Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US7522014?ie=ISO-8859-1&dq=4393663
Timestamp: 2014-07-23 05:53:48
Document Index: 123598249

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application No. 2002', 'Application No. 2003', 'art 47', 'art 47', 'art 47', 'art 47', 'arts 77', 'art 102', 'art 102', 'art; 122', 'art 128', 'art 142', 'art 142', 'art 149', 'art 149', 'art 149']

Patent US7522014 - High frequency line-to-waveguide converter and high frequency package - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign in<nobr>Advanced Patent Search</nobr>PatentsA high frequency line-waveguide converter comprises a high frequency line including a dielectric layer, a line conductor disposed on an upper surface of the dielectric layer, and a ground conductor layer disposed on the same surface so as to surround one end of the line conductor, a slot formed in the...http://www.google.com/patents/US7522014?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US7522014 - High frequency line-to-waveguide converter and high frequency packageAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS7522014 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 11/841,442Publication dateApr 21, 2009Filing dateAug 20, 2007Priority dateOct 29, 2002Fee statusPaidAlso published asDE10350346A1, DE10350346B4, US7276987, US20040155723, US20080042773Publication number11841442, 841442, US 7522014 B2, US 7522014B2, US-B2-7522014, US7522014 B2, US7522014B2InventorsShinichi KoriyamaOriginal AssigneeKyocera CorporationExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (12), Referenced by (1), Classifications (23), Legal Events (1) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetHigh frequency line-to-waveguide converter and high frequency packageUS 7522014 B2Abstract A high frequency line-waveguide converter comprises a high frequency line including a dielectric layer, a line conductor disposed on an upper surface of the dielectric layer, and a ground conductor layer disposed on the same surface so as to surround one end of the line conductor, a slot formed in the ground conductor layer so as to be substantially orthogonal to the one end of the line conductor and coupled to the line conductor, a shield conductor part disposed on a side of or in an inside of the dielectric layer so as to surround the one end of the line conductor and the slot, and a waveguide disposed at the lower side of the dielectric layer so that an opening is made opposite to the one end of the line conductor and the slot, and electrically connected to the shield conductor part.
a metal base having a mounting part of a high frequency electronic component on one surface, and a through hole disposed to be adjacent to the mounting part, an opening on one side of the through hole being connected with a waveguide; and
a high frequency line conductor directed from an outer peripheral part to a center part on one surface of the dielectric substrate; and
a same surface ground conductor disposed on the same surface as the one surface of the dielectric substrate so as to surround an end of the high frequency line conductor on the center part side,
a frame ground conductor formed on another surface of the dielectric substrate in a shape conforming to an opening on another side of the through hole so as to be opposite to the end of the high frequency line conductor on the center part side;
2. The high frequency package of claim 1, wherein an interval between the high frequency line conductor and the same surface ground conductor is � or less of a signal wavelength of a high frequency signal transmitted through the high frequency line.
3. A high frequency package comprising:
a high frequency line conductor directed from an outer peripheral part to a center part on one surface of a dielectric substrate; and
a slot provided on the same surface ground conductor and formed to be orthogonal to the end of the high frequency line conductor on the center part side and coupled to the high frequency line in terms of high frequency;
an internal ground conductor formed between the high frequency line conductor of an inside of the dielectric substrate and the frame ground conductor, and provided with the transmission opening opposite to the slot and larger than the slot;
4. The high frequency package of claim 3, wherein an interval between the high frequency line conductor and the same surface ground conductor is � or less of a signal wavelength of a high frequency signal transmitted through the high frequency line.
5. A high frequency package comprising:
a high frequency line conductor formed on one surface of the dielectric substrate and disposed so as to extend from an outer peripheral part toward a center part on the one surface of the dielectric substrate; and
6. A high frequency package comprising:
a metal base including a mounting part for a high frequency electric component at one surface thereof, the through hole disposed to be adjacent to the mounting part and having an opening on one side thereof connected with the waveguide, being formed therein; and
a high frequency line conductor disposed so as to extend from an outer peripheral part toward a center part on one surface of the dielectric substrate; and
CROSS-REFERENCE TO THE RELATED APPLICATIONS This is a divisional of application Ser. No. 10/696,745 filed Oct. 29, 2003, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference. This application also claims benefit of priority under 35 USC � 119 to Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-314410 filed Oct. 29, 2002 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-087350 filed Mar. 27, 2003, the entire contents of both of which are incorporated by reference.
The present invention relates to a high frequency line-to-waveguide converter in which a high frequency line, such as a coplanar line or a coplanar line having ground, forming a high frequency circuit and used in a microwave or millimeter wave region is converted into a waveguide, and connection between the high frequency circuit and an antenna or between high frequency circuits is performed through the waveguide, so that mounting of a system can be easily performed.
Besides, the invention relates to a high frequency package for easily connecting a high frequency electronic component used in a microwave or millimeter wave region to a waveguide.
In recent years, we enter the advanced information age, and with respect to a high frequency signal used for information transmission, studies have been carried out to utilize frequencies in the range from a microwave of 1 to 30 GHz to a millimeter wave of 30 to 300 GHz, and an application system using a high frequency signal of a millimeter wave, such as an inter-vehicular radar, is also proposed.
