PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-10957985-B2
Application Number: US-201816146488-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Electronic devices having antenna module isolation structures

Abstract:
An electronic device may be provided with a phased antenna array controlled by phase and magnitude controllers within an integrated circuit. The array may be formed on antenna layers and the integrated circuit may be mounted to transmission line layers of a dielectric substrate. A ground plane may separate the transmission line layers from the antenna layers. A connector may be mounted to the surface of the transmission line layers and may be coupled to the integrated circuit using conductive traces. A passive resonator may be formed in the antenna layers and may include conductive structures that resonate at one-quarter of the effective wavelength of operation of the array to form an open circuit impedance for surface currents generated on the ground plane by the array. This may serve to block the surface currents from scattering at an edge of the ground plane and leaking onto the integrated circuit.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An antenna module comprising:
 a dielectric substrate having transmission line layers and antenna layers; 
 a ground plane that separates the transmission line layers from the antenna layers; 
 an antenna resonating element on the antenna layers; 
 radio-frequency circuitry mounted to a surface of the transmission line layers and coupled to the antenna resonating element; 
 a radio-frequency connector mounted to the surface of the transmission line layers and coupled to the radio-frequency circuitry by a conductive trace in the transmission line layers; and 
 a passive resonator on the antenna layers and coupled to the ground plane, wherein the passive resonator is configured to block surface current generated on the ground plane by the antenna resonating element. 
 
     
     
       2. The antenna module defined in  claim 1 , wherein the passive resonator comprises an arm formed from a conductive trace on a given one of the antenna layers and a vertical conductive structure extending from the arm to the ground plane. 
     
     
       3. The antenna module defined in  claim 2 , wherein the arm has a length that is within 10-20% of one-quarter of an effective wavelength of operation of the antenna resonating element. 
     
     
       4. The antenna module defined in  claim 3 , wherein the passive resonator is configured to form an infinite impedance at the effective wavelength of operation of the antenna resonating element. 
     
     
       5. The antenna module defined in  claim 3 , wherein the arm is separated from the antenna resonating element by one-half of a free space wavelength of operation of the antenna resonating element. 
     
     
       6. The antenna module defined in  claim 3 , wherein the antenna layers comprise ceramic. 
     
     
       7. The antenna module defined in  claim 3 , wherein the effective wavelength of operation corresponds to a frequency between 10 GHz and 300 GHz. 
     
     
       8. The antenna module defined in  claim 2 , wherein the vertical conductive structure comprises a structure selected from the group consisting of: conductive tape, sheet metal, conductive traces, and a fence of conductive vias. 
     
     
       9. The antenna module defined in  claim 2 , wherein the arm and the vertical conductive structure each extend across a width of the antenna module. 
     
     
       10. The antenna module defined in  claim 1 , wherein the radio-frequency circuitry comprises amplifier circuitry. 
     
     
       11. The antenna module defined in  claim 7 , wherein the radio-frequency circuitry comprises an integrated circuit. 
     
     
       12. An electronic device comprising:
 a dielectric substrate; 
 a phased antenna array on the dielectric substrate and configured to convey radio-frequency signals at a frequency between 10 GHz and 300 GHz, wherein the phased antenna array comprises ground traces in the dielectric substrate; 
 a radio-frequency connector located on a surface of the substrate; and 
 a passive resonator on the dielectric substrate and coupled to the ground traces, wherein a portion of the ground traces is interposed between the passive resonator and the radio-frequency connector. 
 
     
     
       13. The electronic device defined in  claim 12 , wherein the passive resonator is configured to form an open circuit impedance at the frequency. 
     
     
       14. The electronic device defined in  claim 12 , further comprising amplifier circuitry mounted to the surface of the substrate and configured to adjust a magnitude of the radio-frequency signals conveyed by the phased antenna array. 
     
     
       15. The electronic device defined in  claim 14  further comprising conductive traces in the dielectric substrate that couple the radio-frequency connector to the amplifier circuitry. 
     
     
       16. The electronic device defined in  claim 12 , wherein the passive resonator is configured to resonate at one-quarter of an effective wavelength corresponding to the frequency. 
     
     
       17. The electronic device defined in  claim 12 , wherein the passive resonator is separated from a nearest antenna in the phased antenna array by one-half of a free space wavelength corresponding to the frequency. 
     
     
       18. The electronic device defined in  claim 12 , wherein the passive resonator comprises a conductive trace and a fence of conductive vias in the dielectric substrate. 
     
     
       19. An antenna module comprising:
 a dielectric substrate; 
 a ground plane in the dielectric substrate; 
 a radio-frequency integrated circuit mounted to a surface of the dielectric substrate at a first side of the ground plane; 
 a phased antenna array having antenna resonating elements on the dielectric substrate at a second side of the ground plane, the antenna resonating elements being configured to convey radio-frequency signals at a frequency; and 
 a conductive trace on the dielectric substrate at the first side of the ground plane and coupled to the ground plane by a vertical conductive structure, wherein the conductive trace is configured to resonate at one-quarter of an effective wavelength corresponding to the frequency. 
 
     
     
