Communications: radio wave antennas – Antennas – Microstrip
Reexamination Certificate
1997-08-27
2001-05-22
Nguyen, Lee (Department: 2683)
Communications: radio wave antennas
Antennas
Microstrip
C343S777000, C455S280000, C455S347000, C331S048000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06236366
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a semiconductor module provided with a built-in antenna element and more particularly, a semiconductor module for radio communications or distance measurements which has a built-in antenna element suited for a radio communications system or a distance/speed measurements system using a millimeter-wave band ranging from 30 GHz to 300 GHz and a quasi-millimeter -wave band ranging from 18 GHz to 30 GHz, for example.
As known, a radio communications system of heterodyne type substantially comprises a mixer circuit, frequency converter circuit including local oscillators, an amplifier circuit, and an antenna element, for example.
In a conventional radio communications system using frequencies lower than quasi-millimeter-waves, a plurality of devices, each having the above components, except the antenna element, sealed in a package or casing, are connected to each other by external terminals mounted to the casings of the devices thus constituting a subsystem for radio communications.
A technique is also known that a combination of the frequency converter circuit and the amplifier circuit which is embodied as a microwave integrated circuit is mounted together with the antenna element in a wave-guide which is a microwave circuit for transmission of a microwave through the waveguide (for example, as disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKOKU Publication No. 56-17842 or No. 57-
44241).
A phased array antenna is known in which a plurality of transmitter and receiver antennas are arranged two-dimensionally.
In common, such a phased array antenna includes cables and connectors for power supply from a microwave integrated circuit to an antenna element.
Accordingly, the above mentioned prior art systems will be troublesome in carrying out a maintenance work even worse, the signal processing ability of such prior art systems may decline due to joint degradation or deterioration with time of the cables and connectors.
The prior art systems also have disadvantages in that there is interference between the antenna element and the microwave circuit and in that the distance between the antenna elements in a two-dimensional arrangement is not small.
The former disadvantage which is inevitable in the power supply from the microwave circuit to the antenna element, may be eliminated by means of a construction which is depicted in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 63-316905 as shown in
FIGS. 9A and 9B
.
FIGS. 9A and 9B
are identical to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the prior art disclosed in the Publication No. 63-316905.
As shown in
FIGS. 9A and 9B
, one of antenna elements which constitute a phased array antenna is connected to a microwave circuit.
Referring to
FIG. 9A
, the antenna element is denoted by
21
while a package is denoted by
22
.
The package
22
contains the microwave integrated circuit
23
.
Referring to
FIG. 9B
which is an enlargement of
FIG. 9A
, the microwave integrated circuit
23
consisting mainly of a microwave IC chip
23
a
is welded by a dose of solder
22
b
to the package
22
.
The microwave integrated circuit
23
also has a via-hole
23
c
as the main passage and via-holes
23
d
for grounding a back electrode
23
e
in the shortest distance.
More specifically, a transmitter/receiver terminal
23
f
of the microwave integrated circuit
23
is electrically connected through the via-hole
23
c
of the main passage to the antenna element
21
.
This arrangement can eliminate the former disadvantage derived from the cables and connectors between the antenna element and the transmitter/receiver module.
For solving the disadvantages relating to interference between the antenna element and the microwave circuit and the small distance between the antenna elements in a two-dimensional arrangement, a method is known as disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 6-77729.
FIGS. 10A and 10B
are identical to FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) of the prior art depicted in the Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 6-77729.
Shown in
FIGS. 10A and 10B
similar to
FIGS. 9A and 9B
are one of antenna elements which constitute a phased array antenna and a microwave circuit joined integrally with the antenna.
FIG. 10A
is a perspective view and
FIG. 10B
is a cross sectional view taken along the line XB—XB of FIG.
10
A.
As shown in
FIGS. 10A and 10B
, the antenna element denoted by numeral
33
is mounted on a dielectric substrate
31
having a ground
32
provided on the back side thereof and a semiconductor circuit board
34
including a microwave circuit composed using portions of the dielectric substrate
31
and the ground
32
.
The antenna element
33
is coupled to the microwave circuit via a coupling aperture
35
provided in the ground
32
.
The construction shown in
FIGS. 10A and 10B
like that shown in
FIGS. 9A and 9B
allows the microwave circuit and the antenna element to be located on the front and back sides of the dielectric substrate
31
respectively.
Since the microwave circuit and the antenna element shown in
FIGS. 10A and 10B
are disposed on the front and back sides of the dielectric substrate
31
respectively at corresponding locations to form a phased array antenna, the disadvantage that the distance between any two adjacent antenna elements in a two-dimensional arrangement is not small will be eliminated.
In addition, the microwave circuit is located directly on the ground over the back side of the dielectric substrate as shown in
FIGS. 10A and 10B
and is spaced from the antenna element so that interference between the microwave circuit and the antenna element can be prevented.
An ultra-high frequency band radio communications apparatus is disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 9-153839 in which a transmitter antenna, a receiver antenna, and a semiconductor chip are mounted in a single package. The transmitter antenna, the receiver antenna, and the semiconductor chip are located on a substrate which is a planer substrate having a single mounting surface. The space where the transmitter and receiver antennas are disposed is communicated with a space of which cut-off frequency is high enough to reject the carrier frequency of the radio communications apparatus. The semiconductor chip is located in an intermediate between the two spaces. The package is covered at top with a non-conductive cap. The intermediate between the two spaces is protected with a layer of a conductive material. The ultra-high frequency band radio communications apparatus disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 9-153839 is advantageous in decreasing the overall dimensions as well as reducing the cost of production, compared with the conventional communication systems using the wave-guide techniques.
As a great number of commercial radio apparatuses have widely been marketed, it has been desired to develop and design the lowest cost and most minimized design radio communications systems which may play a major role in the field of large data transmission.
Particularly, personal systems such as namely desk-top personal computers prevail today and some of them are connected to each other for mutual use of data in a network such as LAN.
In such a network, the exchange of data between the personal systems is preferably implemented by means of radio communications in view of the advantage of mobility and the versatility of location of the systems.
It is thus essential for such radio communications systems to be easy in handling and free of the location and method of installation.
In this point of view, the conventional technique in which the devices having the electronic components, except the antenna element, sealed in a casing are utilized in a combination is hardly applicable to the development of millimeter-wave radio communications systems.
If the conventional technique is embodied in a millimeter-wave radio communications system, parasitic factors pertinent to an individual sealed casing are emphasized through higher frequency waves and may be uncontrollable parameters.
In a communications subsystem or radio commun
Hirachi Yasutake
Yamamoto Toshio
Frishauf, Holtz Goodman, Langer & Chick, P.C.
Nguyen Lee
Nguyen Simon
Olympus Optical Co,. Ltd.
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