Antenna module and communication device equipped with same

The antenna module design addresses the need for expanded frequency bandwidth by using dual-polarization radiating elements and feed wirings on multiple substrates, enhancing communication quality and efficiency.

WO2026018620A1PCT designated stage Publication Date: 2026-01-22MURATA MFG CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
PCT/JP2025/022336
Authority / Receiving Office
WO · WO
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2025-01-16
Filing Date
2025-06-20
Publication Date
2026-01-22

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

The increasing demand for wireless communication due to IoT devices and the shift to 5G technology has led to concerns about declining communication speed and quality, necessitating the expansion of frequency bandwidth in antenna modules.

Method used

The antenna module design includes a dielectric substrate with multiple radiating elements and feed wirings arranged on different layers, allowing for dual-polarization and expanded frequency bandwidth by supplying high-frequency signals to radiating elements of varying sizes, which are connected through feeder wirings on both substrates.

Benefits of technology

This configuration enables the antenna module to radiate radio waves in two different polarization directions, expanding the frequency bandwidth and reducing size, while maintaining balanced frequency bands and improving antenna gain.

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Abstract

An antenna module (100) comprises: a dielectric substrate (130) including substrates (130A, 130B); radiating elements (121, 122) disposed on the substrate (130A); and power feeding wirings (141, 142). The power feeding wiring (141) includes lines (1411 to 1413), and the power feeding wiring (142) includes lines (1421 to 1423). The lines (1411, 1421) are disposed on the substrate (130B). The lines (1412, 1413, 1422, 1423) are disposed on the substrate (130A). The line (1412) transmits a high-frequency signal to the radiating element (121). The line (1413) transmits a high-frequency signal to the radiating element (122). The line (1422) transmits a high-frequency signal from the line (1421) to the radiating element (121). The line (1423) transmits a high-frequency signal from the line (1421) to the radiating element (122).
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Description

Antenna module and communication device equipped with same

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an antenna module and a communication device equipped with the same, and more particularly to a technique for expanding the frequency bandwidth of the antenna module.

[0002] US Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0411986 (Patent Document 1) discloses an electronic device for communication in which multiple antenna elements for different frequency bands are connected to a common power supply wiring.

[0003] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0411986

[0004] In recent years, the spread of mobile devices such as smartphones has led to an increase in the number of home appliances and electronic devices with wireless communication capabilities due to technological innovations such as IoT. This has led to an increase in communication traffic on wireless networks, raising concerns about a decline in communication speed and quality.

[0005] As one solution to these problems, the development of the fifth generation mobile communication system (5G) is underway. 5G aims to increase communication speed and improve communication quality by using multiple radiating elements to perform advanced beamforming and spatial multiplexing, and by using higher frequency (several tens of GHz) millimeter wave signals in addition to the conventional 6 GHz frequency signals.

[0006] When using such high frequencies in the millimeter wave band, it is desirable to realize a wide operating frequency bandwidth in the antenna used in the communication device.

[0007] The present disclosure has been made to solve such problems, and its purpose is to expand the frequency bandwidth of an antenna module.

[0008] An antenna module according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a dielectric substrate including a first substrate and a second substrate, a first radiating element and a second radiating element arranged on the first substrate, and first and second feed wiring for transmitting high-frequency signals. The first feed wiring includes first to third lines, and the second feed wiring includes fourth to sixth lines. The first and fourth lines are arranged on the second substrate. The second, third, fifth, and sixth lines are arranged on the first substrate. The second line transmits the high-frequency signal from the first line to the first radiating element. The third line transmits the high-frequency signal from the first line to the second radiating element. The fifth line transmits the high-frequency signal from the fourth line to the first radiating element. The sixth line transmits the high-frequency signal from the fourth line to the second radiating element.

[0009] An antenna module according to another aspect of the present disclosure includes a dielectric substrate including a first substrate and a second substrate, a first antenna unit, and a second antenna unit. The first antenna unit and the second antenna unit are arranged adjacent to each other on the dielectric substrate. Each antenna unit includes a first radiating element and a second radiating element arranged on the first substrate, a first feed wiring, and a second feed wiring. The first feed wiring transmits a high-frequency signal in a first frequency band. The second feed wiring transmits a high-frequency signal in a second frequency band different from the first frequency band. In each antenna unit, the first feed wiring includes first to third lines, and the second feed wiring includes fourth to sixth lines. The first and fourth lines are arranged on the second substrate. The second, third, fifth, and sixth lines are arranged on the first substrate. The second line transmits a high-frequency signal from the first line to the first radiating element. The third line transmits the high frequency signal from the first line to the second radiating element, the fifth line transmits the high frequency signal from the fourth line to the first radiating element, and the sixth line transmits the high frequency signal from the fourth line to the second radiating element.

[0010] According to the antenna module of the present disclosure, the frequency bandwidth can be expanded.

[0011] 14 is a block diagram of a communication device to which an antenna module according to a first embodiment is applied. FIG. 15 is a plan view of the antenna module of FIG. 1. FIG. 16 is a side perspective view of the second substrate of FIG. 2 when viewed from the negative direction of the Y axis. FIG. 17 is a side perspective view of the antenna module of FIG. 2 when viewed from the positive direction of the X axis. FIG. 18 is a diagram showing another example of the configuration of a ground electrode facing a radiating element. FIG. 19 is a diagram for explaining a method of feeding power to a radiating element in the antenna module of Modification 1. FIG. 20 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of power feed wiring in the antenna module of Modification 2. FIG. 19 is a plan view of the antenna module of Modification 3. FIG. 20 is a plan view of the antenna module of Modification 4. FIG. 21 is a plan view of the antenna module of Modification 5. FIG. 22 is a plan view of the antenna module of Modification 6. FIG. 23 is a plan view of the antenna module of Modification 7. FIG. 24 is a plan view of the antenna module of Modification 8. FIG. 25 is a plan view of the antenna module according to the second embodiment. FIG. 26 is a plan view of the antenna module according to the third embodiment. FIG. 27 is a cross-sectional view of the first substrate of the antenna module of FIG. 15. FIG. 28 is a cross-sectional view of the first substrate of the antenna module of Modification 9. FIG. 29 is a cross-sectional view of the antenna module according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 29 is a cross-sectional view of the antenna module of Modification 10. FIG. 29 is a cross-sectional view of the antenna module of Modification 11. FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view of an antenna module according to a twelfth modification.

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding lines are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

[0013] [First Embodiment] (Basic Configuration of Communication Device) Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a communication device 10 to which an antenna module 100 according to a first embodiment is applied. The communication device 10 is, for example, a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone, smartphone, or tablet, or a personal computer with a communication function. An example of the frequency band of radio waves used in the antenna module 100 according to the first embodiment is millimeter-wave radio waves with center frequencies of 28 GHz, 39 GHz, and 60 GHz, but radio waves in other frequency bands are also applicable.