       20. The antenna module defined in  claim 19 , wherein the frequency comprises a frequency between 10 GHz and 300 GHz and the conductive trace is configured to block surface current generated at the first side of the ground plane by the phased antenna array from scattering onto the second side of the ground plane.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     This relates generally to electronic devices and, more particularly, to electronic devices with wireless communications circuitry. 
     Electronic devices often include wireless communications circuitry. For example, cellular telephones, computers, and other devices often contain antennas and wireless transceivers for supporting wireless communications. 
     It may be desirable to support wireless communications in millimeter wave and centimeter wave communications bands. Millimeter wave communications, which are sometimes referred to as extremely high frequency (EHF) communications, and centimeter wave communications involve communications at frequencies of about 10-300 GHz. In order to support millimeter and centimeter wave communications, an array of antennas is formed on a substrate. Transmission lines for the array are embedded within the substrate. 
     Operation at these frequencies may support high bandwidths, but may raise significant challenges. For example, it can be difficult to ensure that amplifier circuitry and other radio-frequency components on the substrate are sufficiently isolated from surface currents generated by the antennas. Spreading the radio-frequency components on the substrate far apart from each other typically improves isolation. However, at the same time, manufacturers are continually striving to implement wireless communications circuitry such as antenna arrays using compact structures to satisfy consumer demand for small form factor wireless devices. 
     It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide electronic devices with improved wireless communications circuitry such as communications circuitry that supports millimeter wave communications. 
     SUMMARY 
     An electronic device may be provided with wireless circuitry. The wireless circuitry may include one or more antennas and transceiver circuitry such as centimeter and millimeter wave transceiver circuitry (e.g., circuitry that transmits and receives antennas signals at frequencies greater than 10 GHz). The antennas may be arranged in a phased antenna array. The phased antenna array may be controlled using phase and magnitude controllers. The phase and magnitude controllers may include amplifier circuitry within an integrated circuit. 
     The electronic device may include an antenna module. The antenna module may include a dielectric substrate. The dielectric substrate may include antenna layers and transmission line layers separated by a ground plane. The integrated circuit may be mounted to a surface of the transmission line layers. A radio-frequency connector may be mounted to the surface of the transmission line layers. The radio-frequency connector may couple the signal conductor of a transmission line to the integrated circuit over conductive traces in the transmission line layers. The phased antenna array may include antenna resonating elements on the antenna layers. 
     A passive resonator may be formed in the antenna layers. The passive resonator may include a conductive trace in the antenna layers that is coupled to the ground plane by a vertical conductive structure such as a fence of conductive vias, conductive tape, or other conductors. The passive resonator may resonate at one-quarter of the effective wavelength of operation of the phased antenna array to form an open circuit impedance for surface currents generated on the ground plane by the phased antenna array. This may serve to block the surface currents from scattering at an edge of the ground plane and leaking onto the integrated circuit. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an illustrative electronic device with wireless circuitry in accordance with some embodiments. 
         FIG. 2  is a rear perspective view of an illustrative electronic device in accordance with some embodiments. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of an illustrative electronic device with wireless circuitry in accordance with some embodiments. 
         FIG. 4  is a diagram of an illustrative phased antenna array that may be adjusted using control circuitry to direct a beam of signals in accordance with some embodiments. 
         FIG. 5  is a diagram of an illustrative transceiver circuit and antenna in accordance with some embodiments. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of an illustrative patch antenna with dual ports in accordance with some embodiments. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of an illustrative antenna module in accordance with some embodiments. 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative antenna module having a passive resonator isolation element in accordance with some embodiments. 
         FIG. 9  is a top-down view of an illustrative antenna module having a passive resonator isolation element in accordance with some embodiments. 
         FIG. 10  is a side view of illustrative radiation pattern envelopes for a phased antenna array in accordance with some embodiments. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     An electronic device such as electronic device  10  of  FIG. 1  may contain wireless circuitry. The wireless circuitry may include one or more antennas. The antennas may include phased antenna arrays that are used for handling millimeter wave and centimeter wave communications. Millimeter wave communications, which are sometimes referred to as extremely high frequency (EHF) communications, involve signals at 60 GHz or other frequencies between about 30 GHz and 300 GHz. Centimeter wave communications involve signals at frequencies between about 10 GHz and 30 GHz. The electronic device may include antennas for performing wireless communications using signals at these frequencies. If desired, device  10  may also contain wireless communications circuitry for handling satellite navigation system signals, cellular telephone signals, local wireless area network signals, near-field communications, light-based wireless communications, or other wireless communications. 
     Electronic device  10  may be a computing device such as a laptop computer, a computer monitor containing an embedded computer, a tablet computer, a cellular telephone, a media player, or other handheld or portable electronic device, a smaller device such as a wristwatch device, a pendant device, a headphone or earpiece device, a virtual or augmented reality headset device, a device embedded in eyeglasses or other equipment worn on a user&#39;s head, or other wearable or miniature device, a television, a computer display that does not contain an embedded computer, a gaming device, a navigation device, an embedded system such as a system in which electronic equipment with a display is mounted in a kiosk or automobile, a wireless access point or base station, a desktop computer, a keyboard, a gaming controller, a computer mouse, a mousepad, a trackpad or touchpad, equipment that implements the functionality of two or more of these devices, or other electronic equipment. In the illustrative configuration of  FIG. 1 , device  10  is a portable device such as a cellular telephone, media player, tablet computer, or other portable computing device. Other configurations may be used for device  10  if desired. The example of  FIG. 1  is merely illustrative. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , device  10  may include a display such as display  8 . Display  8  may be mounted in a housing such as housing  12 . Housing  12 , which may sometimes be referred to as an enclosure or case, may be formed of plastic, glass, ceramics, fiber composites, metal (e.g., stainless steel, aluminum, etc.), other suitable materials, or a combination of any two or more of these materials. Housing  12  may be formed using a unibody configuration in which some or all of housing  12  is machined or molded as a single structure or may be formed using multiple structures (e.g., an internal frame structure, one or more structures that form exterior housing surfaces, etc.). 
     Display  8  may be a touch screen display that incorporates a layer of conductive capacitive touch sensor electrodes or other touch sensor components (e.g., resistive touch sensor components, acoustic touch sensor components, force-based touch sensor components, light-based touch sensor components, etc.) or may be a display that is not touch-sensitive. Capacitive touch screen electrodes may be formed from an array of indium tin oxide pads or other transparent conductive structures. 
     Display  8  may include an array of display pixels formed from liquid crystal display (LCD) components, an array of electrophoretic display pixels, an array of plasma display pixels, an array of organic light-emitting diode display pixels, an array of electrowetting display pixels, or display pixels based on other display technologies. 
