Antenna-integrated communication module having sip structure and manufacturing method thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to an antenna-integrated communication module having a SIP structure, and more particularly, to a communication module in which an antenna is formed on a side surface of an assembly in which a communication element and a molding part are installed on a substrate. The antenna of the communication module according to the present invention may be formed by depositing a conductor metal on a side surface of a molding part covering the communication element on the substrate and filled up to a surface extending from a side surface of the substrate.

Description

Antenna-integrated communication module with SIP structure and method for manufacturing the same

[0001] The present invention relates to an antenna-integrated communication module with a SIP structure, and more specifically, to a communication module in which an antenna is formed on the side of an assembly in which a communication element and a molding part are installed on a substrate.

[0002] The communication module performs communication by processing RF signals, baseband signals, and digital signals, and is formed by integrating various circuit elements.

[0003] System In Package (SIP) technology has been developed and is being used in the configuration of communication modules by mounting these communication elements in a chip level or wafer level and circuitously connecting the communication elements mounted in via patterns to form a single package.

[0004] Conventionally, since a separately manufactured wire antenna is installed in the external area of ​​the SIP configured in this way, there is a problem in that additional space is required and the manufacturing cost of the communication module increases because a separate antenna must be manufactured and an additional process for mounting is performed to complete the communication module.

[0005] It is necessary to develop an antenna-integrated communication module with a SIP structure that improves upon these problems.

[0006] The technical problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide a communication module in which, in the fabrication of a communication module with a SIP structure, an antenna is integrated with a substrate on which a communication element is installed and a molding part surrounding the communication element.

[0007] The technical problems of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned technical problems will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

[0008] A communication module of the present invention for solving the above technical problem comprises a communication element installed on a substrate, a molding part formed at a predetermined height on the substrate and covering the communication element, and an antenna connected to the communication element, wherein at least a portion of the antenna may be formed on the side of the substrate or the molding part.

[0009] In some embodiments of the present invention, the antenna may be formed by depositing a conductive metal.

[0010] In some embodiments of the present invention, the conductive metal may be Cu or Ti.

[0011] In some embodiments of the present invention, the antenna may be formed in a “C” shape or a “□” shape with a part open to extend its length.

[0012] In some embodiments of the present invention, one end of the antenna is connected to a ground pattern of the substrate, and the other end is formed on the substrate or molding part, and a branch point connected to the communication element may be formed on the substrate in the middle of the pattern connecting the two ends.

[0013] In some embodiments of the present invention, a capacitor or inductor for impedance matching may be inserted between the power supply connected to the branch point and the communication element.

[0014] In some embodiments of the present invention, the capacitance of the capacitor may be 1pF to 100pF.

[0015] A method for manufacturing a communication module according to the present invention for solving the above technical problem may include the steps of mounting a communication element on an array substrate including a plurality of substrates and forming a molding portion (S10), separating the plurality of substrates (S20), and depositing a conductive metal on the side of the substrate or the molding portion (S30).

[0016] In some embodiments of the present invention, Cu or Ti can be deposited by a sputtering process in step S30.

[0017] According to the antenna-integrated communication module of the SIP structure of the present invention, by forming an antenna integrated on the side of an assembly in which a communication element and a molding part are installed on a substrate, there is no need to install a separately manufactured wire antenna in the outer area of ​​the SIP, so additional processes for separate antenna manufacturing and mounting are not required, and the size of the communication module can be reduced, thereby reducing the cost of manufacturing the communication module.

[0018] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a communication module with an antenna-integrated SIP structure according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 is an enlarged view showing the antenna section according to Figure 1.

[0020] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the frequency characteristics of an antenna according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the radiation characteristics of an antenna according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a manufacturing method according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] The advantages and features of the present invention and the methods for achieving them will become clear by referring to the embodiments described below in detail together with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below but may be implemented in various different forms. These embodiments are provided merely to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the invention, and the present invention is defined only by the scope of the claims. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals refer to the same components.

[0024] "And / or" includes each of the mentioned items and all combinations of one or more.

[0025] The terms used herein are for describing the embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. In this specification, the singular form includes the plural form unless specifically stated otherwise in the text. As used herein, "comprising" and / or "comprising" does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other components, steps, actions, and / or elements to the mentioned components, steps, actions, and / or elements.