[0014] 1 , a communication device 10 includes an antenna module 100 and a BBIC 200 that constitutes a baseband signal processing circuit. The antenna module 100 includes an RFIC 110 that supplies a high-frequency signal, and an antenna device 120. The communication device 10 upconverts a signal transmitted from the BBIC 200 to the antenna module 100 into a high-frequency signal and radiates the signal from the antenna device 120, and downconverts a high-frequency signal received by the antenna device 120 and processes the signal in the BBIC 200.

[0015] The antenna device 120 includes a dielectric substrate 130 on which a plurality of radiating elements are arranged. While FIG. 1 illustrates an example in which radiating elements 1211-1214 (hereinafter collectively referred to as "radiating element 121") and radiating elements 1221-1224 (hereinafter collectively referred to as "radiating element 122") are arranged on the dielectric substrate 130, the number of radiating elements arranged on the dielectric substrate 130 is not limited thereto, and it is sufficient that at least one element from each of the radiating elements 121 and 122 is arranged. Furthermore, while FIG. 1 illustrates an example in which the radiating elements 121 and 122 are arranged in a one-dimensional array in a line on the dielectric substrate 130, the radiating elements 121 and 122 may also be arranged in a two-dimensional array. In the first embodiment, the radiating elements 121 and 122 are described as patch antennas having a substantially square flat plate shape, but the shape of the radiating element 121 may be a circle, an ellipse, or another polygon such as a hexagon.

[0016] In each radiating element, high-frequency signals are supplied to two different feed points. Therefore, each radiating element can radiate radio waves in two different polarization directions (first polarization direction / second polarization direction). In other words, the antenna module 100 is a so-called dual-polarization type antenna module.

[0017] The RFIC 110 includes switches 111A to 111H, 113A to 113H, 117A, and 117B, power amplifiers 112AT to 112HT, low-noise amplifiers 112AR to 112HR, attenuators 114A to 114H, phase shifters 115A to 115H, signal combiners / dividers 116A and 116B, mixers 118A and 118B, and amplifier circuits 119A and 119B. Of these, the configuration of switches 111A to 111D, 113A to 113D, and 117A, power amplifiers 112AT to 112DT, low-noise amplifiers 112AR to 112DR, attenuators 114A to 114D, phase shifters 115A to 115D, signal combiner / divider 116A, mixer 118A, and amplifier circuit 119A constitutes a circuit for high-frequency signals in the first polarization direction. Also, the configuration of switches 111E to 111H, 113E to 113H, and 117B, power amplifiers 112ET to 112HT, low-noise amplifiers 112ER to 112HR, attenuators 114E to 114H, phase shifters 115E to 115H, signal combiner / divider 116B, mixer 118B, and amplifier circuit 119B constitutes a circuit for high-frequency signals in the second polarization direction.

[0018] When transmitting a high frequency signal, the switches 111A to 111H and 113A to 113H are switched to the power amplifiers 112AT to 112HT, and the switches 117A and 117B are connected to the transmission amplifiers of the amplifier circuits 119A and 119B. When receiving a high frequency signal, the switches 111A to 111H and 113A to 113H are switched to the low noise amplifiers 112AR to 112HR, and the switches 117A and 117B are connected to the reception amplifiers of the amplifier circuits 119A and 119B.

[0019] The signal transmitted from the BBIC 200 is amplified by amplifier circuits 119A and 119B and upconverted by mixers 118A and 118B. The upconverted high-frequency transmission signal is split into four by signal combiners / dividers 116A and 116B, passes through the corresponding signal paths, and is fed to radiating elements 121 and 122. By individually adjusting the phase shift of phase shifters 115A to 115H arranged on each signal path, the directivity of the radio waves output from the radiating elements on each board can be adjusted. In addition, attenuators 114A to 114D adjust the strength of the transmission signal.

[0020] In the antenna module 100, the high frequency signal from the switch 111A branches into two paths and is transmitted to the radiating elements 1211 and 1221. The high frequency signal from the switch 111B branches into two paths and is transmitted to the radiating elements 1212 and 1222. The high frequency signal from the switch 111C branches into two paths and is transmitted to the radiating elements 1213 and 1223. The high frequency signal from the switch 111D branches into two paths and is transmitted to the radiating elements 1214 and 1224.

[0021] Furthermore, the high frequency signal from switch 111E branches into two paths and is transmitted to radiating elements 1211 and 1221. The high frequency signal from switch 111F branches into two paths and is transmitted to radiating elements 1212 and 1222. The high frequency signal from switch 111G branches into two paths and is transmitted to radiating elements 1213 and 1223. The high frequency signal from switch 111H branches into two paths and is transmitted to radiating elements 1214 and 1224.

[0022] The received signals, which are high-frequency signals received by each radiating element, are transmitted to the RFIC 110 and then combined in the signal combiners / dividers 116A and 116B via corresponding signal paths. The combined received signals are down-converted in the mixers 118A and 118B, and further amplified in the amplifier circuits 119A and 119B before being transmitted to the BBIC 200.

[0023] The RFIC 110 is formed as, for example, a one-chip integrated circuit component including the above circuit configuration. Alternatively, the devices (switches, power amplifiers, low-noise amplifiers, attenuators, and phase shifters) corresponding to the respective radiating elements in the RFIC 110 may be formed as one-chip integrated circuit components for each corresponding radiating element.

[0024] (Structure of Antenna Module) Next, the configuration of the antenna module 100 according to this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to Figures 2 to 4. Figure 2 is a plan view of the antenna module 100. Figure 3 is a side perspective view of the substrate 130B of the antenna module 100 as viewed from the negative direction of the Y axis. Figure 4 is a side perspective view of the antenna module 100 as viewed from the positive direction of the X axis.

[0025] 2 to 4, the antenna device 120 in the antenna module 100 includes, in addition to the dielectric substrate 130 and the radiating elements 121 and 122 shown in Fig. 1, feeder wirings 141 and 142. The dielectric substrate 130 is a substrate having a substantially rectangular shape, and includes a substrate 130A (first substrate) and a substrate 130B (second substrate).

[0026] In the following description, the normal direction to the principal surfaces of the substrates 130A and 130B is referred to as the Z-axis direction. The arrangement direction of the radiating elements 121 and 122 on the substrate 130A is referred to as the X-axis direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X-axis and Z-axis is referred to as the Y-axis direction. In each drawing, the positive direction of the Z-axis may also be referred to as the upper side, and the negative direction as the lower side. The substrate 130B is disposed adjacent to the substrate 130A in the negative Y-axis direction.

[0027] The substrates 130A and 130B may be, for example, a low-temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC) multilayer substrate, a multilayer resin substrate formed by laminating multiple resin layers made of resins such as epoxy or polyimide, a multilayer resin substrate formed by laminating multiple resin layers made of liquid crystal polymer (LCP) having a lower dielectric constant, a multilayer resin substrate formed by laminating multiple resin layers made of fluorine-based resin, a multilayer resin substrate formed by laminating multiple resin layers made of PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate), or a ceramic multilayer substrate other than LTCC. Note that the substrates 130A and 130B do not necessarily have a multilayer structure and may be single-layer substrates.