     Display  8  may be protected using a display cover layer such as a layer of transparent glass, clear plastic, sapphire, or other transparent dielectric. Openings may be formed in the display cover layer. For example, openings may be formed in the display cover layer to accommodate one or more buttons, sensor circuitry such as a fingerprint sensor or light sensor, ports such as a speaker port or microphone port, etc. Openings may be formed in housing  12  to form communications ports (e.g., an audio jack port, a digital data port, charging port, etc.). Openings in housing  12  may also be formed for audio components such as a speaker and/or a microphone. 
     Antennas may be mounted in housing  12 . If desired, some of the antennas (e.g., antenna arrays that may implement beam steering, etc.) may be mounted under an inactive border region of display  8  (see, e.g., illustrative antenna locations  6  of  FIG. 1 ). Display  8  may contain an active area with an array of pixels (e.g., a central rectangular portion). Inactive areas of display  8  are free of pixels and may form borders for the active area. If desired, antennas may also operate through dielectric-filled openings in the rear of housing  12  or elsewhere in device  10 . 
     To avoid disrupting communications when an external object such as a human hand or other body part of a user blocks one or more antennas, antennas may be mounted at multiple locations in housing  12 . Sensor data such as proximity sensor data, real-time antenna impedance measurements, signal quality measurements such as received signal strength information, and other data may be used in determining when one or more antennas is being adversely affected due to the orientation of housing  12 , blockage by a user&#39;s hand or other external object, or other environmental factors. Device  10  can then switch one or more replacement antennas into use in place of the antennas that are being adversely affected. 
     Antennas may be mounted at the corners of housing  12  (e.g., in corner locations  6  of  FIG. 1  and/or in corner locations on the rear of housing  12 ), along the peripheral edges of housing  12 , on the rear of housing  12 , under the display cover glass or other dielectric display cover layer that is used in covering and protecting display  8  on the front of device  10 , under a dielectric window on a rear face of housing  12  or the edge of housing  12 , or elsewhere in device  10 . 
       FIG. 2  is a rear perspective view of electronic device  10  showing illustrative locations  6  on the rear and sides of housing  12  in which antennas (e.g., single antennas and/or phased antenna arrays) may be mounted in device  10 . The antennas may be mounted at the corners of device  10 , along the edges of housing  12  such as edges formed by sidewalls  12 E, on upper and lower portions of rear housing portion (wall)  12 R, in the center of rear housing wall  12 R (e.g., under a dielectric window structure or other antenna window in the center of rear housing  12 R), at the corners of rear housing wall  12 R (e.g., on the upper left corner, upper right corner, lower left corner, and lower right corner of the rear of housing  12  and device  10 ), etc. 
     In configurations in which housing  12  is formed entirely or nearly entirely from a dielectric, the antennas may transmit and receive antenna signals through any suitable portion of the dielectric. In configurations in which housing  12  is formed from a conductive material such as metal, regions of the housing such as slots or other openings in the metal may be filled with plastic or other dielectric. The antennas may be mounted in alignment with the dielectric in the openings. These openings, which may sometimes be referred to as dielectric antenna windows, dielectric gaps, dielectric-filled openings, dielectric-filled slots, elongated dielectric opening regions, etc., may allow antenna signals to be transmitted to external wireless equipment from the antennas mounted within the interior of device  10  and may allow internal antennas to receive antenna signals from external wireless equipment. In another suitable arrangement, the antennas may be mounted on the exterior of conductive portions of housing  12 . 
     A schematic diagram showing illustrative components that may be used in device  10  is shown in  FIG. 3 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , device  10  may include storage and processing circuitry such as control circuitry  14 . Control circuitry  14  may include storage such as hard disk drive storage, nonvolatile memory (e.g., flash memory or other electrically-programmable-read-only memory configured to form a solid state drive), volatile memory (e.g., static or dynamic random-access-memory), etc. Processing circuitry in control circuitry  14  may be used to control the operation of device  10 . This processing circuitry may be based on one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, host processors, baseband processor integrated circuits, application specific integrated circuits, etc. 
     Control circuitry  14  may be used to run software on device  10  such as internet browsing applications, voice-over-internet-protocol (VOIP) telephone call applications, email applications, media playback applications, operating system functions, etc. To support interactions with external equipment, control circuitry  14  may be used in implementing communications protocols. Communications protocols that may be implemented using control circuitry  14  include internet protocols, wireless local area network protocols (e.g., IEEE 802.11 protocols—sometimes referred to as WiFi®), protocols for other short-range wireless communications links such as the Bluetooth® protocol or other WPAN protocols, IEEE 802.11 ad protocols, cellular telephone protocols, MIMO protocols, antenna diversity protocols, satellite navigation system protocols, antenna-based spatial ranging protocols (e.g., radio detection and ranging (RADAR) protocols or other desired range detection protocols for signals conveyed at millimeter and centimeter wave frequencies), etc. Each communication protocol may be associated with a corresponding radio access technology (RAT) that specifies the physical connection methodology used in implementing the protocol. 
     The control circuitry in device  10  (e.g., control circuitry  14 ) may be configured to perform operations in device  10  using hardware (e.g., dedicated hardware or circuitry), firmware, and/or software. Software code for performing operations in device  10  is stored on non-transitory computer readable storage media (e.g., tangible computer readable storage media) in control circuitry  14 . The software code may sometimes be referred to as program instructions, software, data, instructions, or code. The non-transitory computer readable storage media may include non-volatile memory such as non-volatile random-access memory (NVRAM), one or more hard drives (e.g., magnetic drives or solid state drives), one or more removable flash drives or other removable media, etc. Software stored on the non-transitory computer readable storage media may be executed on the processing circuitry of control circuitry  14 . The processing circuitry may include application-specific integrated circuits with processing circuitry, one or more microprocessors, a central processing unit (CPU) or other processing circuitry. 
     Device  10  may include input-output circuitry  16 . Input-output circuitry  16  may include input-output devices  18 . Input-output devices  18  may be used to allow data to be supplied to device  10  and to allow data to be provided from device  10  to external devices. Input-output devices  18  may include user interface devices, data port devices, sensors, and other input-output components. For example, input-output devices may include touch screens, displays without touch sensor capabilities, buttons, joysticks, scrolling wheels, touch pads, key pads, keyboards, microphones, cameras, speakers, status indicators, light sources, audio jacks and other audio port components, digital data port devices, light sensors, gyroscopes, accelerometers or other components that can detect motion and device orientation relative to the Earth, capacitance sensors, proximity sensors (e.g., a capacitive proximity sensor and/or an infrared proximity sensor), magnetic sensors, and other sensors and input-output components. 
     Input-output circuitry  16  may include wireless communications circuitry such as wireless circuitry  34  for communicating wirelessly with external equipment. Wireless circuitry  34  may include radio-frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry formed from one or more integrated circuits, power amplifier circuitry, low-noise input amplifiers, passive RF components, one or more antennas  40 , transmission lines, and other circuitry for handling RF wireless signals. Wireless signals can also be sent using light (e.g., using infrared communications). 
     Wireless circuitry  34  may include transceiver circuitry  20  for handling various radio-frequency communications bands. For example, transceiver circuitry  20  may include Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver circuits  22 , local wireless transceiver circuits  24 , remote wireless transceiver circuits  26 , and/or millimeter wave transceiver circuits  28 . 
     Local wireless transceiver circuits  24  may include wireless local area network (WLAN) transceiver circuitry and may therefore sometimes be referred to herein as WLAN transceiver circuitry  24 . WLAN transceiver circuitry  24  may handle 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands for WiFi® (IEEE 802.11) communications and may handle the 2.4 GHz Bluetooth® communications band. 
