CN113678318A

CN113678318A - Packaged antenna device and terminal equipment

Info

Publication number: CN113678318A
Application number: CN201980095424.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 胡豪涛; 张海伟; 张跃江; 许帅; 兰增奇; 刘亮胜
Original assignee: Huawei Technologies Co Ltd
Current assignee: Huawei Technologies Co Ltd
Priority date: 2019-05-31
Filing date: 2019-05-31
Publication date: 2021-11-19
Anticipated expiration: 2039-05-31
Also published as: CN113678318B; WO2020237692A1

Abstract

The application provides a packaged antenna device and terminal equipment. The first radiator part and the second radiator part of the vertical polarization antenna are connected through the ground plate; the first feed path is used for feeding power to the first radiator part and the second radiator part; the horizontal polarization antenna comprises a second feed path and a third radiator part which are arranged in the substrate; the second feed path is used for feeding the third radiator part; the first radiator portion also serves as a ground for the horizontally polarized antenna. In the packaged antenna device, the first radiator part in the vertical polarization antenna is directly connected with the ground plate, so that the first radiator part can be used as the radiation part of the vertical polarization antenna and the ground, and when the horizontal polarization antenna is arranged, the first radiator part is used as the ground of the horizontal polarization antenna, so that an additional ground is not needed. So that the structure of the entire packaged antenna can be simplified.

Description

Packaged antenna device and terminal equipment

Technical Field

The present application relates to the field of communications technologies, and in particular, to a packaged antenna apparatus and a terminal device.

Background

The transmission and reception of signals in wireless communication require an antenna for transmission and reception, and as shown in fig. 1(a), the antenna basically comprises a reflection plate 2 (which is also a signal reference ground), a radiator 3, a feeder 1 (for connecting radio frequency signals to the antenna), a director 4, and the like. The main indexes of the antenna include bandwidth, gain, polarization mode and the like. The wider the bandwidth, the more the antenna can support the working frequency bands, thereby supporting the transmission with higher channel capacity; higher gain represents higher energy emitted by the antenna and may support greater communication distances. In addition to the above-described structure, the antenna may be provided with a parasitic antenna for increasing the bandwidth of the antenna, or with a director for raising the gain of the antenna.

In 5G millimeter wave communication, because the wavelength is shorter, the Antenna size can be made very small, so in recent years, the millimeter wave Antenna is generally designed as AOB (Antenna on board) or AIP (Antenna in package), and compared with AOB, the radio frequency lead of AIP is shorter, so the feed loss is smaller, and because the Antenna is directly designed on the package, the whole Antenna is more compact, and the system integration level is higher. As shown in fig. 1(b), a schematic diagram of a conventional AIP is shown, in which there are two radiation modes, namely, a Broadside radiation antenna 5 and an end-fire radiation antenna 6. As shown in fig. 1b, the broadside radiation radiates perpendicular to the AIP upper surface, while the endfire radiation radiates perpendicular to the AIP lateral side. Each radiation mode of operation should strictly speaking be dual polarized radiation. For the Endfire radiation, dual polarization refers to both horizontal and vertical polarization.

However, the conventional dual-polarized AIP research is focused on the design of a Broadside packaged antenna device, and the end-fire dual-polarized AIP research is relatively rare. The horizontal polarization antenna and the vertical polarization antenna of the prior art endfire antenna are still respectively arranged on the ground, which causes the structure of the endfire antenna to be more complicated.

Disclosure of Invention

The application provides a packaged antenna device and terminal equipment, which are used for simplifying the structure of the packaged antenna device.

In a first aspect, a packaged antenna device is provided, the packaged antenna device comprising a substrate, a horizontally polarized antenna, and a vertically polarized antenna; in a specific arrangement, the substrate serves as a carrier, and for example, when the vertical polarization antenna is arranged, the substrate includes a first radiator portion, a second radiator portion, a ground plate, and a first feed path, which are arranged in the substrate; the first radiator part and the second radiator part are connected through the ground plate; the first feed path is used for feeding the first radiator part and the second radiator part; when a horizontally polarized antenna is arranged, the horizontally polarized antenna comprises a second feed path and a third radiator part which are arranged in the substrate; wherein the second feed path is used for feeding the third radiator part; in a specific arrangement, the first radiator portion also serves as a ground for the horizontally polarized antenna. In the packaged antenna device, the first radiator part in the vertically polarized antenna is connected with the ground plate, so that the first radiator part and the ground layer are at the same potential, and therefore, the first radiator part can be used as both the radiation part of the vertically polarized antenna and the ground of the horizontally polarized antenna.

In a specific embodiment, the third radiator portion includes a positively polarized oscillator and a negatively polarized oscillator, wherein a vertical projection of the positively polarized oscillator and the negatively polarized oscillator on a first plane is located outside a vertical projection of the first radiator portion on the first plane; the first plane is a setting surface of the first radiator portion. The positive polarization oscillator and the negative polarization oscillator are positioned outside the first radiator part, and the positive polarization oscillator and the negative polarization oscillator are separated from the ground (the first radiator part) by a quarter of waveguide wavelength, so that the horizontal polarization antenna obtains better radiation characteristics.

In a specific embodiment, the first radiator portion is provided with a first slit, one of two opposite side walls of the first slit is connected to the positive polarized oscillator, and the other side wall is connected to the negative polarized oscillator. The first slot may be coupled to the second feeding path, and when the second feeding path is coupled to the first slot, two currents with opposite directions are excited at two sides of the first slot, and the positive polarized oscillator and the negative polarized oscillator connected to two sidewalls of the first slot excite currents, so that coupling feeding of the second feeding path and the third radiator portion is achieved through the first slot.

