Electronic package and method for manufacturing the same

This present disclosure provides an electronic package and a method for manufacturing the same. An antenna board with a limiter is stacked on a circuit board. A support body for holding the antenna board and the circuit board in place is provided between the antenna board and the circuit board, such that in the process of forming the support body, the limiter stops the flow of an adhesive material of the support body, and the adhesive material of the support body is prevented from overflowing onto an antenna structure of the antenna board to make sure that the antenna of the antenna board functions properly.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This Application claims under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) the benefit of Taiwanese Patent Application No. 107132269 filed on Sep. 13, 2018. The entire contents of these applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to electronic packages, and, more particularly, to an electronic package having an antenna structure.

2. Description of Related Art

Wireless communication technologies have been widely adopted in a myriad of consumer electronic products for receiving and/or transmitting various wireless signals. In order to satisfy the physical designs of the consumer electronic products, wireless communication modules are being designed and manufactured with compactness and light weight in mind. Among them, a patch antenna is widely used in the wireless communication modules of electronic products, such as cell phones, due to its small size, light weight and ease of manufacturing.

As shown inFIG. 1, a cross-sectional diagram of a traditional wireless communication module1is shown. The wireless communication module1includes a circuit board10provided with a semiconductor chip11on a bottom side thereof. A substrate12having an antenna (not shown) is stacked on a top side of the circuit board10via a plurality of solder bumps18. The circuit board10includes a ground plate (not shown) and antenna feed lines (not shown). A plurality of solder balls19are also disposed on the bottom side of the circuit board10. A vacant area between the circuit board10and the substrate12needs to be defined (an area surrounded by the solder bumps18in which no glue or molding compound should occupy). A distance L between the circuit board10and the substrate12also needs to be controlled to ensure the quality of the transmission signals between the substrate12and the semiconductor chip11.

However, in the traditional wireless communication module1when the substrate12is stacked on top of the circuit board10, the overall structure is flipped over (FIG. 1can be seen inverted) for the solder balls19to be reflowed accordingly. At the same time, the solder bumps18are softened and pulled down by the substrate12due to gravity, resulting in a larger distance L between the circuit board10and the substrate12and affecting the antenna function of the substrate12. This may decrease the product yield.

Therefore, there is an urgent need to find a solution that overcomes the aforementioned problems in the prior art.

SUMMARY

In view of the foregoing shortcomings in the prior art, the present disclosure provides an electronic package, which may include: a first substrate including an antenna structure and at least one limiter provided at an edge of the first substrate; a second substrate including one or more circuit layers, the first substrate being stacked on top of the second substrate via a plurality of conductive components; and at least a support body provided between the first substrate and the second substrate and extending to be in contact with the limiter to hold the first substrate and the second substrate in place, wherein the support body is not electrically connected with the first substrate and the second substrate.

The present disclosure further provides a method for manufacturing an electronic package, which may include the following steps of: providing a first substrate including an antenna structure and at least one limiter provided at an edge of the first substrate; stacking the first substrate on top of a second substrate having circuit layers via a plurality of conductive components; and providing at least a support body between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein the support body extends to be in contact with the limiter to hold the first substrate and the second substrate in place, and the support body is not electrically connected with the first substrate and the second substrate.

In an embodiment, the first substrate is defined with a first surface, a second surface opposite to the first surface, and side faces adjoining the first and second surfaces, with at least one notch interconnecting the first surface with the second surface to be formed in side faces of the first substrate, and a wall of the notch being stepped to be served as the limiter.

In an embodiment, the first substrate is defined with a first surface, a second surface opposite to the first surface, and side faces adjoining the first and second surfaces, with at least one notch interconnecting the first surface with the second surface to be formed in side faces of the first substrate, and the support body being engaged in the notch.

In an embodiment, an insulating protective layer is formed on a surface of the first substrate and is stepped to be served as the limiter.

In an embodiment, a bump is provided on a surface of the first substrate to be served as the limiter.

In an embodiment, the support body protrudes from a side face of the first substrate. In an embodiment, forming the support body includes: dispensing an adhesive between the first substrate and the second substrate for the adhesive to be in contact with the first substrate and the second substrate; and curing the adhesive to form the support body. In an embodiment, the support body is a thermosetting adhesive.

In an embodiment, an electronic component is further provided on the second substrate.

In an embodiment, the second substrate includes a first side and a second side opposite to the first side, with the first substrate stacked on the first side of the second substrate and the electronic component provided on the second side of the second substrate.

In an embodiment, the second substrate further includes an antenna portion in communication with the antenna structure through electromagnetic induction.

In an embodiment, the first substrate is narrower than the second substrate.

