Component carrier with protruding dielectric signal element and manufacture method

1 . A component carrier, comprising:

a stack comprising at least one electrically insulating layer structure and/or at least one electrically conductive layer structure;

at least one signal element, wherein the signal element protrudes from the outermost layer structure of the stack; and

a surrounding material arranged on the outermost layer structure of the stack and at least partially surrounding the at least one signal element;

wherein the at least one signal element comprises a dielectric material and a permittivity that is different than a permittivity of a medium that directly surrounds the at least one signal element,

wherein the at least one signal element is laminated onto the stack, and

wherein the at least one signal element and the surrounding material have been manufactured from one and the same original layer structure.

2 . The component carrier according to claim 1 ,

wherein the surrounding material is formed as a layer portion arranged laterally to the at least one signal element, such that a space between the at least one signal element and the layer portion is provided,

wherein the layer portion is arranged to provide a cavity delimited by sidewalls formed by the layer portion,

wherein the at least one signal element is arranged in the cavity, and wherein the cavity is at least partially filled with the medium.

3 . The component carrier according to claim 2 ,

wherein the at least one sidewall of the layer portion comprises a metal layer structure and/or a shielding layer structure.

4 . The component carrier according to claim 2 ,

wherein the height of at least a portion of the layer portion corresponds to the height of the at least one signal element.

5 . The component carrier according to claim 1 ,

wherein the at least one signal element and the stack are electromagnetically coupleable;

wherein the electromagnetic coupling is directly through an electrically conductive material; and/or

wherein the electromagnetic coupling is via an electrically insulating material that is free of electrically conductive material;

wherein the electromagnetic coupling comprises a transmission of an electromagnetic wave by capacitive coupling and/or inductive coupling.

6 . The component carrier according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a transmission structure arranged below the at least one signal element, such that the at least one signal element and the transmission structure are electromagnetically coupleable by capacitive coupling and/or inductive coupling.

7 . The component carrier according to claim 1 , comprising a plurality of the signal elements in an array.

8 . The component carrier according to claim 1 ,

wherein the medium comprises a fluid; and/or

wherein the medium comprises an embedding material configured to encapsulate the at least one signal element; and/or

wherein the medium at least partially fills a space between the at least one signal element and the layer portion and/or between the plurality of signal elements.

9 . The component carrier according to claim 1 ,

wherein the permittivity of the at least one signal element, given as the dielectric constant Dk, is in the range 1 to 100; and/or

wherein the permittivity of the medium, given as the dielectric constant Dk, is in the range 1 to 5.

10 . An electronic device, comprising:

a stack comprising at least one electrically insulating layer structure and/or at least one electrically conductive layer structure;

at least one signal element comprising a dielectric material laminated on the stack, wherein the signal element protrudes from the outermost layer structure of the stack;

a surrounding material arranged on the outermost layer structure of the stack and at least partially surrounding the at least one signal element, wherein the surrounding material has a permittivity that is different than a permittivity of the dielectric material, wherein the at least one signal element and the surrounding material are formed from one and the same original layer structure; and

at least one functionality of the group which consists of: a 4G functionality, a 5G functionality, a 6G functionality, a microwave functionality, a mm-wave guide functionality, a WiFi functionality, an antenna functionality, a transmitter and/or receiver functionality, a radar functionality, a filter functionality, an RF/HF coupling functionality.

11 . A method of manufacturing a component carrier, the method comprising:

forming a stack comprising at least one electrically insulating layer structure and/or at least one electrically conductive layer structure;

forming at least one signal element on the stack, wherein the signal element protrudes from the outermost layer structure of the stack; and

forming a surrounding material on the outermost layer structure of the stack, such that the surrounding material at least partially surrounds the at least one signal element;

wherein the at least one signal element comprises a dielectric material and a permittivity that is different than a permittivity of a medium that directly surrounds the at least one signal element,

wherein the at least one signal element is laminated onto the outermost layer structure of the stack, wherein the at least one signal element and the surrounding material at least partially surrounding the at least one signal element are formed from one and the same original layer structure.

12 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein forming the at least one signal element further comprises:

forming a layer portion preform on the outermost layer structure of the stack; and

removing a part of the layer portion preform to thereby expose the at least one signal element.

13 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein removing the part of the layer portion preform further comprises:

exposing a layer portion that is arranged laterally to, at least partially surround, the at least one signal element,

wherein the height of at least a portion of the layer portion corresponds to the height of the at least one signal element.

14 . The method according to claim 12 ,

wherein removing comprises at least one of laser drilling, mechanical drilling, photolithography, X-ray lithography, milling, routing, 2.5D manufacturing.

15 . The method according to claim 12 ,

wherein forming the stack and forming the at least one signal element is done within the same component carrier manufacturing process.