[0026] Furthermore, throughout the specification, when a part is described as being "connected" to another part, this includes not only cases where they are "directly connected," but also cases where they are "indirectly" or "electrically connected" with other members or elements in between.

[0027] Additionally, throughout the specification, the description that each layer (film), region, pattern, or structure is formed "on" or "under" the substrate, each layer (film), region, pad, or pattern includes both direct formation and formation through another layer. The criteria for "on" or "under" each layer are described based on the drawings.

[0028] Furthermore, expressions such as 'first, second,' etc., are used solely to distinguish multiple compositions and do not limit the order or other characteristics between the compositions.

[0029] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used in this specification (including technical and scientific terms) may be used in a meaning commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Additionally, terms defined in commonly used dictionaries are not to be interpreted ideally or excessively unless explicitly and specifically defined otherwise.

[0030] Expressions referring to directions include horizontal and vertical directions, and the horizontal direction includes a first horizontal direction and a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction. These are referred to as the first horizontal direction (X-axis), the second horizontal direction (Y-axis), and the vertical direction (Z-axis) according to the Cartesian coordinate system, and the meaning of being superimposed along the horizontal direction must include the meaning of being superimposed along the first horizontal direction and / or superimposed along the second horizontal direction.

[0031] The positive direction of the above vertical direction (Z-axis) is defined as the upward direction and the negative direction as the downward direction, and the plane arranged parallel to the vertical direction (Z-axis) is defined as the side.

[0032] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing a communication module of an antenna-integrated SIP structure according to one embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is an external perspective view, (b) is a transparent perspective view, and (c) is a perspective view of the antenna part.

[0033] Figure 2 is an enlarged view showing the antenna section according to Figure 1, which is an enlarged view of the part marked 'A' in (c) of Figure 1.

[0034] Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a communication module according to the present invention comprises a communication element (60) installed on a substrate (10), a molding part (30) formed at a predetermined height on the substrate (10) to cover the communication element (60), and an antenna (20) connected to the communication element (60), wherein a part of the antenna (20) may be formed on the side of the substrate (10) or the molding part (30).

[0035] The communication element (60) may include a baseband element, a memory, an RF signal processing element, etc., and such communication element (60) is mounted on a substrate (10), and a molding part (30) may be formed to protect the communication element (60) and the substrate (10).

[0036] A communication element (60) is mounted on an array substrate in which a plurality of substrates (10) are arranged in a matrix shape, and after molding on the substrate (10) to have a certain thickness, the array substrate can be separated into individual substrates (10). When separating, the substrate (10) and the molding part (30) are cut simultaneously through a sawing process, so the side of the molding part (30) and the side of the substrate (10) can be formed as the same plane.

[0037] A polymer compound made of epoxy material may be used to form the molding portion (30). In one embodiment of the present invention, the molding portion (30) is formed of EMC (Epoxy Molding Compound), but is not limited thereto.

[0038] An antenna (20) formed on the side of the substrate (10) or molding part (30) can be formed by depositing a conductive metal.

[0039] The antenna (20) may be formed with a circuit pattern formed on a substrate (10) and a conductive pattern formed by depositing on the side of the substrate (10) or the molding part (30). The deposited conductive metal may be Cu (copper) or Ti (titanium).

[0040] In the example, Ti (titanium) is applied as the conductor metal, and a conductor pattern is formed through a sputtering process, which is a type of vacuum deposition method.

[0041] Sputtering is a type of vacuum deposition method widely used in integrated circuit production lines. It involves accelerating a plasma of gases, such as ionized argon, at a relatively low vacuum level to collide with a target and eject atoms, thereby forming a film on a substrate.

[0042] Copper (Cu) has very high thermal and electrical conductivity, so it is commonly used as a material for forming wiring and antennas in electronic devices.

[0043] Titanium withstands high temperatures well and has low thermal conductivity, making it highly reliable in high-temperature environments and providing good corrosion resistance.

[0044] The antenna may be composed of a circuit pattern formed on a substrate (10) and a conductive pattern on the side of the substrate (10) or molding part (30) connected to the circuit pattern.

[0045] Since the circuit pattern formed on the substrate (10) extends to the side of the substrate (10), the conductive pattern formed on the side of the substrate (10) or the molding part (30) can be connected to the circuit pattern formed on the substrate (10). At this time, the conductive pattern may include an area that is higher than the upper part and lower than the lower part of the cut surface so that it can be sufficiently connected to the cut surface of the circuit pattern formed on the substrate (10).

