Reconfigurable package integrated electro magnetic interference shielding

Abstract

A tunable shielding system may include a substrate, wherein a dielectric layer is disposed on the surface of the substrate. The system may include a tunable metal patch comprising a metal plate attached to the substrate and surrounded in a magnetic layer, the tunable metal patch being configured for geometric displacement. The system may include a DC coil adjacent to the metal plate and a current source. The system may include one or more processors and a computer-readable medium including instructions that cause the system to perform operations to determine an electromagnetic interference signal incident on the system, the electromagnetic interference signal being characterized by frequency. The system may also determine a frequency-related current quantity. The system may supply current to the DC coil, thereby generating a magnetic field that causes the tunable metal patch to geometrically shift.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application claims the benefit and priority of U.S. nonprovisional application No. 18 / 533,551, filed on December 8, 2023, entitled “RECONFIGURABLE PACKAGE INTEGRATED ELECTRO MAGNETIC INTERFERENCE SHIELDING”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

[0002] This disclosure generally relates to methods and systems for mitigating electromagnetic noise and other undesirable effects on electronic components. More specifically, this disclosure describes techniques for designing and operating components on electronic devices to reduce electromagnetic interference, enhance safety, and achieve enhanced performance. Prior Technology

[0003] Electronic components (especially those with antennas and / or receivers) can experience electromagnetic (EM) radiation in the form of noise and interference, leading to performance and safety issues. Antenna configuration and / or antenna shielding can be largely static. It is necessary to be able to quickly modify the configuration to mitigate noise during normal operation of the electronic components. Summary of the Invention

[0004] A tunable shielding system may include a substrate. The system may include a dielectric layer disposed on the surface of the substrate. The system may include a tunable metal patch comprising a metal plate attached to the substrate and surrounded in a magnetic layer, the tunable metal patch being configured for geometric displacement. The system may include a DC coil adjacent to the metal plate. The system may also include a current source. The system may include one or more processors. The system may include non-transitory computer-readable medium, which may include instructions, when executed by one or more processors, causing the system to perform operations to determine an electromagnetic interference signal incident on the system, the electromagnetic interference signal being characterized by frequency. The system may also determine a frequency-related current quantity. The system may supply current to the DC coil from the system's current source, thereby generating a magnetic field that causes geometric displacement of the tunable metal patch.

[0005] In some embodiments, the dielectric layer and tunable metal patch may include at least one of an antenna and a metamaterial resonator ring. The tunable shielding system may be integrated into a semiconductor device, and electromagnetic interference signals may be generated by sources within the semiconductor device. The tunable metal patch may be configured to be actuated in at least one of a vertical and horizontal direction in response to a magnetic field. The amount of current may be determined to shield the system from electromagnetic interference signals. The magnetic layer may include a nickel-iron alloy. The metal plate may be bonded to a substrate using at least one of adhesives, solders, and nickel-containing materials. A DC coil may be integrated into the tunable shielding system. The tunable metal patch may be configured as a spring and may include one or more cutouts along opposing surfaces of the tunable metal patch. The spring may be formed of at least one of a metal and a polymer.

[0006] A method of forming a tunable metal patch may include depositing a first metal layer, depositing a second metal layer on the first metal layer, depositing a third metal layer, and depositing a bonding layer on the second metal layer. The method may include patterning the tunable metal patch such that the tunable metal patch can be actuated in at least one direction in response to a magnetic field. The method may include providing a metal coil around the tunable metal patch, the metal coil being configured to provide a magnetic field to the tunable metal patch.

[0007] In some embodiments, the first metal layer may include a nickel-iron-oxide magnet. The second metal layer may include a copper-containing material. The bonding layer may include a nickel-containing material. The tunable metal patch that can be attached to the substrate may include at least one of zirconium oxide, hafnium, aluminum, tungsten, and cobalt.

[0008] In some embodiments, the method may also include determining an electromagnetic interference signal incident on a system including a tunable metal patch, the electromagnetic interference signal being characterized by a frequency. The method may also include determining a current quantity associated with the frequency. The method may then include supplying a current quantity to a metal coil such that a magnetic field is generated that causes a geometrical displacement of the tunable metal patch.

[0009] A patch antenna may include an antenna dielectric. A patch antenna may include a cavity disposed within the antenna dielectric. A patch antenna may include a plurality of multiferroic structures within the cavity disposed within the antenna dielectric. A patch antenna may include a magnetic biasing structure configured to provide a magnetic field within the cavity of the antenna dielectric. A patch antenna may include a controller configured to supply current to a magnetic actuator structure, causing the plurality of multiferroic structures to change their positions within the cavity.

[0010] In some embodiments, the multiferroic structure may be a small plate and includes at least one of aluminum, zirconium oxide, and hexagonal ferrite. The multiferroic structure may be a bead and includes at least one of aluminum, zirconium oxide, hafnium zirconium oxide, barium strontium titanate, strontium titanate, and hexagonal ferrite. The cavity may include at least one of glass, liquid crystal polymer, poly(p-xylene) coated polymer, and Teflon. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0011] Figures 1A and 1B illustrate a resonator with a tunable metal patch according to certain embodiments.

[0012] Figures 2A and 2B illustrate tunable metamaterial resonator elements according to certain embodiments.

[0013] Figure 3 illustrates a tunable patch with a shielding structure according to certain embodiments.

[0014] Figures 4A through 4D illustrate the manufacturing process flow for forming a tunable metal patch according to certain embodiments.

[0015] Figure 5 shows a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a tunable metal patch according to certain embodiments.

[0016] Figure 6 illustrates a reconfigurable antenna with dielectric tiles according to certain embodiments.

[0017] Figure 7 illustrates a reconfigurable antenna with multiple core / shell structures according to certain embodiments.

[0018] Figures 8A through 8C illustrate reconfigurable antennas with a core / shell structure within a cavity, according to certain embodiments.

[0019] Figures 9A through 9D illustrate the manufacturing process flow for forming a reconfigurable antenna according to certain embodiments.

[0020] Figure 10 shows a flowchart of a method for forming a reconfigurable antenna according to certain embodiments.

[0021] Figure 11 illustrates an exemplary computer system in which various embodiments may be implemented.

[0022] Figure 12 shows a graph of the isolation relative frequency response attributable to changes in the permittivity of the dielectric, according to certain embodiments.

[0023] Figure 13 shows a graph of the isolation relative frequency response attributable to changes in the permittivity of the dielectric, according to certain embodiments. Implementation

[0024] Due to noise, electromagnetic interference (EMI), and other issues, electronic components (such as advanced packages) face challenges in mitigating electromagnetic (EM) effects. EMI can damage components within an electronic component, regardless of whether it originates from other components within the same device or from an external source. EMI can also be electromagnetic noise (sometimes called "noise"), which is caused by the unintentional emission of EM radiation from the operation of components on an electronic component, such as thermal noise. Thermal noise is caused by the excitation of charge carriers within components of an electronic component. This noise can cause components of the electronic component to emit EM radiation within a certain frequency band, resulting in effects similar to EMI on other components of the electronic component.