[0028] Radiating elements 121 and 122 are arranged adjacent to each other in the X-axis direction on main surface 135 of substrate 130A in the positive direction of the Z-axis. In Figures 2 and 3, radiating elements 121 and 122 are arranged so as to be exposed on main surface 135 of substrate 130A, but radiating elements 121 and 122 may also be arranged on an inner layer of substrate 130A.

[0029] 4, in substrate 130A, a ground electrode GND2 is arranged between main surface 136 of substrate 130A in the negative direction of the Z axis and radiating elements 121 and 122 so as to face radiating elements 121 and 122. This ground electrode and radiating elements 121 and 122 form a microstrip antenna.

[0030] In the antenna device 120 of the first embodiment, the size of the radiating element 121 is smaller than the size of the radiating element 122. In other words, the center frequency of the radio waves that can be radiated by the radiating element 121 is relatively higher than the center frequency of the radio waves that can be radiated by the radiating element 122. Note that in the antenna module 100 of the first embodiment, the frequency band that can be radiated by the radiating element 121 and the frequency band that can be radiated by the radiating element 122 partially overlap each other.

[0031] Furthermore, radiating elements 121 and 122 are arranged at an angle with respect to the sides of substrate 130A so that each side of the rectangular shape forms an angle of 45° with the X-axis and Y-axis. By arranging them in this way, when the dimensions of substrate 130A are limited, the area of ​​the ground electrode in the polarization direction can be made larger than when each side of the radiating element is arranged parallel to the X-axis or Y-axis, and therefore the frequency bandwidths of both polarizations can be balanced.

[0032] 1 to the radiating elements 121 and 122. The power feed wiring 141 includes a line 1411 arranged on the substrate 130B and lines 1412 and 1413 arranged on the substrate 130A. The power feed wiring 142 includes a line 1421 arranged on the substrate 130B and lines 1422 and 1423 arranged on the substrate 130A.

[0033] Each of the feeder wirings 141 and 142 branches into two paths on the substrate 130B and is connected to both of the radiating elements 121 and 122. More specifically, as shown in Fig. 3, a portion of the line 1411 in the feeder wiring 141 is disposed on the main surface 132 (lower surface) of the substrate 130B, branches into two paths, and reaches the main surface 131 (upper surface) of the substrate 130B by vias V1 and V2. The via V1 is connected to a line 1412 disposed on the substrate 130A, and the via V2 is connected to a line 1413 disposed on the substrate 130A.

[0034] 3, the line 1421 of the power supply wiring 142 is disposed on the main surface 131 of the substrate 130B. The line 1421 branches into two paths on the substrate 130B, and is connected to lines 1422 and 1423 disposed on the substrate 130A, respectively.

[0035] In each power supply wiring, the line arranged on board 130A and the line arranged on board 130B can be connected using solder or anisotropic conductive film (ACF). In addition, the lines may be connected to each other by overlapping each other.

[0036] When viewed from above in the stacking direction (Z-axis direction) of the substrate 130B, the line 1411 of the power supply wiring 141 and the line 1421 of the power supply wiring 142 intersect with each other on the substrate 130B.

[0037] 3 , the substrate 130B has a ground electrode GND1 disposed in a layer between the main surface 131 and the main surface 132. This ground electrode GND1 and the ground electrode GND2 disposed on the substrate 130A form microstrip lines for the power supply wirings 141 and 142. By disposing the ground electrode GND1 between the line 1411 of the power supply wiring 141 and the line 1421 of the power supply wiring 142 on the substrate 130B, the ground electrode GND1 functions as a shield and can prevent coupling between the power supply wirings 141 and 142.

[0038] The ground electrode GND1 of the substrate 130B and the ground electrode GND2 of the substrate 130A may be connected to each other, or may be electrically coupled by being disposed close to each other.

[0039] Line 1412 of feed wiring 141 is connected to feed point SP1A of radiating element 121. Line 1413 of feed wiring 141 is connected to feed point SP2A of radiating element 122. As a result, by supplying high-frequency signals in the frequency band that can be radiated by radiating elements 121 and 122 to feed wiring 141, radio waves whose polarization direction is the direction of arrow AR1 in Figure 2 are radiated from radiating elements 121 and 122 in the positive direction of the Z axis.

[0040] Similarly, line 1422 of feed wiring 142 is connected to feed point SP1B of radiating element 121. Furthermore, line 1423 of feed wiring 142 is connected to feed point SP2B of radiating element 122. As a result, by supplying high-frequency signals in the frequency band that can be radiated by radiating elements 121 and 122 to feed wiring 142, radio waves whose polarization direction is the direction of arrow AR2 in Figure 2 are radiated from radiating elements 121 and 122 in the positive direction of the Z axis.

[0041] In this way, by supplying a common high-frequency signal to the two radiating elements 121 and 122 of different sizes, it becomes possible to radiate radio waves in two different polarization directions from the antenna module 100 in a frequency band that combines the frequency band of the radiating element 121 and the frequency band of the radiating element 122. Therefore, the frequency bandwidth of the antenna module 100 can be expanded.

[0042] In antenna module 100, when dielectric substrate 130 is viewed from above in the normal direction, lines 1412 and 1422 arranged on substrate 130A are arranged within the range of dimension W1 in the X-axis direction of radiating element 121. Similarly, lines 1413 and 1423 arranged on substrate 130A are arranged within the range of dimension W2 in the X-axis direction of radiating element 122.

[0043] Arranging the lines 1412, 1413, 1422, and 1423 in this manner makes it possible to reduce the dimension in the X-axis direction of the entire antenna unit, including the radiating elements 121 and 122 and the feeder wirings 141 and 142. In particular, in the configuration of an array antenna, which will be described later in Fig. 14, the spacing between the radiating elements of adjacent antenna units can be reduced, thereby making it possible to reduce the size of the entire antenna module and improve the antenna gain.

[0044] Furthermore, by adjusting the line length from the branch point to each radiating element in each power supply wiring, the phase of the high-frequency signal transmitted to each radiating element can be adjusted. By making the phases of the high-frequency signals transmitted to the two radiating elements the same, the directivity of the radio wave beam radiated from the entire antenna module can be directed in the Z-axis direction. On the other hand, by making the phases of the high-frequency signals transmitted to the two radiating elements different, the directivity of the radio wave beam radiated from the entire antenna module can be tilted from the Z-axis direction.

[0045] In the above example, a configuration has been described in which the radiating elements 121 and 122 and the ground electrode GND2 are arranged on the same substrate 130A, but the ground electrode GND2 arranged opposite the radiating elements 121 and 122 may be arranged on a substrate different from the substrate 130A, as shown in Fig. 5. In the configuration of Fig. 5, another substrate 130C is arranged below the substrate 130A, and the ground electrode GND2 is arranged on this substrate 130C. Even in such a configuration, the radiating elements 121 and 122 of the substrate 130A and the ground electrode GND2 of the substrate 130C form a microstrip antenna.

[0046] The dielectric constant of the substrate 130A may be the same as or different from that of the substrate 130B. For example, if the dielectric constant of the substrate 130A on which the radiating elements 121 and 122 are arranged is made lower than that of the substrate 130B, the frequency bandwidth can be expanded compared to when the dielectric constant of the substrate 130A is made the same as that of the substrate 130B. In this case, by miniaturizing the lines in the substrate 130B, which has a relatively high dielectric constant, the transmission loss in the power supply wiring can be reduced.