It is known that as compared with the high frequency line of the microstrip line structure as stated above, the transmission loss of a high frequency signal in a waveguide is low. For example, the loss of a waveguide WR-28 used in a band of 26 GHz to 40 GHz is about 0.005 dB/cm at 40 GHz, and this is remarkably smaller than the loss of about 1 dB/cm of the microstrip line using an aluminum substrate. This is because as compared with the normal high frequency line (generally designed to have an impedance of 50Ω) by the microstrip line or the like, the impedance of the waveguide is high (although changed according to the frequency, it is designed to be of the order of approximately 500Ω), and in the normal high frequency line, although the contribution of electric field energy transmitted in the dielectric substance is large in relation to the transmitted signal energy, the waveguide has such a structure that air having a dielectric loss tangent of almost 0 is used as the dielectric substance, a current flowing through the wall of the waveguide, which causes relatively low magnetic energy, may be small, and since the current flows through a relatively wide area of the wall of the waveguide, electric resistance becomes small and the conductor loss becomes small.
The high frequency line-to-waveguide converter 18 in this front end 10 is of the type in which at a position apart from the short circuit termination surface of the short circuit termination member 17 by a distance of � of a wavelength (guide wavelength), in the waveguide, of an electromagnetic wave excited by a high frequency signal, a probe (a portion where although a line conductor is extended, a ground conductor is not formed) formed on the microstrip substrate 16 is inserted from the side of the waveguide by a length of approximately � of a signal wavelength. This probe functions as an antenna in the waveguide, and radiates a high frequency signal as an electromagnetic wave into the waveguide. The half of the electromagnetic wave radiated into the waveguide is directly transmitted to the lower waveguide member 13, and the remaining half is transmitted toward the upper short circuit termination member 17. The phase of the electromagnetic wave transmitted toward the short circuit termination member 17 is inverted at the short circuit termination surface and is totally reflected. The totally reflected electromagnetic wave is returned to the probe portion, and is combined with the electromagnetic wave directly radiated downward from the probe. At this time, when the distance between the probe and the short circuit termination surface is made � of the guide wavelength, the length of the both way optical path starting from the probe and returning to the probe via the short circuit termination surface becomes the � wavelength, and the phase of the electromagnetic wave reflected at the short circuit termination surface becomes opposite to that of the electromagnetic wave directly radiated from the probe by the optical path difference. Eventually, the phase of the electromagnetic wave reflected at the short circuit termination surface is inverted when it is reflected at the short circuit termination surface, and further, the phase is reversed by the optical path difference, and becomes the same as the phase of the electromagnetic wave directly radiated downward from the probe, and the electromagnetic wave is transmitted to the lower waveguide member 13.
Since the high frequency line-to-waveguide converter 18, together with the wiring substrate 19, is constructed on the metal chassis 15 by assembly, there is a problem that in the case where conversion loss of the high frequency line-to-waveguide converter becomes large by position shift of the respective members, the assembly becomes poor, and all of the used members become wasteful. Besides, the related art is disclosed in WO96/27913 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 2001-177312 (2001).
FIG. 15 is a sectional view for explaining a structure of a high frequency line-to-waveguide converter. According to FIG. 15, a front end 20 is constructed such that a high frequency package 21 is connected to an antenna 22 through a waveguide 23. The high frequency package 21 is constructed such that a conversion substrate 26 having a built-in waveguide converter 25 is joined to a metal base 24. The waveguide converter 25 converts a plane circuit 28 for transmitting a high frequency signal processed by a high frequency electronic component 27 mounted on the high frequency package 21 into a waveguide mode 31 through a slot 30 formed in a ground layer 29 in the inside of the conversion substrate 26.
In order to solve the problem as stated above, for example, a high frequency line-to-waveguide converter is conceivable in which a slot functioning as an antenna is formed at a tip of a coplanar line on a surface of a dielectric substrate, a waveguide is connected to a rear surface of the dielectric substrate at a position opposite to the slot, and a shield conductor part for connecting the waveguide and a ground conductor layer of the coplanar line is provided along an opening of the waveguide. The coplanar line is constituted by a line conductor and ground conductor layers disposed at both sides thereof, and the ground conductor layers in this case function as the ground of the coplanar line, and further function also as reflecting plates for again reflecting an electromagnetic wave (reflected wave) radiated from the slot, reflected at the boundary between the dielectric substrate and the waveguide and returned to the slot side. According to this converter, when the distance from the slot to the boundary between the dielectric substrate and the waveguide is set to � of the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave transmitted through the dielectric layer, an optical path difference between the reflected wave, which is radiated from the slot, is reflected at the boundary between the dielectric substrate and the waveguide, is again reflected at the ground conductor layer and reaches the boundary, and the electromagnetic wave (direct wave) directly transmitted to the boundary from the slot becomes equal to � of the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave, and the phase of the magnetic field of the reflected wave is inverted when it is reflected at the boundary between the dielectric substrate and the waveguide, and accordingly, the direct wave and the reflected wave have the same phase at the boundary to intensify each other, and are transmitted to the waveguide. That is, the dielectric substrate intervening between the slot and the waveguide and having the thickness set to � of the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave functions as a matching device of the slot and the waveguide whose impedances are different from each other.
In order to solve the problem as stated above, it is conceivable that for example, the conversion substrate 26 including only the waveguide converter 25 is fabricated, and is connected to the metal base 24. By doing so, it becomes possible to lessen the conversion substrate 26, the residual stress after the assembly due to the mismatch in thermal expansion between the conversion substrate 26 and the metal base 24 becomes low, and it is possible to prevent the warp or fracture of the high frequency package 21.