[0025] Several system-level and package-level methods have been employed to shield components from both internal and external EMI. However, with increasing miniaturization, the demand for miniaturized shielding that provides equivalent or better isolation also increases. Metal cans and metallization overmolding may be methods used for EMI suppression in advanced packages. This approach results in thick shielding structures and may only shield one package from other packages. However, the individual chips and / or electronic components included in an advanced package can still interfere with each other. Therefore, shielding the individual chips and / or electronic components included in an advanced package from each other within a single package is crucial.

[0026] Additionally, different components in an advanced package (APP) may emit different noise modes (e.g., frequency, power, etc.) and / or be sensitive to different noise modes. The noise mode may also vary depending on the APP's state. For example, during operation, a specific component of the APP may emit different noise modes based on its operating state. A static shielding structure may thus be effective against one noise mode but loses its effectiveness as the noise mode changes. Therefore, a configurable shielding structure is needed that can be tuned to shield the APP components during operation.

[0027] Many shielding structures utilize inductor-capacitor resonators (LC resonators) to shield components, such as patch antennas. The shielding effectiveness of such devices can depend on the physical properties of the LC resonator. Therefore, changing the physical properties of the LC resonator (e.g., material properties) can alter the shielding properties of the resonator. A technique for providing reconfigurable shielding may thus include a patch antenna with a changeable geometry. Shielding can also be affected by changing the antenna geometry. As an example, a patch antenna may include a tunable metal patch. The tunable metal patch may be coated with a magnetic material and configured to extend in one or more directions in response to current, magnetic fields, or other stimuli. The tunable metal patch can be considered an LC resonator. When a component experiences EMI, a magnetic field can be provided at or near the tunable metal patch, causing the tunable metal patch to extend (or retract). In other words, the physical properties of the tunable patch antenna are used to modify the shielding effectiveness (or other properties) of the patch antenna and / or the shielding structure.

[0028] Another solution is to modify other properties of the patch antenna itself by incorporating multiferroic structures. Multiferroic materials are materials that exhibit multiple ferroic properties (e.g., ferromagnetism, ferroelectricity, and ferroelasticity) within the same phase. By applying a magnetic field to the multiferroic structure, the properties of the multiferroic structure can be altered, and the shielding (or other properties) of the patch antenna and / or related structures can also be changed. For example, the patch antenna can be fabricated as a cavity of dielectric material comprising the patch antenna. Multiple multiferroic structures can be disposed within the cavity. A metal layer (e.g., a magnetic bias structure) can then be disposed on the dielectric material. A current can then be applied to the metal layer. The resulting magnetic field can cause the multiferroic structure to shift within the cavity. Because the multiferroic structure can include its own properties (e.g., permittivity, magnetic field, etc.), displacement within the dielectric cavity can lead to a change in the properties of the dielectric. Therefore, by controlling the placement of the multiferroic structure within the cavity, the properties of the patch antenna can be tuned to shield the antenna from EMI, adjust the antenna's transmission / reception properties, or otherwise tune the patch antenna.

[0029] Figures 1A and 1B illustrate a resonator 100 having a tunable metal patch 106 according to certain embodiments. The tunable metal patch 106 may form a reconfigurable element, such as a metamaterial ring resonator. The resonator 100 may be included in a semiconductor device, such as an advanced package. The resonator 100 may additionally or alternatively include a portion as a patch antenna. The resonator 100 may shield the patch antenna (or other device) from EMI or other interference. The resonator 100 may include a body 102 and pillars 104a to 104b. The tunable metal patch 106 may be connected to one or both of the pillars 104a to 104b, which act as extension elements connected to the tunable patch 106. The body 102 may be made of materials such as copper, nickel-coated copper, and / or other types of rust-resistant copper. The body 102 and / or the pillars 104a to 104b may be coated with a dielectric material (such as zirconium oxide) and / or other suitable materials. In addition to acting as a dielectric, the coating can also reduce the friction between the pillars 104a to 104b and the tunable metal patch 106, allowing the tunable metal patch to slide repeatedly over the pillars 104a to 104b, while reducing wear on individual components.

[0030] The tunable metal patch 106 may be made of a metal (such as copper, iron, cobalt) and / or other suitable materials. In some embodiments, the tunable metal patch may include a magnetic layer, such as a nickel-iron alloy. The tunable metal patch 106 may also be dielectrically coated. The dielectric coating may alter the capacitance or other electrical properties of the tunable metal patch 106, and reduce friction between the tunable metal patch 106 and the supports 104a to 104b. The tunable metal patch 106 may include one or more features 108a to 108c. Features 108a to 108c may be gaps in one or more sides of the tunable metal patch 106. Features 108a to 108c may allow the tunable metal patch 106 to expand and contract in response to some stimulus. For example, a metal coil may be placed near the resonator 100 (e.g., included in an advanced package or other semiconductor device having the resonator 100). Alternatively or additionally, through-holes may be drilled to form single-turn or multi-turn coils for generating a DC magnetic field. The coils may then be filled with metal paste and copper patterning, thus forming a metal coil around the tunable metal patch 106. When current (e.g., direct current, DC) is supplied to the metal coils, a magnetic field is generated. The tunable metal patch 106 may then extend in one direction in response to the magnetic field.

[0031] In Figure 1A, the tunable metal patch 106 may be in a first position. The resonator 100 may thus have a first set of electrical properties (e.g., capacitance) based at least in part on the geometry of the tunable metal patch. As shown in Figure 1A, a gap may exist between the supports 104a and 104b. The gap may be determined by the desired capacitive properties of the resonator 100 in the first position.

[0032] In Figure 1B, a tunable metal patch 106 may extend from pillar 104a to pillar 104b. The extension of the tunable metal patch 106 may be attributed to the application of a DC current to the metal coil. The tunable patch may also extend by containing tiles within a cavity and utilizing magnetic deflection reconfiguration. The cavity may be constructed of glass, liquid crystal polymer, parylene-coated polymer, or Teflon, and may have a hydrophobic coating to prevent sticking. This allows for smooth movement of the metal tiles. For example, resonator 100 may be part of a shielding structure included in an advanced package or other semiconductor device. EMI may be incident on the semiconductor device (or components thereof). In some embodiments, EMI may originate from outside the semiconductor device. In other embodiments, EMI may originate from an aggressor included in the same semiconductor device as resonator 100. One or more components of the semiconductor device may detect EMI and its characteristics, such as the frequency of the EMI. The semiconductor device may then determine the amount of current to be supplied to the metal coil based on the frequency of the EMI (e.g., by accessing a lookup table or other such data storage). The amount of current can cause the generation of a magnetic field that transforms the geometry of the tunable metal patch, thereby shielding the semiconductor components from EMI. In other words, the resonator 100 can be tuned to shield the semiconductor components based on the frequency of EMI incident on the system.

[0033] As shown, the tunable metal patch 106 may extend such that there is no gap between the supports 104a and 104b. In some embodiments, the tunable metal patch 106 may extend only toward the support 106b, such that a gap still exists. In some embodiments, there may be tunable metal patches attached to each of the supports 104a to 104b, such that a gap exists between the two tunable metal patches. The magnetic field generated by the DC current flowing through the metal coil may subsequently cause one or both of the tunable metal patches to move, thereby changing the electrical properties of the resonator 100.