[0047] Conversely, if the relative dielectric constant of substrate 130A is made higher than that of substrate 130B, the size of the radiating element can be made smaller, thereby making it possible to miniaturize the size of the entire antenna module. In particular, in a configuration in which many radiating elements are arranged on a substrate, miniaturization can be achieved by using a substrate with a high relative dielectric constant.

[0048] The "radiating element 121" and the "radiating element 122" in the first embodiment are examples of the "first radiating element" and the "second radiating element" in the present disclosure. The "power feed wiring 141" and the "power feed wiring 142" in the first embodiment are examples of the "first power feed wiring" and the "second power feed wiring" in the present disclosure. The "lines 1411, 1412, 1413, 1421, 1422, and 1423" in the first embodiment are examples of the "first line to the sixth line" in the present disclosure. The "principal surface 131" and the "principal surface 132" of the substrate 130B in the first embodiment are examples of the "first main surface" and the "second main surface" in the present disclosure. The "principal surface 135" and the "principal surface 136" of the substrate 130A in the first embodiment are examples of the "third main surface" and the "fourth main surface" in the present disclosure.

[0049] (Modification 1) In Modification 1, a different method of feeding power from each power feed wiring to the radiating elements will be described. More specifically, a configuration in which capacitive feeding is performed on each radiating element will be described.

[0050] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a method of feeding power to a radiating element in the antenna module of the first modified example, and shows a side perspective view of a substrate 130A.

[0051] As described above, substrate 130A is a multilayer substrate in which multiple dielectric layers are stacked, and has main surface 135 on the upper surface side and main surface 136 on the lower surface side. Radiating elements 121 and 122 are arranged on main surface 135. Ground electrode GND2 is arranged between main surfaces 135 and 136 of substrate 130A.

[0052] In the antenna module of Modification 1, lines 1412 and 1413 of feed wiring 141 and lines 1422 and 1423 of feed wiring 142 are arranged on an inner layer of substrate 130A. Each of lines 1412, 1413, 1422, and 1423 is capacitively coupled to the corresponding radiating element via pad 150 arranged opposite the radiating element. As a result, high-frequency signals from lines 1412, 1413, 1422, and 1423 are capacitively fed to the corresponding radiating element.

[0053] In Fig. 6, all of the lines 1412, 1413, 1422, and 1423 are capacitively coupled to the radiating element, but some of the lines may be directly connected as in embodiment 1. Also, instead of capacitive feeding from below the radiating element as in Fig. 6, capacitive feeding may be performed from the side of the radiating element using a pad arranged on the same dielectric layer as the radiating element.

[0054] By using capacitive feeding to feed the radiating element in this way, impedance matching between the radiating element and the feed wiring becomes easier, allowing the line length of the feed wiring to be shortened, which makes it easier to further expand the frequency bandwidth and reduce loss.

[0055] (Modification 2) In Modification 2, a configuration in which a part of the feeder wiring is a coplanar line will be described.

[0056] FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the power supply wiring in the antenna module of the second modified example, and shows a portion of the power supply wiring 142 arranged on the upper surface side of the dielectric substrate 130 as an example.

[0057] In a substantially Y-shaped line 1421 disposed on the main surface 131 of the substrate 130B, ground electrodes GND3 are disposed at a predetermined interval along the line in the inner region, and ground electrodes GND4 are disposed at a predetermined interval along the line in the outer region. The ground electrodes GND3 and GND4 are connected to the ground electrode GND1 of the substrate 130B by a ground via VG1.

[0058] Furthermore, a ground electrode GND5 is arranged at a predetermined interval along the lines in the region between the lines 1422 and 1423 arranged on the main surface 135 of the substrate 130A. A ground electrode GND6 is arranged at a predetermined interval along the lines in the region outside the lines 1422 and 1423. The ground electrodes GND5 and GND6 are connected to the ground electrode GND2 of the substrate 130A by a ground via VG1.

[0059] 7, each line of the feed wiring 142 is configured as a coplanar line by arranging ground electrodes on either side of the line. By using a coplanar line, the impedance of each line can be easily adjusted.

[0060] 7 shows an example in which the coplanar lines are formed on the surface of the substrate, but the coplanar lines may also be formed in an inner layer of the substrate. Furthermore, for the power supply wiring 141, a portion of the line arranged on the main surface 131 and / or the main surface 132 of the substrate 130A may also be a coplanar line. Furthermore, the ground electrodes GND3 to GND6 may not have the ground via VG1 as long as they are connected to the ground potential.

[0061] (Modification 3) In Modification 3, a configuration in which the connection position of the power supply wiring in the radiating element is different will be described.

[0062] 8 is a plan view of an antenna module 100A of Modification 3. In the antenna module 100A, the feeding positions from each feed line to the radiating element 122 are reversed compared to the antenna module 100 of Embodiment 1. Specifically, a line 1423A in the feed line 142 is connected to a feed point SP2A in the radiating element 122. A line 1413A in the feed line 141 is connected to a feed point SP2B in the radiating element 122.

[0063] Therefore, when a high-frequency signal is supplied to the power supply wiring 141, radio waves with the polarization direction in the direction of arrow AR1 are radiated from the radiating element 121 in the positive direction of the Z axis, and radio waves with the polarization direction in the direction of arrow AR2 are radiated from the radiating element 122 in the positive direction of the Z axis.

[0064] Similarly, when a high-frequency signal is supplied to the power supply wiring 142, radio waves having a polarization direction in the direction of arrow AR2 are emitted from the radiating element 121 in the positive direction of the Z axis, and radio waves having a polarization direction in the direction of arrow AR1 are emitted from the radiating element 122 in the positive direction of the Z axis.

[0065] That is, the radiating elements 121 and 122 radiate radio waves with different polarization directions.

[0066] Even with this type of connection of the power supply wiring, by supplying a common high-frequency signal to the two radiating elements 121 and 122 of different sizes, it becomes possible to radiate radio waves in two different polarization directions from the antenna module 100 in a frequency band that combines the frequency band of the radiating element 121 and the frequency band of the radiating element 122. Therefore, the frequency bandwidth of the antenna module 100 can be expanded.

[0067] In Modification 3, the polarization direction in the direction of arrow AR1 is an example of the "first polarization direction" of the present disclosure, and the polarization direction in the direction of arrow AR2 is an example of the "second polarization direction" of the present disclosure.

[0068] (Modification 4) In Modification 4, a configuration in which the arrangement of radiating elements on a dielectric substrate is different will be described.

[0069] 9 is a plan view of an antenna module 100B of Modification 4. In antenna module 100B, radiating elements 121 and 122 are arranged so that each side is parallel to the X-axis or Y-axis. In radiating element 121, feed point SP1A is arranged on the side in the negative direction of the Y-axis, and feed point SP1B is arranged on the side in the positive direction of the X-axis. In addition, in radiating element 122, feed point SP2A is arranged on the side in the negative direction of the Y-axis, and feed point SP2B is arranged on the side in the positive direction of the X-axis.

