Radio frequency (RF) integrated circuit (IC) packages having characteristics suitable for mass production

1. A radio-frequency integrated circuit chip package with N integrated aperture-coupled patch antennas, N being at least two, said package comprising:

a cover portion with N generally planar patches; and

a main portion coupled to said cover portion, said main portion in turn comprising:

at least one generally planar ground plane spaced inwardly from said N generally planar patches and substantially parallel thereto, said ground plane being formed with at least N coupling aperture slots therein, said slots being substantially opposed to said patches;

N feed lines spaced inwardly from said N generally planar patches and substantially parallel thereto; and

at least one radio frequency chip coupled to said feed lines and said ground plane;

wherein said cover portion and said main portion cooperatively define an antenna cavity, said N generally planar patches being located in said antenna cavity; wherein said main portion further comprises a first substrate layer spaced inwardly from said feed lines, said first substrate layer being formed with a chip-receiving cavity, said radio frequency chip being located in said chip-receiving cavity, and said feed lines are located inwardly of said ground plane; and an island formed within said antenna cavity, thus defining a ring shape of said antenna cavity, said island being substantially opposed to said chip-receiving cavity.

2. The package of claim 1 , wherein said feed lines are located outwardly of said ground plane, further comprising N reflectors spaced inwardly from said ground plane and said feed lines and generally opposed to said coupling aperture slots.

3. The package of claim 2 , wherein said chip is located in said antenna cavity.

4. The package of claim 1 , wherein said island and said antenna cavity are substantially rectangular when viewed in plan.

5. The package of claim 1 , wherein said island and said antenna cavity are substantially circular when viewed in plan.

6. The package of claim 1 , further comprising at least one island support ridge located within said cavity.

7. The package of claim 1 , further comprising N reflectors spaced inwardly from said ground plane and said feed lines and generally opposed to said coupling aperture slots.

8. The package of claim 1 , wherein said cover portion is formed with inward projections to define said antenna cavity.

9. The package of claim 8 , wherein said cover portion is formed with an inward-projecting ring support.

10. The package of claim 1 , wherein said main portion is formed with outward projections to define said antenna cavity.

11. The package of claim 1 , wherein said N patches are arranged to form a planar phased array.

12. The package of claim 1 , wherein said antenna cavity is spaced away from said chip-receiving cavity when viewed in plan, such that loads incurred during insertion of said chip into said chip-receiving cavity are substantially supported away from said antenna cavity.

13. A method of fabricating a radio-frequency integrated circuit chip package with N integrated aperture-coupled patch antennas, N being at least two, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a cover portion with N generally planar patches;

providing a main portion comprising:

at least one generally planar ground plane, said ground plane being formed with at least N coupling aperture slots therein;

N feed lines; and

at least one radio frequency chip coupled to said feed lines and said ground plane; and

securing said cover portion to said main portion;

wherein:

said cover portion and said main portion cooperatively define an antenna cavity, said N generally planar patches being located in said antenna cavity;

said ground plane is spaced inwardly from said N generally planar patches and substantially parallel thereto;

said slots are substantially opposed to said patches; and

said N feed lines are spaced inwardly from said N generally planar patches and substantially parallel thereto; wherein said main portion further comprises a first substrate layer spaced inwardly from said feed lines, said first substrate layer being formed with a chip-receiving cavity, and said feed lines are located inwardly of said ground plane; and locating said radio frequency chip in said chip-receiving cavity, wherein at least one of said cover portion and said main portion further comprises an island formed within said antenna cavity, thus defining a ring shape of said antenna cavity, said island being substantially opposed to said chip-receiving cavity, and supporting, with said island, insertion loads associated with said location of said chip.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein:

said feed lines are located outwardly of said ground plane; and

said main portion further comprises N reflectors spaced inwardly from said ground plane and said feed lines and generally opposed to said coupling aperture slots;

further comprising the additional step of locating said radio frequency chip in said antenna cavity.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising the additional step of forming at least said main portion using printed circuit board techniques.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising the additional step of forming at least said main portion using low temperature co-fired ceramic techniques.

17. The method of claim 13 , further comprising coupling said chip using one of flip-chip techniques and wire bond techniques.