[0046] A conductive pattern formed on the side of the substrate (10) or the molding part (30) can be formed in a “C” shape or a “□” shape with a part open to extend the length.

[0047] According to the embodiment, the length of the antenna (20) is extended in a “ㅁ” shape with a part open.

[0048] One end of the antenna, i.e., the antenna ground end (23), is connected to the ground pattern (13) of the substrate (10), and the other end is formed on the substrate (10) or the molding part (30). A branch point (24) connected to the communication element (60) may be formed on the substrate in the middle of the pattern connecting the two ends. The pattern extending from the branch point (24) may be connected to the communication element (60) at the feed end (27).

[0049] According to an embodiment, an antenna grounding terminal (23) is connected to a grounding pattern (13) on a substrate (10) to form one side of the pattern of the antenna (20), and a pattern extending from the antenna grounding terminal (23) branches into two patterns at a branching point (24) on the substrate (10), with one side extending outward to the outer edge of the substrate (10) and the other side extending in the opposite direction to be connected to a communication element (60). At this time, the pattern extending outward can be connected to a conductive pattern formed by deposition on the side of the substrate (10) or the molding part (30).

[0050] In the embodiment, the conductor pattern is formed along the edge of the side of the molding part (30) to form a “□” shaped antenna (20) with a part open. That is, the pattern extending from the branching point (24) is connected to the conductor pattern deposited on the side of the substrate (10), and the deposited conductor pattern is split and can extend to each of the two antenna ends (21).

[0051] In this way, one side of the antenna (20) is formed as an antenna ground terminal (23), and the other side is formed as an antenna end (21) of an antenna pattern with an open shape, and an antenna can be formed in which a pattern branched from an intermediate branching point (24) is connected to a feed terminal (27).

[0052] The length from the antenna ground terminal (23) to the antenna end (21) can determine the center frequency of the antenna. Based on a standard λ / 4 monopole antenna (λ = resonant frequency), according to the embodiment, the length of the antenna (20) corresponding to the length of the monopole antenna is set to λ / 4 of the center frequency of 2.4 GHz. If the center frequency according to the embodiment deviates from 2.4 GHz, the antenna center frequency can be adjusted by changing the length from the branching point (24) to the antenna end (21).

[0053] In addition, the center frequency of the antenna band can be set to 2.45 GHz to 2.50 GHz so that it can be used as an antenna that satisfies both types of center frequencies, 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. As such, the communication module according to one embodiment of the present invention can be included and used in an electronic device that supports various standards for wireless communication in the 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz frequency band, such as Wi-Fi (802.11b / g / n / ac / ax), BT, BLE, and Zigbee+Thread (802.15.4).

[0054] A capacitor (40) or inductor for impedance matching may be inserted between the feed terminal (27) and the communication element (60). At this time, one end of the capacitor (40) is connected to the feed terminal (27), and the other end is connected to an input / output terminal (61) in the communication element (60) that receives or transmits an RF signal, so that the capacitor (40) can perform the function of coupling the RF signal.

[0055] The capacitance of the capacitor (40) for adjusting the input impedance is preferably 1pF to 100pF, which allows the input impedance to be changed without reducing the feed power at the antenna center frequency.

[0056] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the frequency characteristics of an antenna according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0057] Referring to Figure 3, the s-parameter characteristic measurement graph displays the ratio of the input voltage to the output voltage in the frequency domain, expressing the frequency characteristics of the input versus the output by comparing the input and output values, with the x-axis representing the frequency band (GHz) and the y-axis representing the power value (dB).

[0058] S11 represents the input-output ratio (reflection loss) confirmed at the input cue, S21 represents the input-output ratio (insertion loss) confirmed at the output end, S12 represents the input-output ratio (insertion loss) confirmed at the input end, and S22 represents the input-output ratio (reflection loss) confirmed at the output end.

[0059] It can be confirmed that the antenna according to the embodiment has excellent reflection loss at 2.4GHz and 5GHz.

[0060] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the radiation characteristics of an antenna according to one embodiment of the present invention, wherein (a) shows the radiation characteristics at a center frequency of 2.485 GHz of the antenna and (b) shows the characteristics at a center frequency of 5.15 GHz of the antenna.