[0070] Therefore, when a high frequency signal is supplied to the power feed line 141, radio waves polarized in the Y-axis direction are radiated in the positive direction of the Z-axis from the radiating elements 121 and 122. On the other hand, when a high frequency signal is supplied to the power feed line 142, radio waves polarized in the X-axis direction are radiated in the positive direction of the Z-axis from the radiating elements 121 and 122.

[0071] This type of arrangement can be adopted when the area of ​​the ground electrode can be sufficiently secured in the X-axis direction and Y-axis direction from each radiating element. However, in this case, when the dielectric substrate 130 is viewed in a plan view from the normal direction, the lines 1422 and 1423 of the feed wiring 142 are arranged outside the range of the dimension of each radiating element in the X-axis direction.

[0072] (Modification 5) In Modification 5, a configuration using three types of radiating elements with different center frequencies will be described.

[0073] 10 is a plan view of antenna module 100C of modified example 5. In antenna module 100C, in addition to radiating elements 121 and 122, radiating element 123 is further arranged on substrate 130A, spaced apart in the positive direction of the X-axis from radiating element 122. Similar to radiating elements 121 and 122, radiating element 123 is arranged at an angle with respect to the sides of substrate 130A so that each side of its rectangular shape forms an angle of 45° with the X-axis and Y-axis.

[0074] The radiating element 123 is larger in size than the radiating elements 121 and 122. In other words, the center frequency of the radio waves that can be radiated from the radiating element 123 is lower than the center frequencies of the radio waves that can be radiated from the radiating elements 121 and 122.

[0075] Line 1411 of feed wiring 141 is connected to lines 1412 and 1413, as well as line 1414 arranged on substrate 130A. Line 1411 is connected to line 1414 through via V3. Line 1414 is connected to feed point SP3A of radiating element 123. When a high-frequency signal is supplied to feed wiring 141, radio waves polarized in the direction of arrow AR1 are also radiated from radiating element 123 in the positive direction of the Z axis.

[0076] Line 1421 of feed wiring 142 is connected to lines 1422 and 1423, as well as to line 1424 arranged on substrate 130A. Line 1424 is connected to feed point SP3B of radiating element 123. When a high-frequency signal is supplied to feed wiring 142, radio waves polarized in the direction of arrow AR2 are also radiated from radiating element 123 in the positive direction of the Z axis.

[0077] With this configuration, the antenna module 100C can radiate radio waves in two different polarization directions in a frequency band that combines the frequency bands of the radiating elements 121, 122, and 123. This allows the frequency bandwidth of the antenna module 100 to be expanded.

[0078] The "radiating element 123" in Modification 5 is an example of the "third radiating element" in the present disclosure.

[0079] (Modification 6) In Modification 6, a configuration example will be described in which two power supply wirings are arranged so as not to overlap when the dielectric substrate is viewed from above.

[0080] 11 is a plan view of an antenna module 100D of Modification 6. In antenna module 100D, compared to antenna module 100 of Embodiment 1, the center point of radiating element 122 is positioned offset in the positive direction of the Y axis from the center point of radiating element 121. Note that the distance in the X axis direction between the center points of radiating element 122 and 121 is shorter than in antenna module 100.

[0081] The line 1413 of the feed wiring 141 extends further in the negative direction of the X-axis than the radiating element 121 and the line 1412, and is connected to the feed point SP2A of the radiating element 122. Therefore, when viewed in a plan view from the Z-axis direction, the feed wiring 141 does not overlap with the feed wiring 142.

[0082] 11, a portion of the line 1411 of the power supply wiring 141 is disposed on the underside of the substrate 130B, but by disposing the line 1413 as described above, the line 1411 can also be disposed on the upper side of the substrate 130B. This configuration can reduce impedance disturbances caused by vias, reducing losses and improving characteristics. Furthermore, the number of layers of the substrate 130B can be reduced, which also leads to a reduction in the manufacturing cost of the antenna module.

[0083] (Variant 7) In variant 6, radiating element 122 is arranged so that the center point of radiating element 122 is on a straight line extending from the center point of radiating element 121 along the polarization direction, but the position of radiating element 122 relative to radiating element 121 is not limited to this.

[0084] For example, as in antenna module 100P of modified example 7 shown in Fig. 12, radiating element 122 may be disposed at a position closer to radiating element 121 than in antenna module 100D of modified example 6 shown in Fig. 11. In other words, radiating element 122 may be disposed at an intermediate position between the position of radiating element 122 in antenna module 100 of Fig. 2 and the position of radiating element 122 in antenna module 100D of Fig. 11.

[0085] In the antenna module 100P, when the dielectric substrate 130 is viewed in a planar view, the power supply wirings 141 and 142 overlap as in the antenna module 100 of Figure 2, but the two power supply wirings 141 and 142 may be arranged so that they do not overlap each other, as in the antenna module 100D of Figure 11.

[0086] Even when the radiating elements 121 and 122 are arranged in this manner, by supplying a common high-frequency signal to the two radiating elements 121 and 122, which are different in size, it becomes possible to radiate radio waves in two different polarization directions from the antenna module in a frequency band that combines the frequency band of the radiating element 121 and the frequency band of the radiating element 122. Therefore, the frequency bandwidth of the antenna module can be expanded.

[0087] (Modification 8) In Modification 8, a case will be described in which the positional relationship between radiating element 121 and radiating element 122 is reversed from that in FIGS. 11 and 12 .

[0088] 13 is a plan view of an antenna module 100Q of Modification 8. In antenna module 100Q, radiating element 121 is disposed at a position offset in the positive direction of the X axis and in the positive direction of the Y axis relative to radiating element 122.

[0089] Even in this type of arrangement, by supplying a common high-frequency signal to the two different sized radiating elements 121 and 122, it becomes possible for the antenna module to radiate radio waves in two different polarization directions in a frequency band that combines the frequency band of radiating element 121 and the frequency band of radiating element 122. This makes it possible to expand the frequency bandwidth of the antenna module.

[0090] [Embodiment 2] In the first embodiment and each of the modifications, a configuration in which radiating elements of different sizes are arranged one by one has been described. In the second embodiment, an array antenna provided with a plurality of antenna units each consisting of radiating elements of two different sizes will be described.

[0091] Fig. 14 is a plan view of an antenna module 100E according to Embodiment 2. Referring to Fig. 14, antenna module 100E includes antenna units 181 and 182 arranged adjacent to each other along the X-axis direction on a substrate 130A.

[0092] Antenna unit 181 and antenna unit 182 each have the same configuration, including two radiating elements and feed lines connected thereto. Antenna unit 181 includes radiating elements 1211 and 1221, and antenna unit 182 includes radiating elements 1212 and 1222.

[0093] In each antenna unit, the connection mode is basically the same as in embodiment 1. Specifically, taking antenna unit 181 as an example, line 1412 in feed wiring 141 is connected to feed point SP1A of radiating element 1211, and line 1413 in feed wiring 141 is connected to feed point SP2A of radiating element 1221. Similarly, line 1422 in feed wiring 142 is connected to feed point SP1B of radiating element 1211, and line 1423 in feed wiring 142 is connected to feed point SP2B of radiating element 1221.