According to the invention, since the high frequency line including the line conductor disposed on the one surface of the dielectric layer and the ground conductor layer disposed on the same surface so as to surround the one end of the line conductor is coupled to the slot formed in the ground conductor layer to be substantially orthogonal to the one end of the line conductor the high frequency line and the slot are formed on the same surface, and as a result, the relative positional relation of both is difficult to change, and variation in the length of a stub as a protruding portion of the high frequency line with respect to the slot can be made small, and accordingly, variation in the characteristic of electromagnetic coupling can be made small, and variation in the conversion characteristic of the high frequency line-to-waveguide conversion can be made small.
According to the invention, when the tip of the one end of the line conductor is opened, and the distance between the tip and the slot is approximately � of the wavelength of the signal transmitted through the high frequency line, the signal (traveling wave) transmitted through the high frequency line is totally reflected at the open end, and becomes a regressive wave transmitted in the opposite direction. At this time, since the tip is opened, a current can not flow in the tip, and the current of the regressive wave is reflected in this portion while the phase is inverted to cancel the current of the traveling wave. The synthesis of the current of the traveling wave and the current of the regressive wave which inverts the phase produces a standing wave in which the open tip is a node and a node pitch is � of the signal wavelength. Here, since the distance between the open tip and the slot is � of the signal wavelength, a portion of the high frequency line just above the slot becomes the antinode of the standing wave, the current becomes maximum, and the magnetic field generated by the current becomes maximum. The magnetic field which becomes maximum moves to the slot, excellent electromagnetic coupling is performed, and the signal is finally efficiently transmitted to the waveguide. At this time, when the distance between the open end and the slot is made (2n−1)/4 of the signal wavelength, where n is a natural number, the slot is positioned at the position of the antinode of the standing wave formed by synthesis of the traveling wave and the regressive wave, and the same effect as the case where the distance between the open end and the slot is � of the signal wavelength is obtained.
Besides, in the invention it is preferable that a tip of the one end of the line conductor is short circuited to the ground conductor layer, and a distance between the tip and the slot is approximately (n−1)/2 (n is a natural number) of the wavelength of the signal transmitted through the high frequency line.
a high frequency line including a dielectric layer, a line conductor disposed on one surface of the dielectric layer, and a same surface ground conductor layer disposed on the same surface so as to surround one end of the line conductor;
a slot formed in the same surface ground conductor layer so as to be substantially orthogonal to the one end of the line conductor and coupled to the high frequency line in terms of high frequency;
a shield conductor part disposed on a side of or in an inside of the dielectric layer so as to surround the one end of the line conductor and the slot;
a waveguide disposed on a side of the other surface of the dielectric layer so that an opening is opposite to the one end of the line conductor and the slot, and electrically connected to the shield conductor part; and
an internal ground conductor layer disposed in the inside of the dielectric layer between the same surface ground conductor layer and the waveguide and having a transmission opening for causing an electromagnetic wave of a signal transmitted through the high frequency line to be transmitted between the slot and the waveguide.
According to the invention, in a portion of the dielectric layer surrounded by the same surface ground conductor layer disposed on the same surface so as to surround the line conductor disposed on the one surface of the dielectric layer and the one end of the line conductor, the shield conductor part disposed on the side of or in the inside of the dielectric layer so as to surround the slot, and the waveguide opening part at the side of the other surface of the dielectric layer, and in a portion along the waveguide opening having a highest magnetic field of a TM mode as a resonant mode, since the high frequency line part and the waveguide opening part are separated by the internal ground conductor layer, an electromagnetic mode transmitted from the high frequency line to the waveguide is not coupled with the TM mode as the resonant mode, and as a result, a signal energy transmitted through the high frequency line is not transferred to the resonant mode, and signal reflection by resonance is made to difficult to generate, so that excellent signal conversion from the high frequency line to the waveguide can be performed.
According to the invention, in the case where the tip of the line conductor of the high frequency line is short-circuited and the distance between the short-circuit tip and the slot becomes approximately � of the signal wavelength, an optical path length of the high frequency signal transmitted from the slot to the short-circuit tip, totally reflected at the short-circuit tip, and returned to the slot comes to have substantially the same length as the signal wavelength, and since the phase of the magnetic field is not changed in the total reflection at the short-circuit tip, the returned high frequency signal comes to have the same phase as the high frequency signal transmitted through the high frequency line, and they intensify each other and are firmly coupled with the slot, and the conversion efficiency from the high frequency line to waveguide can be raised. At this time, when the distance between the short-circuit tip and the slot is made approximately (n−1)/2 of the signal wavelength, where n is a natural number, the high frequency signal transmitted from the slot to the short-circuit tip, totally reflected at the short-circuit tip, and returned to the slot comes to have the same phase as the high frequency signal transmitted through the high frequency line, and they intensify each other and are firmly coupled with the slot, and the conversion efficiency from the high frequency line to the waveguide can be raised. Besides, in the case where n is 1, the line conductor is short-circuited at the slot part, and since the reflection by the short circuit does not change the phase of the magnetic field, it comes to have the same phase as the high frequency signal transmitted through the high frequency line, and they intensify each other.
According to the invention, the ground conductor layer of the high frequency line and the internal ground conductor layer are connected by the connection conductor along the transmission opening, and it becomes possible to effectively use a high frequency line portion outside of the region surrounded by the connection conductor, and as a result, a system using the high frequency line-to-waveguide converter can be miniaturized.