     Remote wireless transceiver circuits  26  may include cellular telephone transceiver circuitry and may therefore sometimes be referred to herein as cellular telephone transceiver circuitry  26 . Cellular telephone transceiver circuitry  26  may handle wireless communications in frequency ranges such as a communications band from 700 to 960 MHz, a communications band from 1710 to 2170 MHz, and a communications band from 2300 to 2700 MHz or other communications bands between 600 MHz and 4000 MHz or other suitable frequencies (as examples). Cellular telephone transceiver circuitry  26  may handle voice data and non-voice data. 
     Millimeter wave transceiver circuits  28  (sometimes referred to herein as extremely high frequency (EHF) transceiver circuitry  28  or millimeter wave transceiver circuitry  28 ) may support communications at frequencies between about 10 GHz and 300 GHz. For example, millimeter wave transceiver circuitry  28  may support communications in Extremely High Frequency (EHF) or millimeter wave communications bands between about 30 GHz and 300 GHz and/or in centimeter wave communications bands between about 10 GHz and 30 GHz (sometimes referred to as Super High Frequency (SHF) bands). As examples, millimeter wave transceiver circuitry  28  may support communications in an IEEE K communications band between about 18 GHz and 27 GHz, a K a  communications band between about 26.5 GHz and 40 GHz, a K u  communications band between about 12 GHz and 18 GHz, a V communications band between about 40 GHz and 75 GHz, a W communications band between about 75 GHz and 110 GHz, or any other desired frequency band between approximately 10 GHz and 300 GHz. If desired, millimeter wave transceiver circuitry  28  may support IEEE 802.11 ad communications at 60 GHz and/or 5 th  generation mobile networks or 5 th  generation wireless systems (5G) communications bands between 27 GHz and 90 GHz. If desired, millimeter wave transceiver circuitry  28  may support communications at multiple frequency bands between 10 GHz and 300 GHz such as a first band from 27.5 GHz to 29.5 GHz, a second band from 37 GHz to 41 GHz, a third band from 57 GHz to 71 GHz, and/or other communications bands between 10 GHz and 300 GHz. Millimeter wave transceiver circuitry  28  may be formed from one or more integrated circuits (e.g., multiple integrated circuits mounted on a common printed circuit in a system-in-package device, one or more integrated circuits mounted on different substrates, etc.). 
     While circuitry  28  is sometimes referred to herein as millimeter wave transceiver circuitry  28 , millimeter wave transceiver circuitry  28  may handle communications at any desired communications bands at frequencies between 10 GHz and 300 GHz (e.g., in millimeter wave communications bands, centimeter wave communications bands, etc.). If desired, millimeter wave transceiver circuitry  28  may include spatial ranging circuitry (e.g., millimeter wave spatial ranging circuitry) that performs spatial ranging operations using millimeter and/or centimeter wave signals transmitted and received by antennas  40 . The spatial ranging circuitry may use the transmitted and received signals to detect or estimate a range between device  10  and external objects in the surroundings of device  10  (e.g., objects external to housing  12  and device  10  such as the body of the user or other persons, other devices, animals, furniture, walls, or other objects or obstacles in the vicinity of device  10 ). 
     GPS receiver circuits  22  may receive GPS signals at 1575 MHz or signals for handling other satellite positioning data (e.g., GLONASS signals at 1609 MHz). Satellite navigation system signals for GPS receiver circuits  22  are received from a constellation of satellites orbiting the earth. 
     Wireless circuitry  34  can include circuitry for other short-range and long-range wireless links if desired. For example, wireless circuitry  34  may include circuitry for receiving television and radio signals, paging system transceivers, near field communications (NFC) circuitry, etc. 
     In satellite navigation system links, cellular telephone links, and other long-range links, wireless signals are typically used to convey data over thousands of feet or miles. In WiFi® and Bluetooth® links at 2.4 and 5 GHz and other short-range wireless links, wireless signals are typically used to convey data over tens or hundreds of feet. Millimeter wave transceiver circuitry  28  may convey signals over short distances that travel between transmitter and receiver over a line-of-sight path. To enhance signal reception for millimeter and centimeter wave communications, phased antenna arrays and beam steering techniques may be used (e.g., schemes in which antenna signal phase and/or magnitude for each antenna in an array is adjusted to perform beam steering). Antenna diversity schemes may also be used to ensure that the antennas that have become blocked or that are otherwise degraded due to the operating environment of device  10  can be switched out of use and higher-performing antennas used in their place. 
     Antennas  40  in wireless circuitry  34  may be formed using any suitable antenna types. For example, antennas  40  may include antennas with resonating elements that are formed from stacked patch antenna structures, loop antenna structures, patch antenna structures, inverted-F antenna structures, slot antenna structures, planar inverted-F antenna structures, monopoles, dipoles, helical antenna structures, Yagi (Yagi-Uda) antenna structures, hybrids of these designs, etc. If desired, one or more of antennas  40  may be cavity-backed antennas. Different types of antennas may be used for different bands and combinations of bands. For example, one type of antenna may be used in forming a local wireless link antenna and another type of antenna may be used in forming a remote wireless link antenna. Dedicated antennas may be used for receiving satellite navigation system signals or, if desired, antennas  40  can be configured to receive both satellite navigation system signals and signals for other communications bands (e.g., wireless local area network signals and/or cellular telephone signals). Antennas  40  may include antennas arranged in one or more phased antenna arrays for handling millimeter and centimeter wave communications. 
     Transmission line paths may be used to route antenna signals within device  10 . For example, transmission line paths may be used to couple antennas  40  to transceiver circuitry  20 . Transmission line paths in device  10  (sometimes referred to herein as transmission lines) may include coaxial cables, coaxial probes realized by metalized vias, microstrip transmission lines, stripline transmission lines, edge-coupled microstrip transmission lines, edge-coupled stripline transmission lines, waveguide structures, transmission lines formed from combinations of transmission lines of these types, etc. 
     If desired, transmission lines in device  10  may be integrated into rigid and/or flexible printed circuit boards. In one suitable arrangement, transmission lines in device  10  may also include transmission line conductors (e.g., signal and ground conductors) integrated within multilayer laminated structures (e.g., layers of a conductive material such as copper and a dielectric material such as a resin that are laminated together without intervening adhesive) that may be folded or bent in multiple dimensions (e.g., two or three dimensions) and that maintain a bent or folded shape after bending (e.g., the multilayer laminated structures may be folded into a particular three-dimensional shape to route around other device components and may be rigid enough to hold its shape after folding without being held in place by stiffeners or other structures). All of the multiple layers of the laminated structures may be batch laminated together (e.g., in a single pressing process) without adhesive (e.g., as opposed to performing multiple pressing processes to laminate multiple layers together with adhesive). Filter circuitry, switching circuitry, impedance matching circuitry, and other circuitry may be interposed within the transmission lines, if desired. 
     In devices such as handheld devices, the presence of an external object such as the hand of a user or a table or other surface on which a device is resting has a potential to block wireless signals such as millimeter wave signals. Accordingly, it may be desirable to incorporate multiple antennas or phased antenna arrays into device  10 , each of which is placed at a different location within device  10 . With this type of arrangement, an unblocked antenna or phased antenna array may be switched into use. In scenarios where a phased antenna array is formed in device  10 , once switched into use, the phased antenna array may use beam steering to optimize wireless performance. Configurations in which antennas from one or more different locations in device  10  are operated together may also be used. 
     In devices with phased antenna arrays, wireless circuitry  34  may include gain and phase adjustment circuitry that is used in adjusting the signals associated with each antenna  40  in the phased antenna array (e.g., to perform beam steering to point a signal beam of the phased antenna array in a desired pointing direction). Switching circuitry may be used to switch desired antennas  40  into and out of use. If desired, each of locations  6  of  FIGS. 1 and 2  may include multiple antennas  40  (e.g., a set of three antennas or more than three or fewer than three antennas in a phased antenna array) and, if desired, one or more antennas from one of locations  6  may be used in transmitting and receiving signals while using one or more antennas from another of locations  6  in transmitting and receiving signals. 