[0094] In addition, in the antenna units 181 and 182 of the antenna module 100E, as in the above-mentioned variant example 6, the center points of the radiating elements 1221 and 1222 on the low frequency side are positioned in the positive direction of the Y axis relative to the center points of the radiating elements 1211 and 1212 on the high frequency side.

[0095] Although Figure 14 shows an example of an array antenna having two antenna units, the number of antenna units is not limited to this, and the array antenna may have three or more antenna units.

[0096] Even in such an array antenna, each antenna unit that makes up the array antenna includes two radiating elements of different sizes, and high-frequency signals are supplied to the two radiating elements from a common power supply wiring, thereby expanding the frequency bandwidth of the antenna module.

[0097] "Antenna unit 181" and "antenna unit 182" in the second embodiment are examples of a "first antenna unit" and a "second antenna unit" in the present disclosure. In the second embodiment, "radiating element 1211" and "radiating element 1221" are each an example of a "first radiating element" in the present disclosure, and "radiating element 1221" and "radiating element 1222" are each an example of a "second radiating element" in the present disclosure.

[0098] [Embodiment 3] In the above-described embodiment 1 and each of the modifications, the case where the plurality of radiating elements included in the antenna module have different sizes has been described. In embodiment 2, a case where the two radiating elements included in the antenna module have the same size will be described.

[0099] Fig. 15 is a plan view of antenna module 100F according to embodiment 3. Fig. 16 is a cross-sectional view of antenna module 100F of Fig. 15. Antenna module 100F has a configuration in which radiating element 122 in antenna module 100 of embodiment 1 is replaced with radiating element 122F having the same dimensions as radiating element 121.

[0100] In the antenna module 100F, the line 1413 of the feed wiring 141 is connected to the feed point SP2A of the radiating element 122F, and the line 1423 of the feed wiring 142 is connected to the feed point SP2B of the radiating element 122F. When the dielectric substrate 130 is viewed in a plan view from the normal direction, the lines 1413 and 1423 arranged on the substrate 130A are arranged within the range of the dimension W1 in the X-axis direction of the radiating element 122F.

[0101] 16, the substrate 130A of the antenna module 100F includes a region RG1 (first region) in which the radiating element 121 is arranged, and a region RG2 (second region) in which the radiating element 122F is arranged. The relative dielectric constant ε1 of the dielectric in the region RG1 is different from the relative dielectric constant ε2 of the dielectric in the region RG2.

[0102] In this way, by making the relative permittivity of the dielectric in the region between each radiating element and the ground electrode GND2 different, it is possible to set the resonant frequencies of radiating elements 121 and 122F of the same size to different values. Specifically, for example, by making the permittivity ε1 of region RG1 larger than the permittivity ε2 of region RG2, it is possible to make the resonant frequency of radiating element 121 lower than the resonant frequency of radiating element 122F. In other words, similar to the first embodiment, these can essentially be considered as two radiating elements having different frequency bandwidths.

[0103] Therefore, in a configuration such as the antenna module 100F, the frequency bandwidth can be expanded by supplying high-frequency signals to each radiating element from a common power supply wiring.

[0104] The "radiating element 121" and the "radiating element 122F" in the third embodiment are examples of the "first radiating element" and the "second radiating element" in the present disclosure, respectively.

[0105] (Modification 9) In Modification 9, a configuration will be described in which, in an antenna module using radiating elements of the same size as in embodiment 3, the distance between the radiating element and the ground electrode is changed to make the resonant frequency of each radiating element different.

[0106] 17 is a cross-sectional view of the substrate 130A of the antenna module 100G of the modified example 9. In the substrate 130A of the antenna module 100G, the relative dielectric constant of the dielectric is the same throughout the substrate, as in the embodiment 1. However, in the substrate 130A, a ground electrode GND2G is arranged in place of the ground electrode GND2.

[0107] The position of the ground electrode GND2G in the stacking direction differs between region RG1 where radiating element 121 is arranged and region RG2 where radiating element 122F is arranged. Specifically, the distance between radiating element 121 and ground electrode GND2G in region RG1 is H1, and the distance between radiating element 122F and ground electrode GND2G in region RG2 is H2, which is shorter than H1 (H1>H2).

[0108] When the dielectric constants of the dielectrics are the same, the shorter the distance between the radiating element and the ground electrode, the lower the resonant frequency. Therefore, by varying the position of the ground electrode in the Z-axis direction as described above, the resonant frequency of radiating element 121 can be made higher than the resonant frequency of radiating element 122F.

[0109] Therefore, even in a configuration such as the antenna module 100G, the frequency bandwidth can be expanded by supplying high-frequency signals to each radiating element from a common power supply wiring.

[0110] [Fourth Embodiment] In a fourth embodiment, a configuration will be described in which a dielectric having a higher dielectric constant than air is disposed on a dielectric substrate on which a radiating element is disposed, thereby achieving a wider bandwidth.

[0111] Fig. 18 is a cross-sectional view of an antenna module 100H according to the fourth embodiment. In Fig. 18, in addition to the configuration of antenna module 100 of the first embodiment shown in Fig. 4, dielectrics 190 and 191 are arranged on main surface 135 of substrate 130A, and a SiP (System In Package) module 105 including RFIC 110 is arranged on main surface 132 of substrate 130B. Although not shown in Fig. 18, line 1411 in Fig. 4 is also arranged on main surface 132 of substrate 130B, as in antenna module 100. Furthermore, SiP module 105 may include, in addition to RFIC 110, a PMIC (Power Management Integrated Circuit) that controls power supplies, a power inductor (neither of which are shown), and the like.

[0112] Dielectric 190 is disposed on the entire surface of main surface 135 of substrate 130A so as to cover radiating elements 121 and 122. Furthermore, dielectric 191 is disposed on dielectric 190 so as to cover dielectric 190.

[0113] The dielectric constants of the dielectrics 190 and 191 are set higher than the dielectric constant of air, and the dielectric constant of the dielectric 191 is set even higher than the dielectric constant of the dielectric 190.

[0114] The dielectric 190 is made of, for example, a resin, and the dielectric 191 is made of, for example, a ceramic.

[0115] In this way, by arranging a dielectric with a high dielectric constant so as to cover the radiating element, it is possible to disperse the electric field generated from the radiating element farther in the XY plane direction than when no dielectric is arranged, thereby achieving a wider bandwidth.

[0116] Furthermore, by making the dielectric constant of dielectric 190 lower than that of dielectric 191, dielectric 190 can be made to function as a matching layer. This reduces the effect on the radiating element compared to when dielectric 191 is placed directly on the radiating element, and suppresses changes in the resonant frequency of the radiating element as well as a decrease in gain.

[0117] The "dielectric 190" and the "dielectric 191" in the fourth embodiment are examples of the "first dielectric" and the "second dielectric" in the present disclosure, respectively.