In the invention, it is preferable that a second dielectric layer is laminated on the dielectric layer, and a one surface ground conductor layer is provided on one surface of the second dielectric layer so as to cover the line conductor, whereby a coplanar line structure having ground is achieved.
a dielectric substrate; a high frequency line conductor directed from an outer peripheral part to a center part on one surface of a dielectric substrate; and a same surface ground conductor disposed on the same surface as the one surface of the dielectric substrate so as to surround an end of the high frequency line conductor on the center part side, a frame ground conductor formed on another surface of the dielectric substrate in a shape conforming to an opening on another side of the through hole so as to be opposite to the end of the high frequency line conductor on the center part side;
According to the invention, in the above structure, when the interval between the high frequency line conductor and the same surface ground conductor is � or less of the signal wavelength of the high frequency signal transmitted through the high frequency line, in the case where the high frequency line conductors of the conversion substrate and the high frequency electronic component and the same surface ground conductors of these are respectively connected to each other by wire bonding, the distance between the wire for connecting the high frequency line conductors and the wire for connecting the same surface ground conductors can be made approximately � or less of the signal wavelength of the high frequency signal, and the respective wires are electromagnetically coupled with each other to form the high frequency transmission path, and the high frequency package excellent in transmission of high frequency signals can be provided.
Besides, according to the invention, the dielectric waveguide part surrounded by the internal ground conductor and the second connection conductor is shielded by the internal ground conductor from the high frequency electromagnetic field generated in the high frequency line conductor part of the one surface. For example, although the magnetic field circulating through the high frequency line conductor is generated in the high frequency line conductor part, part of the magnetic field is coincident with the magnetic field of the TM mode as one of resonant modes in the dielectric waveguide part, and these two magnetic fields are shielded by the internal ground conductor, so that a possibility to cause an unnecessary resonance in the dielectric waveguide part is reduced, and excellent conversion to the waveguide can be performed.
FIG. 3A is a plan view showing a high frequency line-to-waveguide converter according to still another embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 3B is a sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 3A.
FIGS. 9A to 9C show an evaluation substrate of a high frequency line-to-waveguide converter of the invention, in which FIG. 9A is a top view, FIG. 9B is a sectional view taken along line VII-VII of FIG. 9A, and FIG. 9C is a bottom view.
FIGS. 12A and 12B are views showing a high frequency package according to still another embodiment of the invention, in which. FIG. 12A is a plan view, and FIG. 12B is a sectional view taken along line X-X of FIG. 12A.
In order to attach the waveguide 46 to the high frequency line-to-waveguide converter by joining with solder material, it is appropriate that a waveguide connecting conductor electrically connected to the ground conductor layer 54 and the shield conductor part 47 c is previously formed to conform to the opening of the waveguide 46 to be attached. For example, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, it is appropriate that a waveguide connecting conductor 48 made of a metallized layer connected to the shield conductor part 47 c made of the shield through conductor is previously formed on the lower surface of the dielectric layer 42. Besides, also in the case where the shield conductor part is a metallized layer formed on the side of the dielectric layer 42, it is appropriate that the waveguide connecting conductor 48 made of a metallized layer is formed on the lower surface of the dielectric layer 42 so as to be connected to the metallized layer as the shield conductor part on the side. When the waveguide connecting conductor 48 as stated above is previously formed, the electrical connection between the waveguide 46 and the shield conductor and the ground conductor layer 44 at the time when the waveguide 46 is attached to the high frequency line-to-waveguide converter becomes more certain, and accordingly, this becomes preferable in that the high frequency line-to-waveguide converter having high reliability can be constructed.
For example, although FIGS. 1A and 1B and FIGS. 2A and 2B show the examples in which the high frequency line has the coplanar line structure, a coplanar line structure having a ground may be adopted in which a lower ground layer is provided between the line conductor 43,53,63 and the waveguide 46, or a coplanar line structure having ground may be adopted in which a dielectric layer 42 a is further laminated on the dielectric layer 42, and an upper ground conductor layer 44 a is provided on the upper surface of the dielectric layer 42 a so as to cover the line conductor 43, as shown in FIGS. 1C and 2C. In any case, when the positional relation among the dielectric layer 42,52, the line conductor 43,53,63, the ground conductor layer 44,54, the slot 45, the waveguide 46 and the shield part 47 a,47 b,47 c is made the same as the example shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B or FIGS. 2A and 2B, the same effect can be obtained.
First, by using a ceramic green sheet of alumina ceramic whose dielectric loss tangent at 10 GHz became 0.0006 after firing and a metallization paste for tungsten metallization, an evaluation substrate as shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C was fabricated by a normal green sheet lamination technique and a simultaneous firing technique. Incidentally,
FIG. 5A is a top view of the evaluation substrate, FIG. 5B is a sectional view taken along line V-V of FIG. 5A, and FIG. 5C is a bottom view.
After firing, the surfaces of respective metallized layers of the upper surface and the lower surface of the evaluation substrate were subjected to plating with nickel and gold. Here, with respect to the high frequency line-to-waveguide converter in the evaluation substrate, the corresponding waveguide was set to a WR-10 for a W band (75 GHz to 110 GHz), and was designed while 76 GHz was made the center frequency. The evaluation substrate includes two high frequency line-to-waveguide converters of the invention at both sides in the drawing, each including the dielectric layer 42, the line conductor 43, the ground conductor layer 44, the slot 45, the shield conductor part 47 c made of the shield through conductors, and the waveguide connection conductor 48 as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, and these two converters have such a structure that the line conductors 43, the ground conductor layers 44 of both are respectively integrated. The integrated line conductor 43 and ground conductor layer 44, together with the dielectric layer 42, constitute the connection coplanar line 49. The interval between the high frequency line-to-waveguide converters at both sides was made 20 mm so that measuring waveguides could be respectively connected. By this, the evaluation substrate has such a structure that the two high frequency line-to-waveguide converters are connected by the connection coplanar line 49 having a length of 20 mm.