In a specific embodiment, an end of the second feed path coupled to the first radiator portion is a fan-shaped structure. The sector structure can enable the horizontally polarized antenna to obtain better impedance matching.

In a specific embodiment, the positive polarized oscillator and the negative polarized oscillator are stacked, wherein the positive polarized oscillator is connected with the second feeding path; the negative polarization oscillator is connected with the first radiator part. The third radiator portion is disposed in different disposition manners.

In a specific embodiment, the second feeding path is connected to the positive polarized oscillator and the negative polarized oscillator respectively through a balun structure. The arranged balun structure is used for adjusting the phases of signals on the positive polarized oscillator and the negative polarized oscillator so as to enable the phases of the signals on the positive polarized oscillator and the negative polarized oscillator to be opposite.

In a specific embodiment, the horizontally polarized antenna further includes a horizontally polarized director disposed within the substrate and matched with the third radiator portion. The directionality of the electromagnetic wave signal is enhanced by the horizontal polarization director.

In one particular possible implementation, the first feed path passes through the ground plate, and the first feed path is electrically isolated from the ground plate.

In a specific embodiment, the first feeding path includes a feeding line, and a feeding column connected to the feeding line, and the feeding column is configured to couple and feed a radiation structure composed of the first radiator portion, the second radiator portion, and the ground plate.

In a specific possible implementation, the number of the feeding columns is two, and the two feeding columns are symmetrically arranged on two sides of the feeding line. The coupling effect with the first radiator part and the second radiator part is improved by using two feed columns.

In a specific embodiment, a second slot is disposed on the ground plate, and the second slot crosses the feeding post. The first feed path excites the first radiator portion and the second radiator portion through the gap, so that an electric field in the vertical direction is generated, vertically polarized electromagnetic waves which radiate outwards are formed, and the performance of the vertically polarized antenna is improved.

In a specific possible implementation, the packaged antenna device further includes a radio frequency processing chip, and the radio frequency processing chip is connected to the first feeding path and the second feeding path respectively. And the signals are respectively transmitted to the horizontal polarization antenna and the vertical polarization antenna through the arranged radio frequency processing chip.

In a specific possible embodiment, the second feed path includes a first feed line and a second feed line; one end of the first feeder line is connected with the radio frequency processing chip, and the other end of the first feeder line is connected with the positive polarization oscillator; one end of the second feeder line is connected with the grounding layer, and the other end of the second feeder line is connected with the negative polarization oscillator.

In a second aspect, a packaged antenna device is provided, which includes two substrates, specifically, a first substrate and a second substrate, a horizontally polarized antenna and a vertically polarized antenna, which are stacked; wherein,

the vertically polarized antenna comprises a first radiator portion, a second radiator portion, a ground plate and a first feed path; the first radiator part is arranged in the first substrate, and the second radiator part is arranged in the second substrate; the first radiator portion and the second radiator portion are connected through the ground plate, the ground plate comprises a first ground layer, a second ground layer and a metal connector, the first ground plate is arranged on the first substrate, the second ground plate is arranged on the second substrate, and the first ground plate and the second ground plate are connected through the metal connector; the first feed path is used for feeding the first radiator part and the second radiator part; the horizontally polarized antenna comprises a second feed path and a third radiator part which are arranged in the first substrate; wherein the second feed path is used for feeding the third radiator part; the first radiator portion also serves as a ground for the horizontally polarized antenna. In the packaged antenna device, the first radiator part in the vertically polarized antenna is connected with the ground plate, so that the first radiator part and the ground layer are at the same potential, and therefore, the first radiator part can be used as both the radiation part of the vertically polarized antenna and the ground of the horizontally polarized antenna. In addition, the vertical polarization antenna is borne by the two substrates, so that the arrangement space of the first radiator part and the second radiator of the vertical polarization antenna is increased, and the performance of the antenna is improved.

In a specific embodiment, the positive polarized oscillator and the negative polarized oscillator are stacked, wherein the positive polarized oscillator is connected with the second feeding path; the negative polarization oscillator is connected with the first radiator part. The third radiator portion may be disposed in different arrangement manners.

In a specific embodiment, the second feeding path is connected to the positive polarized oscillator and the negative polarized oscillator respectively through a balun structure. The balun structure is arranged for adjusting the phases of the signals on the positive polarized oscillator and the negative polarized oscillator so that the phases of the signals on the positive polarized oscillator and the negative polarized oscillator are opposite.

In a specific embodiment, the horizontally polarized antenna further includes a horizontally polarized director disposed within the first substrate and matched with the third radiator portion. The directionality of the electromagnetic wave signal is enhanced by the horizontal polarization director.

In a specific embodiment, the first feeding path includes a feeding line, and at least one feeding column connected to the feeding line, where the at least one feeding column is used to couple and feed a radiation structure composed of the first radiator portion, the second radiator portion, and the ground plate, and each feeding column includes a first feeding portion disposed in the first substrate and a second feeding portion disposed in the second substrate, and the first feeding portion and the second feeding portion are electrically connected. The effect of the coupling is improved by the at least one feed post.

In a specific possible implementation, the number of the feeding portions is two, and the two feeding portions are symmetrically arranged on two sides of the feeding line. The coupling effect is improved.

In a specific embodiment, a second slot is disposed on the first ground plate, and the second slot crosses the at least one feeding portion. The first feed path excites the first radiator portion and the second radiator portion through the gap, so that an electric field in the vertical direction is generated, vertically polarized electromagnetic waves which radiate outwards are formed, and the performance of the vertically polarized antenna is improved.

In a specific implementation, the packaged antenna device further includes a radio frequency processing chip, the radio frequency processing chip is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, and the radio frequency processing chip is connected to the first feeding path and the second feeding path respectively. And the signals are respectively transmitted to the horizontal polarization antenna and the vertical polarization antenna through the arranged radio frequency processing chip.