[0118] (Modification 10) In the antenna module 100H of the fourth embodiment, the substrate 130B including the branch points of the power supply lines is arranged on the side of the substrate 130A including the radiating elements 121 and 122. In Modification 10, a configuration will be described in which the substrate including the branch points of the power supply lines is realized by a substrate constituting a SiP module.

[0119] 19 is a cross-sectional view of an antenna module 100I of Modification 10. In the antenna module 100I, a SiP module 105 is mounted by solder bumps 160 on a main surface 136 of a substrate 130A on which radiating elements 121 and 122 are arranged. The SiP module 105 includes a substrate 130D on which an RFIC 110 is mounted.

[0120] The substrate 130D is a multilayer substrate having multiple dielectric layers, and similar to the substrate 130B in the antenna module 100, a branch point of the power supply wiring that transmits high frequency signals from the RFIC 110 to the radiating elements 121 and 122 is formed therein.

[0121] Furthermore, a connector 170 for connecting the antenna module 100I to a base substrate on which the BBIC 200 is disposed may be disposed on the main surface 136 of the substrate 130A.

[0122] Furthermore, on the main surface 135 of the substrate 130A, a dielectric 190 is arranged to cover the radiating elements 121 and 122, as in the antenna module 100H of embodiment 4, and a dielectric 191 is further arranged to cover the dielectric 190.

[0123] Even with this configuration, by supplying a common high-frequency signal to the two different sized radiating elements 121 and 122, it becomes possible for the antenna module to radiate radio waves in two different polarization directions in a frequency band that combines the frequency band of radiating element 121 and the frequency band of radiating element 122. This makes it possible to expand the frequency bandwidth of the antenna module.

[0124] Furthermore, by placing a dielectric with a high dielectric constant so as to cover the radiating element, a broadband can be achieved.Also, by forming the branch point of the power supply wiring on the substrate inside the SiP module, the antenna module can be made smaller.

[0125] The "substrate 130D" in Modification 10 is an example of the "second substrate" in the present disclosure. (Modification 11) In Modification 11, a configuration will be described in which a substrate on which a radiating element is arranged and a SiP module are connected via a flexible substrate.

[0126] 20 is a cross-sectional view of an antenna module 100J according to Modification 11. The antenna module 100J has a configuration in which a connection substrate 180 is added to the antenna module 100I according to Modification 10.

[0127] Connection board 180 is a flexible board having flexibility, and has opposing main surfaces 185 and 186. Substrate 130A is mounted on main surface 185 of connection board 180 facing the positive direction of the Z axis, and SiP module 105 is mounted on main surface 185 of connection board 180 facing the negative direction of the Z axis. Here, when viewed in a plan view from the normal direction of substrate 130A, substrate 130A and SiP module 105 do not overlap.

[0128] In the antenna module 100J, dielectrics 190 and 191 are also disposed on the main surface 135 of the substrate 130A.

[0129] By using a flexible substrate such as the connection substrate 180, the substrate can be flexibly arranged inside the housing of the communication device 10.

[0130] The "principal surface 185" and the "principal surface 186" of the connection board 180 in Modification 11 are examples of the "fifth principal surface" and the "sixth principal surface" in the present disclosure, respectively.

[0131] (Modification 12) In Modification 12, a configuration will be described in which a dielectric is disposed in a mount-type antenna module mounted on a base substrate on which a BBIC is disposed.

[0132] Fig. 21 is a cross-sectional view of an antenna module 100K according to Modification 12. In the antenna module 100K, a SiP module 105 including an RFIC 110 and a substrate 130D is disposed on a base substrate 50. Then, a plurality of substrates 130A, each having a radiating element 121, 122 disposed thereon, are mounted on the substrate 130D. Note that a plurality of radiating elements may be disposed on each of the substrates 130A. Alternatively, as shown in Figs. 19 and 20, a configuration in which a plurality of radiating elements are disposed on one substrate 130A may be used.

[0133] The SiP module 105 has a plurality of columnar connection electrodes 175 electrically connected to the substrate 130D. The connection electrodes 175 are electrically connected to the base substrate 50 by solder bumps 162. The RFIC 110 exchanges signals with the BBIC 200 disposed on the base substrate 50 via the connection electrodes 175 and the solder bumps 162.

[0134] In the antenna module 100K, dielectrics 190 and 191 are also arranged on the substrate 130A on which the radiating element is arranged.

[0135] Even with this antenna module configuration, by supplying a common high-frequency signal to the two radiating elements 121 and 122, which are different in size, the antenna module can radiate radio waves in two different polarization directions in a frequency band that combines the frequency band of the radiating element 121 and the frequency band of the radiating element 122. This allows the frequency bandwidth of the antenna module to be expanded. Furthermore, by arranging a dielectric with a high dielectric constant so as to cover the radiating elements, a wider bandwidth can be achieved.

[0136] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the description of the above embodiments, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0137] 10 Communication device, 50 Base substrate, 100, 100A to 100G Antenna module, 105 SiP module, 110 RFIC, 111A to 111H, 113A to 113H, 117A, 117B Switch, 112AR to 112HR Low noise amplifier, 112AT to 112HT Power amplifier, 114A to 114H Attenuator, 115A to 115H Phase shifter, 116A, 116B Signal combiner / distributor, 118A, 118B Mixer, 119A, 119B Amplifier circuit, 120 Antenna device, 121 to 123, 1211 to 1214, 1221 to 1224, 122F Radiating element, 130 Dielectric substrate, 130A to 130D Substrate, 131, 132, 135, 136, 185, 186 Main surface, 141, 142 Power supply wiring, 150 Pad, 160 to 162 Solder bump, 181, 182 Antenna unit, 1411 to 1414, 1421 to 1424, 1413A, 1423A Line, 160 Solder bump, 170 Connector, 175 Connection electrode, 180 Flexible substrate, 190, 191 Dielectric, 200 BBIC, GND1 to GND6, GND2G Ground electrode, SP1A to SP3A, SP1B to SP3B Power supply point, V1 to V3 Via, VG1 Ground via.

Claims

1. An antenna module comprising: a dielectric substrate including a first substrate and a second substrate; a first radiating element and a second radiating element arranged on the first substrate; and first and second feed wiring for transmitting high-frequency signals, wherein the first feed wiring includes: a first line arranged on the second substrate; a second line arranged on the first substrate for transmitting the high-frequency signal from the first line to the first radiating element; and a third line arranged on the first substrate for transmitting the high-frequency signal from the first line to the second radiating element, and the second feed wiring includes: a fourth line arranged on the second substrate; a fifth line arranged on the first substrate for transmitting the high-frequency signal from the fourth line to the first radiating element; and a sixth line arranged on the first substrate for transmitting the high-frequency signal from the fourth line to the second radiating element.

2. The antenna module described in claim 1, wherein in the first power supply wiring, the first line branches into a path connected to the second line and a path connected to the third line on the second substrate, and in the second power supply wiring, the fourth line branches into a path connected to the fifth line and a path connected to the sixth line on the second substrate.

3. The antenna module according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, when viewed in a plan view from the stacking direction of the second substrate, the first power supply wiring and the second power supply wiring intersect with each other on the second substrate.