       FIG. 4  shows how antennas  40  for handling millimeter and centimeter wave communications may be formed in a phased antenna array. As shown in  FIG. 4 , phased antenna array  42  (sometimes referred to herein as array  42 , antenna array  42 , or array  42  of antennas  40 ) may be coupled to signal paths such as transmission line paths  50  (e.g., one or more radio-frequency transmission lines). For example, a first antenna  40 - 1  in phased antenna array  42  may be coupled to a first transmission line path  50 - 1 , a second antenna  50 - 2  in phased antenna array  42  may be coupled to a second transmission line path  50 - 2 , an Nth antenna  40 -N in phased antenna array  42  may be coupled to an Nth transmission line path  50 -N, etc. While antennas  40  are described herein as forming a phased antenna array, the antennas  40  in phased antenna array  42  may sometimes be referred to as collectively forming a single phased array antenna. 
     Antennas  40  in phased antenna array  42  may be arranged in any desired number of rows and columns or in any other desired pattern (e.g., the antennas need not be arranged in a grid pattern having rows and columns). During signal transmission operations, transmission line paths  50  may be used to supply signals (e.g., radio-frequency signals such as millimeter wave and/or centimeter wave signals) from millimeter wave transceiver circuitry  28  ( FIG. 3 ) to phased antenna array  42  for wireless transmission to external wireless equipment. During signal reception operations, transmission line paths  50  may be used to convey signals received at phased antenna array  42  from external wireless equipment to millimeter wave transceiver circuitry  28  ( FIG. 3 ). 
     The use of multiple antennas  40  in phased antenna array  42  allows beam steering arrangements to be implemented by controlling the relative phases and magnitudes (amplitudes) of the radio-frequency signals conveyed by the antennas. In the example of  FIG. 4 , antennas  40  each have a corresponding radio-frequency phase and magnitude controller  46  (e.g., a first phase and magnitude controller  46 - 1  interposed on transmission line path  50 - 1  may control phase and magnitude for radio-frequency signals handled by antenna  40 - 1 , a second phase and magnitude controller  46 - 2  interposed on transmission line path  50 - 2  may control phase and magnitude for radio-frequency signals handled by antenna  40 - 2 , an Nth phase and magnitude controller  46 -N interposed on transmission line path  50 -N may control phase and magnitude for radio-frequency signals handled by antenna  40 -N, etc.). 
     Phase and magnitude controllers  46  may each include circuitry for adjusting the phase of the radio-frequency signals on transmission line paths  50  (e.g., phase shifter circuits) and/or circuitry for adjusting the magnitude of the radio-frequency signals on transmission line paths  50  (e.g., power amplifier and/or low noise amplifier circuits). Phase and magnitude controllers  46  may sometimes be referred to collectively herein as beam steering circuitry (e.g., beam steering circuitry that steers the beam of radio-frequency signals transmitted and/or received by phased antenna array  42 ). 
     Phase and magnitude controllers  46  may adjust the relative phases and/or magnitudes of the transmitted signals that are provided to each of the antennas in phased antenna array  42  and may adjust the relative phases and/or magnitudes of the received signals that are received by phased antenna array  42  from external wireless equipment. Phase and magnitude controllers  46  may, if desired, include phase detection circuitry for detecting the phases of the received signals that are received by phased antenna array  42  from external wireless equipment. The term “beam” or “signal beam” may be used herein to collectively refer to wireless signals that are transmitted and received by phased antenna array  42  in a particular direction. The signal beam may exhibit a peak gain that is oriented in a particular pointing direction at a corresponding pointing angle (e.g., based on constructive and destructive interference from the combination of signals from each antenna in the phased antenna array). The term “transmit beam” may sometimes be used herein to refer to radio-frequency signals that are transmitted in a particular direction whereas the term “receive beam” may sometimes be used herein to refer to radio-frequency signals that are received from a particular direction. 
     If, for example, phase and magnitude controllers  46  are adjusted to produce a first set of phases and/or magnitudes for transmitted millimeter wave signals, the transmitted signals will form a millimeter wave frequency transmit beam as shown by beam  48 A of  FIG. 4  that is oriented in the direction of point A. If, however, phase and magnitude controllers  46  are adjusted to produce a second set of phases and/or magnitudes for the transmitted millimeter wave signals, the transmitted signals will form a millimeter wave frequency transmit beam as shown by beam  48 B that is oriented in the direction of point B. Similarly, if phase and magnitude controllers  46  are adjusted to produce the first set of phases and/or magnitudes, wireless signals (e.g., millimeter wave signals in a millimeter wave frequency receive beam) may be received from the direction of point A as shown by beam  48 A. If phase and magnitude controllers  46  are adjusted to produce the second set of phases and/or magnitudes, signals may be received from the direction of point B, as shown by beam  48 B. 
     Each phase and magnitude controller  46  may be controlled to produce a desired phase and/or magnitude based on a corresponding control signal  44  received from control circuitry  14  of  FIG. 3  or other control circuitry in device  10  (e.g., the phase and/or magnitude provided by phase and magnitude controller  46 - 1  may be controlled using control signal  44 - 1 , the phase and/or magnitude provided by phase and magnitude controller  46 - 2  may be controlled using control signal  44 - 2 , etc.). If desired, control circuitry  14  may actively adjust control signals  44  in real time to steer the transmit or receive beam in different desired directions over time. Phase and magnitude controllers  46  may provide information identifying the phase of received signals to control circuitry  14  if desired. 
     When performing millimeter or centimeter wave communications, radio-frequency signals are conveyed over a line of sight path between phased antenna array  42  and external wireless equipment. If the external wireless equipment is located at point A of  FIG. 4 , phase and magnitude controllers  46  may be adjusted to steer the signal beam towards point A (e.g., to steer the pointing direction of the signal beam towards point A). If the external equipment is located at location B, phase and magnitude controllers  46  may be adjusted to steer the signal beam towards direction B. In the example of  FIG. 4 , beam steering is shown as being performed over a single degree of freedom for the sake of simplicity (e.g., towards the left and right on the page of  FIG. 4 ). However, in practice, the beam is steered over two or more degrees of freedom (e.g., in three dimensions, into and out of the page and to the left and right on the page of  FIG. 4 ). 
     A schematic diagram of an antenna  40  that may be formed in phased antenna array  42  (e.g., as antenna  40 - 1 ,  40 - 2 ,  40 - 3 , and/or  40 -N in phased antenna array  42  of  FIG. 4 ) is shown in  FIG. 5 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , antenna  40  may be coupled to transceiver circuitry  20  (e.g., millimeter wave transceiver circuitry  28  of  FIG. 3 ). Transceiver circuitry  20  may be coupled to antenna feed F of antenna  40  using transmission line path  50  (sometimes referred to herein as radio-frequency transmission line  50 ). Antenna feed F may include a positive antenna feed terminal such as positive antenna feed terminal  56  and may include a ground antenna feed terminal such as ground antenna feed terminal  58 . Transmission line path  50  may include a positive signal conductor such as signal conductor  52  that is coupled to terminal  56  and a ground conductor such as ground conductor  54  that is coupled to terminal  58 . 
     Any desired antenna structures may be used for implementing antenna  40 . In one suitable arrangement that is sometimes described herein as an example, patch antenna structures may be used for implementing antenna  40 . Antennas  40  that are implemented using patch antenna structures may sometimes be referred to herein as patch antennas. An illustrative patch antenna that may be used in phased antenna array  42  of  FIG. 4  is shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , antenna  40  may have a patch antenna resonating element  60  that is separated from and parallel to a ground plane such as antenna ground plane  64  (sometimes referred to herein as antenna ground  64 ). Patch antenna resonating element  60  may lie within a plane such as the X-Y plane of  FIG. 6  (e.g., the lateral surface area of element  60  may lie in the X-Y plane). Patch antenna resonating element  60  may sometimes be referred to herein as patch  60 , patch element  60 , patch resonating element  60 , antenna resonating element  60 , or resonating element  60 . Antenna ground  64  may lie within a plane that is parallel to the plane of patch element  60 . Patch element  60  and antenna ground  64  may therefore lie in separate parallel planes that are separated by a fixed distance. Patch element  60  and antenna ground  64  may be formed from conductive traces patterned on a dielectric substrate such as a rigid or flexible printed circuit board substrate, metal foil, stamped sheet metal, electronic device housing structures, or any other desired conductive structures. 