In summary, through the arrangement of the one or more support bodies, the electronic package and the method for manufacturing the same according to the present disclosure allow the distance between the first substrate and the second substrate to be kept unchanged even after a high-temperature manufacturing process is performed. Therefore, compared to the prior art, the electronic package in accordance with the present disclosure has the functions of its antenna structure without being compromised as a result of the increase in the distance between the first and second substrates, thereby preventing lowered product yield.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

The present disclosure is described by the following specific embodiments. Those with ordinary skills in the arts can readily understand other advantages and functions of the present disclosure after reading the disclosure of this specification. The present disclosure may also be practiced or applied with other different implementations. Based on different contexts and applications, the various details in this specification can be modified and changed without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

It should be noted that the structures, ratios, sizes shown in the drawings appended to this specification are to be construed in conjunction with the disclosure of this specification in order to facilitate understanding of those skilled in the art. They are not meant, in any ways, to limit the implementations of the present disclosure, and therefore have no substantial technical meaning. Without affecting the effects created and objectives achieved by the present disclosure, any modifications, changes or adjustments to the structures, ratio relationships or sizes, are to be construed as fall within the range covered by the technical contents disclosed herein. Meanwhile, terms, such as “first”, “second”, “a”, “one” and the like, are for illustrative purposes only, and are not meant to limit the range implementable by the present disclosure. Any changes or adjustments made to their relative relationships, without modifying the substantial technical contents, are also to be construed as within the range implementable by the present disclosure.

FIGS. 2A to 2Care schematic cross-sectional views illustrating a method for manufacturing an electronic package2in accordance with the present disclosure.FIG. 2Ais a cross-sectional view ofFIG. 2A′ along a section line A-A.

As shown inFIG. 2A, a first substrate21is provided, which includes a first surface21a, a second surface21bopposite to the first surface21a, and side faces21cadjoining the first and second surfaces21aand21b. A plurality of limiters23are provided at the edges of the first substrate21.

In an embodiment, the first substrate21is an antenna board having at least an antenna structure211provided on the first surface21aand a plurality of conductive contacts212provided on the second surface21b. The antenna structure211is a circuit-type antenna and is electrically insulated from the conductive contacts21. It can be appreciated that the first substrate21can also be other types of antenna board, and the present disclosure is not limited to any specific type of antenna board.

The side faces21of the first substrate21have at least one notch210, such as those semi-circular holes shown inFIG. 2A′, interconnecting the first and second surfaces21aand21b. The wall of the notch210is stepped to be served as a limiter23(referring toFIG. 3A). For example, a larger hole is first formed on the first surface21aof the first substrate21. The larger hole is not interconnected with the second surface21b. Then a smaller hole interconnected with the second surface21bis formed on the bottom of the larger hole, such that the larger hole and the smaller hole form the notch210. The stepped wall of the notch210serves as the limiter23. It can be appreciated that multiple tiers of stepped walls can be formed according to needs. In other words, holes with incrementally smaller apertures can be sequentially formed.

As an alternative, as shown inFIG. 3B, an edge of an insulating protective layer213on the first surface21aof the first substrate21can be stepped to form a limiter33. It can be appreciated that multiple tiers can be formed on the edge of the insulating protective layer21according to practical needs.

As another alternative, as shown inFIG. 3C, a dam can be formed on the first surface21aof the first substrate21to be served as a limiter43. The limiter43can be, for example, a metal bump or an insulating bump that protrudes from the first substrate21of the first substrate21.

It can be appreciated that the aspects of the notch210and the limiters23,33,43can be designed according to needs, and are not limited to the above.

As shown inFIG. 2B, the first substrate21is stacked, via its second surface21b, on the top of a second substrate22through a plurality of conductive components28. The width D of the first substrate21is less than the width R of the second substrate22, and a vacant area between the first substrate21and the second substrate22needs to be defined (an area surrounded by the conductive components28in which no glue or molding compound should occupy).

In an embodiment, the second substrate22is a circuit board defined with a first side22aand a second side22bopposite to the first side22a. The first substrate21is stacked on the first side22aof the second substrate22. In an embodiment, the second substrate22includes circuit layers220, an antenna portion221, a ground layer222, and antenna feed lines223. In another embodiment, the antenna portion221is a circuit-type antenna that is electrically connected to the ground layer222via the antenna feed lines, but is electrically insulated from the circuit layers220. The antenna structure211of the first substrate21may interact with the antenna portion221of the second substrate22through electromagnetic induction, thereby transmitting signals between the two.

In an embodiment, the conductive components28are bonded between the conductive contacts21of the first substrate21and the circuit layer220on the first side22aof the second substrate22for electrically connecting the first substrate21with the second substrate22. In an embodiment, the conductive components28are copper pillars, soldering materials or other structures, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

In an embodiment, the conductive components28are not electrically connected to the antenna structure211and the antenna portion221. Some of the conductive components28can be electrically connected to the ground layer222or dummy pads. The conductive contacts21and the contacts of the circuit layer220may serve as dummy pads without any electrical functions.

In an embodiment, at least an electronic component20can be provided on the second side22bof the second substrate22. In another embodiment, the electronic component20is an active component, a passive component or a combination of both. The active component can be, for example, a semiconductor chip, and the passive component can be, for example, a resistor, a capacitor, an inductor or the like. In an embodiment, the electronic component20can be electrically connected to the circuit layer220via a plurality of conductive bumps200(e.g., soldering materials) in a flip-chip manner. Alternatively, the electronic component20can be bonded to the circuit layer220in a wired manner via a plurality of soldering wires (not shown). As another alternative, the electronic component20can be made to be in contact and electrically connected with the circuit layer220directly. Nevertheless, how the electronic component20is electrically connected with the second substrate22is not limited to those described above. It can be appreciated that, although the electronic component20is shown not provided between the first substrate21and the second substrate22, there are numerous ways in which the electronic component20can be arranged (e.g., on the first side22aof the second substrate22), and the present disclosure is not limited as such.