[0034] For example, the integration of variable capacitors can provide dynamic control over the capacitance by changing the board geometry or the dielectric of the geometry. Modification of the dielectric permittivity at the gaps is one such mechanism. In such EMI management / mitigation applications, these capacitance changes can affect the resonance and electromagnetic interactions between components. Analysis and verification show that capacitance changes in this structure affect the transmission band of distributed inductor-capacitor (metamaterial) structures by altering their coupling frequency and strength. Coupling losses can thus be increased, and isolation improved.

[0035] Figures 2A and 2B illustrate a tunable patch element 200 having a tunable metal patch 206 according to certain embodiments. The tunable patch element 200 may be included in a semiconductor element or other electronic element. With the inclusion of the tunable metal patch 206, the tunable patch element 200 may be reconfigurable to change one or more electrical properties of the tunable patch element 200, resulting in better performance. The tunable patch element 200 may include an antenna dielectric 202, a metal layer 204, and the tunable metal patch. The antenna dielectric 202 may be made of a low-loss organic laminate of epoxy resin having glass cloth or filler, a fluoropolymer laminate, ceramics such as alumina, glass or glass-ceramic, and other suitable materials. The metal layer 204 may include copper, tungsten, cobalt, zirconium, hafnium, aluminum, and / or any other suitable metal. In some embodiments, some or all of the metal layers 204 may be dielectrically coated. The dielectric layer can alter the electrical properties of the tunable patch element 200 and / or reduce the friction between the tunable metal patch 206 and the metal layer 204.

[0036] The tunable metal patch 206 may be similar to the tunable metal patch 106 in Figures 1A and 1B. Therefore, the tunable metal patch 206 may be made of metals (such as copper, iron, cobalt) and / or other suitable materials (such as alloys thereof). In some embodiments, the tunable metal patch may include a metallic metamaterial. The tunable metal patch 206 may also be dielectric-coated. The dielectric coating may alter the capacitance or other electrical properties of the tunable metal patch 106, and reduce friction between the tunable metal patch 206 and the metal layer 204. The tunable metal patch 206 may also include features 208a to 208c. Features 208a to 208c may allow for changes in the geometry of the tunable metal patch 206. For example, features 208a to 208c may allow the tunable metal patch 206 to function as a spring. Features 208a to 208c may be cutouts or gaps in one or more sides of the tunable metal patch 206.

[0037] The tunable metal patch 206 may be micro-assembled (e.g., via MEMS processes) and subsequently attached to a dielectric layer, and / or the tunable metal patch 206 may be manufactured via a deposition / etching process. In some embodiments, the tunable metal patch 206 may include an anchor point 210 at which the tunable metal patch 206 is attached to the metal layer 204. The tunable metal patch 206 may be attached via adhesive, solder, mechanical connection, or any other suitable method. Features 208a to 208c may be manufactured via mechanical cutting, laser cutting, etching, or any other suitable process. The tunable patch 200 may also be disposed within a cavity. This may be achieved by introducing the patch into the cavity and sealing the cavity. The patch may be moved internally via magnetic deflection. The sealed cavity with the pre-introduced tile may be remanufactured and micro-assembled to a suitable feed point of a control circuitry system.

[0038] Similar to the resonator 100 in Figures 1A and 1B, a metal coil may be disposed near the tunable patch element 200. A DC current may be applied to the metal coil to generate a magnetic field. In response to the magnetic field, a tunable metal patch 206 may extend along the metal layer 204.

[0039] In Figure 2A, the tunable surface mount element 200 may be included in an electronic component (e.g., a semiconductor component, advanced package, etc.). The tunable metal patch 206 may be in a first position. The first position allows the tunable surface mount element 200 to operate according to a first set of parameters (e.g., a direction, frequency, power, etc.). One or more components of the electronic component may determine that the tunable surface mount element 200 should be modified to operate according to a second set of parameters for purposes such as reducing EMI, improving performance, etc. One or more components may then determine the amount of current required to generate a certain magnetic field (e.g., in a lookup table). One or more components may then supply that amount of DC current to the metal coil. The resulting magnetic field may then cause the tunable metal patch 206 to extend, as shown in Figure 2B, and the tunable surface mount element 200 may operate according to the second set of parameters.

[0040] In some embodiments, a metal patch is contained within the cavity. The patch can be disassembled into elements with narrow separation, and selected elements can be displaced. The antenna's performance may not be affected by disassembling it into isolated elements or tiles. These tiles can be reconfigured to shift the antenna's transmission band and prevent any interference from hackers. This is particularly advantageous in terms of changing transmissions. These patches can be displaced with magnetic deflection, and the patch antenna can be tuned. By shifting the patch's band, the patch is essentially shielded from the influence of one band, while facilitating transmission in other bands.

[0041] Figure 3 illustrates a tunable patch 300 with shielding structures 306a to 306b according to certain embodiments. The tunable patch 300 may be similar to the tunable patch element 200 in Figures 2A and 2B, and / or may form a standard patch antenna (e.g., non-reconfigurable) and be included within a semiconductor element. Shielding structures 306a to 306b may include a resonator, similar to the resonator 100 in Figures 1A and 1B, and include similar components and functionality. The tunable patch 300 may include an antenna dielectric 302 and metal layers 304a to 304c. Each of the metal layers 304a to 304c may operate at a frequency similar to or different from the other metal layers 304a to 304c. Shielding structures 306a to 306b are operable to shield each of the metal layers 304a to 304c from external sources of sources within the semiconductor element and / or EMI. Therefore, shielding structures 306a to 306b can be tunable shielding structures. Shielding devices 306a to 306c can be connected to control module 310. Control module 310 may include one or more processors, non-transitory memory containing instructions, and one or more components for detecting EMI and its characteristics. Control module 310 may also include a current source for providing DC current to metal coils 312a to 312b.

[0042] During operation, control module 310 can detect EMI affecting one or more of the metal layers 304a to 304c. In response, control module can determine the amount of current supplied to one or both of the metal coils 312a to 312b (e.g., via access lookup tables or other data storage) such that shielding structures 306a to 306b reduce EMI incident on the metal layers 304a to 304c. Control module 310 can then supply the amount of DC current to the metal coils 312a to 312b. The resulting magnetic field from the metal coils 312a to 312b can then cause geometric displacement of the shielding structures 306a to 306b. For example, shielding structures 306a to 306b may include tunable metal patches. The magnetic field can then cause the tunable metal patches to extend in one direction, thereby altering the electrical properties of the shielding structures 306a to 306b.

[0043] Figures 4A through 4D illustrate a manufacturing process flow for forming a tunable metal patch 400 according to certain embodiments. Figure 5 shows a flowchart of a method 500 for manufacturing a tunable metal patch 400 according to certain embodiments. The steps of method 500 may be performed in a different order than those described and illustrated, and some steps may be combined with other steps. In some embodiments, some steps of method 500 may be skipped together. Figures 4A through 4D will be described in conjunction with Figure 5. The tunable metal patch 400 may be similar to the tunable metal patches 106 and 206 in Figures 1A through 1B and Figures 2A through 2B, respectively. Therefore, the tunable metal patch 400 may be included in a resonator, patch antenna, or any other suitable device.

[0044] In step 502, method 500 may include depositing a first metal layer 401. The first metal layer 401 may include a nickel layer. The first metal layer 401 may serve as a bonding surface, and the tunable metal patch 400 may later be attached to an electronic component. The first metal layer 401 may be formed via a chemical deposition process (CDP), a vapor deposition process (VDP), or other such processes. The first metal layer 401 may be patterned using at least a portion of a photoresist.