In a third aspect, there is provided a terminal device comprising a printed circuit board, and the packaged antenna arrangement of any of the preceding aspects electrically connected to the printed circuit board. According to the packaged antenna device in the terminal equipment, the first radiator part in the vertical polarization antenna is connected with the grounding plate, so that the first radiator part and the grounding layer are equipotential, the first radiator part can be used as the radiation part of the vertical polarization antenna and the ground of the horizontal polarization antenna, when the horizontal polarization antenna is arranged, the first radiator part can be directly used as the ground of the horizontal polarization antenna without adopting an extra ground (the ground corresponding to the horizontal polarization antenna), and the structure of the whole packaged antenna can be simplified. In addition, the vertical polarization antenna is borne by the two substrates, so that the arrangement space of the first radiator part and the second radiator of the vertical polarization antenna is increased, and the performance of the antenna is improved.

Drawings

FIG. 1(a) is a schematic diagram of a polarized antenna;

fig. 1(b) is a schematic diagram of a packaged antenna device in the prior art;

fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of a terminal device in an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 3(a) is a cross-sectional view of an antenna device according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 3(b) is a cross-sectional view of the packaged antenna device taken along a section perpendicular to the section of fig. 3 (a);

fig. 4(a) is a cross-sectional view of an antenna device according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 4(b) is a cross-sectional view of the packaged antenna device taken along a section perpendicular to the section of fig. 4 (a);

fig. 5(a) is a 3D schematic diagram of a more specific packaged antenna device according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 5(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view of a packaged antenna device according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a simulation of a packaged antenna device according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 7(a) is a 3D schematic diagram of another more specific packaged antenna device according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 7(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view of a packaged antenna device according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 8(a) is a 3D schematic diagram of another more specific packaged antenna device according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 8(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view of a packaged antenna device according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 9(a) is a 3D schematic diagram of another more specific packaged antenna device according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 9(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view of a packaged antenna device according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 10 is a schematic diagram of another packaged antenna device according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a packaged antenna device according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another packaged antenna device according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another packaged antenna device according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 14 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another terminal device in the embodiment of the present application;

fig. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another terminal device in the embodiment of the present application;

fig. 16 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a more specific terminal device in the embodiment of the present application.

Detailed Description

The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application, and it is obvious that the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, and not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments, which can be derived by a person skilled in the art from the embodiments given herein without making any creative effort, shall fall within the protection scope of the present application.

Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of a terminal device 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, where the terminal device 200 may be a smart phone, a portable computer, a tablet computer, an electronic bracelet, or another terminal device with a communication function. The terminal apparatus 200 may include a rear cover 210, a bezel 220, a display device 230, and a middle frame 240, wherein the rear cover 210 and the display device 230 are disposed opposite to each other and connected by the bezel 220 to form a cavity between the rear cover 210 and the display device 230. The middle frame 240 is disposed on a side of the display device 230 facing the rear cover 210. Between the rear cover 210 and the middle frame 240, a packaged antenna device 250 and a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) 262 are disposed, and the packaged antenna device 250 is disposed on a side of the PCB262 facing the rear cover 210 and electrically connected to the PCB262 by solder balls. The packaged antenna device 250 described above may be used to receive, transmit, and process electromagnetic wave signals. The packaged antenna device 250 includes a substrate 400.

The embodiment of the present application as shown in fig. 3(a) provides a cross-sectional view of a packaged antenna device, which includes a substrate 400, the substrate 400 having an upper surface 401 and a lower surface 402 opposite to each other. One side of the lower surface 402 of the substrate 400 is provided with an rf processing chip 310, and the rf processing chip 310 is used for processing rf signals and is electrically connected to the substrate 400 through solder balls or other metal soldering materials. An edge-emitting antenna 320 is disposed on one side of the upper surface 401 of the substrate 400, and the maximum radiation direction of the edge-emitting antenna 320 is parallel to the normal of the rf processing chip 310. It should be noted that, in the present application, the direction of the rf processing chip 310 toward the substrate 400 is defined as the normal direction of the rf processing chip 310, for example, the vertical direction in fig. 3(a) is the normal direction of the rf processing chip 310. The rf processing chip 310 may feed the edge-fire antenna 320 through a feeding path provided in the substrate 400, so that the edge-fire antenna 320 is excited to receive and transmit an electromagnetic wave signal.

With continued reference to fig. 3(a), the packaged antenna device provided by the embodiment of the present application further includes an end-fire antenna, which includes a horizontally polarized antenna and a vertically polarized antenna. The vertical polarization antenna includes a first radiator portion 330 and a second radiator portion 340, and the first radiator portion 330 and the second radiator portion 340 are stacked along a normal direction of the rf processing chip 310. The first radiator portion 330 and the second radiator portion 340 may be plate-shaped structures with the same size, for example, the lengths H of the first radiator portion 330 and the second radiator portion 340 may be quarter waveguide wavelengths corresponding to an operating frequency band of the vertically polarized antenna, where the waveguide wavelengths are wavelengths when electromagnetic waves propagate in the substrate 400. The sizes of the first radiator portion 330 and the second radiator portion 340 are merely an example, and the sizes and shapes of the first radiator portion 330 and the second radiator portion 340 may also take other forms. With continued reference to fig. 3(a), the first radiator portion 330 and the second radiator portion 340 are connected by a ground plate 390, wherein the ground plate 390 includes a plurality of metal layers 391 and vias 392 connecting the plurality of metal layers 391. The first radiator portion 330, the second radiator portion 340 and the ground layer 390 constitute a radiation structure of the vertical polarization antenna, and in this application, the radiation structure of the vertical polarization antenna is not limited to the above-mentioned components, and may include other structures capable of radiating signals.

