A RADIO TRANSCEIVER MODULE
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates generally to radio transceiver modules and more specifically to miniaturization of antennas for such modules.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Attempts to integrate antennas directly on top of transceiver modules have been made.
However, placing an antenna at a distance of 2 - 3 mm above the ground plane of a module, e.g. a Multi-Chip Module (MCM), typically results in an efficiency of less than 10 %. At such low efficiency, the reflected power ratio will be so high that bandwidth will be limited and required impedance matching circuits to the antenna result in increased circuit complexity and transmission losses.
Another effect of placing an antenna directly on the module surface is the loss of efficiency due to the organic encapsulant used to protect the active components of the module, e.g. the transmitter/receiver devices. Organic encapsulants used in electronic packages commonly have a dielectric constant > 3.0. Such a high dielectric constant reduces the efficiency of preferred antenna types used in low profile applications, i.e. building heights of 2.0 mm or less above the surface of the substrate of the module. Preferred antenna types are e.g. a PIFA (Planar Inverted F Antenna) or a patch antenna that both work most efficiently with a dielectric constant approaching a value of 1.0.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to overcome the difficulties encountered with conventional solutions yet stay within the size constraints of standard packaging heights.
This is attained in that, in a radio transceiver module that comprises on a substrate having a ground plane, an antenna connected to transmitter/receiver devices on the substrate and to the ground plane, in accordance with the invention the antenna comprises a dielectric
core in the form of an epoxy layer encapsulating the transmitter/receiver devices, and planar radiating elements on a plastic film fixed on top of the epoxy layer, while the ground plane of the antenna is formed by the ground plane of the substrate.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The invention will be described more in detail below with reference to the appended drawing on which Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of a transceiver module according to the invention, Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the transceiver module according to the invention, and Fig. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of the transceiver module according to the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of a transceiver module 1 according to the invention.
It is to be understood that the dimensions of the module 1 are not to scale.
In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the transceiver module 1 comprises a substrate 2 with a ground plane 3 located in the substrate 2.
In a manner known per se, active devices, i.e. transmitter/receiver devices 4 are mounted on the substrate 2 and are connected to the ground plane 3 by means of conductors 5 extending through the substrate 2 down to the ground plane 3.
In accordance with the invention, the transmitter/receiver devices 4 are encapsulated in an epoxy layer 6 onto which an antenna element 7 is fixed by means of a layer 8 of an adhesive.
The antenna element 7 comprises planar radiating elements 9 of copper on a plastic film 10 fixed with the adhesive layer 8 on top of the epoxy layer 6. Preferred types of
antennas are either a PIFA (Planar Inverted F Antenna) or a patch antenna, e.g. a DCL- FSS (DC Inductive Frequency Selective Surface) shorted patch antenna from e-tenna Corporation, San Diego, CA, U.S.A.
The epoxy layer 6 that preferably is formed of a syntactic foam epoxy forms a rigid dielectric core for the antenna element 7. A syntactic foam epoxy is comprised of miniature air filled glass spheres and only 3 - 6 % epoxy. This type of material has a dielectric constant of 1.22. A dielectric constant < 1.25 is critical to antenna efficiency.
The antenna element 7, i.e. the plastic film 10 with the radiating elements 9 is preferably bonded to the epoxy layer 6 with an acrylic PSA (Pressure Sensitive Adhesive). Other types of adhesives in liquid form may be used but acrylic is preferred for ease of assembly, high temperature resistance, and its ability to bond to low energy surfaces such as the glass sphere filled syntactic foam epoxy.
In accordance with the invention, the ground plane of the antenna element 7 is formed by the ground plane 3 of the substrate 2.
In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, an electrical interconnection between the antenna element 7, i.e. the radiating elements 9, and the ground plane 3 is made directly by means of a conductor 11 that extends from the radiating elements 9 through the adhesive layer 8, the epoxy layer 6 and part of the substrate 2 down to the ground plane 3.
Electrical interconnections between the radiating elements 9 and the transmitter/receiver devices 4 are also made directly by means of conductors 12 that extend from the radiating elements 9 through the adhesive layer 8 and the epoxy layer 6 to the transmitter/receiver devices 4.
Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of a transceiver module 1 ' according to the invention.
It is to be understood that the dimensions of the module 1 ' are not to scale.
Elements in Fig. 2 that are identical to elements in Fig. 1 have been provided with identical reference numerals.
As in Fig. 1, the transceiver module 1 ' in Fig. 2 comprises a substrate 2 with a ground plane 3 located in the substrate 2. Transmitter/receiver devices 4 are mounted on the substrate 2 and are connected to the ground plane 3 by means of conductors 5 extending through the substrate 2 down to the ground plane 3. Also, the transmitter/receiver devices 4 are encapsulated in an epoxy layer 6.
In the embodiment in Fig. 2, an antenna element 7', i.e. a plastic film 10' with radiating elements 9, is fixed by means of a layer 8' of an adhesive to the top of the epoxy layer 6 in the same manner as in Fig. 1.
However, in the embodiment in Fig. 2, the electrical interconnection between the radiating elements 9 and the ground plane 3 and the transmitter/receiver devices 4 is not made directly through the adhesive layer 8', the epoxy layer 6 and part of the substrate 2 down to the ground plane 3 as in Fig. 1.
Instead, the plastic film 10' is extended and the extension 13 is provided with conductors 14 for electrical interconnection between the radiating elements 9 and the ground plane 3 and the transmitter/receiver devices 4.
In the embodiment in Fig. 2, the plastic film extension 13 is double sided i.e. the conductors 14 are embedded in the plastic film.
The adhesive layer 8' is also extended to fix the extension 13 of the plastic film with the conductors 14 also to one edge of the epoxy layer 6 and the substrate 2 as well as to the underside of the substrate 2. There, the conductors 14 are interconnected with the ground
plane 3 and the transmitter/receiver devices 4 via conductors 15 and 16, respectively, through the substrate 2. The conductors 16 pass through the ground plane 3.
For interconnection of the module 1 ' to e.g. a printed circuit board, the plastic film extension 13 on the underside of the substrate 2 has to be provided with holes.
Fig. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of a transceiver module 1 ' ' according to the invention.
It is to be understood that the dimensions of the module 1 " are not to scale.
Elements in Fig. 3 that are identical to elements in Figs. 1 and 2 have been provided with identical reference numerals.
The transceiver module 1 " in Fig. 3 is mounted on a multi-layer PCB (Printed Circuit Board) 17 having surface pads 18, 19, 20 and 21. The PCB 17 has inner conductors 22 and 23 that interconnect the surface pads 18, 21 and 19, 20, respectively.
In the embodiment in Fig. 3, the plastic film extension 13 with the conductors 14 for electrical interconnection between the radiating elements 9 and the ground plane 3 and the transmitter/receiver devices 4, respectively, does not extend on the whole underside of the substrate 2 but is shortened. The conductor for electrical interconnection between the radiating elements 9 and the ground plane 3 is interconnected with the ground plane 3 via surface pad 18, inner conductor 22, surface pad 21 and conductor 15". The conductor for electrical interconnection between the radiating elements 9 and the transmitter/receiver devices 4 is interconnected with the transmitter/receiver devices 4 via surface pad 19, inner conductor 23, surface pad 20 and conductor 16" that passes through the substrate 2 and the ground plane 3.
In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the plastic film 10' in Fig. 3 can be single sided, i.e. the conductors 14 are not embedded in the plastic film but are exposed on the plastic film.