[0045] In step 504, method 500 may include depositing a second metal layer 402 on the first metal layer 401. The second metal layer 402 may include copper, tungsten, cobalt, or any other suitable metal. The second metal layer 402 may serve as a metal patch providing structure to the tunable metal patch 400.

[0046] In step 506, method 500 may include depositing a third metal layer 404 on the second metal layer 402. The third metal layer 404 may be magnetic and configured to generate an actuation force such that the geometry of the tunable metal patches can be transformed attributable to a magnetic field (e.g., tunable metal patches 106 and 206). The third metal layer 404 may be deposited via CDP or VDP, or may be electroplated using photoresist molding or other such processes.

[0047] In step 508, method 500 may include depositing a bonding layer 406 on the third metal layer 404. The bonding layer 404 may be deposited only at specific points on the tunable metal patch 400 (e.g., anchor point 210 in figures 2A to 2B). The bonding layer 406 can thus be used to directly attach the tunable metal patch 400 to a structure such as body 102. In other embodiments, the bonding layer 406 may attach the tunable metal patch to an intermediate structure, such as a spring manufactured using MEMS.

[0048] In step 510, method 500 may include patterning a tunable metal patch 400 such that the tunable metal patch is actuated in at least one direction in response to a magnetic field. Patterning the tunable metal patch 400 may include cutting or ablating some or all layers of the tunable metal patch 400 to produce features 408a to 408c. Features 408a to 408c may be disposed on opposite sides of the tunable metal patch 400.

[0049] In step 512, method 500 may include providing a metal coil around a tunable metal patch. The metal coil may generate a magnetic deflection structure. To provide the metal coil, through-holes may be drilled in the tunable metal patch 400 and / or the structure to which the tunable metal structure will be attached. The through-holes may form a single-turn or multi-turn coil for generating a DC magnetic field. The coil may then be filled with metal paste and / or copper patterning, thus forming the metal coil.

[0050] In some embodiments, the tunable metal patch 400 may be attached to a substrate (e.g., body 102, metal layer 204, etc.). The substrate may include zirconium oxide, hafnium oxide, aluminum oxide, tungsten, and / or cobalt. Method 500 may also include determining the amount of EMI signal incident on the system. The EMI signal may be characterized by frequency. EMI may be emitted by a component including the electronic element 400 and / or may originate from a separate device. Method 500 may also (e.g., by accessing a lookup table) determine the amount of current associated with the frequency. Method 500 may then include supplying a current to a metal coil such that a magnetic field is generated that causes a geometrical shift in the tunable metal patch 400. For example, the tunable metal patch 400 may extend vertically and / or horizontally.

[0051] The patch can be broken down into elements with narrow separation, and selected elements can be shifted. The antenna's performance may not be affected by breaking it down into isolated elements or tiles. These tiles can now be reconfigured to shift the antenna's transmission band and prevent any interference from hackers. This can be particularly beneficial in changing the antenna's transmission and shielding bands. For example, shifting the patch 10 small tiles to the left by 100 micrometers can result in a change in the antenna's operating frequency, from 9.54 GHz to 10.15 GHz. This change in performance and control parameters highlights the patch antenna's sensitivity to structural adjustments. Manipulation may be easier if the antenna is broken down into fewer tiles. Conversely, moving the left edge elements to the left has a performance impact, repositioning 10 right edge elements to the right results in a change in the operating frequency from the initial 9.545 GHz to 10.3 GHz. Notably, in this configuration, the gain can experience a 15% increase compared to the reduction observed in a leftward shift. The asymmetric nature of the response can be affected by changing the antenna's feed position.

[0052] Figure 6 illustrates a reconfigurable antenna 600 with dielectric tiles 608 according to certain embodiments. The reconfigurable antenna 600 may be included in electronic components (such as advanced packages) or some other device. Similar to the tunable patch element 200 in Figures 2A-2B, the reconfigurable antenna 600 may be tuned to reduce EMI effects (as both a victim and aggressor), improve performance, change the transmission / reception frequency, or otherwise alter. However, instead of changing the geometry of the metal patch, the reconfigurable antenna 600 may be altered by reconfiguring the electrical properties within the dielectric.

[0053] The reconfigurable antenna 600 may include an antenna dielectric 602, a magnetic bias structure 604 on the antenna dielectric 602, and a cavity 606 disposed within the antenna dielectric 602. A plurality of dielectric tiles (or plates) 608 may be disposed within the cavity 606. The antenna dielectric 602 and / or the cavity 606 may be formed of zirconium oxide, hafnium, hafnium zirconium oxide, aluminum nitride, barium strontium titanate, strontium titanate glass, or a thin thermoplastic film (such as polyimide), Teflon, or a liquid crystal polymer. The cavity 606 may be hermetically sealed to the environment using glass or another suitable material. The magnetic bias structure 604 may be formed of any conductive metal (such as copper, tungsten, cobalt, or other such metals). The dielectric tiles 608 may include a first layer 618 and a second layer 628. The first layer 618 may include ceramic, zirconium oxide, hafnium, or any other suitable dielectric. The second layer 628 may include magnetic materials, such as hexagonal ferrite.

[0054] When a DC current is applied to the magnetic bias structure 604, the magnetic field can extend into the cavity 606. A plurality of dielectric tiles 608 can thus move within the cavity 606 due to the magnetic field. The characteristics of the reconfigurable antenna 600 can thus be altered by changing the arrangement of the dielectric tiles 608 within the cavity 606.

[0055] Figure 7 illustrates a reconfigurable antenna 700 having a plurality of core / shell structures 708 according to certain embodiments. The reconfigurable antenna 700 may be included in electronic components (such as advanced packages) or some other device. Similar to the tunable patch element 200 in Figures 2A-2B, the reconfigurable antenna 700 may be tuned to reduce EMI effects (as both a victim and aggressor), improve performance, change transmission / reception frequencies, or otherwise modify.

[0056] The reconfigurable antenna 700 can be similar to the reconfigurable antenna 600, except that a plurality of core / shell structures 708 can be disposed within a cavity 706 instead of the dielectric tile 608. The core / shell structure 708 may include a shell 718 and a core 728. The shell 718 may include ceramic, zirconium oxide, hafnium, hafnium zirconium oxide, aluminum nitride, barium strontium titanate, strontium titanate, or any other suitable dielectric. The core 728 may include a magnetic material, such as hexagonal ferrite. When a DC current is applied to the magnetic bias structure 704, a magnetic field can extend into the cavity 706. The plurality of core / shell structures 708 can thus move within the cavity 706 due to the magnetic field. The characteristics of the reconfigurable antenna 700 can thus be altered by changing the arrangement of the core / shell structures 708 within the cavity 706.

[0057] Figures 8A through 8C illustrate a reconfigurable antenna 800 having a core / shell structure 808 within a cavity 806 according to certain embodiments. The reconfigurable antenna 800 may be similar to the reconfigurable antenna 700 in Figure 7 and includes similar components and functionality. The reconfigurable antenna 800 may include an antenna dielectric 802, a magnetic bias structure 804, a cavity 806 disposed within the antenna dielectric 802, and a plurality of core / shell structures 808. Although the reconfigurable antenna 800 is illustrated as having a core / shell structure 808, the reconfigurable antenna 800 may additionally or alternatively include dielectric tiles, such as the dielectric tile 608 in Figure 6.