With continued reference to fig. 3(a), the vertically polarized antenna further includes a first feed path 360, the first feed path 360 is used for feeding the first radiator portion 330 and the second radiator portion 340, the first feed path 360 is connected with the rf processing chip 310 and is used for coupling the signal emitted by the rf processing chip 310 to the first radiator portion 330 and the second radiator portion 340, as shown in fig. 3(a), the first feed path 360 passes through an opening of the ground plate 390, and the first feed path is electrically isolated from the ground plate 390 at a position of the opening passing through the ground plate 390. As shown in fig. 3(a), the first feeding path 360 includes a feeding line 361 connected to the rf processing chip 310, and a feeding column 363 connected to the feeding line 361, where the feeding column 363 is a column structure formed by a plurality of metal layers and vias connecting the plurality of metal layers. As shown in fig. 3(b), fig. 3(b) is a cross-sectional view of the packaged antenna device taken along a cross-sectional plane perpendicular to fig. 3(a), the number of the feeding posts 363 is two, and the two feeding posts 363 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the feeding line 361. The ground plate 390 is provided with a second slot 393 matched with the feeding posts 363, the second slot 393 spans the two feeding posts 363, and as shown in fig. 3(b), the length d1 of the second slot 393 is larger than the distance d2 between the two feeding posts 363. When the packaged antenna device is in operation, the two feed columns 363 in the first feed path 360 are coupled to the second slot 393 in the ground plane 390, and a current is excited in the ground plane 390 through the second slot 393, so that currents in opposite directions are generated on the first radiator portion 330 and the second radiator portion 340, and a vertical electric field is generated between the first radiator portion 330 and the second radiator portion 340, thereby forming a vertically polarized electromagnetic wave that radiates outwards. Meanwhile, the two feed columns 363 feed simultaneously, so that impedance matching of vertical polarization can be improved, the purpose of bandwidth improvement is achieved, and the performance of the vertical polarization antenna is improved.

With continued reference to fig. 3(a), the horizontally polarized antenna of the endfire antenna includes a third radiator portion 380 disposed within the substrate 400 and a second feed path 362, the second feed path 362 being connected to the rf processing chip 310 and being configured to couple feed to the third radiator portion 380. The third radiator portion 380 may be spaced apart from the first radiator portion 330 by a quarter of a waveguide wavelength; in the vertical direction, the third radiator portion 380 and the first radiator portion 330 may be disposed in the same layer or in different layers. The first radiator portion 330 is connected to the ground plate 390, and the first radiator portion 330 and the ground plate 390 have the same potential, so that the first radiator portion 330 can serve as both a radiation structure of the vertically polarized antenna and a ground of the horizontally polarized antenna, at the same time. The first radiator portion 330 is used as a ground of the horizontally polarized antenna when the horizontally polarized antenna is provided, and an additional ground (a ground corresponding to the horizontally polarized antenna) is not required. So that the structure of the entire packaged antenna can be simplified.

With continued reference to fig. 3(a), the horizontally polarized antenna further includes a horizontally polarized director 381 disposed within the substrate 400 and cooperating with the third radiator portion 380, and the gain of the horizontally polarized antenna may be increased by the horizontally polarized director 381.

Referring to fig. 3(a) and 3(b), the two feeding columns 363 in the first feeding path 360 are symmetrically disposed on both sides of the feeding line 361, and the current on the feeding line 361 generates horizontal currents with opposite directions (as shown by arrows a and b in fig. 3 (b)) in the process of passing through the feeding columns 363, and the current is coupled to the third radiator portion 380 because the feeding line 361 is close to the third radiator portion 380. However, the currents a and b coupled to the third radiator portion 380 cancel each other out and do not affect the horizontally polarized antenna, thereby enhancing the port isolation between the vertically polarized antenna and the horizontally polarized antenna.

The embodiment of the present application as shown in fig. 4(a) provides a cross-sectional view of still another packaged antenna device, and the reference numerals of fig. 4(a) may refer to fig. 3(a), and unlike fig. 3(a), the bottom end of the feed column 363 of the first feed path 360 is close to the second radiator portion 340. Referring also to fig. 4(b), fig. 4(b) is a cross-sectional view of the packaged antenna device taken along a cross-section perpendicular to fig. 4 (a). When the packaged antenna device is used, the two feed columns 363 in the first feed path 360 are coupled to the second radiator portion 340, so that a current is excited in the second radiator portion 340, and the current flows to the first radiator portion 330 through the ground plate 390, so that currents in opposite directions are generated on the first radiator portion 330 and the second radiator portion 340, an electric field in a vertical direction is generated between the first radiator portion 330 and the second radiator portion 340, and a vertically polarized electromagnetic wave radiating outward is formed. In the present application, two feed studs 363 may be coupled to the first radiator portion 330 at the top end, and the principle of the coupling between the feed studs 363 and the second radiator portion 340 is the same as that described above. Meanwhile, the two feed columns 363 feed simultaneously, so that impedance matching of vertical polarization can be improved, and the purpose of improving bandwidth is achieved, and the performance of the vertical polarization antenna is improved.

Fig. 5(a) shows a structure of a packaged antenna device according to an embodiment of the present application. The third radiator portion 380 of the horizontally polarized antenna includes a positively polarized element 3802 and a negatively polarized element 3801. With continued reference to fig. 5(a), the first radiator portion 330 is provided with a first slot 3301, the positive polarized vibrator 3802 and the negative polarized vibrator 3801 are respectively connected with two opposite side walls of the first slot 3301 in a one-to-one correspondence, and the positive polarized vibrator 3802 and the negative polarized vibrator 3801 are located outside the first radiator portion 330. The vertical projection of the positive polarized element 3802 and the negative polarized element 3801 on the first plane is outside the vertical projection of the first radiator portion 330 on the first plane, which is the installation plane of the first radiator portion 330. The positive polarized element 3802 and the negative polarized element 3801 are spaced apart from the ground (the first radiator portion 330) by a quarter waveguide wavelength, so that the horizontally polarized antenna obtains a superior radiation characteristic.