By adopting the structure as stated above, as shown in FIG. 7B, portions where a magnetic field distribution 83 of the coplanar line as the high frequency line 71 and a magnetic field distribution 85 of an unnecessary mode in the dielectric layer exist, are separated by the internal ground conductor layer 78 from the side of the dielectric layer 72 where the waveguide 76 is attached, and the occurrence of the unnecessary mode in the portion of the internal ground conductor layer 78 at the side of the waveguide 76 is suppressed, and as a result, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of reflection due to the resonance of the unnecessary mode in the high frequency line-to-waveguide conversion.
Besides, as exemplified in a plan view of a line conductor 73 a of FIG. 8A, when a tip of the line conductor 73 a of the high frequency line 71 a is opened, and a distance between this open tip and substantially the center part of the slot 75 is made approximately (2n−1)/4 (n is a natural number) of a signal wavelength, an optical path length of a reflected wave transmitted from substantially the center part of the slot 75 to the open tip, totally reflected at the open tip, and returned to substantially the center part of the slot 75 becomes the sum of approximately � of the signal wavelength and an integral multiple of the signal wavelength, and further, the phase of the magnetic field is inverted by the total reflection at the open tip and eventually, this reflected wave and the high frequency signal transmitted through the high frequency line 71 a come to have the same phase and intensify each other to be highly coupled to the slot 75, and the conversion efficiency from the high frequency line to the waveguide can be enhanced.
Besides, as exemplified in a plan view of a line conductor 73 b of FIG. 8B, when a tip of the line conductor 73 b of a high frequency line 71 b is short-circuited, and a distance between this short-circuit tip and substantially the center part of a slot 75 of the line conductor 73 b is made approximately (n−1)/2 (n is a natural number) of a signal wavelength, an optical path length of a reflected wave transmitted from substantially the center part of the slot 75 to the short-circuit tip, totally reflected at the short-circuit tip, and returned to substantially the center part of the slot 75 becomes an integral multiple of the signal wavelength, and the phase of a magnetic field is not changed by the total reflection at the short-circuit tip, and accordingly, this reflected wave and the high frequency signal transmitted through the high frequency line 71 b come to have the same phase and intensify each other to be highly coupled to the slot 75, and the conversion efficiency from the high frequency line 71 b to the waveguide 76 can be enhanced.
Especially in the case where the high frequency line-to-waveguide converter is incorporated in a wiring substrate on which a high frequency component is mounted, as a dielectric material forming the dielectric layer 72, like the above-mentioned embodiment, it is desirable that a dielectric loss tangent is small, and airtight sealing is possible. As an especially desirable dielectric material, at least one kind of inorganic material selected from a group consisting of aluminum oxide aluminum nitride, and glass ceramic material can be mentioned. When such a hard material is used, the dielectric loss tangent is small and the mounted high frequency component can be airtightly sealed, so that such a material is preferable in raising the reliability of the mounted high frequency component. In this case, as a conductor material, it is desirable in view of airtightness and productivity to use a metalized conductor which can be fired at the same time as the dielectric material.
The high frequency line-to-waveguide converter of the invention is fabricated as described below. For example, in the case where an aluminum oxide sintered body is used as the dielectric material, first, a suitable organic solvent is added to and mixed with a raw material powder of aluminum oxide, silicon oxide, magnesium oxide, calcium oxide or the like to form slurry, and this is formed into a sheet by a well-known doctor blade method or a calender roll method to fabricate a ceramic green sheet. Besides, a suitable organic solvent is added to and mixed with a raw material powder of high melting metal, such as tungsten or molybdenum, aluminum oxide, silicon oxide, magnesium oxide, calcium oxide or the like to fabricate a metallization paste. Next, through holes for formation of through conductors as the shield conductor parts 77 and the connection conductor 80 are formed in the ceramic green sheet by, for example, a punching method, and the metallization paste is implanted in the through holes by, for example, a printing method, and subsequently, the metallization paste is printed to have the shape of the ground conductor 74 and the internal ground conductor layer 78 having the line conductor 73 and the slot 75. In the case where the dielectric layer 72 is made of a laminate structure having a plurality of dielectric layers, ceramic green sheets in which these conductors are implanted and printed are laminated, are pressurized to be subjected to pressure bonding, and are fired at a high temperature (about 1600� C.). Further, the surface of the conductor exposed on the surface of the line conductor 73, the ground conductor 74 or the like is plated with nickel and gold.
It is desirable that a gap (indicated by G1 in FIG. 6A) between the connection conductors 80 is made less than � of the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave in the dielectric layer 72. This is because when the gap is made less than � of the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave, the electromagnetic wave becomes difficult to leak from the gap between the connection conductors, so that the electromagnetic wave becomes difficult to leak to the outside region surrounded by the connection conductors 80 sandwiched between the ground conductor layer 74 and the internal ground conductor layer 78, and the occurrence of a parallel-plate mode as an unnecessary mode which can occur in this region can be suppressed.
