Electronic device module with integrated antenna structure, and related manufacturing method
View Patent ↗An electronic device module as described herein includes an electronic device package having device contacts. The electronic device package is fixed within encapsulating material, along with an electrically conductive ground layer. The ground layer has a device opening in which the electronic device package resides, and the ground layer also has an antenna opening spaced apart from the device opening. The device contacts and one side of the ground layer correspond to a first surface, and a patch antenna element overlies the first surface. The antenna element is coupled to the electronic device package, and a projection of the patch antenna element onto the first surface resides within the antenna opening. Also provided are methods for manufacturing such an electronic device module.
1. An electronic device module comprising:
an electronic device package having device contacts, the electronic device package fixed within encapsulating material;
an electrically conductive ground layer fixed within the encapsulating material, the ground layer having a device opening in which the electronic device package resides, and the ground layer having an antenna opening spaced apart from the device opening, wherein the device contacts and one side of the ground layer correspond to a first surface; and
a patch antenna element overlying the first surface and coupled to the electronic device package, wherein a projection of the patch antenna element onto the first surface resides within the antenna opening.
2. The electronic device module of claim 1 , wherein the patch antenna element, the ground layer, and the antenna opening are cooperatively shaped, sized, and tuned for operation as a millimeter wave antenna structure.
3. The electronic device module of claim 1 , further comprising a conductive plug in the encapsulating material, the conductive plug having a first end that terminates at the ground layer, and the conductive plug having a second end that terminates at an outer surface of the encapsulating material.
4. The electronic device module of claim 1 , further comprising an antenna feed line coupled between the patch antenna element and one of the device contacts of the electronic device package.
5. The electronic device module of claim 1 , further comprising a patch antenna ground element, wherein a projection of the patch antenna ground element onto the first surface resides outside the antenna opening.
6. The electronic device module of claim 5 , further comprising a conductive plug in the encapsulating material between the ground layer and the patch antenna ground element.
7. The electronic device module of claim 1 , further comprising:
a conductive plug in the encapsulating material; and
a device signal line coupled between one of the device contacts of the electronic device package and the conductive plug.
8. The electronic device module of claim 1 , further comprising:
a conductive plug in the encapsulating material; and
an interface circuit structure overlying the encapsulating material, wherein the interface circuit structure comprises a conductive feature coupled to the conductive plug.
9. The electronic device module of claim 1 , further comprising:
a conductive plug in the encapsulating material, the conductive plug terminating at a location corresponding to a device mounting surface; and
an interface circuit structure overlying the encapsulating material, wherein the interface circuit structure comprises a conductive feature coupled to the conductive plug.
10. The electronic device module of claim 1 , further comprising a protection layer overlying at least the device contacts of the electronic device package.
11. An electronic device module comprising:
an electronic device package having device contacts that reside at a device mounting surface;
an electrically conductive ground element having one side that corresponds to the device mounting surface, the electrically conductive ground element comprising:
an antenna ground section that defines an antenna opening;
ground traces that define a device opening for the electronic device package; and
an antenna feed opening that joins the device opening to the antenna opening;
encapsulating material overlying the electronic device package and the electrically conductive ground element, the encapsulating material having a surface that corresponds to the device mounting surface; and
an antenna circuit structure formed on the device mounting surface, the antenna circuit structure comprising:
a patch antenna signal element, wherein a projection of the patch antenna signal element onto the device mounting surface resides within the antenna opening; and
an antenna feed line coupled between the patch antenna signal element and one of the device contacts of the electronic device package, wherein the antenna feed line is located in the space defined by the antenna feed opening.
12. The electronic device module of claim 11 , wherein the patch antenna signal element, the ground element, and the antenna feed opening are cooperatively shaped, sized, and tuned for operation as a millimeter wave antenna structure.
13. The electronic device module of claim 11 , further comprising:
a conductive plug in the encapsulating material, the conductive plug having a first end that terminates at the ground element, and the conductive plug having a second end that terminates at an outer surface of the encapsulating material; and
a conductive contact electrically connected to the second end of the conductive plug.
14. The electronic device module of claim 11 , wherein a projection of the antenna ground section onto the device mounting surface resides outside the antenna opening.
15. The electronic device module of claim 11 , further comprising:
a conductive plug in the encapsulating material, the conductive plug having an end that terminates at an outer surface of the encapsulating material;
a device signal line of the antenna circuit structure, the device signal line coupled between one of the device contacts of the electronic device package and the conductive plug; and
a conductive contact electrically connected to the end of the conductive plug.
16. The electronic device module of claim 11 , further comprising a protection layer overlying at least the device contacts of the electronic device package.
17. An electronic device module comprising:
an electronic device package having device contacts that reside at a device mounting surface;
an electrically conductive ground element having one side that corresponds to the device mounting surface, the electrically conductive ground element comprising:
an antenna opening defined therein; and
a device opening defined therein
encapsulating material overlying the electronic device package and the electrically conductive ground element, the encapsulating material having a surface that corresponds to the device mounting surface;
an antenna circuit structure formed on the device mounting surface, the antenna circuit structure comprising:
an antenna signal element, wherein a projection of the antenna signal element onto the device mounting surface resides within the antenna opening; and
an antenna ground element that surrounds substantially all of the antenna signal element, wherein a projection of the antenna ground element onto the device mounting surface resides outside the antenna opening, and wherein the antenna ground element is coupled to the electrically conductive ground element.
18. The electronic device module of claim 17 , further comprising:
a conductive plug in the encapsulating material, the conductive plug having a first end that terminates at the electrically conductive ground element, and the conductive plug having a second end that terminates at an outer surface of the encapsulating material; and
a conductive contact electrically connected to the second end of the conductive plug.
19. The electronic device module of claim 17 , further comprising:
a conductive plug in the encapsulating material, the conductive plug having an end that terminates at an outer surface of the encapsulating material;
a device signal line of the antenna circuit structure, the device signal line coupled between one of the device contacts of the electronic device package and the conductive plug; and
a conductive contact electrically connected to the end of the conductive plug.
20. The electronic device module of claim 17 , further comprising a protection layer overlying at least the device contacts of the electronic device package.