Patent Description:
The present disclosure relates to an antenna, and more particularly to an RFICz assembled antenna.

In recent years, <NUM> communication has been started, in which <NUM> performs communication using a millimeter wave band of <NUM> or more compared to the existing <NUM> communication. The millimeter wave band has a very large attenuation characteristic compared to the low frequency band, and the signal loss due to an obstacle is very large.

In the <NUM> band, very large-capacity IoT data, <NUM>-degree video data, VR data, and various types of big data are supported through mobile communication networks, and for this reason, communication using the millimeter wave band is essential.

In the millimeter wave band, it has a very large attenuation characteristic, and for this reason, an antenna for millimeter wave requires high directivity.

Meanwhile, since the millimeter wave band is a very high frequency band, the size of the antenna is also reduced. A conventional millimeter wave band antenna for a terminal was connected to a board of the terminal through a connector, and received a feed signal from an RFIC chip mounted on the board of the terminal.

Since the millimeter wave band antenna has a small size, a connector with fine precision was also required for the connector, and sophisticated work was also required to combine the millimeter wave band antenna with the connector. Furthermore, due to the use of the connector, there was a problem that not only the size of the entire terminal increases, but also the manufacturing cost increases.

In the <CIT> package structures are provided having antenna-in-packages that are integrated with semiconductor RFIC (radio frequency integrated circuit) chips to form compact integrated radio/wireless communications systems that operate in the millimeter wave (mmWave) frequency range with radiation in broadside and end-fire directions.

In the <CIT> a dipole antenna element is provided at the back of a dielectric substrate set to the reflector surface. A parasitic element is provided on the front of the dielectric substrate, which is constituted by forming and protruding the central portion of a linear conductor forward in an almost trapezoidal shape, for example.

An object of the present disclosure is to propose a millimeter wave band antenna having a structure in which an RFIC chip is assembled without being connected to an RFIC chip through a connector.

Another object of the present disclosure is to propose a millimeter wave band antenna capable of reducing the size of a terminal and reducing manufacturing cost.

Yet another object of the present disclosure is to propose a millimeter wave band antenna capable of forming a required radiation pattern while effectively blocking harmful electromagnetic waves.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, conceived to achieve the objectives above, an RFIC assembled antenna is provided, the antenna comprising: a first layer substrate including a first metal pattern, a first slot formed in the first metal pattern, and a second slot formed in the first metal an RFIC chip which is coupled to a region of the second slot for assembling the RFIC chip with the first layer substrate; and a second layer substrate coupled to a lower portion of the first layer substrate and including a second metal pattern, a third slot formed in the second metal pattern, and a dipole radiator formed inside the third slot, wherein a feeding pattern connected to the RFIC chip to provide a feed signal to the dipole radiator is formed inside the first slot wherein the second slot is connected to the first slot.

At least one parasitic pattern spaced apart from the feeding pattern by a predetermined distance and extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the feeding pattern is formed inside the first slot.

An auxiliary radiator spaced apart from the feeding pattern by a predetermined distance and extending in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the feeding pattern is further formed inside the first slot, and the auxiliary radiator is connected to the RFIC chip.

The auxiliary radiator receives a portion of the signal radiated from the dipole radiator and provides it to the RFIC chip.

The antenna further includes a third layer substrate positioned below the second layer substrate, and at least one reflector is formed on the third layer substrate in a region that vertically overlaps with the first slot and the second slot.

The antenna is coupled to an SMT region of a terminal board, and at least one via hole for providing a feed signal from the terminal board to the RFIC chip is formed in the first to third layer substrates.

According to a comparative aspect of the present disclosure, an RFIC assembled antenna is provided, the antenna comprising: a first layer substrate including a first metal pattern, a first slot formed in the first metal pattern, and a second slot formed to be connected to the first slot, and in which an RFIC chip is coupled to a region of the second slot; and a second layer substrate coupled to a lower portion of the first layer substrate and including a second metal pattern and a dipole radiator coupled to the second metal pattern, wherein a feeding pattern connected to the RFIC chip to provide a feed signal to the dipole radiator is formed inside the first slot or the second slot, and wherein a shield can for shielding the RFIC chip is coupled to a region of the second slot of the first layer substrate.

According to the present disclosure, since it has a structure in which an RFIC chip is assembled with an antenna, the size of the terminal can be reduced, the manufacturing cost can be reduced, and it can effectively block electromagnetic interference caused by the integration of the RFIC chip.

