Patterned Antenna Structure With Selective Encapsulant Exposure
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for manufacturing chip antennas, such as plating or sputtering, are inefficient in terms of time and cost for achieving the required antenna pattern thickness for various applications.
Innovation Solution
A patterned antenna structure is formed on a metal plate with a molding compound, where the thickness of the antenna pattern exposed from the compound is controlled to improve signal transmission, and the manufacturing process is made more efficient and cost-effective by using a metal plate with a first and second surface, forming patterned recesses, and applying an encapsulant to cover and expose specific portions of the antenna pattern.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If plating or sputtering operations are used to form the antenna pattern, then the antenna pattern can be formed on the substrate, but the manufacturing process is inefficient in terms of time and cost
Solution Approach 1:
The antenna pattern is formed on a metal plate before the encapsulant is applied. This preliminary formation of the antenna pattern eliminates the need for time-consuming plating or sputtering operations after substrate preparation, as the pattern is pre-formed with sufficient thickness directly on the metal plate
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of forming the antenna pattern on the substrate first and then adding encapsulant, the invention inverts the sequence by first forming the antenna pattern on a metal plate, then applying the encapsulant over it. This reversal allows the use of simpler, faster formation methods on the metal plate while achieving the same functional result
2Reliability
If the antenna pattern thickness is increased for various applications, then the signal transmission is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The encapsulant is selectively applied to cover only specific portions of the metal plate while leaving the antenna pattern exposed in designated areas. This local differentiation allows precise control over the exposed antenna pattern thickness without requiring complex manufacturing processes, as the encapsulant acts as a selective mask rather than a uniform layer
Data Source
AI summary
An antenna package includes a patterned antenna structure and an encapsulant. The patterned antenna structure includes a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface and a third surface extended between the first surface and the second surface. The encapsulant is disposed on the first surface of the patterned antenna structure. The third surface of the patterned antenna structure includes a first portion covered by the encapsulant and a second portion exposed from the encapsulant.