     The length of the sides of patch element  60  may be selected so that antenna  40  resonates (radiates) at a desired operating frequency. For example, the sides of patch element  60  may each have a length  62  that is approximately equal to half of the wavelength of the signals conveyed by antenna  40  (e.g., the effective wavelength given the dielectric properties of the materials surrounding patch element  60 ). In one suitable arrangement, length  62  may be between 0.8 mm and 1.2 mm (e.g., approximately 1.1 mm) for covering a millimeter wave frequency band between 57 GHz and 70 GHz, as just one example. 
     The example of  FIG. 6  is merely illustrative. Patch element  60  may have a square shape in which all of the sides of patch element  60  are the same length or may have a different rectangular shape. Patch element  60  may be formed in other shapes having any desired number of straight and/or curved edges. If desired, patch element  60  and antenna ground  64  may have different shapes and relative orientations. 
     To enhance the polarizations handled by antenna  40 , antenna  40  may be provided with multiple feeds. As shown in  FIG. 6 , antenna  40  may have a first feed at antenna port P 1  that is coupled to a first transmission line path  50  such as transmission line path  50 V and a second feed at antenna port P 2  that is coupled to a second transmission line path  50  such as transmission line path  50 H. The first antenna feed may have a first ground antenna feed terminal coupled to antenna ground  64  (not shown in  FIG. 6  for the sake of clarity) and a first positive antenna feed terminal  56  such as positive antenna feed terminal  56 V coupled to patch element  60 . The second antenna feed may have a second ground antenna feed terminal coupled to antenna ground  64  (not shown in  FIG. 6  for the sake of clarity) and a second positive antenna feed terminal  56  such as positive antenna feed terminal  56 H coupled to patch element  60 . 
     Holes or openings such as openings  70  and  72  may be formed in antenna ground  64 . Transmission line path  50 V may include a vertical conductor  66 V (e.g., a conductive through-via, conductive pin, metal pillar, solder bump, combinations of these, or other vertical conductive interconnect structures) that extends through hole  70  to positive antenna feed terminal  56 V on patch element  60 . Transmission line path  50 H may include a vertical conductor  66 H that extends through hole  72  to positive antenna feed terminal  56 H on patch element  60 . This example is merely illustrative and, if desired, other transmission line structures may be used (e.g., coaxial cable structures, stripline transmission line structures, etc.). 
     When using the first antenna feed associated with port P 1 , antenna  40  may transmit and/or receive radio-frequency signals having a first linear polarization (e.g., the electric field E 1  of antenna signals  68  associated with port P 1  may be oriented parallel to the Y-axis in  FIG. 6 ). When using the antenna feed associated with port P 2 , antenna  40  may transmit and/or receive radio-frequency signals having a second linear polarization (e.g., the electric field E 2  of antenna signals  68  associated with port P 2  may be oriented parallel to the X-axis of  FIG. 6  so that the linear polarizations associated with ports P 1  and P 2  are orthogonal to each other). 
     One of ports P 1  and P 2  may be used at a given time so that antenna  40  operates as a single-polarization antenna or both ports may be operated at the same time so that antenna  40  operates with other polarizations (e.g., as a dual-polarization antenna, a circularly-polarized antenna, an elliptically-polarized antenna, etc.). If desired, the active port may be changed over time so that antenna  40  can switch between covering vertical or horizontal polarizations at a given time. Ports P 1  and P 2  may be coupled to different phase and magnitude controllers or may both be coupled to the same phase and magnitude controller (e.g., in scenarios where antenna  40  is formed within a phased antenna array). If desired, ports P 1  and P 2  may both be operated with the same phase and magnitude at a given time (e.g., when antenna  40  acts as a dual-polarization antenna). If desired, the phases and magnitudes of the radio-frequency signals conveyed over ports P 1  and P 2  may be controlled separately and varied over time so that antenna  40  exhibits other polarizations (e.g., circular or elliptical polarizations). 
     If care is not taken, antennas  40  such as dual-polarization patch antennas of the type shown in  FIG. 6  may have insufficient bandwidth for covering an entirety of a communications band of interest (e.g., a communications band at frequencies greater than 10 GHz). If desired, antenna  40  may include one or more parasitic antenna resonating elements that serve to broaden the bandwidth of antenna  40  (e.g., to extend the bandwidth of antenna  40  to cover an entirety of a corresponding communications band). The parasitic antenna resonating elements may include one or more conductive patches located above patch element  60 , as an example. The length of the parasitic antenna resonating element may be greater than or less than the length of patch element  60  to add additional resonances that broaden the bandwidth of the antenna. The parasitic antenna resonating element may have a cross shape for impedance matching if desired. Antenna  40  may be fed using a single antenna feed if desired. In another suitable arrangement, additional patch antennas (e.g., patch antennas having one or two antenna feeds) may be stacked over and/or under antenna  40  of  FIG. 6 . The patch elements in the stacked patch antennas may at least partially overlap. 
     The antenna structures shown in  FIG. 6  are merely illustrative and, in general, any desired types of antennas may be used in phased antenna array  42  of  FIG. 4 . If desired, phased antenna array  42  may be integrated with other circuitry such as a radio-frequency integrated circuit to form an integrated antenna module. 
       FIG. 7  is a rear perspective view of an illustrative integrated antenna module for handling signals at frequencies greater than 10 GHz in device  10 . As shown in  FIG. 7 , device  10  may be provided with an integrated antenna module such as integrated antenna module  110  (sometimes referred to herein as antenna module  110  or module  110 ). Module  110  may include phased antenna array  42  of antennas  40  formed on a dielectric substrate such as dielectric substrate  80 . Substrate  80  may be, for example, a rigid or printed circuit board or other dielectric substrate. Substrate  80  may be a stacked dielectric substrate that includes multiple stacked dielectric layers  82  (e.g., multiple layers of printed circuit board substrate such as multiple layers of fiberglass-filled epoxy, rigid printed circuit board material, flexible printed circuit board material, ceramic, plastic, glass, or other dielectrics). Phased antenna array  42  may include any desired number of antennas  40  arranged in any desired pattern. 
     Antennas  40  in phased antenna array  42  may include elements such as patch elements  60 , ground traces  98  (e.g., conductive traces forming antenna ground  64  of  FIG. 6  for each of the antennas  40  in phased antenna array  42 ), and/or other components such as parasitic elements that are interposed between or formed on dielectric layers  82  of substrate  80 . Patch elements  60  may be formed on surface  91  of substrate  80  or may be embedded within layers  82  at or adjacent to surface  91 . Patch elements  60 , parasitic elements in antennas  40 , ground traces  98  may be formed from conductive traces on the dielectric layers  82  of substrate  80  (e.g., embedded within and/or on substrate  80 ). 
     One or more electrical components  90  may be mounted on surface  88  of substrate  80  (e.g., the surface of substrate  80  opposite surface  90  and patch elements  60 ). Component  90  may, for example, include an integrated circuit (e.g., an integrated circuit chip) or other circuitry mounted to surface  88  of substrate  80 . Component  90  may include radio-frequency components such as amplifier circuitry  92 , phase shifter circuitry, and other circuitry that operates on radio-frequency signals. Component  90  may sometimes be referred to herein as radio-frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)  90 . However, this is merely illustrative and, in general, the circuitry of component  90  need not be formed on an integrated circuit. Amplifier circuitry  92  and phase shifter circuitry in RFIC  90  may, for example, form the phase and magnitude controllers  46  ( FIG. 4 ) for phased antenna array  42 . RFIC  90  may include ports coupled to the antenna feeds of the antennas  40  in phased antenna array  42 . 