It is preferable that a distance between the internal ground conductor layer 78 and the waveguide 76 is made approximately � of the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave excited in the dielectric layer 72 by the signal transmitted through the high frequency line 71 in order to enhance the conversion efficiency of the high frequency line-to-waveguide conversion. When the distance between the internal ground conductor layer 78 and the waveguide 76 is made approximately � of the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave, since an optical path length in which a reflected wave reflected at the boundary between the dielectric layer 72 and the waveguide 76 is totally reflected at the internal ground conductor layer 78 and is returned to the boundary becomes approximately � of the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave, the phase is inverted when the reflected wave is returned, and further, the phase is inverted by the total reflection at the internal ground conductor layer 78. Thus, the reflected wave comes to have the same phase as the direct wave directly transmitted to the boundary between the dielectric layer 72 and the waveguide 76 from the slot 75, and these are combined with each other, and the signal is efficiently transmitted to the waveguide 76. Incidentally, when the distance between the internal ground conductor layer 78 and the waveguide 76 is made (2n−1)/4 of the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave, where n is a natural number, the optical path difference between the reflected wave and the direct wave becomes substantially � of the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave, and the same effect as the above is exerted, and further, the frequency becomes high, and the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave becomes short, and in order to set the distance between the internal ground conductor layer 78 and the waveguide 76 to � of the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave, the thickness of the dielectric layer 72 must be made thin, and in the case where the strength of the dielectric layer is lowered, the distance between the internal ground conductor layer 78 and the waveguide 76 is made �, 5/4 or the like of the signal wavelength, so that it is possible to suppress the lowering of the strength of the dielectric layer 72.
The distance between the internal ground conductor layer 78 and the waveguide 76 can be adjusted in the foregoing fabrication method, by adjusting the thickness of the ceramic green sheet which becomes the dielectric layer 72 after firing. In this case, the adjustment may be made by the thickness of one ceramic green sheet, or the adjustment may be made by laminating a plurality of ceramic green sheets.
The coupling of the high frequency line 71 and the slot 75 is not particularly restricted, and for example, as shown in FIG. 6A, the tip of the high frequency line 71 may be short-circuited and coupled to the ground conductor layer 74, and in this case, when the distance between the short-circuit tip of the high frequency line 71 and substantially the center part of the slot 75 is set to approximately (n−1)/2 of the signal wavelength, where n is a natural number, in a standing wave formed by synthesis of a traveling wave transmitted through the high frequency line and a reflected wave reflected at the short-circuited tip, a magnetic field becomes highest at substantially the center part of the slot 75, electromagnetic coupling from the high frequency line 71 to the slot 75 through the magnetic field is performed most excellently, and the conversion efficiency of the high frequency line-to-waveguide converter can be enhanced.
Besides, in the case where the tip of the high frequency line 71 is opened, when the distance between the opened tip and substantially the center of the slot 75 is set to approximately (2n−1)/4 of the signal wavelength, where n is a natural number, in a standing wave formed by synthesis of a traveling wave transmitting through the high frequency line 71 and a reflected wave reflected at the opened tip, a magnetic field becomes highest substantially at the center part of the slot 75, electromagnetic coupling from the coplanar line to the slot 75 through the magnetic field is performed most excellently, and the conversion efficiency of the high frequency line-to-waveguide converter can be raised.
That is, the high frequency package according to the embodiment of the invention comprises a metal base 103 and the conversion substrate 115. The metal base 103 has the mounting part 102 for the high frequency electronic component 101 on the upper surface thereof the through hole 105 disposed to be adjacent to the mounting part 102 and having the lower side opening connected with the waveguide 104, is formed in the metal base 103.
In the structure of the conventional high frequency line-to-waveguide converter, the high frequency electronic component 101 is mounted on the portion where the internal ground conductor 112 of the high frequency line-to-waveguide converter is extended and exposed on the surface, and the ground potential of the high frequency electronic component 101 is directly transmitted to the high frequency line-to-waveguide converter by the internal ground conductor 112, so that the delay to the signal potential hardly occurs, and it is not necessary to provide the same surface ground conductor layer 108 on the upper surface of the conversion substrate 115 and to make connection. However, in this case, it is necessary that the internal ground conductor 112 of the dielectric substrate 106 is extended to be exposed on the surface, and the mounting part for mounting of the high frequency electronic component 101 is integrally formed with the high frequency line-to-waveguide converter, and accordingly, the dielectric substrate 106 becomes large, and there is a case where the warp or crack occurs at the joining to the metal base 103. In the high frequency package of the invention, the same surface ground conductor 108 is formed on the conversion substrate 115, so that the connection of the grounds of the conversion substrate 115 and the high frequency electronic component 101 can also be performed by wire bonding, and it becomes unnecessary to provide the mounting part of the high frequency electronic component 101 which is formed by extending the internal ground conductor 112 of the conversion substrate 15 and exposing it on the surface, the conversion substrate 115 is miniaturized, and the warp or crack at the joining to the metal base 103 can be suppressed.
Besides, in the high frequency package of the invention, in the case where the same surface ground conductor 108 is disposed at both sides of the high frequency line conductor 107, the wire for connecting the high frequency line conductors of the conversion substrate 115 and the high frequency electronic component 101 and the wire for connecting the ground conductor of them are coupled to each other and transmit the high frequency signal as a high frequency transmission path of a signal transmission principle similar to the coplanar line, and the high frequency package excellent in transmission of the high frequency signal can be provided.
