Antenna Module Rigid-Flexible Substrate Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing antenna modules with flexible multilayer bodies face instability in electrical characteristics due to unintentional deformation of the radiating-element defining portion, leading to variations in antenna performance based on installation accuracy.
Innovation Solution
An antenna module design featuring a resin multilayer substrate with a rigid portion for the radiating element and a flexible portion for the transmission line, incorporating a frame-shaped conductor and interlayer connection conductors to reduce deformation and maintain flexibility, allowing for stable antenna characteristics and easy installation in limited spaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a flexible multilayer body is used for the antenna module, then the transmission line portion can easily deform to follow installation space, but the radiating-element defining portion deforms unintentionally causing instability in electrical characteristics
Solution Approach 1:
The multilayer body is divided into a rigid portion and a flexible portion. The rigid portion maintains stability for the radiating element while the flexible portion allows deformation for the transmission line, resolving the contradiction between flexibility and stability through spatial segmentation of functional regions.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the multilayer body are assigned different mechanical properties: the rigid portion has high stiffness to prevent deformation of the radiating element, while the flexible portion has low stiffness to enable deformation of the transmission line. This local differentiation of material properties allows simultaneous achievement of stability and flexibility in different locations.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the radiating-element defining portion is made flexible to match installation space, then the antenna module can be installed in various configurations, but the antenna characteristics vary depending on installation accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The antenna module is segmented into a rigid portion containing the radiating element and a flexible portion containing the transmission line. This segmentation ensures that the radiating element maintains its designed shape and characteristics regardless of installation variations, while the transmission line adapts to different installation spaces.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of making the entire multilayer body flexible to adapt to installation space, the invention inverts the approach by making only the transmission line portion flexible while keeping the radiating element portion rigid. This inversion ensures that the critical radiating element maintains manufacturing precision while the non-critical transmission line provides installation adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
An antenna module includes a resin multilayer substrate including a plurality of base materials that are flexible. The resin multilayer substrate includes a rigid portion at which a first number of stacked layers of the base materials is relatively large and a flexible portion at which a second number of stacked layers of the base materials is relatively small. A radiating element including a conductor pattern is provided at the rigid portion. A transmission line including a conductor pattern and electrically connected to the radiating element is provided at the flexible portion. A frame-shaped conductor that surrounds the radiating element when viewed in a direction in which the base materials are stacked is provided at either the rigid portion or the flexible portion, or both the rigid portion and the flexible portion.