In order to fully understand the present disclosure, operational advantages of the present disclosure, and objects achieved by implementing the present disclosure, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings illustrating preferred embodiments of the present disclosure and to the contents described in the accompanying drawings.

Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be described in detail by describing preferred embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure can be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. For a clearer understanding of the present disclosure, parts that are not of great relevance to the present disclosure have been omitted from the drawings, and like reference numerals in the drawings are used to represent like elements throughout the specification.

Throughout the specification, reference to a part "including" or "comprising" an element does not preclude the existence of one or more other elements and can mean other elements are further included, unless there is specific mention to the contrary. Also, terms such as "unit", "device", "module", "block", and the like described in the specification refer to units for processing at least one function or operation, which may be implemented by hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

<FIG> is an exploded perspective view showing a structure of an RFIC assembled antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, <FIG> is a plan view of a first layer substrate in an RFIC assembled antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and <FIG> is a plan view of a second layer substrate in an RFIC assembled antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. <FIG> is a plan view of a third layer substrate, and <FIG> is a plan view of a fourth layer substrate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to <FIG>, the RFIC assembled antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include first to fourth layer substrates <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM>. The multi-layer structure for the RFIC assembled antenna of the present disclosure may be implemented using a multi-layer PCB. Meanwhile, although <FIG> illustrates a case composed of four layer substrates, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that additional substrates may be provided to control the separation distance between respective substrates and to control the characteristics. In addition, it will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that certain layer substrates may be omitted.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, a first metal pattern <NUM> is formed on the first layer substrate <NUM>. The first metal pattern <NUM> may have a ground potential.

A first slot <NUM> and a second slot <NUM> are formed in the first metal pattern <NUM>. The first slot <NUM> and the second slot <NUM> are formed by removing a portion of the metal region of the first metal pattern <NUM>.

Inside the first slot <NUM> and the second slot <NUM>, a feeding pattern <NUM>, an auxiliary radiator <NUM>, a first parasitic pattern <NUM>, a second parasitic pattern <NUM> and a third parasitic pattern <NUM> are formed. The first slot <NUM> is formed so that the dipole radiator <NUM> formed in the second layer substrate <NUM> can radiate an RF signal with high gain through a narrower beamwidth.

The feeding pattern <NUM> is connected to the RFIC chip in the region of the second slot <NUM>, and receives a feed signal from the RFIC chip. The feeding pattern <NUM> functions to provide a feed signal to the dipole radiator <NUM> formed on the second layer substrate <NUM> in a coupling manner. In <FIG> and <FIG>, a '<IMG>'-shaped feeding pattern <NUM> is shown, but the shape of the feeding pattern <NUM> may be changed as needed.

The first parasitic pattern <NUM> formed in the first slot <NUM> or the second slot <NUM> may be formed in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the feeding pattern <NUM>. The first parasitic pattern <NUM> is not electrically connected to the ground or signal line, and the first parasitic pattern <NUM> is formed to improve the gain of the radiation pattern of the dipole radiator <NUM> formed on the second layer substrate <NUM>. The length of the first parasitic pattern <NUM> may be determined based on a used frequency and a required radiation pattern.

Meanwhile, a second parasitic pattern <NUM> and a third parasitic pattern <NUM> may be additionally formed in the first slot <NUM>. The second parasitic pattern <NUM> and the third parasitic pattern <NUM> may be spaced apart from the first parasitic pattern <NUM>, and formed in a direction parallel to the first parasitic pattern <NUM>. The second parasitic pattern <NUM> and the third parasitic pattern <NUM> are also not electrically connected to the ground or the signal line.

The second parasitic pattern <NUM> is spaced apart from the first parasitic pattern <NUM>, the third parasitic pattern <NUM> is spaced apart from the second parasitic pattern <NUM>, and the third parasitic pattern <NUM> is disposed to be spaced apart from the first parasitic pattern by a greater distance compared to the second parasitic pattern <NUM>. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the third parasitic pattern <NUM> may be disposed adjacent to the edge region of the first slot. The second parasitic pattern <NUM> and the third parasitic pattern <NUM> also function to improve the gain of the radiation pattern.

The auxiliary radiator <NUM> is electrically connected to the RFIC chip, and receives a portion of a signal radiated from the dipole radiator <NUM>. The auxiliary radiator <NUM> receives a portion of a signal radiated from the dipole radiator <NUM>. The auxiliary radiator <NUM> is used for determining whether a signal radiated from the dipole radiator <NUM> is appropriate, and receives a portion of the radiation signal. The signal received from the auxiliary radiator <NUM> is provided to the RFIC chip, and it is possible to determine whether the antenna malfunctions by analyzing the signal provided to the RFIC chip through the auxiliary radiator <NUM>.