The second feed path 362 as shown in fig. 5(a) is located above the first radiator portion 330 (with the placement direction of the packaged antenna device in fig. 5(a) as a reference direction), and the second feed path 362 is coupled to the first slot 3301, and the end of the second feed path 362 coupled to the first slot 3301 is a fan-shaped structure 3621, which fan-shaped structure 3621 can achieve better impedance matching for the horizontally polarized antenna. When the second feeding path 362 is coupled to the positive polarized oscillator 3802 and the negative polarized oscillator 3801 for feeding, the second feeding path 362 is first coupled to the first slot 3301, and currents having opposite directions are excited in the first slot 3301 and transferred to the positive polarized oscillator 3802 and the negative polarized oscillator 3801, respectively. Meanwhile, the first radiator part 330 serves as a reflective ground of the horizontally polarized antenna, and the use of the first radiator part 330 as a ground of the horizontally polarized antenna can suppress backward radiation of the horizontally polarized antenna, thereby improving gain of horizontal polarization.

Referring to fig. 5(b) together, the same reference numerals in fig. 5(b) may refer to fig. 4(a) and 5 (a). The horizontally polarized antenna further includes a horizontally polarized director 381 disposed within the substrate 400 and cooperating with the third radiator portion 380, and the gain of the horizontally polarized antenna can be improved by the horizontally polarized director 381.

In order to facilitate understanding of the packaged antenna device provided in the embodiments of the present application, a simulation is performed by taking the packaged antenna device shown in fig. 5(a) as an example, and the simulation result is shown in fig. 6, where the ordinate is amplitude (unit dB), the abscissa is frequency (unit GHz), a curve S1 in fig. 6, 1 is the reflection coefficient of the vertically polarized antenna, S2,2 is the reflection coefficient of the horizontally polarized antenna, and S1,2 is the port isolation between the vertically polarized antenna and the horizontally polarized antenna. As can be seen from fig. 6, the reflection coefficients of both the vertically polarized antenna and the horizontally polarized antenna are less than-10 (dB) level over a very wide bandwidth (covering 24-30 GHz). In addition, the isolation of the horizontal polarization antenna and the vertical polarization antenna exceeds 25(dB) in the whole frequency band, and very good antenna performance is obtained.

As shown in fig. 7(a), in yet another more specific packaged antenna device, the endfire antenna further comprises a horizontally polarized antenna including a third radiator portion 380 and a second feed path 362 disposed within the substrate 400. Referring to fig. 7(a) and 7(b) together, the third radiator portion 380 includes a positive polarized element 3802 and a negative polarized element 3801 that are stacked, and the positive polarized element 3802 is located above the negative polarized element 3801 (the placement direction of the packaged antenna device shown in fig. 7(b) is taken as a reference direction). The positive polarized element 3802 is connected to the second feed path 362 and the negative polarized element 3801 is connected to the first radiator portion 330. In use, current in the second feed path 362 flows to the positive polarised element 3802 and the second feed path 362 excites a reverse current at ground (the first radiator portion 330). With continued reference to fig. 7(b), the horizontally polarized antenna further includes a horizontally polarized director 381 disposed within the substrate 400 and cooperating with the third radiator portion 380, and the gain of the horizontally polarized antenna can be improved by the horizontally polarized director 381.

As shown in fig. 8(a), the packaged antenna device further includes a horizontally polarized antenna, the second feeding path 362 of the horizontally polarized antenna is connected to the rf processing chip, and the second feeding path 362 is connected to the positive polarized element 3802 and the negative polarized element 3801 respectively through a balun structure. One end of the balun structure is connected to the second feeding path 362, and the other end includes a first conductor 3642 and a second conductor 3641, where the first conductor 3642 is connected to the positive polarization oscillator 3802, and the second conductor 3641 is connected to the negative polarization oscillator 3801. Wherein the first electrical conductor 3642 has a current path length less than the current path length of the second electrical conductor 3641. When the current on the second feeding path 362 flows to the positive polarized oscillator 3802 and the negative polarized oscillator 3801, the lengths of the current paths flowing through the first conductive body 3642 and the second conductive body 3641 differ by an odd multiple of half the waveguide wavelength, so that the phases of the signals on the positive polarized oscillator 3802 and the negative polarized oscillator 3801 are opposite. With continued reference to fig. 8(b), the horizontally polarized antenna further includes a horizontally polarized director 381 disposed within the substrate 400 and cooperating with the third radiator portion 380, and the gain of the horizontally polarized antenna can be improved by the horizontally polarized director 381.

As shown in fig. 9(a), the packaged antenna device is still more specific, and the endfire antenna of the packaged antenna device further includes a horizontally polarized antenna, and the second feed path 362 of the horizontally polarized antenna includes a first feed line 3621 and a second feed line 3622, the first feed line 3621 is stacked with the second feed line 3622, the first feed line 3621 is located above the second feed line 3622, and the second feed line 3622 is located above the first radiator portion 330 (the placement direction of the packaged antenna device shown in fig. 9(b) is taken as a reference direction). The first feeding line 3621 is connected to the rf processing chip at one end and to the positive polarization oscillator 3802 at the other end, and as shown in fig. 9(a), the first feeding line 3621 passes through the opening of the ground plate 390, but the first feeding line 3621 is electrically isolated from the ground plate 390. The second feed line 3622 has one end connected to the ground plate 390 and the other end connected to the negative polarization oscillator 3801. As shown in fig. 9(b), the horizontally polarized antenna further includes a horizontally polarized director 381 disposed in the substrate 400 and cooperating with the third radiator portion 380, and the gain of the horizontally polarized antenna can be improved by the horizontally polarized director 381.