[0058] In Figure 8A, the reconfigurable antenna 800 may be in a first state. For example, the reconfigurable antenna 800 may not be operational. The first state may be characterized by a first current supplied to the magnetic bias structure 804, thereby generating a first magnetic field. The first current may be provided by a controller module (such as control module 310 in Figure 3). In some embodiments, there may be no current supplied to the magnetic bias structure, and the core / shell structure 808 may be located at a random position within the cavity 806.

[0059] In Figure 8B, the reconfigurable antenna 800 can be in a second state. This second state can be characterized by core / shell structures 808 grouped approximately centrally within the cavity 806 of the reconfigurable antenna 800. A second current can be supplied to the magnetic bias structure 804, causing the magnetic field to force the core / shell structures 808 to be grouped approximately centrally within the cavity 806. The second current can be determined based on the desired performance of the reconfigurable antenna 800, EMI incident on the reconfigurable antenna, or some other factor. The second magnetic field is continuous, and thus the core / shell structures 808 are "held" approximately centrally "remained" for the duration of the second current supplied to the magnetic bias structure.

[0060] In Figure 8C, the reconfigurable antenna 800 can be in a third state. This third state can be characterized by core / shell structures 808 grouped at or near the periphery of the cavity 806. A third current can be supplied to the magnetic bias structure 804, causing the magnetic field to force the core / shell structures 808 to group at or near the periphery of the cavity 806. The third current can be determined based on the desired performance of the reconfigurable antenna 800, based on EMI incident on the reconfigurable antenna, or some other factor. The third magnetic field is sustainable, and thus "retains" the core / shell structures 808 at or near the periphery for the duration of the third current supplied to the magnetic bias structure.

[0061] Figures 9A through 9D illustrate a manufacturing process flow for forming a reconfigurable antenna 900 according to certain embodiments. The reconfigurable antenna 900 may be similar to the reconfigurable antennas 600, 700, and / or 800 respectively in Figures 6, 7, and 8. Therefore, the reconfigurable antenna 900 may include similar components and functionality. The reconfigurable antenna 900 may thus be included in electronic components (such as advanced packages) or other semiconductor components. Figures 9A through 9D will further describe the process flow with respect to Figure 10.

[0062] Figure 10 illustrates a flowchart of a method 1000 for forming a reconfigurable antenna according to certain embodiments. The reconfigurable antenna may be similar to the reconfigurable antenna 900 in Figures 9A through 9D. Some or all of the steps of method 1000 may be performed in a different order than presented herein or may be combined with other steps. In some embodiments, some steps may be skipped together.

[0063] In step 1002, method 1000 may include depositing a dielectric material 902. The dielectric material 902 may be similar to the antenna dielectric 602 in Figure 6. The dielectric material 902 may be deposited in one or more deposition processes (e.g., CDP, VDP, etc.) such that a cavity 906 is formed within the dielectric layer 902. The cavity 906 may be open at this stage of the manufacturing process (as shown in Figure 9A). In some embodiments, the cavity 906 may be lined with a thermoplastic film, glass, or other such material, which hermetically seals the cavity 906 when it is later sealed during the manufacturing process.

[0064] In step 1004, method 1000 may include providing a plurality of multiferroic structures 908 in cavity 906. Multiferroic structures 908 may include dielectric tiles, such as dielectric tile 608 in Figure 6. The dielectric tiles may be individually fabricated via a microassembly process. The cavity may be created using glass, polymers (liquid crystal polymers, poly(p-xylene) coated polymers), and / or other such materials. Hydrophobic surfaces are introduced to allow the dielectric tiles to move easily without sticking. The dielectric tiles may include a first layer and a second layer. The first layer may include ceramic, zirconia, hafnium, zirconium oxide, barium strontium titanate, strontium titanate, and / or any other suitable dielectric. The second layer may include a magnetic material, such as hexagonal ferrite or other low-loss magnetic oxides. Additionally or alternatively, the multiferroic structure may include a core / shell structure, such as core / shell structure 708 in Figure 7. The core / shell structure can be fabricated separately and introduced via cavity fabrication and microassembly, and includes a dielectric shell (e.g., ceramic, zirconium oxide, hafnium, or any other suitable dielectric) and a magnetic core (e.g., hexagonal ferrite).

[0065] In step 1006, method 1000 may include depositing a second dielectric material 902. The second dielectric material 902 may seal the cavity 906. Prior to depositing the second dielectric material 902, the cavity 906 may be at least partially sealed using a thermoplastic material and / or glass. Thus, the cavity 906 may contain multiferroic particles 908.

[0066] In step 1008, method 1000 may include depositing a metal layer 904 on the second dielectric material 902. The metal layer 904 may be a magnetic bias structure similar to the magnetic bias structure 702 in Figure 7. The metal layer 904 may include tungsten, cobalt, or other such metals. The metal layer 904 may then be connected to a current source. When a current is supplied to the metal layer 904, the resulting magnetic field may extend into the cavity 906 and cause the multiferroic structure 908 to move.

[0067] In some embodiments, a change in transmission bandwidth can be observed by shifting the permittivity from 2.2 to 1 by displacing multiferroic particles. The antenna transmission bandwidth can be shifted from 3.6 GHz to 3 GHz by shifting the permittivity in one compartment of the antenna. If shifting occurs in two compartments, the transmission bandwidth can be further shifted to 4.5 GHz. Thus, transmission and shielding can be generated in different narrow bands by tuning. This can also increase the antenna bandwidth as needed.

[0068] It should be understood that any of the embodiments described with respect to Figures 1A to 1B, 2A to 2B, 3, 4A to 4D, 6, 7, 8A to 8C, and 9A to 9D can be combined in whole or in part. For example, a tunable patch 300 may be included in a cavity 806. Thus, a patch antenna may be disposed in a cavity of a substrate. Furthermore, a tunable metamaterial resonator element 200 may be disposed on top of a reconfigurable antenna 700. Other combinations of the embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0069] Each of the methods described herein can be implemented by a computer system. Each step of these methods can be performed automatically by the computer system and / or can be provided using input / output involving a user. For example, a user can provide input for each step of the method, and each of these inputs can respond to a specific output that requests such input, wherein the output is generated by the computer system. Each input can be received in response to a corresponding requested output. Furthermore, input can be received from a user, received as a data stream from another computer system, retrieved from a memory location, retrieved on a network, requested from a network service, and / or the like. Similarly, output can be provided to a user, provided to another computer system as a data stream, stored in a memory location, sent on a network, provided to a network service, and / or the like. In short, each step of the methods described herein can be performed by a computer system and can involve any number of inputs, outputs, and / or requests to and from the computer system, which may or may not involve a user. Those steps that do not involve a user can be considered to be performed automatically by the computer system without human intervention. Therefore, it will be understood that, in view of this disclosure, each step of each method described herein may be modified to include inputs and outputs to and from the user, or may be performed automatically by a computer system without human intervention, wherein any decision is made by a processor. Furthermore, some embodiments of each of the methods described herein may be implemented as a set of instructions stored on a tangible, non-transitory storage medium to form a tangible software product.

