinforcing materials such as glass fibers and / or inorganic fillers together with these, such as ABF, PID, BCC, or prepreg (PPG). However, the insulating material is not limited to resin materials; for example, a glass plate or a ceramic plate may be used. However, in the embodiment, each insulation layer (IL1 to IL10) is not limited to a specific material.

[0052] A low band vertical polar patch (LBVP) is placed on the upper part of the insulating layer (IL5) of the core part (CL) to transmit and receive low band frequency wireless signals by deflecting them in the vertical direction.

[0053] A low band horizontal polar patch (LBHP) is positioned above the low band vertical polar patch (LBVP) with an antenna insulation layer (IL4) in between to transmit and receive low band frequency wireless signals by deflecting them in the horizontal direction.

[0054] A high band driven patch (HBDP) is placed on top of the antenna insulation layer (IL3) to transmit high-band frequency radio signals.

[0055] A high band stack patch (HBSP) is positioned above the high band driving patch (HBDP) with an antenna insulation layer (IL4) in between to receive high band frequency radio signals.

[0056] The antenna portion (110) has a first thickness (T110) in the third direction (z-axis direction), and the transmission line portion (120) has a second thickness (T120) in the third direction (z-axis direction).

[0057] The first thickness (T110) of the antenna section (110) is greater than the second thickness (T120) of the transmission line section (120). The thickness of each antenna layer (LBVP, LBHP, HBDP, HBSP) of the antenna section (110) can be formed to be equal to the thickness of each insulation layer (GL1 ~ GL5) of the transmission line section (120).

[0058] The feed section (PS) comprises a first via (VA1) that supplies power to the low-band vertical deflection patch (LBVP), a second via (VA2) that supplies power to the low-band horizontal deflection patch (LBHP), a third via (VA3) and a fourth via (VA4) that supply driving power to the high-band driving patch (HBDP), and a center via (CVA) that supplies power for receiving operation to the high-band stack patch (HBSP).

[0059] The first via (VA1) and the second via (VA2) are spaced apart in the second direction (x-axis direction) and placed on the same virtual line, and the third via (VA3) and the fourth via (VA4) are spaced apart in the second direction (x-axis direction) and placed on the same virtual line.

[0060] Power required for low-band radio frequency transmission is delivered to the low-band band vertical deflection patch (LBVP) through the first via (VA1). Power required for low-band radio frequency transmission is supplied to the low-band band horizontal deflection patch (LBHP) through the second via (VA2). Power required for high-band radio frequency transmission is supplied to the high-band band driving patch (HBDP) through the third via (VA3) and the fourth via (VA4). Power required for vertical deflection transmission of high-band radio frequency is supplied to the high-band band driving patch (HBDP) through the third via (VA3). Power required for horizontal deflection transmission of high-band radio frequency is supplied to the high-band band driving patch (HBDP) through the fourth via (VA4). The center via (CVA) supplies power to the high-band band stack patch (HBSP) for high-band radio frequency reception operation.

[0061] A first high-band band feeder (HBF1) and a second high-band band feeder (HBF2) are disposed between the low-band horizontal deflection patch (LBHP) and the high-band band driving patch (HBDP) to supply power to each of the two feed points of the high-band band driving patch (HBDP). Power supplied through the third via (VA3) is delivered to the first feed point (S1) of the high-band band driving patch (HBDP) via the first high-band band feeder (HBF1). Power supplied through the fourth via (VA4) is delivered to the second feed point (S2) of the high-band band driving patch (HBDP) via the second high-band band feeder (HBF2). The first feed point (S1) and the second feed point (S2) of the high-band band driving patch (HBDP) are orthogonal to each other in a horizontal plane. In addition, the first high-band band feeder (HBF1) and the second high-band band feeder (HBF2) can be arranged orthogonally to each other in a horizontal plane.