Since the same surface ground conductor 108 is connected to the internal ground conductor 112 through the first connection conductor 113, the high, frequency signal is transmitted from the outer peripheral part of the high frequency line conductor 107 toward the center part of the dielectric substrate 106 along the internal ground conductor 112, and is transmitted through the slot 111, which is provided to be coupled with the end of the high frequency line conductor 107 on the center part side of the dielectric substrate 106 in terms of high frequency, to the through hole 105 to which the lower side waveguide 104 is connected. The internal ground conductor 112 provided with the slot 111 is connected to the frame ground conductor 110 through the second connection conductor 114, and the high frequency signal is transmitted to the waveguide 104.
Here, when the length (slot length) of the slot 111 in the direction orthogonal to the high frequency line conductor 107 is generally made approximately � of the high frequency signal wavelength so that the slot 111 is coupled with the high frequency line conductor 107 in terms of high frequency, a standing wave in which magnetic field intensity at the center part of the slot 111 becomes maximum occurs in the slot 111, and coupling efficiency by the magnetic field to the high frequency line conductor 107 is increased. Besides, when the distance between the internal ground conductor 112 and the frame ground conductor layer 110 is made approximately � of the high frequency signal in the dielectric substrate 106 or odd number times as long as that, the phase of a direct wave radiated from the slot 111 and directly transmitted from the dielectric substrate 106 to the waveguide 104 becomes equal to the phase of a reflected wave reflected at the boundary between the dielectric substrate 106 and the waveguide 104, again reflected at the internal ground conductor 112 and reaching the boundary between the dielectric substrate 106 and the waveguide 104, and they intensify each other, so that the coupling efficiency of the slot 111 and the waveguide 104 is increased.
FIGS. 11A and 11B are views showing a high frequency package according to still another embodiment of the invention, in which FIG. 11A is a plan view, and FIG. 11B is a sectional view taken along line IX-IX of FIG. 11A. In FIGS. 11A and 11B, reference numeral 120 denotes a high frequency electronic component; reference numeral 121 denotes a mounting part; 122 reference numeral denotes a metal base; reference numeral 123 denotes a waveguide; reference numeral 124 denotes a through hole; reference numeral 125 denotes a dielectric substrate; reference numeral 126 denotes a high frequency line conductor; reference numeral 127 denotes a same surface ground conductor; reference numeral 128 denotes a connection terminal part; reference numeral 129 denotes a frame ground conductor; reference numeral 130 denotes a slot; reference numeral 131 denotes a connection conductor; and reference numeral 132 denotes a conversion substrate.
The conversion substrate 132 has the dielectric substrate 125, the connection terminal part 128, the frame ground conductor 129 and the connection conductor 131. The connection terminal conductor 128 includes the high frequency line conductor 126 formed on the upper surface of the dielectric substrate 125 and disposed so as to extend from the outer peripheral part toward the center part on the upper surface of the dielectric substrate 125, and the same surface ground conductor 127 disposed on the same surface as the upper surface of the dielectric substrate 12S so as to surround the end of the high frequency line conductor 126 on the center part side. The same surface ground conductor 127 is provided with the slot 130 formed to be orthogonal to the end of the high frequency line conductor 126 on the center part side and coupled with the high frequency line conductor 126 in terms of high frequency.
Besides, by adopting the package of this structure, it becomes possible to check the size of the slot from the outside, and it is possible to provide the high frequency package in which the high frequency line-to-waveguide conversion efficiency is excellent.
The high frequency signal converted from the high frequency line by the slot 130 is transmitted to the waveguide 123 similarly to the example of the embodiment of the invention. When the distance between the same surface ground conductor 127, the high frequency line conductor 126 and the frame ground conductor 129 is set to approximately � of or odd number times as long as the high frequency signal wavelength in the dielectric substrate 125, the phase of a direct wave radiated from the slot 130 and directly transmitted from the dielectric substrate 125 to the waveguide 123 becomes identical to the phase of a reflected wave reflected at the boundary between the dielectric substrate 125 and the waveguide 123, again reflected at the same surface ground conductor 127, and having reached the boundary between the dielectric substrate 125 and the waveguide 123, and they intensify each other, so that the high frequency signal is efficiently converted and transmitted to the waveguide.
FIGS. 12A and 12B are views showing a high frequency package according to still another embodiment of the invention, in which FIG. 12A is a plan view, and FIG. 12B is a sectional view taken along line X-X of FIG. 12A. In FIGS. 12A and 12B, reference numeral 140 denotes a high frequency electronic component; reference numeral 141 denotes a second high frequency electronic component; reference numeral 142 denotes a mounting part; reference numeral 143 denotes a metal base; reference numeral 144 denotes a waveguide; reference numeral 145 denotes a through hole; reference numeral 146 denotes a dielectric substrate; reference numeral 147 denotes a high frequency line conductor; reference numeral 148 denotes a same surface ground conductor; reference numeral 149 denotes a connection terminal part; reference numeral 150 denotes a frame ground conductor; reference numeral 151 denotes a slot; reference numeral 152 denotes a transmission opening; reference numeral 153 denotes an internal ground conductor; reference numeral 154 denotes a first connection conductor; reference numeral 155 denotes a second connection conductor; and reference numeral 156 denotes a conversion substrate.