     Module  110  may receive radio-frequency signals from millimeter wave transceiver circuitry  28  ( FIG. 3 ) over transmission line structures such as transmission lines  100 H and  100 V. Transmission lines  100 H and  100 V may be coaxial cables or any other desired transmission line structures and may form part of the transmission line paths  50  ( FIG. 4 ) for phased antenna array  42 . Transmission line  100 H may have a first end coupled to millimeter wave transceiver circuitry  28  ( FIG. 3 ) and a second end coupled to radio-frequency connector  102 H on surface  88  of substrate  80  (e.g., connector  102 H may receive transmission line  100 H). Transmission line  100 V may have a first end coupled to millimeter wave transceiver circuitry  28  ( FIG. 3 ) and a second end coupled to radio-frequency connector  102 V on surface  88  of substrate  80 . Radio-frequency connectors  102 H and  102 V may include grounding structures that couple the ground conductors from transmission lines  100 V and  100 H to ground traces  98  (e.g., over conductive through-vias or other structures). Radio-frequency connectors  102 H and  102 V may couple the signal conductors from transmission lines  100 V and  100 H to RFIC  90  (e.g., using conductive traces and/or conductive vias on and/or in substrate  80 ). Transmission line  100 V may be used to convey radio-frequency signals for antenna feed terminals  56 V ( FIG. 6 ) in the antennas  40  of phased antenna array  42 . Transmission line  100 H may be used to convey first radio-frequency signals for antenna feed terminals  56 H ( FIG. 6 ) in the antennas  40  of phased antenna array  42 . 
     The dielectric layers  82  in substrate  80  may include a first set of layers  84  (sometimes referred to herein as antenna layers  84 ) and a second set of layers  86  (sometimes referred to herein as transmission line layers  86 ). Ground traces  98  may separate antenna layers  84  from transmission line layers  86 . Conductive traces or other metal layers on transmission line layers  86  of substrate  80  may be used in forming transmission line structures such as transmission line paths  50  of  FIG. 4 . For example, conductive traces on transmission line layers  86  may be used in forming stripline or microstrip transmission lines that are coupled between the antenna feeds for antennas  40  (e.g., over conductive vias extending through antenna layers  84 ) and RFIC  90  (e.g., over conductive vias extending through transmission line layers  86 ). Conductive traces on transmission line layers  86  may also be used to couple radio-frequency connectors  102 H and  102 V and thus the signal conductors from transmission lines  100 H and  100 V to RFIC  90 . 
     Radio-frequency connectors  102 H and  102 V and transmission lines  100 H and  100 V may be coupled to surface  88  at side (end)  106  of substrate  80 . The presence of radio-frequency connectors  102 H and  102 V and the conductive traces in transmission line layers  86  that are used to couple connectors  102 H and  102 V to RFIC  90  may leave side  106  of module  110  susceptible to current leakage from antenna layers  84  of module  110 . For example, the antennas  40  in phased antenna array  42  may generate surface current I that propagates laterally outwards along the surface of ground traces  98  (e.g., at the surface of ground traces  98  facing antenna layers  84 ). If care is not taken, current I may scatter at the edge of ground traces  98  at side  106  of module  110 , through radio-frequency connectors  102 H and  102 V (e.g., through openings in connectors  102 H and  102 V that allow mechanical connections for transmission lines  100 H and  100 V but that form undesirable paths for ground current), and conductive traces in transmission line layers  86  onto RFIC  90  (as shown by arrows  104 ). This scattered current may further leak from output  96  onto input  94  of amplifier circuitry  92 . This may allow signal noise to build up in a feedback loop at amplifier circuitry  92 , generating undesirable oscillation in the response of amplifier circuitry  92  and ultimately serving to deteriorate the response of the antennas  40  in module  110 . 
     In order to mitigate these effects, an electromagnetic isolation element such as a passive resonator may be formed on or within antenna layers  84  at side  106  of module  110 .  FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional side view of module  110  (e.g., as taken in the direction of arrow  112  of  FIG. 7 ) showing how module  110  may include a passive resonator for isolating RFIC  90  from surface current I. 
     As shown in  FIG. 8 , a given antenna  40  in phased antenna array  42  may include a corresponding patch element  60  embedded within antenna layers  84  of substrate  80 . The antenna  40  shown in  FIG. 8  may, for example, be the antenna in phased antenna array  42  that is located closest to side  106  of module  110 . In the example of  FIG. 8 , antenna  40  is provided with a parasitic element  125  that serves to broaden the frequency response of antenna  40 . Parasitic element  125  may be omitted if desired. Parasitic element  125  (or patch element  60  in scenarios where parasitic element  125  is omitted) may be formed on surface  91  of substrate  80  or may be embedded within substrate  80  (e.g., such that one or more dielectric layers  82  are formed over parasitic element  125 ). 
     RFIC  90  and radio-frequency connector  102 H may be mounted to surface  88  of transmission line layers  86  in substrate  80 . Radio-frequency transmission line  100 H may be coupled to connector  102 H. Connector  102 V and transmission line  100 V of  FIG. 7  are omitted from  FIG. 8  for the sake of clarity. The signal conductor from transmission line  100 H may be coupled to conductive trace  134  through connector  102 H and vertical conductive via  136  extending through transmission line layers  86 . Conductive trace  134  may be coupled to radio-frequency port  120 ′ on RFIC  90  over vertical conductive via  137  extending through transmission line layers  86 . In another suitable arrangement, conductive trace  134  may be formed on surface  88  of substrate  80  and conductive vias  136  and  137  may be omitted. Radio-frequency connector  102 H may include grounding structures that couple the ground conductor of transmission line  100 H to ground in module  110  over conductive traces and/or conductive vias (not shown in  FIG. 8  for the sake of clarity). 
     RFIC  90  may also include radio-frequency ports  120 . Each radio-frequency port  120  may be coupled to a respective antenna  40  in phased antenna array  42  over a respective transmission line path (e.g., portions of transmission line paths  50  of  FIG. 4 ). Ports  120  and  120 ′ may include conductive contact pads, solder balls, microbumps, conductive pins, conductive pillars, conductive sockets, conductive clips, welds, conductive adhesive, conductive wires, interface circuits, or any other desired conductive interconnect structures. 
     Portions of the transmission line paths for antennas  40  may be embedded within transmission line layers  86 . For example, the transmission line paths may include conductive traces  132  in transmission line layers  86  (e.g., conductive traces on a given dielectric layer  82  within transmission line layers  86 ). Conductive traces  132  may form part of the signal conductors (e.g., signal conductor  52  of  FIG. 5 ) for the antennas  40  in phased antenna array  42 . Ground traces  98  may form part of the ground conductors (e.g., ground conductor  54  of  FIG. 5 ) for the antennas  40  in phased antenna array  42 . If desired, additional grounded traces within transmission line layers  86  may be used to form part of the ground conductors for the transmission line paths. 
     Conductive traces  132  may be coupled to the positive antenna feed terminals of antennas  40  (e.g., positive antenna feed terminals  56 V and  56 H of  FIG. 6 ) over vertical conductive vias  128 . Conductive trace  134  may be formed on the same dielectric layer  82  as conductive traces  132  or conductive traces  132  and  134  may be formed on separate dielectric layers  82 . Conductive traces  132  may be coupled to transceiver ports  120  over vertical conductive vias  130 . Vertical conductive vias  128  may extend through transmission line layers  86 , a hole or opening in ground traces  98 , and antenna layers  84  to the patch elements  60  in phased antenna array  42 . Vertical conductive vias  130  may extend through transmission line layers  86 . 
     In the example of  FIG. 8 , antenna  40  is shown as having a single antenna feed coupled to a single vertical conductive via  128  for the sake of clarity and, if desired, each antenna  40  may include two antenna feeds (e.g., antenna feeds associated with positive antenna feed terminals  56 V and  56 H of  FIG. 6 ) that are each coupled to a corresponding conductive via  128 , conductive trace  132 , conductive via  130 , and port  120 . In this way, conductive vias  128 ,  137 , and  136 , conductive traces  132  and  134 , and the signal conductor of transmission line  100 H may collectively form the signal conductor  52  ( FIG. 5 ) for the antennas  40  in phased antenna array  42  (e.g., conductive vias conductive vias  128 ,  137 , and  136 , conductive traces  132  and  134 , and the signal conductor of transmission line  100 H may each form part of the transmission line path  50  for each antenna  40 , as shown in  FIG. 5 ). 