As shown in fig. 10, referring to fig. 3(a) and fig. 4(a), the same reference numerals in fig. 10(a) refer to fig. 3(a) and fig. 4(a), and unlike fig. 3(a) and fig. 4(a), the packaged antenna device includes a first substrate 300 and a second substrate 260 stacked together, and the first substrate 300 and the second substrate 260 may be different substrates, for example, the first substrate 300 may be a printed circuit board or an encapsulation layer, and the second substrate 260 may also be a printed circuit board or an encapsulation layer. The first substrate 300 and the second substrate 260 are electrically connected by BGA solder balls 312. A radio frequency processing chip 310 is disposed on a side of the lower surface of the first substrate 300, i.e., a side of the first substrate 300 facing the second substrate 260, and the radio frequency processing chip 310 is used for processing a radio frequency signal and is electrically connected to the first substrate 300 through a solder ball or other metal soldering material.

With continued reference to fig. 10, in the packaged antenna device shown in fig. 10, the horizontally polarized antenna of the end fire antenna may refer to fig. 3(a), fig. 5(a), fig. 7(a), fig. 8(a), and fig. 9 (a). The vertically polarized antenna of the endfire antenna is different from fig. 3(a) in that the structure of the vertically polarized antenna is provided in the first substrate 300 and the second substrate 260. With continued reference to fig. 10, the first radiator portion 330 is disposed on the first substrate 300, and the second radiator portion 340 is disposed on the second substrate 260. The first radiator portion 330 and the second radiator portion 340 are connected through a ground plate 390. The ground plate 390 includes: the first ground plate 394 disposed in the first substrate 300, the second ground plate 396 disposed in the second substrate 260, and the solder balls 395 connecting the first ground plate 394 and the second ground plate 396, although the first ground plate 394 and the second ground plate 396 may be connected by using connection wires, conductive posts, or other conductive metal connectors. The first feed path 360 is used to couple the signal of the rf processing chip 310 to the first radiator portion 330 and the second radiator portion 340. The first feed path 360 includes a feed post 363, the feed post 363 including: a first feeding portion 3631 provided in the first substrate 300, a second feeding portion 3633 provided in the second substrate 260, and a solder ball 3632 connecting the first feeding portion 3631 and the second feeding portion 3633. Each of the first feeding portion 3631 and the second feeding portion 3633 includes a plurality of metal layers and a via hole connecting the metal layers. The structure of the vertical polarization antenna is supported by the first substrate 300 and the second substrate 260, so that the requirement of the arrangement space of the packaged antenna device is met, and the ultra-wideband design of the packaged antenna device is realized. And by the first radiator portion acting as a ground of the horizontally polarized antenna, backward radiation of the third radiator portion 380 can be suppressed, improving the gain of the antenna.

Fig. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a packaged antenna device 250 according to an embodiment of the present application. The packaged antenna device 250 includes a first substrate 300 and a second substrate 260 disposed opposite to each other. The first substrate 300 may be an interposer (interposer) implemented by using a passive silicon chip; the second substrate 260 may also be an interposer or a printed circuit board implemented by using a copper clad laminate. The first substrate 300 and the second substrate 260 are electrically connected by the BGA balls 312 disposed therebetween. A radio frequency processing chip 310 is disposed on a side of the lower surface of the first substrate 300, i.e., a side of the first substrate 300 facing the second substrate 260, and the radio frequency processing chip 310 is used for processing a radio frequency signal and is electrically connected to the first substrate 300 through a solder ball or other metal soldering material. An edge-emitting antenna 320 is disposed on one side of the upper surface of the first substrate 300, i.e., the side of the first substrate 300 facing away from the second substrate 260, and the maximum radiation direction of the edge-emitting antenna 320 is parallel to the normal of the rf processing chip 310. It should be noted that, in the present application, a direction of the rf processing chip 310 toward the first substrate 300 is defined as a normal direction of the rf processing chip 310, for example, a vertical direction in fig. 11 is a normal direction of the rf processing chip 310. The rf processing chip 310 may feed the edge-radiating antenna 320 through a feeding path provided in the first substrate 300, so that the edge-radiating antenna 320 is excited to receive and transmit an electromagnetic wave signal. The packaged antenna assembly 250 further includes an end-fire antenna having a maximum radiation direction perpendicular to a normal of the rf processing chip 310. The end-fire antenna includes a first radiator portion 330 and a second radiator portion 340 that are oriented in the same direction.

In the packaged antenna device 250, the first radiator portion 330 is disposed in the first substrate 300, the second radiator portion 340 is disposed in the second substrate 260, and the first radiator portion 330 and the second radiator portion 340 are electrically connected through the first metal part 350. Pads may be disposed at one end of the first radiator portion 330 near the second substrate 260 and one end of the second radiator portion 340 near the first substrate 300, so that the connection between the first metal 350 and the first and

second radiator portions

330 and 340 is more stable. The radio frequency processing chip 310 may also feed the first radiator portion 330 through the first feed path 360 disposed in the first substrate 300, so that the first radiator portion 330 and the second radiator portion 340 are excited to receive and transmit electromagnetic wave signals. There is a vertically polarized current in the excited first radiator portion 330, the first metal piece 350, and the second radiator portion 340, which is in a direction parallel to the normal direction of the rf processing chip 310. The above-mentioned antenna polarization modes include horizontal polarization and vertical polarization, and may also include ± 45 ° polarization. For example, when the endfire antenna is excited by vertical polarization or ± 45 ° polarization, a current polarized by ± 45 ° is generated in the endfire antenna.