[0062] FIG. 9 is a plan view showing the configuration of an antenna-in-package substrate according to another embodiment of the present invention. As shown, four patch antennas (A1, A2, A3, and A4) are arranged in a row in a first direction (y-axis direction). Each patch antenna (A1, A2, A3, A4) is made of the same size as each other, and the spacing between each patch antenna is equal. A plurality of interference blocking patterns (IP1) are formed in the adjacent regions of the dummy metal layers (111) of each patch antenna. In this example, each interference blocking pattern (IP1) is shown as being composed of one pad and one via, but various shapes of interference blocking patterns are possible.

[0063] FIG. 10 is an exemplary diagram showing various types of interference blocking patterns that can be applied to an antenna-in-package substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention. As described above, a first type (A) consisting of one pad (P1) and one via (V1) connected to the pad (P1); a second type (B) consisting of two pads (P1, P2) spaced apart from each other in the first direction (y-axis direction) and two vias (V1, V2) connected one by one to each pad (P1, P2); a third type (C) consisting of three pads (P1, P2, P3) spaced apart from each other in the first direction (y-axis direction) and three vias (V1, V2, V3) connected one by one to each pad (P1, P2, P3); and four pads (P1, P2, P3, P4) spaced apart from each other in the first direction (y-axis direction) and four vias (V1, V2, V3) connected one by one to each pad (P1, P2, P3, P4). It can be formed as a fourth type (D) consisting of V2, V3, and V4.

[0064] Meanwhile, the present disclosure is not limited thereto and may also be implemented in a form in which two or more vias are connected to a single pad, spaced apart from each other in a second horizontal direction (x-axis direction). For example, it may consist of four pads and eight vias, with two connected to each pad.

[0065] In the interference blocking pattern according to the second type, the third type, and the fourth type, the distance between a plurality of pads (P1, P2, P3, P4) can be formed to be 0.05 mm to 0.15 mm in the first horizontal direction.

[0066] FIG. 11 is a bottom view of the antenna package substrate illustrated in FIG. 9. Each patch antenna (A1 to A4) has an input port and an output port and performs a Multi Input Multi Output (MIMO) function. For example, Port 1 can be the input port of the first patch antenna (A1), Port 2 can be the output port of the first patch antenna (A1), Port 3 can be the input port of the second patch antenna (A2), and Port 4 can be the output port of the second patch antenna (A2). The third antenna (A3) and the fourth antenna (A4) can also each include an input port and an output port.

[0067] The reflection coefficient of an antenna is an important characteristic related to the input and output impedance of the antenna; this value indicates how much of the power delivered to the antenna is reflected and is typically expressed as an S-parameter (S11).

[0068] The reflection coefficient refers to the ratio indicating how much of the radio waves transmitted to an antenna are reflected; it can be defined as the ratio of the voltage of the incident wave to the voltage of the reflected wave. The reflection coefficient is an important indicator for evaluating antenna performance. The lower the reflection coefficient, the more efficiently the antenna can emit radio signals, while a higher reflection coefficient results in greater power loss.

[0069] FIG. 12a is an exemplary diagram showing the performance of an antenna-in-package substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 12b is an exemplary diagram showing antenna interference in an antenna-in-package substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0070] The graph below shows the S-parameter values ​​in each frequency band for all five designs. The five designs (Design 1 to Design 5) represent five embodiments. Design 1 represents a case where no interference blocking pattern is placed between two adjacent patch antennas. Design 2 represents a case where an interference blocking pattern consisting of one pad (P1) and one via (V1) is placed between two adjacent patch antennas, as shown in FIG. 10 (A). Design 3 represents a case where an interference blocking pattern consisting of two pads (P1, P2) and two vias (V1, V2) placed one on each pad (P1, P2) is placed between two adjacent patch antennas, as shown in FIG. 10 (B). Design 4 represents a case in which an interference blocking pattern consisting of three pads (P1, P2, P3) and three vias (V1, V2, V3) placed one by one on each pad (P1, P2, P3) is placed between two adjacent patch antennas as shown in (C) of FIG. 10. Design 5 represents a case in which an interference blocking pattern consisting of three pads (P1, P2, P3) and three vias (V1, V2, V3) placed one by one on each pad (P1, P2, P3) is placed between two adjacent patch antennas as shown in (D) of FIG. 10.