     As shown in  FIG. 8 , module  110  may include an electromagnetic isolation element such as passive resonator  138 . Passive resonator  138  is a passive resonating element that is not directly fed using antenna signals or an antenna feed. Passive resonator  138  may be coupled to an extended portion  144  of ground traces  98  (e.g., a portion of ground traces  98  extending beyond the lateral outline of phased antenna array  42 ) and may include vertical conductive structure  142  extending through one or more dielectric layers  82  in antenna layers  84  and arm  140 . Arm  140  may be formed from a conductive trace embedded within antenna layers  84  (e.g., on a corresponding dielectric layer  82 ) or formed on surface  91  of antenna layers  84 . Arm  140  may be shorted to ground traces  98  (e.g., portion  144  of ground traces  98 ) over vertical conductive structure  142 . Vertical conductive structure  142  may include conductive traces on side  106  of substrate  80 , sheet metal over side  106  of substrate  80 , conductive tape over side  106  of substrate  80 , and/or vertical conductive vias extending through antenna layers  84 , as examples. Vertical conductive structure  142  may sometimes be referred to herein as wall  142 , sidewall  142 , or leg  142 . Arm  140  may sometimes be referred to herein as lip  140  or conductive trace  140 . 
     Patch element  60  may be located at height H 2  over ground traces  98 . Parasitic element  125  may be located at height H 1  over ground traces  98 . Arm  140  of passive resonator  138  may be located at height H 3  over ground traces  98  (e.g., vertical conductive structure  142  may have a length equal to height H 3 ). Height H 3  may be greater than or equal to height H 1  or may be greater than or equal to height H 2 . 
     Arm  140  may have a first end at vertical conductive structure  142  and an opposing second end facing phased antenna array  42 . Arm  140  may have a length  126  (e.g., extending from the first end to the second end). The end of arm  140  facing phased antenna array  42  may be separated from the edge of patch element  60  facing side  106  of module  110  by distance  124 . Portion  144  of ground traces  98  may have a length equal to the sum of distance  124  and length  126 . Distance  124  may, for example, be approximately equal to (e.g., within 10-20% of) one-half of the free space wavelength of operation of antenna  40  (e.g., a centimeter or millimeter wavelength corresponding to a frequency between 10 GHz and 300 GHz). 
     The dimensions of passive resonator  138  may be selected to configure passive resonator  138  to resonate at approximately one-quarter of the effective wavelength of operation of antenna  40 . The effective wavelength is given by dividing the free space wavelength of operation of antenna  40  by a constant factor (e.g., the square root of the dielectric constant of the material used to form antenna layers  84 ). Length  126  may, for example, be selected to be approximately (e.g., within 10-20% of) one-quarter of the effective wavelength of operation of antenna  40  in order to configure passive resonator  138  to exhibit this resonance. This resonance may create an infinite (open circuit) impedance at the wavelength of operation of antenna  40 . The infinite impedance may serve to block surface currents I (e.g., surface currents at the wavelength of operation of antenna  40 ) from propagating out of antenna layers  84  at side  106  and into transmission line layers  86  of module  110  (e.g., as shown by arrow  122 ). In this way, passive resonator  138  may prevent surface current I from leaking onto RFIC  90  and producing undesirable feedback at the amplifier circuitry in RFIC  90 . 
     The example of  FIG. 8  is merely illustrative. If desired, passive resonator  138  may have other shapes (e.g., shapes having curved and/or straight edges). Passive resonator  138  may be entirely embedded within antenna layers  84  if desired (e.g., substrate  80  may extend to the right beyond passive resonator  138 ). In the example of  FIG. 8 , passive resonator  138  is shown as extending in only first and second dimensions (e.g., parallel to the Y and Z axes). In practice, passive resonator  138  may also extend in a third dimension (e.g., across the width of substrate  80  and parallel to the X-axis of  FIG. 8 ). 
       FIG. 9  is a top-down view of module  110  showing how passive resonator  138  may extend across the width of module  110 . As shown in  FIG. 9 , phased antenna array  42  may include multiple antennas  40  having respective patch elements  60  formed at, on, or under surface  91  of substrate  80 . Vertical conductive structure  142  of passive resonator  138  may cover side  106  of substrate  80  from edge  156  to edge  152  (e.g., vertical conductive structures  142  may extend across the width of module  110  from edge  156  to edge  152 ). Similarly, arm  140  of may extend across the width of module  110 . Arm  140  may be separated from the nearest antennas  40  in phased antenna array  42  by distance  124 . Arm  140  may have length  126  (e.g., parallel to the Y-axis of  FIG. 9 ). Surface current I generated by phased antenna array  42  may encounter an infinite impedance at its wavelength due to the resonance of passive resonator  138 , which serves to prevent current I from scattering at side  106  of module  110  and into the transmission line layers of module  110 . 
     If desired, vertical conductive structure  142  may be formed from a fence of conductive vias  150  extending through substrate  80 . Conductive vias  150  may be opaque at the wavelength of operation of phased antenna array  42 . In order to be opaque at the frequencies covered by phased antenna array  42 , the distance (pitch) between adjacent conductive vias  150  may be less than about ⅛ of the effective wavelength of operation of phased antenna array  42 . 
       FIG. 10  is a side view of exemplary radiation pattern envelopes that may be exhibited by phased antenna array  42  in the presence and absence of passive resonator  138  of  FIGS. 8 and 9 . As shown in  FIG. 10 , curve  160  shows one possible radiation pattern envelope for phased antenna array  42  in the absence of passive resonator  138 . As shown by curve  160 , feedback generated at amplifier circuitry  92  by surface current I (e.g., as shown by arrows  104  of  FIG. 7 ) may degrade the radio-frequency performance of module  110  such that phased antenna array  42  exhibits an uneven pattern envelope having undesirable nulls at different beam angles. Curve  162  illustrates one possible radiation pattern envelope for phased antenna array  42  when provided with passive resonator  138 . As shown by curve  162 , phased antenna array  42  may exhibit a relatively smooth (uniform) radiation pattern envelope across its field of view (e.g., because RFIC  90  of  FIG. 7  is isolated from surface current I by passive resonator  138  of  FIGS. 8 and 9 ). The example of  FIG. 10  is merely illustrative. In general, curves  162  and  160  may have other shapes. 
     The foregoing is merely illustrative and various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The foregoing embodiments may be implemented individually or in any combination.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20180928
Publication Date: 20210323
Grant Date: 20210323
Priority Date: 20180928
Inventors: PAULOTTO, Simone
YU, Qishan
RAJAGOPALAN, HARISH
CETINONERI, Berke
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H01Q3/36", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q1/52", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q1/2283", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q5/25", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01P7/00", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q1/48", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q3/28", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q1/50", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q21/00", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q1/52", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q9/0485", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q3/443", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q11/14", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q1/242", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q1/38", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q1/2258", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q1/22", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q1/422", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01P7/082", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q21/065", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q3/34", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q1/38", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q1/48", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q1/422", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q3/443", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q11/14", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q1/38", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 69781641