Since the first metal piece 350 connects the second radiator portion 340 with the first radiator portion 330, the equivalent height of the end-fire antenna is changed from the original height of the first radiator portion 330 to the height of the first radiator portion 330, the first metal piece 350 and the second radiator portion 340. The increase of the equivalent height of the endfire antenna allows the vertical polarization current path generated by the endfire antenna to be distributed over the first radiator portion 330, the first metal 350 and the second radiator portion 340, i.e., the polarization current path of the endfire antenna in the vertical direction is increased, thereby improving the gain and bandwidth of the endfire antenna. It should be noted that the equivalent height of the antenna in this application refers to the height of the end-fire antenna in the vertical direction, i.e. the direction parallel to the normal of the rf processing chip 310.

In an embodiment, the packaged antenna device 250 may further include a chip disposed on a side of the second substrate 250 opposite to the first substrate, where the chip may be a CPU (Central Processing Unit) chip or a cache chip, such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory). The chip is electrically connected to the second substrate 250 by solder balls or other metal connectors.

The first radiator portion 330 and the second radiator portion 340 may be implemented by a via hole (via) as shown in fig. 11, wherein the first radiator portion 330, the first metal piece 350, and the second radiator portion 340 are located on a straight line. Fig. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the packaged antenna device 250, wherein the same reference numerals in fig. 12 refer to fig. 11. Different from fig. 11, according to the type of the antenna and the wiring requirement, the first radiator portion 330 and the second radiator portion 340 in fig. 12 may also be implemented by via arrays (via arrays) arranged in a staggered manner and interlayer routing (the interlayer routing is used for connecting vias arranged in a staggered manner), that is, the first radiator portion 330 and the second radiator portion 340 are bent, so as to improve the bandwidth of the antenna. Compared with the via holes, the actual equivalent heights achieved by the via hole arrays arranged in a staggered manner and the interlayer routing are the same, and the vertical polarization current paths can be respectively arranged on the first radiator part 330, the first metal piece 350 and the second radiator part 340, so that the gain and the bandwidth of the end fire antenna are improved.

Fig. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the packaged antenna device 250, wherein fig. 11 can be referred to for the same reference numerals in fig. 13. Unlike fig. 11, the second radiator portion 340 in the packaged antenna device 250 in fig. 13 can also be implemented by traces or pads disposed on the side of the second substrate 260 facing the first substrate 300. Since the first metal part 350 (e.g., solder ball) has a certain volume and height, the vertically polarized current can also be distributed in the first metal part 350 and the second radiator portion 340 to improve the gain and bandwidth of the endfire antenna.

Fig. 14 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another terminal device 200 according to an embodiment of the present application, which includes a packaged antenna apparatus 250, a first structural member 370, and a second structural member 373, where the packaged antenna apparatus 250 may be any one of the packaged antenna apparatuses provided in the embodiments of the present application. The first structural member 370 is disposed below the second substrate 260, i.e., on a side facing away from the first substrate 300. The first structural member 370 includes a third radiator portion 371 disposed therein, the third radiator portion 371 is connected to the second radiator portion 340 by a third metal 372, and the third metal 372 is disposed between the second substrate 260 and the first structural member 370. The second structure 373 is disposed above the first substrate 300, i.e., on a side facing away from the second substrate 260. The second structure 373 includes a fourth radiator portion 374 disposed therein, the fourth radiator portion 374 is connected to the first radiator portion 330 by a fourth metal 375, and the fourth metal 375 is disposed between the first substrate 300 and the second structure 373.

The first structural member 370 and the second structural member 373 may be a frame or a middle frame in a terminal device, or may be structural members in other terminal devices. The third metal element 372 and the fourth metal element 375 may be metal bonding wires, or other bonding wires or connection balls having a conductive function. The third radiator portion 371 and the fourth radiator portion 374 can be implemented by via holes, or by a via hole array and interlayer traces (the interlayer traces are used for connecting the via holes arranged in a staggered manner), or by metal posts and metal-plated traces. In one embodiment, other structural members, radiator portions and metal members may be disposed on a side of the first structural member 370 opposite to the first substrate 300 according to the design requirement of the terminal device 200. In one embodiment, other structures, a radiator portion and a metal member may be disposed on a side of the second structure 373 opposite to the first substrate 300. In another embodiment, only the first structure member 370, the third radiator portion 371, and the third metal 372, or only the second structure member 373, the fourth radiator portion 374, and the fourth metal 375 may be provided. The present application does not limit the number of structural members, radiator portions, and metal members in the terminal device 200.

Fig. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another terminal device 200 according to an embodiment of the present application, wherein fig. 14 can be referred to for the same reference numerals in fig. 15. Unlike fig. 14, the terminal device 200 of fig. 15 further includes a PCB262, and the PCB262 may be disposed between the second substrate 260 and the first structural member 370. Specifically, the PCB262 includes a fifth radiator portion 376 disposed in the PCB262, one end of the fifth radiator portion 376 is connected to the second radiator portion 340 through a fifth metal 377 disposed between the second substrate 260 and the PCB262, and the other end of the fifth radiator portion 376 is connected to the third radiator portion 371 through a third metal 372 disposed between the PCB262 and the first structural member 370. In one embodiment, the second substrate 260 may be a high frequency PCB board for transmitting and processing a high frequency signal; PCB262 may be a low frequency PCB board for transmitting and processing intermediate and low frequency signals. In one embodiment, other PCBs may be disposed on the side of the first structural member 370 facing the first substrate 300 or the side of the second structural member 373 facing the first substrate 300 according to design requirements. The number and position of PCBs in the terminal device 200 are not limited in any way.