In the example of the high frequency package of the invention, a through hole 145 disposed to be adjacent to a mounting part 142 and having a lower side opening connected with a waveguide 144 is formed in a metal base 143 having the mounting part 142 for a high frequency electronic component 140 and 141 on an upper surface, a connection terminal part 149 including a high frequency line conductor 147 directed from an outer peripheral part to a center part on an upper surface of a dielectric substrate 146 and a same surface ground conductor 148 disposed on the same surface so as to surround an end of the high frequency line conductor 147 on the center part side is formed at an upper side of the through hole 145, a frame ground conductor 150 having a shape conforming to an upper side opening of the through hole 145 is formed on a lower surface of the dielectric substrate 146 so as to be opposite to the end of the high frequency line conductor 147 on the center part side, a slot 151 formed to be orthogonal to the end of the high frequency line conductor 147 on the center part side and coupled with the high frequency line conductor 147 in terms of high frequency is provided in the same surface ground conductor 148, and the internal ground conductor 153 provided with the transmission opening 152 opposite to the slot 151 and larger than the slot 151 is formed between the high frequency line conductor 147 of the inside of the dielectric substrate 146 and the frame ground conductor 150, and the conversion substrate 156 in which the same surface ground conductor 148 is connected to the internal ground conductor 153 through the first connection conductor 154 and the frame ground conductor 150 is connected to the internal ground conductor 153 through the second connection conductor 155, is joined on the upper side of the through hole 145 such that the frame ground conductor 150 is made to conform to the upper opening of the through hole 145.
The conversion substrate 156 has the dielectric substrate 146, the connection terminal part 149, the frame ground conductor 150, the internal ground conductor 153, the first connection conductor 154 and the second connection conductor 155. The connection terminal part 149 includes the high frequency line conductor 147 disposed so as to extend from the outer peripheral part toward the center part on the upper surface of the dielectric substrate 146, and the same surface ground conductor 148 disposed on the same surface as the upper surface of the dielectric substrate 146 so as to surround the end of the high frequency line conductor 147 on the center part side. The same surface ground conductor 148 is provided with the slot 151 formed to be orthogonal to the end of the high frequency line conductor 147 on the center part side and coupled with the high frequency line conductor 147 in terms of high frequency.
Besides, even in the case where the second high frequency electronic component 141 without the same surface ground conductor is mounted, when a component having a same surface ground conductor, such as the high frequency electronic component 140, is disposed between the conversion substrate 156 and the second high frequency component 141, and they are respectively connected by wire bonding, it becomes possible to perform excellent transmission of a high frequency signal between the conversion substrate 156 and the second high frequency component 141.
Besides, in the high frequency package of the invention, when the interval between the high frequency line conductor 147 and the same surface ground conductor layer 148 is made � or less of the signal wavelength of the high frequency signal transmitted through the high frequency line conductor 147, in the case where the high frequency line conductor 147 of the conversion substrate 156 and the high frequency line conductor of the high frequency electronic component 140, and the same surface ground conductor 148 of the conversion substrate 156 and the same surface ground conductor of the high frequency electronic component 140 are respectively connected by wire bonding, the distance between the wire for connecting the high frequency line conductors and the wire for connecting the same surface ground conductors can be made approximately � or less of the signal wavelength of the high frequency signal, the respective wires are electromagnetically coupled to each other to form a high frequency transmission path, and the high frequency package excellent in transmission of the high frequency signal can be provided.
As a dielectric material forming the dielectric layer 106, 125 and 146, aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, silicon nitride, ceramic material containing mullite or the like as its main ingredient, glass, glass ceramic material formed by firing a mixture of glass and ceramic filler, epoxy resin, polyimide resin, organic resin material such as fluorine resin including tetrafluoroethylene resin, organic resin-ceramic (including glass) composite material or the like is used.
As a conductor material forming the high frequency line conductor 107, 126 and 147, the same surface ground conductor 108, 127 and 148, the frame ground conductor 110, 129 and 150, the internal ground conductor 112 and 153, the first connection conductor 113 and 154, the second connection conductor 114 and 155 and connection conductor 131, a metalized material containing tungsten, molybdenum, gold, silver, copper or the like as its main ingredient, or a metal foil containing gold, silver, copper, aluminum or the like as its main ingredient is used.
The high frequency package converter of the invention is fabricated as described below. For example, in the case where an aluminum oxide sintered body is used as the dielectric substrate material, first, a suitable organic solvent is added to and mixed with a raw material powder of aluminum oxide, silicon oxide, magnesium oxide, calcium oxide or the like to form slurry, and this is formed into a sheet by a well-known doctor blade method or a calender roll method to fabricate a ceramic green sheet. Besides, a suitable organic solvent is added to and mixed with a raw material powder of high melting metal, such as tungsten or molybdenum, aluminum oxide, silicon oxide, magnesium oxide, calcium oxide or the like to fabricate a metallization paste. Next, through holes for formation of the first connection conductor 113 and 154, the second connection conductor 114 and 155 and the connection conductor 131 as the via hole conductor is formed in the ceramic green sheet by, for example, a punching method, and the metallization paste is implanted in the through holes by, for example, a printing method, and subsequently, the metallization paste is printed to have the shape of the high frequency line conductor 107, 126 and 147, the same ground conductor 108, 127 and 148, the frame ground conductor 110, 129 and 150 and the internal ground conductor 112 and 153. In the case where the dielectric substrate 106, 125 and 146 is made of a laminate structure having a plurality of dielectric layers, ceramic green sheets in which these conductors are implanted and printed are laminated, are pressurized to be subjected to pressure bonding, and are fired at a high temperature (about 1600� C.). Further, the surfaces of the conductors exposed on the surfaces, such as the high frequency line conductors 107, 126 and 147, the same surface ground conductors 108, 127 and 148, and the frame ground conductors 110, 129 and 150, are plated with nickel or gold according to the subsequent assembly to form the conversion substrates 115, 132 and 156.
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