The present disclosure makes it possible to easily detect an antenna malfunction without using a separate diagnostic structure, by forming the auxiliary radiator <NUM> in the slots <NUM> and <NUM> formed in the first layer substrate <NUM> that is the upper layer of the second layer substrate <NUM> on which the dipole radiator <NUM> is formed.

A second slot <NUM> connected to the first slot <NUM> is formed in the first metal pattern <NUM> of the first layer substrate <NUM>. Although not shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the second slot <NUM> is a slot for placing an RFIC chip. In addition, in an embodiment to be described later, a shield can may be disposed to shield the RFIC chip, and the shield can is also disposed in the region of the second slot <NUM>. Although the second slot <NUM> is connected to the first slot <NUM>, the width and shape are different from those of the first slot <NUM>.

Meanwhile, on the first layer substrate <NUM> a third metal pattern <NUM> is formed spaced apart from the first metal pattern <NUM>, and a plurality of first via holes <NUM> are formed in the third metal pattern <NUM>. Referring to <FIG>, the plurality of first via holes <NUM> may be formed in the longitudinal direction of the third metal pattern <NUM>, and the plurality of first via holes <NUM> may be arranged to form two rows. Of course, the arrangement of the plurality of first via holes <NUM> illustrated in <FIG> is exemplary, and the plurality of first via holes <NUM> may be arranged in various ways.

When the RFIC chip and the shield can shielding it are directly coupled to the antenna, the radiation pattern of the antenna may be affected. Although the radiation pattern should be formed in a direction passing through the first slot and the second slot, the radiation pattern may be tilted due to the influence of the RFIC chip and the shield can.

In order to prevent distortion of the radiation pattern, in the present disclosure, a third metal pattern <NUM> spaced apart from the first metal pattern is formed, and a plurality of first via holes <NUM> are formed in the third metal pattern <NUM>.

Via holes connected to the third metal pattern <NUM> are also formed in the second layer substrate <NUM>, the third layer substrate <NUM> and the fourth layer substrate <NUM>. A plurality of second via holes <NUM> connected to the first via holes <NUM> are formed in the second layer substrate <NUM>, a plurality of third via holes <NUM> connected to the plurality of second via holes <NUM> are formed in the third layer substrate <NUM>, and a plurality of fourth via holes <NUM> connected to the plurality of third via holes <NUM> are formed in the fourth layer substrate <NUM>.

In this way, a conductive wall may be formed by forming via holes connected to each other in the first layer substrate <NUM> to the fourth layer substrate <NUM>, and distortion of the radiation pattern can be prevented through the conductive wall.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, a second metal pattern <NUM> is formed on the second layer substrate <NUM>. The second metal pattern <NUM> may have a ground potential.

A dipole radiator <NUM> coupled to the second metal pattern <NUM> is formed on the second layer substrate <NUM>. The dipole radiator <NUM> receives a feed signal from the feeding pattern <NUM> in a coupling manner. The dipole radiator <NUM> radiates the feed signal provided from the feeding pattern <NUM> to the outside.

The dipole radiator <NUM> includes a first dipole arm <NUM>-<NUM> and a second dipole arm <NUM>-<NUM>. The first dipole arm <NUM>-<NUM> and the second dipole arm <NUM>-<NUM> are spaced apart from each other.

In <FIG>, a case is shown in which a dipole radiator <NUM> is used as the antenna radiator of the present disclosure, but it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other types of radiator may be formed.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, reflectors <NUM> and <NUM> are formed on the third layer substrate <NUM>. The reflectors <NUM> and <NUM> are preferably formed in a region overlapping the first slot <NUM> and the second slot <NUM> vertically. In <FIG>, a case is shown in which the two reflectors <NUM> and <NUM> are spaced apart from each other, but it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that a single reflector may be substituted. The reflectors <NUM> and <NUM> reflect the signals radiated in the downward direction among the radiation signals of the dipole radiator <NUM> to increase the gain in the upward direction of the radiation signals of the dipole radiator <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, the fourth layer substrate <NUM> is coupled to the lower portion of the third layer substrate <NUM>. A ground plane (not shown) may be formed on a lower surface of the fourth layer substrate <NUM>.

<FIG> is an exploded perspective view of a state in which an RFIC is coupled in an antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and <FIG> is a plan view of a first layer substrate to which an RFIC is coupled.