[0071] FIG. 12a shows the performance of a single antenna in which all designs achieve a -10dB impedance bandwidth at 27 GHz, and the isolation weakens as the number of pads and vias forming the interference blocking pattern increases. FIG. 12b shows interference between antennas (i.e., from Port 3 to Port 1 and from Port 4 to Port 1). Designs with interference blocking patterns composed of two or more pads and two or more vias, such as Designs 3 through 5, show enhanced mutual coupling compared to other designs. The configuration according to Design 2, which forms a trunk blocking pattern with one pad and one via, can effectively improve the performance of individual antennas while minimizing mutual interference. An antenna-in-package substrate with an interference blocking pattern formed according to Design 2 can exhibit an S-parameter value of -40dB at 27 GHz.

[0072] An antenna-in-package module according to the present invention comprises an antenna-in-package substrate (100) and a driving substrate (200) disposed below it to perform an operation for transmitting or receiving a signal to be radiated through the antenna-in-package substrate. FIG. 13 is a lower perspective view of an antenna-in-package module according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing the driving substrate (200) of the antenna-in-package module. The driving substrate (200) comprises a connector (210), a mixer (220), a beam forming unit (230), and a power management unit (240).

[0073] The connector (210) receives external power and performs the function of exchanging transmission and reception data with the antenna-in-package substrate (100). It receives voltage from the outside (hereinafter referred to as 'external voltage') and plays the role of receiving data signals from the outside or providing data signals to the outside. Here, the data signal refers to a signal containing information to be transmitted to the outside through the antenna-in-package substrate (100), or may refer to a signal containing information received from the outside through the antenna-in-package substrate (100).

[0074] The mixer (220) generates a transmission signal to be radiated through the antenna-in-package substrate (100) or converts a reception signal received through the antenna-in-package substrate (100) into a data signal.

[0075] The beam former (230) gives a phase difference to the transmission signal and transmits it through the antenna-in-package substrate (100), and transmits the received signal received through the antenna-in-package substrate (100) to the mixer (220).

[0076] The mixer (220) generates a transmission signal to be radiated through the antenna-in-package substrate (100) or converts a received signal received from the antenna-in-package substrate (100) into a data signal. For example, the mixer (220) can frequency-convert a data signal received from the outside through the connector (210) into a transmission signal suitable for radiating from the antenna-in-package substrate (100), and provide the transmission signal having the converted frequency to the beamforming unit (230). Additionally, the mixer (220) can receive a received signal from the antenna-in-package substrate (100) through the beamforming unit (230), frequency-convert it to obtain a data signal, and provide the data signal to the connector (210).

[0077] The power management integrated circuit (240) generates a driving voltage to drive the mixer (220) and the beam forming unit (230) using power received from the connector (210).

[0078] Although not shown, various other surface mounting devices (SMDs) (passive components such as capacitors or inductors) may also be placed around the power management unit (240) below the transmission line portion (120) of the antenna-in-package substrate (100).

[0079] As explained above, to prevent interference caused by mutual coupling between two patch antennas placed adjacent to each other, an interference blocking pattern consisting of one pad and one via is placed in the boundary area, thereby suppressing mutual coupling within the two antenna arrays.

[0080] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and changes can be made to the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described in the following claims. Explanation of the symbols

[0081] 100: Antenna-in-package substrate 110: Antenna section 120: Transmission line 111: Dummy metal layer

