System packaging for millimeter wave antennas
A radio frequency package includes a first portion of an antenna array module, a second portion of the antenna array module, and a flexible cable. The first portion of the antenna array module provides a first wireless communication functionality and the second portion of the antenna array module provides a second wireless communication functionality. The flexible cable includes first surface directly coupled to the first portion of the antenna array module. The flexible cable also includes a second surface directly coupled to the second portion of the antenna array module. The flexible cable communicates signals between the first portion of the distributed antenna array module and the second portion of the antenna array module.
1. A radio frequency package, comprising:
a first portion of an antenna array module configured to provide a first wireless communication functionality;
a second portion of the antenna array module configured to provide a second wireless communication functionality; and
a flexible cable configured to communicate signals between the first portion of the antenna array module and the second portion of the antenna array module, the flexible cable comprising:
a first end;
a second end;
a first surface, wherein the first portion of the antenna array module is directly coupled to the first surface between the first end and the second end; and
a second surface, wherein the second portion of the antenna array module is directly coupled to the second surface between the first end and the second end.
2. The radio frequency package of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the antenna array module, the second portion of the antenna array module, or both, comprises a plurality of cavities comprising a plurality of antennas.
3. The radio frequency package of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of antennas comprises one or more low-band antennas, one or more high-band antennas, or both.
4. The radio frequency package of claim 1 , wherein the radio frequency package is disposed on a first printed circuit board, and wherein the flexible cable is configured to communicate data between the radio frequency package and one or more packages disposed on a second printed circuit board via the first end, the second end, or both.
5. The radio frequency package of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the antenna array module, the second portion of the antenna array module, or both, is distributed into a plurality of sub-antenna array portions.
6. The radio frequency package of claim 5 , wherein a shielding is disposed on one or more exposed surfaces of one or more of the plurality of sub-antenna array portions.
7. The radio frequency package of claim 6 , wherein the shielding is based at least in part on a threshold level of noise emitted from each of the plurality of sub-antenna array portions.
8. The radio frequency package of claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of sub- antenna array portions comprises one or more dielectric materials, mold pieces, antennas, or any combination thereof.
9. The radio frequency package of claim 8 , wherein the radio frequency package is disposed on a printed circuit board and the flexible cable is disposed at a non-perpendicular angle with respect to the printed circuit board, and wherein the one or more of the antennas correspondingly radiate wireless signals at the non-perpendicular angle.
10. The radio frequency package of claim 9 , wherein the non-perpendicular angle is between 10° and 350°.
11. The radio frequency package of claim 1 , comprising:
a third portion of the antenna array module configured to provide a third wireless communication functionality;
a plurality of solder balls coupling the third portion of the antenna array module to the first portion, the second portion, or both; and
a package underfill disposed in gaps between the plurality of solder balls, the first portion, the second portion, the third portion, or any combination thereof.
12. The radio frequency package of claim 1 , comprising power management circuitry configured to manage power supplied to the radio frequency package, wherein the power management circuitry is packaged as a system-in-package comprising one or more integrated circuits.
13. The radio frequency package of claim 1 , wherein the flexible cable is configured to bend such that one or more sub-antenna array portions of the second portion of the antenna array module are disposed at a non-zero angle relative to the first portion of the antenna array module.
14. A system package, comprising:
a first portion of an antenna array module comprising routing circuitry;
a second portion of the antenna array module comprising a substrate, a first set of one or more antennas disposed on the substrate, one or more cavities formed in the substrate, and a second set of one or more antennas disposed in respective cavities of the one or more cavities, wherein the routing circuitry is configured to provide a communication path between transceiver circuitry and the first set of one or more antennas, the second set of one or more antennas, or both; and
a plurality of solder balls coupling the first portion of the antenna array module and the second portion of the antenna array module.
15. The system package of claim 14 , comprising the transceiver circuitry.
16. The system package of claim 14 , wherein the first set of one or more antennas or the second set of one or more antennas comprises high-band antennas configured to communicate at a frequency between 20 GHz and 80 GHz, and wherein the first set of one or more antennas comprises a different frequency band than the second set of one or more antennas.
17. The system package of claim 14 , wherein the system package is disposed on a first printed circuit board, and wherein the system package comprises a flexible cable that couples the system package to a second system package disposed on a second printed circuit board, and wherein the transceiver circuitry is configured to transmit and receive wireless signals via the first set of one or more antennas, the second set of one or more antennas, or both.
18. A system-in-package, comprising:
a first portion of an antenna array module configured to route transmission signals from a transceiver to a plurality of antennas, reception signals from the plurality of antennas to the transceiver, or both, wherein the first portion comprises a first set of metal layers;
a second portion of the antenna array module comprising the plurality of antennas, wherein the second portion comprises a second set of metal layers, wherein the first set of metal layers comprises fewer layers than the second set of metal layers, and wherein the first portion of the antenna array module directly couples to the second portion of the antenna array module via an adhesive;
the transceiver configured to transmit transmission signals, receive reception signals, or a both, via one or more antennas of the antenna array module, wherein the transceiver communicatively couples to the antenna array module; and
power management circuitry configured to control power functions related to the transmission signals and the reception signals, wherein the power management circuitry communicatively couples to the antenna array module.
19. The system-in-package of claim 18 , wherein the system-in-package has a T-shaped structure, the T-shaped structure being wider at a top of the system-in-package and narrower at a bottom of the system-in-package.
20. The system-in-package of claim 18 , wherein the system-in-package is disposed on a first printed circuit board, and wherein the system-in-package comprises at least a portion of a flexible cable configured to communicate data between the system-in-package and one or more other system-in-packages disposed on one or more other printed circuit boards.