As shown inFIG. 2C, support bodies24are formed between the second surface21bof the first substrate21and the first side22aof the second substrate22via the notches210to hold the first substrate21and the second substrate22in place. The support bodies24are not electrically connected with the first and second substrates21and22.

In an embodiment, the support bodies24are insulating materials, such as adhesive pillars, and are exposed from the notches210or the first surface21aof the first substrate21.

In an embodiment, the process of forming the support bodies24includes dispensing a thermosetting adhesive between the first substrate21and the second substrate22via the notches210by a dispense needle, such that the adhesive is in contact with the first surface21aof the first substrate21and the first side22aof the second substrate22(also may be in contact with the walls of the notches210or the limiters23). The thermosetting adhesive is then cured to form the support bodies24.

In an embodiment, the notch210has a semi-circular shape as shown inFIG. 3A, and a larger dispense needle can be used in forming the support bodies24to reduce cost.

In an embodiment, the support bodies24may protrude from the side faces21of the first substrate21or may not protrude from the side faces21of the first substrate21(only occupy the notches210).

In an embodiment, a plurality of solder balls29can be disposed on the circuit layer220on the second side22bof the second substrate22, and are reflowed so as to be bonded with an electronic device (not shown), such as another circuit board.

The method for manufacturing an electronic package in accordance with the present disclosure allows coupling of the first substrate21and the second substrate22through the support bodies24, such that the distance H between the first substrate21and the second substrate22can be kept unchanged. This prevents the conductive components28from being pulled down by the weight of the first substrate21during the reflow of the solder balls29or a subsequent high-temperature baking process. Therefore, compared to the prior art, the electronic package2in accordance with the present disclosure is able to keep constant the distance H between the first substrate21and the second substrate22, such that the antenna structure211and the antenna portion221can function normally and the quality of the antenna can be effectively controlled, thereby improving the product yield.

With the design of the limiters23,33,43being located closer to the side faces21of the first substrate21than the antenna structure211, the support bodies24during forming may extend into and make contact with the limiters23,33,43, and are trapped around the limiters23,33,43. As a result, the support bodies24are prevented from overflowing onto the antenna structure211, ensuring the integrity of the antenna structure211on the first substrate21, thereby improving the product yield.

With the design of the notches210, during formation of the support bodies24, the bonding between the support bodies24and the first substrate21can be strengthened by the portion of the support bodies24formed inside the notches210, preventing undesirable detachment of the support bodies24from the first substrate21.

The present disclosure provides an electronic package2, which includes: a first substrate21, a second substrate22and at least one support body24.

The first substrate21includes an antenna structure211and a limiter23provided at an edge of the first substrate21.

The second substrate22includes circuit layers220, and the first substrate21is stacked on top of the second substrate22via a plurality of conductive components28.

The support body24is provided between the first substrate21and the second substrate22and extends into and makes contact with the limiter23, such that the support body24holds the first substrate21and the second substrate22in place. The support body24is not electrically connected with the first substrate21and the second substrate22.

In an embodiment, the first substrate21is defined with a first surface21a, a second surface21bopposite to the first surface21a, and side faces21adjoining the first and second surfaces21aand21b. The side faces21of the first substrate21includes at least one notch210interconnecting the first surface21awith the second surface21b, and the wall of the notch210is stepped to be served as the limiter23. The support body24is engaged in the notch210.

In an embodiment, an insulating protective layer21is provided on the first surface21aof the first substrate21, and an edge of the insulating protective layer21is stepped to be served as a limiter33.

In an embodiment, a protruding bump is provided on the first surface21aof the first substrate21to be served as a limiter43.

In an embodiment, the support body24protrudes from the side face21of the first substrate21.

In an embodiment, the support body24is a thermosetting adhesive.

In an embodiment, the electronic package2further includes an electronic component20provided on the second substrate22. In another embodiment, the second substrate22includes a first side22aand a second side22bopposite to the first side22a, and the first substrate21is stacked on the first side22aof the second substrate22, while the electronic component20is provided on the second side22bof the second substrate22.

In an embodiment, the second substrate22further includes an antenna portion221that can be interact with the antenna structure211through electromagnetic induction.

In summary, the electronic package and the method for manufacturing the same according to the present disclosure keep the distance between the first substrate and the second substrate unchanged by the arrangement of the one or more support bodies even after a high-temperature manufacturing process is performed. As a result, the antenna structure will be able to function properly in the electronic package in accordance with the present disclosure, thus ensuring the product yield is line with expectations.

The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the principles of the present disclosure, and should not be construed as to limit the present disclosure in any way. The above embodiments can be modified by those with ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined in the following appended claims.