Claims

Claim 1 An antenna-in-package substrate comprising: a first patch antenna; a second patch antenna disposed adjacent to the first patch antenna in a first horizontal direction; and an interference blocking pattern disposed in a boundary region between the first patch antenna and the second patch antenna, wherein the interference blocking pattern comprises: at least one pad disposed extending in a second horizontal direction orthogonal to the first horizontal direction in a region adjacent to the first patch antenna and the second patch antenna; and a via extending in a third direction orthogonal to the first horizontal direction and the second horizontal direction, with one end connected to the center of each of the second directions of the pad. Claim 2 In claim 1, the interference blocking pattern is an antenna package substrate formed in any one of the following forms: a first type consisting of one pad and one via connected to the pad; a second type consisting of two pads spaced apart from each other in the first horizontal direction and two vias connected to each pad; a third type consisting of three pads spaced apart from each other in the first horizontal direction and three vias connected to each pad; and a fourth type consisting of four pads spaced apart from each other in the first horizontal direction and four vias connected to each pad. Claim 3 In paragraph 2, the antenna-in-package substrate having an interference blocking pattern formed according to the first type is an antenna-in-package substrate exhibiting an S-parameter value of -40dB at 27 GHz. Claim 4 An antenna-in-package substrate according to claim 1, wherein the pad is made of copper (Cu) and has a rectangular shape with a width of 0.3 mm and a length of 5 mm, and the via is made of a cylinder shape with a diameter of 0.1 mm. Claim 5 An antenna-type package substrate according to claim 1, wherein the distance between the center of the first patch antenna and the center of the second patch antenna is 4 mm to 6 mm. Claim 6 In paragraph 2, the interference blocking pattern according to the second type, the third type, and the fourth type is an antenna-type package substrate in which the distance between each pad is 0.05 mm to 0.15 mm in the first horizontal direction. Claim 7 In claim 1, the first patch antenna and the second patch antenna each comprise: a transmission line portion for transmitting a signal; an antenna portion disposed above the transmission line portion in the third direction; and a core portion disposed between the transmission line portion and the antenna portion, forming an antenna-in-package substrate. Claim 8 In claim 7, the transmission line portion comprises a plurality of ground layers stacked spaced apart from each other in the third direction; and a plurality of ground insulation layers disposed between the plurality of ground layers, and the antenna portion comprises a plurality of antenna layers stacked spaced apart from each other in the third direction; and a plurality of antenna insulation layers disposed between the plurality of antenna layers, an antenna-in-package substrate. Claim 9 In claim 8, the antenna portion has a first thickness in the third direction, the transmission line portion has a second thickness in the third direction, and the first thickness is greater than the second thickness, in the antenna package substrate. Claim 10 In claim 8, the interference blocking pattern is an antenna package substrate disposed on the uppermost antenna layer among the plurality of antenna layers. Claim 11 In claim 10, the plurality of antenna layers comprises: a low band vertical polar patch; a low band horizontal polar patch disposed above the low band vertical polar patch; a high band driven patch disposed above the low band horizontal polar patch; and a high band stack patch disposed above the high band driven patch, in an antenna-in-package substrate. Claim 12 In claim 11, the antenna portion comprises a feed portion consisting of a first via supplying power to the low-band vertical deflection patch; a second via supplying power to the low-band horizontal deflection patch; and a third via and a fourth via supplying power to the high-band driving patch, wherein the antenna-in-package substrate comprises Claim 13 In claim 12, the antenna-type package substrate wherein the low-band frequency is 27.5 GHz to 28.3 GHz and the high-band frequency is 37 GHz to 40 GHz. Claim 14 An antenna-in-package substrate according to claims 1 to 13; and an antenna-in-package module comprising a driving substrate disposed below the antenna-in-package substrate and performing an operation to transmit or receive a signal to be radiated through the antenna-in-package substrate. Claim 15 In claim 14, the driving board comprises: a connector that receives external power and exchanges transmission and reception data with the antenna-in-package board; a mixer that generates a transmission signal to be radiated through the antenna-in-package board or converts a reception signal received through the antenna-in-package board into a data signal; a beamformer that applies a phase difference to the transmission signal and transmits it through the antenna-in-package board; and a power management integrated circuit that generates a driving voltage to drive the mixer and the beamformer using power received from the connector. Claim 16 In claim 14, the antenna-in-package substrate is an antenna-in-package module comprising a 1 x 4 array patch antenna.

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