[0070] Figure 11 illustrates an exemplary computer system 1100 in which various embodiments may be implemented. System 1100 can be used to implement any of the computer systems described above. As shown, computer system 1100 includes a processing unit 1104 that communicates with several peripheral subsystems via bus subsystem 1102. These peripheral subsystems may include a processing acceleration unit 1106, an I / O subsystem 1108, a storage subsystem 1118, and a communication subsystem 1124. Storage subsystem 1118 includes physical computer-readable storage medium 1122 and system memory 1110.

[0071] Bus subsystem 1102 provides a mechanism for enabling the various components and subsystems of computer system 1100 to communicate with each other as desired. Although bus subsystem 1102 is schematically illustrated as a single bus, alternative embodiments of the bus subsystem may utilize multiple buses. Bus subsystem 1102 may be any of several types of bus architectures, including memory buses or memory controllers, peripheral buses, or local buses using any of the various bus architectures. For example, such an architecture may include an Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, a Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus, an Enhanced ISA (EISA) bus, a Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) local bus, and a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, which may be implemented as a Mezzanine bus manufactured according to the IEEE P1386.1 standard.

[0072] The processing unit 1104, which may be implemented as one or more integrated circuits (e.g., conventional microprocessors or microcontrollers), controls the operation of the computer system 1100. One or more processors may be included in the processing unit 1104. These processors may include single-core or multi-core processors. In some embodiments, the processing unit 1104 may be implemented as one or more independent processing units 1132 and / or 1134, wherein each processing unit includes a single-core or multi-core processor. In other embodiments, the processing unit 1104 may also be implemented as a quad-core processing unit formed by integrating two dual-core processors into a single chip.

[0073] In various embodiments, processing unit 1104 can execute various programs in response to code and can maintain multiple concurrently executing programs or processes. At any given time, some or all of the code to be executed can reside in processor 1104 and / or storage subsystem 1118. Through appropriate programming, processor 1104 can provide the various functionalities described above. Computer system 1100 may additionally include processing acceleration unit 1106, which may include a digital signal processor (DSP), a dedicated processor, and / or the like.

[0074] I / O subsystem 1108 may include user interface input devices and user interface output devices. User interface input devices may include a keyboard, pointing devices (such as a mouse or trackball), a touchpad or touchscreen integrated into a display, a scroll wheel, a click wheel, a dial pad, buttons, a switch, a keypad, an audio input device with a voice command recognition system, a microphone, and other types of input devices. User interface input devices may include, for example, motion sensing and / or gesture recognition devices, which enable users to control and interact with the input devices via a natural user interface using gestures and verbal commands. Furthermore, user interface input devices may include voice recognition sensing devices that enable users to interact with a voice recognition system via voice commands.

[0075] User interface input devices may also include, but are not limited to, three-dimensional (3D) mice, joysticks or pointing sticks, gaming keyboards and drawing tablets, and audio / visual devices such as speakers, digital cameras, digital portable cameras, portable media players, webcams, image scanners, fingerprint scanners, barcode readers, 3D scanners, 3D printers, laser rangefinders, and eye-tracking devices. Furthermore, user interface input devices may include, for example, medical imaging input devices, such as computational tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, positional emission tomography, and medical ultrasound examination devices. User interface input devices may also include, for example, audio input devices, such as MIDI keyboards, digital musical instruments, and the like.

[0076] User interface output devices may include display subsystems, indicator lights, or non-visual displays such as audio output devices. Display subsystems may be cathode ray tubes (CRTs), flat panel devices (such as those using liquid crystal displays (LCDs) or plasma displays), projection devices, touch screens, and the like. Generally, the term "output device" is intended to include all possible types of devices and mechanisms for outputting information from computer system 1100 to the user or other computers. For example, user interface output devices may include, but are not limited to, various display devices that visually convey text, graphics, and audio / video information, such as monitors, printers, speakers, headsets, automatic navigation systems, plotters, voice output devices, and modems.

[0077] Computer system 1100 may include storage subsystem 1118, which includes software elements illustrated as currently located in system memory 1110. System memory 1110 may store loadable and executable program instructions on processing unit 1104, as well as data generated during the execution of such programs.

[0078] Depending on the configuration and type of the computer system 1100, the system memory 1110 may be volatile (such as random access memory (RAM)) and / or non-volatile (such as read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, etc.). RAM typically contains data and / or program modules that can be immediately accessed by the processing unit 1104 and / or currently operated and executed by the processing unit. In some embodiments, the system memory 1110 may include various types of memory, such as static random access memory (SRAM) or dynamic random access memory (DRAM). In some embodiments, a basic input / output system (BIOS) containing basic conventions such as those facilitating the transfer of information between components within the computer system 1100 during initialization may typically be stored in ROM. For example, and without limitation, system memory 1110 also contains application 1112 (which may include client applications, web browsers, middleware applications, relational database management systems (RDBMS), etc.), program data 1114, and operating system 1116.

[0079] Storage subsystem 1118 may also provide a physical computer-readable storage medium for storing basic programming and data structures that provide functionality for some embodiments. Software (programs, code modules, instructions) providing the functionality described above, when executed by a processor, may be stored in storage subsystem 1118. Such software modules or instructions may be executed by processing unit 1104. Storage subsystem 1118 may also provide a library for storing data used according to some embodiments.

[0080] The storage subsystem 1100 may also include a computer-readable storage media reader 1120, which can be further connected to a computer-readable storage media 1122. Together and, where appropriate, in conjunction with system memory 1110, the computer-readable storage media 1122 may collectively represent a remote, local, fixed, and / or removable storage device plus storage media for temporarily and / or more permanently containing, storing, transmitting, and retrieving computer-readable information.

[0081] Computer-readable storage media 1122 containing code, or portions thereof, may also include any suitable media, including storage media and communication media, such as, but not limited to, volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technique for storing and / or transmitting information. This may include tangible computer-readable storage media, such as RAM, ROM, electronically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technologies, CD-ROM, digital versatile disk (DVD), or other optical storage, cassette tape, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or other tangible computer-readable media. This may also include non-tangible computer-readable media, such as data signals, data transmissions, or any other media that can be used to transmit desired information and is accessible by computing system 1100.

[0082] For example, computer-readable storage media 1122 may include a hard disk drive that reads or writes non-removable non-volatile magnetic media, a disk drive that reads or writes removable non-volatile disks, and an optical disk drive that reads or writes removable non-volatile optical discs (such as CD-ROMs, DVDs, or other optical media). Computer-readable storage media 1122 may include, but is not limited to, flash memory cards, universal serial bus (USB) flash drives, secure digital (SD) cards, DVDs, digital video tapes, and the like. Computer-readable storage media 1122 may also include: solid-state drives (SSDs) based on non-volatile memory, such as flash memory-based SSDs, enterprise flash drives, solid-state ROMs, and the like; SSDs based on volatile memory, such as solid-state RAM, dynamic RAM, static RAM, DRAM-based SSDs, magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM) SSDs; and hybrid SSDs using a combination of DRAM and flash memory-based SSDs. The disk drive and its associated computer-readable media provide non-volatile storage for computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, and other data for the computer system 1100.