Referring to <FIG>, an RFIC chip <NUM> is coupled to the region of the second slot <NUM> of the antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and a shield can <NUM> for shielding the RFIC chip is coupled. The shield can <NUM> may not be coupled as needed.

The RFIC chip <NUM> provides a feed signal to the feeding pattern <NUM>, and the feeding pattern <NUM> is electrically connected to the RFIC chip <NUM>. In addition, the RFIC chip <NUM> is electrically connected to the auxiliary radiator <NUM> to receive a signal received from the auxiliary radiator <NUM>.

In the past, the RFIC chip was coupled to a board of the terminal and connected with an antenna through a connector, and due to this, there was a problem that not only the size increases, but also the manufacturing cost increases. The present disclosure proposes an antenna structure in which an RFIC chip is assembled without using a separate connector, by laminating the first layer substrate <NUM> on the second layer substrate <NUM> on which the dipole radiator <NUM> is formed, forming the first metal pattern <NUM> in which the first slot <NUM> and the second slot <NUM> are formed, and then coupling the RFIC chip on the first metal pattern <NUM>.

For example, the RFIC chip <NUM> receives a feed signal from the PCB of the terminal, and via holes are formed in each layer substrate of the present disclosure to receive the feed signal from the PCB. In <FIG> and <FIG>, an example is shown in which two via holes are formed on the left side and two via holes on the right side with respect to the RFIC chip.

When the RFIC chip <NUM> is directly coupled to the antenna, unwanted electromagnetic waves generated from the RFIC chip <NUM> may increase, and these unwanted electromagnetic waves may act as a major factor causing electromagnetic interference. According to the present disclosure, in order to block electromagnetic interference generated when the RFIC chip <NUM> is directly coupled to the antenna, a shield can <NUM> for shielding the RFIC chip <NUM> may be additionally coupled.

Since the shield can <NUM> is made of a conductive material, it may block unnecessary electromagnetic waves generated from the RFIC chip <NUM>, but may distort the radiation pattern of the dipole radiator <NUM>. In order to prevent the distortion of the radiation pattern, a conductive wall is formed through the via holes <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM> of each layer substrate.

<FIG> shows an example in which an RFIC assembled antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is coupled on a substrate.

Referring to <FIG>, an SMT region is set on the substrate, and the antenna made of the multi-layer substrate of the present disclosure is coupled to the SMT region. Since the antenna of the present disclosure has a structure in which the RFIC chip is assembled, it can be directly coupled to the substrate without being coupled to the substrate through a separate connector.

As described above, via holes are formed in the antenna of the present disclosure so that a feed signal from the substrate is provided to the RFIC chip.

<FIG> shows an example of a radiation pattern of an RFIC assembled antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to <FIG>, in the RFIC assembled antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a radiation pattern is formed in an upward direction of the antenna. The gain of the beam in the upward direction can be improved due to the first slot <NUM>, the second slot <NUM> and the plurality of via holes. In addition, the reflectors <NUM> and <NUM> formed on the third layer substrate <NUM> may also contribute to the improvement of the gain of the beam, and the conductive wall formed through the plurality of via holes <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM> may prevent the radiation pattern from being tilted.

Meanwhile, since the auxiliary radiator <NUM> is located on the first layer substrate <NUM> that is an upper portion of the dipole radiator <NUM>, it is possible to receive a portion of the signal radiated from the dipole radiator <NUM> to confirm whether an appropriate signal is radiated in an appropriate direction.

Claim 1:
An RFIC assembled antenna, comprising:
a first layer substrate (<NUM>) including a first metal pattern (<NUM>), a first slot (<NUM>) formed in the first metal pattern (<NUM>), and a second slot (<NUM>) formed in the first metal pattern (<NUM>);
an RFIC chip (<NUM>) which is coupled to a region of the second slot (<NUM>) for assembling the RFIC chip (<NUM>) with the first layer substrate (<NUM>); and
a second layer substrate (<NUM>) coupled to a lower portion of the first layer substrate (<NUM>) and including a second metal pattern (<NUM>), a third slot formed in the second metal pattern (<NUM>), and a dipole radiator (<NUM>) formed inside the third slot,
wherein a feeding pattern (<NUM>) connected to the RFIC chip (<NUM>) to provide a feed signal to the dipole radiator (<NUM>) is formed inside the first slot (<NUM>),
wherein the second slot (<NUM>) is connected to the first slot (<NUM>).