[0061] Referring to Fig. 4, the gain on the graph is measured in dBi units, and the radiation characteristics in the vertical and horizontal directions from 0 to 360 degrees can be checked by color. As shown, excellent radiation gain can be observed in a plane parallel to the side where the antenna is formed.

[0062] As described above, an example was given in which antennas are formed on two sides (left side and right side) of a rectangular module, but antennas can be formed on all four sides of the rectangular module without limitation. That is, they can be formed on all four sides (left side, right side, front side, and back side) or individually.

[0063] For example, sensitivity can be improved if the antenna is provided on two parallel sides (e.g., left side and right side or front and back), and directivity can be improved if the antenna is provided on two vertically intersecting sides (e.g., left side and front or right side and back).

[0064] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a manufacturing method according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0065] A manufacturing method according to an embodiment may include the step (S10) of mounting a communication element (60) on an array substrate (10a) including a plurality of substrates (10) and forming a molding portion (30), the step (S20) of separating the plurality of substrates, and the step (S30) of depositing a conductive metal on the side of the substrate or the molding portion.

[0066] First, I will explain step S10.

[0067] Referring to FIG. 5(a), an array substrate (10a) including a plurality of substrates (10) is prepared. The array substrate (10a) is configured such that a plurality of substrates (10) are arranged in a matrix array to improve productivity, and a communication element (60) can be mounted on each substrate (10) of the array substrate (10a) through an SMT process and then soldered through a reflow process.

[0068] A molding part (30) is formed by applying an epoxy compound to a uniform thickness on an array substrate (10a) on which a communication element (60) has been mounted.

[0069] Referring to FIG. 5(b), a sawing process is performed in the next step S20 to separate the substrates (10). At this time, since the substrate (10) and the molding part (30) are cut simultaneously during the sawing process, the side of the molding part (30) and the side of the substrate (10) can be formed as the same plane.

[0070] Referring to Fig. 5(c), finally, in step S30, the antenna (20) pattern can be formed by vacuum deposition. After attaching the process module to a fixed frame for vacuum deposition, the pattern of the antenna (20) can be created in a sputtering device. At this time, Cu (copper) or Ti (titanium) can be used as the target metal for forming the pattern.

[0071] As such, according to the antenna-integrated communication module of the SIP structure of the present invention, by integrating the antenna into the side of an assembly in which a communication element and a molding part are installed on a substrate, there is no need to install a separately manufactured wire antenna in the external area of ​​the SIP. Therefore, additional processes for separate antenna manufacturing and mounting are not required, the size of the SIP can be reduced, and the cost of manufacturing the communication module can be reduced.

[0072] Although the present invention has been described above, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention may be implemented in other forms while maintaining the technical concept and essential features of the invention.

[0073] The scope of the rights of the present invention shall be determined primarily by the patent claims; however, configurations directly derived from the descriptions in the patent claims, as well as all modifications or variations derived from configurations equivalent thereto, shall be interpreted as being included within the scope of the rights of the present invention.

Claims

1. A communication element installed on a substrate; A molding portion formed at a predetermined height on the substrate and covering the communication element; and Includes an antenna connected to the above communication element, A communication module, wherein at least a portion of the antenna is formed on the side of the substrate or molding portion.

2. In Paragraph 1, The above antenna is a communication module formed by depositing a conductive metal.

3. In Paragraph 2, A communication module in which the above-mentioned conductive metal is Cu or Ti.

4. In Paragraph 1, The above antenna is a communication module formed in a "C" shape or a "M" shape with a part open to extend its length.

5. In Paragraph 1, A communication module in which one end of the antenna is connected to a ground pattern of the substrate, the other end is formed on the substrate or the molding part, and a branch point connected to the communication element is formed on the substrate in the middle of the pattern connecting the two ends.

6. In Paragraph 5, A communication module in which a capacitor or inductor for impedance matching is inserted between a power supply connected to the above branch point and a communication element.

7. In Paragraph 6, A communication module having a capacitor capacitance of 1pF to 100pF.

8. A step of mounting a communication element on an array substrate including a plurality of substrates and forming a molding portion (S10); Step of separating the plurality of substrates (S20); and A method for manufacturing a communication module, comprising the step (S30) of depositing a conductive metal on the side of the substrate or molding part.

9. In Paragraph 1, A method for manufacturing a communication module, wherein Cu or Ti is deposited by a sputtering process in the above S30 step.

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