[0083] The communication subsystem 1124 provides an interface to other computer systems and networks. The communication subsystem 1124 serves as an interface for receiving data from and sending data to other systems from computer system 1100. For example, the communication subsystem 1124 may enable computer system 1100 to connect to one or more devices via the Internet. In some embodiments, the communication subsystem 1124 may include radio frequency (RF) transceiver components (e.g., using cellular phone technology, advanced data network technologies such as 3G, 4G, 5G, or EDGE (Global Evolution Enhanced Data Rate)), WiFi (IEEE 802.11 family of standards, or other mobile communication technologies, or any combination thereof), global positioning system (GPS) receiver components, and / or other components for accessing wireless voice and / or data networks. In some embodiments, in addition to or instead of a wireless interface, the communication subsystem 1124 may provide wired network connectivity (e.g., Ethernet).

[0084] In some embodiments, the communication subsystem 1124 may also represent one or more users who may use the computer system 1100 to receive input communications in the form of structured and / or unstructured data feeds 1126, event streams 1128, event updates 1130, and the like.

[0085] For example, the communication subsystem 1124 may be configured to receive data feeds 1126, web feeds (such as Rich Site Summary (RSS) feeds) and / or real-time updates from one or more third-party information sources in real time from users of social networks and / or other communication services.

[0086] Furthermore, the communication subsystem 1124 may also be configured to receive data in the form of continuous data streams, such data streams may include event streams 1128 of real-time events and / or event updates 1130 that may be continuous or boundless without a definite end. Examples of applications that generate continuous data may include, for example, sensor data applications, financial instruments, network performance measurement tools (e.g., network monitoring and traffic management applications), point-and-click streaming analysis tools, vehicle traffic monitoring, and the like.

[0087] The communication subsystem 1124 may also be configured to output structured and / or unstructured data feeds 1126, event streams 1128, event updates 1130, and the like to one or more databases that can communicate with one or more streaming data source computers coupled to the computer system 1100.

[0088] Due to the ever-changing nature of computers and networks, the description of the computer system 1100 depicted in the figures is intended only as a concrete example. Many other configurations with more or fewer components than the system depicted in the figures are possible. For example, custom hardware may be used and / or specific elements may be implemented in hardware, firmware, software (including small applications), or a combination thereof. Additionally, connections to other computing devices (such as network input / output devices) may be employed. Other ways and / or methods of implementing the various embodiments should be apparent based on the disclosure and teaching provided herein.

[0089] Figure 12 illustrates a graph 1200 of the isolation relative frequency response attributable to a change in the permittivity of the dielectric according to certain embodiments. Graph 1200 shows the response of the permittivity constant of the dielectric in the range from about 3 ε to about 7 ε. Figure 13 illustrates a graph 1300 of the isolation relative frequency response attributable to a change in the permittivity of the dielectric according to certain embodiments. Graph 1300 shows the response of the permittivity constant of the dielectric in the range from about 1 ε to about 100 ε. Graphs 1200 and 1300 may represent the change in permittivity by moving the multiferroic structure within the dielectric (e.g., in the reconfigurable antennas described with respect to Figures 7, 8A to 8C, and 9A to 9D). As shown in Figures 1200 and 1300, changing the permittivity by moving the multiferroic structure within the dielectric can result in a change in the transmission band between two adjacent transmission lines coupled to each other. In some embodiments described herein, this change can be observed by analyzing the S21 bandgap to quantify crosstalk between the two coupled lines. For example, by using this dielectric shift from 3 ε to 7 ε with an oxide dielectric coupled to hexagonal ferrite, an additional 20 dB of isolation can be achieved at operating frequencies from 3 GHz to 4 GHz. Increasing the permittivity to approximately 10 ε to approximately 70 ε using multi-component oxides (such as barium strontium titanate / hafnium zirconium oxide, hexagonal ferrite, and / or other magnetic materials) can change the function of the patch structure from blocking electromagnetic waves to transmitting electromagnetic waves. This effect can be increased in the case of higher permittivity in multiferroic materials. For example, when When the value is equal to 100, the operating frequency can be changed to 2.4 GHz, instead of... At 5.4 GHz, it is 3.2 GHz. On the other hand, in When the value is 50, the transmission characteristics can be improved by 5 dB to the transmitted signal.

[0090] In the foregoing description, several specific details have been set forth for illustrative purposes in order to provide a thorough understanding of the various embodiments. However, it will be apparent that some embodiments may be practiced without some of these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and apparatuses are illustrated in block diagram form.

[0091] The above description provides only exemplary embodiments and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of this disclosure. Rather, the above description of the various embodiments is intended to provide enabling disclosure for implementing at least one embodiment. It should be understood that various changes can be made to the function and arrangement of the elements without departing from the spirit and scope of some embodiments set forth in the appended claims.

[0092] Specific details are set forth in the foregoing description to provide a thorough understanding of this disclosure. However, it will be understood that embodiments may be practiced without such specific details. For example, circuits, systems, networks, processes, and other components may be illustrated as components in the form of block diagrams so as not to obscure the embodiments with unnecessary details. In other instances, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and technologies may be illustrated without unnecessary details in order to avoid obscuring the embodiments.

[0093] Furthermore, it is noted that an independent embodiment can be described as a process, depicted as a flowchart, flow diagram, data flow diagram, block diagram, or block diagram. Although a flowchart can describe operations as a continuous process, many operations can be executed in parallel or concurrently. Moreover, the order of operations can be rearranged. A process may terminate when its operations are completed, but may have additional steps not included in the diagram. A process may correspond to a method, function, program, subroutine, etc. When a process corresponds to a function, its termination may correspond to the function returning to the calling function or the main function.

[0094] The term "computer-readable media" includes, but is not limited to, portable or fixed storage devices, optical storage devices, wireless channels, and various other media capable of storing, containing, or carrying instructions and / or data. Code segments or machine-executable instructions can represent any combination of programs, functions, subroutines, programs, routines, subroutines, modules, software packages, classes, or instructions, data structures, or program statements. Code segments can be coupled to another code segment or hardware circuit by transmitting and / or receiving information, data, arguments, parameters, or memory contents. Information, arguments, parameters, data, etc., can be transmitted, forwarded, or sent by any suitable means, including memory sharing, message passing, symbol passing, network transmission, etc.

[0095] Furthermore, embodiments may be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description languages, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, firmware, middleware, or microcode, the code or code snippets used to perform the necessary tasks may be stored in a machine-readable medium. The processor can perform the necessary tasks.

[0096] In the above description, features are described with reference to specific embodiments thereof; however, it should be understood that not all embodiments are limited thereto. Various features and configurations of some embodiments may be used individually or in combination. Furthermore, embodiments may be utilized in any number of environments and applications beyond those described herein without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the specification. The specification and drawings are therefore considered illustrative rather than restrictive.

[0097] Furthermore, for illustrative purposes, the methods are described in a specific order. It should be understood that in alternative embodiments, the methods may be performed in a different order than described. It should also be understood that the methods described above may be executed by hardware components or may be embodied in a sequence of machine-executable instructions that can be used to cause an instruction-programmed machine (such as a general-purpose or special-purpose processor or logic circuit) to perform the methods. These machine-executable instructions may be stored on one or more machine-readable media, such as CD-ROMs or other types of optical discs, floppy disks, ROMs, RAMs, EPROMs, EEPROMs, magnetic cards or optical cards, flash memory, or other types of machine-readable media suitable for storing electronic instructions. Alternatively, the methods may be executed by a combination of hardware and software.