4. The antenna module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the second substrate is a multilayer substrate in which a plurality of dielectric layers are stacked, and includes a first main surface and a second main surface opposing each other, and a first ground electrode arranged on a dielectric layer between the first main surface and the second main surface, the first line of the first power supply wiring being arranged on a dielectric layer from the first main surface of the second substrate to the first ground electrode, and the fourth line of the second power supply wiring being arranged on a dielectric layer from the second main surface of the second substrate to the first ground electrode.

5. The antenna module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein at least one of the first feed wiring and the second feed wiring is a coplanar line in at least a portion thereof.

6. The antenna module according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first power supply wiring and the second power supply wiring are connected to the first radiating element and the second radiating element.

7. An antenna module according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein at least one of the second line and the third line in the first power supply wiring and the fifth line and the sixth line in the second power supply wiring is capacitively coupled to a corresponding radiating element.

8. An antenna module according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein in each of the first radiating element and the second radiating element, radio waves in a first polarization direction are radiated by a high frequency signal from the first power supply wiring, and radio waves in a second polarization direction are radiated by a high frequency signal from the second power supply wiring.

9. An antenna module according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the first radiating element radiates radio waves in a first polarization direction in response to a high frequency signal from the first feed wiring, and radiates radio waves in a second polarization direction in response to a high frequency signal from the second feed wiring; and the second radiating element radiates radio waves in the second polarization direction in response to a high frequency signal from the first feed wiring, and radiates radio waves in the first polarization direction in response to a high frequency signal from the second feed wiring.

10. An antenna module according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the size of the first radiating element is the same as the size of the second radiating element.

11. The antenna module described in claim 10, wherein the first substrate includes a first region in which the first radiating element is arranged and a second region in which the second radiating element is arranged, and the relative dielectric constant of the first region is different from the relative dielectric constant of the second region.

12. The antenna module described in claim 10, wherein the first radiating element and the second radiating element are flat plate electrodes, the first substrate includes a third main surface and a fourth main surface facing each other, and a second ground electrode disposed between the third main surface and the fourth main surface and facing the first radiating element and the second radiating element, and the distance between the first radiating element and the second ground electrode is different from the distance between the second radiating element and the second ground electrode.

13. The antenna module according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the size of the first radiating element is different from the size of the second radiating element.

14. The antenna module according to claim 13, further comprising a third radiating element disposed on the first substrate, the size of the third radiating element being different from the sizes of the first radiating element and the second radiating element, the first power supply wiring further including a seventh line that transmits a high frequency signal from the first line to the third radiating element, and the second power supply wiring further including an eighth line that transmits a high frequency signal from the fourth line to the third radiating element.

15. An antenna module according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the phase of the high frequency signal transmitted from the first power supply wiring to the first radiating element is the same as the phase of the high frequency signal transmitted from the first power supply wiring to the second radiating element, and the phase of the high frequency signal transmitted from the second power supply wiring to the first radiating element is the same as the phase of the high frequency signal transmitted from the second power supply wiring to the second radiating element.

16. An antenna module according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the phase of the high frequency signal transmitted from the first power supply wiring to the first radiating element is different from the phase of the high frequency signal transmitted from the first power supply wiring to the second radiating element, and the phase of the high frequency signal transmitted from the second power supply wiring to the first radiating element is different from the phase of the high frequency signal transmitted from the second power supply wiring to the second radiating element.

17. An antenna module as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the first radiating element and the second radiating element are flat plate electrodes, the first substrate includes a third main surface and a fourth main surface facing each other, and a second ground electrode disposed between the third main surface and the fourth main surface and facing the first radiating element and the second radiating element, and the first radiating element and the second radiating element are disposed on the first substrate closer to the third main surface than the second ground electrode.

18. An antenna module as described in any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein, when viewed in a plane from the normal direction of the first substrate, the second line of the first power supply wiring and the fifth line of the second power supply wiring are arranged within a range of the dimension of the first radiating element in the first direction, and the third line of the first power supply wiring and the sixth line of the second power supply wiring are arranged within a range of the dimension of the second radiating element in the first direction.

19. The antenna module according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the first substrate is a single-layer substrate.

20. The antenna module described in claim 1, further comprising: a first dielectric arranged on the first substrate so as to cover the first radiating element and the second radiating element when viewed in a plane from the normal direction of the first substrate; and a second dielectric arranged on the first dielectric, wherein the dielectric constant of the second dielectric is higher than the dielectric constant of the first dielectric.

21. The antenna module according to claim 20, further comprising a SiP (System in Package) module including a power supply circuit for supplying a high-frequency signal to each radiating element, wherein the second substrate has first and second main surfaces facing each other, the first substrate has third and fourth main surfaces facing each other and a side surface connecting the third and fourth main surfaces, the second substrate is disposed on the side surface of the first substrate, the first dielectric is disposed on the third main surface, and the SiP module is disposed on the second main surface.

22. The antenna module according to claim 20, further comprising a SiP module including the second substrate and a feeding circuit for supplying high-frequency signals to each radiating element, wherein the first substrate has a third main surface and a fourth main surface facing each other, the first dielectric is disposed on the third main surface, and the SiP module is disposed on the fourth main surface.

23. An antenna module as described in claim 20, further comprising: a SiP module including the second substrate and a power supply circuit for supplying high-frequency signals to each radiating element; and a connection substrate on which the first substrate and the SiP module are arranged, wherein the first substrate has third and fourth main surfaces facing each other, the connection substrate has fifth and sixth main surfaces facing each other, the first dielectric is arranged on the third main surface, the first substrate is arranged on the fifth main surface, and the SiP module is arranged on the sixth main surface.

24. The antenna module according to claim 23, wherein the first substrate and the SiP module do not overlap when viewed in a plan view from the normal direction of the first substrate.

25. The antenna module according to claim 23 or 24, wherein the connection substrate is a flexible substrate having flexibility.

26. A dielectric substrate including a first substrate and a second substrate; and a first antenna unit and a second antenna unit arranged adjacent to each other on the dielectric substrate, each antenna unit including: a first radiating element and a second radiating element arranged on the first substrate; a first feed wiring for transmitting a high-frequency signal in a first frequency band; and a second feed wiring for transmitting a high-frequency signal in a second frequency band different from the first frequency band, wherein in each antenna unit, the first feed wiring includes: a first line arranged on the second substrate; a second line arranged on the first substrate for transmitting a high-frequency signal from the first line to the first radiating element; and a third line arranged on the first substrate for transmitting a high-frequency signal from the first line to the second radiating element, and the second feed wiring includes: a fourth line arranged on the second substrate; and a fifth line arranged on the first substrate for transmitting a high-frequency signal from the fourth line to the first radiating element. a sixth line disposed on the first substrate and transmitting a high frequency signal from the fourth line to the second radiating element.

27. An antenna module according to any one of claims 1 to 19 or claim 26, further comprising a feeding circuit for supplying a high frequency signal to each radiating element.

28. A communication device comprising an antenna module according to any one of claims 1 to 27.

Citation Information

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