[0098] In the foregoing description, several specific details have been set forth for illustrative purposes in order to provide a thorough understanding of the various embodiments. However, it will be apparent that some embodiments may be practiced without some of these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and apparatuses are illustrated in block diagram form.

[0099] The above description provides only exemplary embodiments and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of this disclosure. Rather, the above description of the various embodiments is intended to provide enabling disclosure for implementing at least one embodiment. It should be understood that various changes can be made to the function and arrangement of the elements without departing from the spirit and scope of some embodiments set forth in the appended claims.

[0100] Specific details are set forth in the foregoing description to provide a thorough understanding of this disclosure. However, it will be understood that embodiments may be practiced without such specific details. For example, circuits, systems, networks, processes, and other components may be illustrated as components in the form of block diagrams so as not to obscure the embodiments with unnecessary details. In other instances, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and technologies may be illustrated without unnecessary details in order to avoid obscuring the embodiments.

[0101] Furthermore, it is noted that an independent embodiment can be described as a process, depicted as a flowchart, flow diagram, data flow diagram, block diagram, or block diagram. Although a flowchart can describe operations as a continuous process, many operations can be executed in parallel or concurrently. Moreover, the order of operations can be rearranged. A process may terminate when its operations are completed, but may have additional steps not included in the diagram. A process may correspond to a method, function, program, subroutine, etc. When a process corresponds to a function, its termination may correspond to the function returning to the calling function or the main function.

[0102] 100: Resonator 102: Main Body 104a: Support 104b: Pillar 106: Tunable metal patch 108a: Features 108b: Features 108c: Features 200: Tunable surface mount component 202: Antenna dielectric 204: Metal layer 206: Tunable metal patch 208a: Features 208b: Features 208c: Features 210: Anchor point 300: Tunable Patch 302: Antenna dielectric 304a: Metallic layer 304b: Metallic layer 304c: Metallic layer 306a: Shielding structure 306b: Shielding structure 310: Control Module 312a: Metal coil 312b: Metal coil 400: Tunable Metal Patch 401: First metal layer 402: Second metal layer 404: Third metal layer 406: Bonding layer 408a: Features 408b: Features 408c: Features 500: Methods 502: Steps 504: Steps 506: Steps 508: Steps 510: Steps 512: Steps 600: Reconfigurable antenna 602: Antenna dielectric 604: Magnetic bias structure 606: Cavity 608: Dielectric tile 618: First Floor 628: Second layer 700: Reconfigurable antenna 702: Magnetic bias structure 706: Cavity 708: Core / shell structure 718: Shell 728: Nuclear 800: Reconfigurable antenna 802: Antenna Dielectric 804: Magnetic bias structure 806: Cavity 808: Core / shell structure 900: Reconfigurable antenna 902: Dielectric material 904: Metallic layer 906: Cavity 908: Multiferroic structure 1000: Method 1002: Steps 1004: Steps 1006: Steps 1008: Steps 1100: System 1102: Busbar Subsystem 1104: Processing Unit 1106: Processing Acceleration Unit 1108: I / O Subsystem 1110: System Memory 1112: Application 1114: Program Data 1116: Operating System 1118: Storage Subsystem 1120: Computer-readable storage media reader 1122: Tangible computer-readable storage media 1124: Communication Subsystem 1126: Data Feedback 1128: Event Streaming 11:30: Event Update 1132: Processing Unit 1134: Processing Unit 1200: Chart 1300: Chart

[0103] Domestic storage information (please note in order of storage institution, date, and number) none

[0104] Overseas storage information (please note in the order of storage country, institution, date, and number) none

Claims

1. A tunable shielding system comprising: a substrate; a dielectric layer disposed on a surface of the substrate; a tunable metal patch including a metal plate attached to the substrate and surrounded in a magnetic layer, the tunable metal patch being configured for geometric displacement; a DC coil adjacent to the metal plate; a current source; one or more processors; and a non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform operations for: determining an electromagnetic interference signal incident on the system, the electromagnetic interference signal being characterized by a frequency; determining a current quantity associated with the frequency; and supplying the current quantity to the DC coil from the current source of the system, such that a magnetic field is generated causing geometric displacement of the tunable metal patch.

2. The tunable shielding system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dielectric layer and the tunable metal patch comprise at least one of an antenna and a metamaterial resonator ring.

3. The tunable shielding system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tunable shielding system is integrated into a semiconductor element, and the electromagnetic interference signal is generated by a source within the semiconductor element.

4. The tunable shielding system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tunable metal patch is configured to be actuated in at least one of a vertical direction and a horizontal direction in response to the magnetic field.

5. The tunable shielding system as described in claim 1, wherein the current quantity is determined to shield the system from the electromagnetic interference signal.

6. The tunable shielding system as described in claim 1, wherein the magnetic layer comprises a nickel-iron alloy.

7. The tunable shielding system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the metal plate is bonded to the substrate using at least one of an adhesive, a solder, and a nickel-containing material.

8. The tunable shielding system as described in claim 1, wherein the DC coils are integrated into the tunable shielding system.

9. The tunable shielding system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tunable metal patch is configured as a spring and includes one or more cutouts along opposite surfaces of the tunable metal patch.

10. The tunable shielding system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the spring is formed of at least one of a metal and a polymer.

11. A method for manufacturing a tunable metal patch, the method comprising the steps of: forming a tunable metal patch by means of the following steps: depositing a first metal layer; depositing a second metal layer on the first metal layer; depositing a third metal layer; depositing an bonding layer on the second metal layer; patterning the tunable metal patch such that the tunable metal patch is actuated in at least one direction in response to a magnetic field; and providing a metal coil around the tunable metal patch, the metal coil being configured to provide the magnetic field to the tunable metal patch.

12. The method as described in claim 11, wherein the first metal layer comprises nickel-iron-oxygen magnets.

13. The method as described in claim 11, wherein the second metal layer comprises a copper-containing material.

14. The method as described in claim 11, wherein the bonding layer comprises a nickel-containing material.

15. The method as described in claim 11, wherein the tunable metal patch is attached to a substrate comprising at least one of zirconium oxide, hafnium, aluminum, tungsten, and cobalt.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprises the steps of: determining an electromagnetic interference signal incident on a system including the tunable metal patch, the electromagnetic interference signal being characterized by a frequency; determining a current quantity associated with the frequency; and providing the current quantity to the metal coil such that a magnetic field is generated causing geometric displacement of the tunable metal patch.

17. A patch antenna, comprising: an antenna dielectric; a cavity disposed in the antenna dielectric; a plurality of multiferroic structures disposed within the cavity in the antenna dielectric; a magnetic deflection structure configured to provide a magnetic field within the cavity of the antenna dielectric; and a controller configured to supply a current to a magnetic actuator structure such that the plurality of multiferroic structures change their positions within the cavity.

18. The patch antenna as claimed in claim 17, wherein the multiferroic structure comprises a small plate of at least one of aluminum, zirconium oxide, and hexagonal ferrite.

19. The patch antenna as claimed in claim 17, wherein the multiferroic structures comprise beads of at least one of aluminum, zirconium oxide, hafnium zirconium oxide, barium strontium titanate, strontium titanate, and hexagonal ferrite.

20. The patch antenna as claimed in claim 17, wherein the cavity comprises at least one of glass, liquid crystal polymer, parylene-coated polymer, and Teflon.

Images