The fifth metal 377 may be a metal bonding wire, or other bonding wires or connection balls having a conductive function. The fifth radiator portion 376 can be implemented by a via, or by a via array and an interlayer trace (the interlayer trace is used to connect the vias arranged in a staggered manner), or by a metal pillar and a plated metal trace. Similar to the first radiator portion 330 and the second radiator portion 340, the third radiator portion 371, the fourth radiator portion 374 and the fifth radiator portion 376 respectively include at least one of a ground plate, a main radiator plate and a parasitic radiator plate, and thus, the description thereof is omitted.

The embodiment of the present application further provides a more specific terminal device 1700, where fig. 16 is a schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of the terminal device 1700. The terminal apparatus 1700 includes a rear cover 210, a bezel 220, a display device 230, a middle frame 340, a first shield frame 242, a second shield frame 244, a package antenna device 250, a PCB262, and an electronic device 270. The packaged antenna assembly 250 may be any of the packaged antenna assemblies described in the embodiments of the present application. For convenience of description, a direction perpendicular to the middle frame 340 is taken as a vertical direction, and a direction parallel to the middle frame 340 is taken as a horizontal direction. The middle frame 340 is disposed at one side of the display device 230, and the first shielding frame 242, the PCB262, the second shielding frame 244 and the packaged antenna device 250 are sequentially stacked in a vertical direction away from the middle frame 340, wherein the packaged antenna device 250 includes a first substrate 300 and a second substrate 260 electrically connected to each other. Whether to dispose the first shield frame 242 and the PCB262 may be selected according to the profile height of the terminal device 1700 and actual requirements. The middle frame 340 and the display device 230 are connected to one end of the bezel 220, and the other end is connected to the rear cover 210. The electronic device 270 is disposed on a side of the middle frame 340 opposite to the display device 230, and is located in a horizontal direction of the packaged antenna device 250 away from the frame 220. The rear cover 210 is disposed on a side of the packaged antenna device 250 and the electronic device 270 opposite to the center frame 340, and may be connected and fixed to the frame 220 by a structural member or an adhesive. The electronic device 270 may be a sensor, or other electronic device. The first and second shielding frames 242 and 244 are used to shield the interfering electromagnetic waves of the PCB262 and the second substrate 260. The second substrate 260 and the PCB262 may be high-frequency or low-frequency printed circuit boards, and the second substrate 260 and the PCB262 may be configured with components and may be wired for circuit layout. As shown in fig. 17, in order to enable the electromagnetic wave to be radiated end-fire from between the back cover 210 and the frame 220, a portion of the frame 220 close to the packaged antenna device 250 may be hollowed out, so that the frame 220 has a better supporting force while ensuring that the antenna performs end-fire radiation.

The above description is only for the specific embodiments of the present application, but the scope of the present application is not limited thereto, and any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of the changes or substitutions within the technical scope of the present application, and shall be covered by the scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application shall be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

A packaged antenna device, comprising: the antenna comprises a substrate, a horizontal polarization antenna and a vertical polarization antenna; wherein,

the vertically polarized antenna includes a first radiator portion, a second radiator portion, a ground plate, and a first feed path disposed within the substrate; the first radiator part and the second radiator part are connected through the ground plate; the first feed path is used for feeding the first radiator part and the second radiator part;

the horizontally polarized antenna comprises a second feed path and a third radiator portion arranged in the substrate; wherein the second feed path is used for feeding the third radiator part;

the first radiator portion also serves as a ground for the horizontally polarized antenna.
The packaged antenna device of claim 1, wherein the third radiator portion comprises a positively polarized element and a negatively polarized element, wherein a perpendicular projection of the positively polarized element and the negatively polarized element onto a first plane is outside a perpendicular projection of the first radiator portion onto the first plane; the first plane is a setting surface of the first radiator portion.
A packaged antenna device according to claim 2, wherein the first radiator portion is provided with a first slot, one of two opposite side walls of the first slot being connected to the positive polarized element and the other side wall being connected to the negative polarized element.
The packaged antenna device of claim 3, wherein an end of the second feed path coupled to the first radiator portion is a sector structure.
The packaged antenna assembly of claim 2, wherein the positive polarized element is stacked with the negative polarized element, wherein,

the positive polarization oscillator is connected with the second feed circuit;

the negative polarization oscillator is connected with the first radiator part.
A packaged antenna device according to claim 2, wherein the second feeding path is connected to the positive polarized element and the negative polarized element respectively via a balun structure.
The packaged antenna device of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the horizontally polarized antenna further comprises a horizontally polarized director disposed within the substrate and matched to the third radiator portion.
A packaged antenna device according to any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the first feed path passes through the ground plane and is electrically isolated from the ground plane.
The packaged antenna device of claim 8, wherein the first feed path comprises a feed line, and a feed column connected to the feed line, the feed column configured to couple feed to a radiating structure comprising the first radiator portion, the second radiator portion, and the ground plane.
The packaged antenna device according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the number of the feeding posts is two, and the two feeding posts are symmetrically arranged on two sides of the feeding wire.
A packaged antenna device according to claim 9 or 10, wherein a second slot is provided in the ground plane and spans the feed post.
A packaged antenna device according to any of claims 2 to 11, comprising a radio frequency processing chip connected to the first and second feed paths, respectively.
The packaged antenna device of claim 12, wherein the second feed path comprises a first feed line and a second feed line;

one end of the first feeder line is connected with the radio frequency processing chip, and the other end of the first feeder line is connected with the positive polarization oscillator;

one end of the second feeder line is connected with the grounding layer, and the other end of the second feeder line is connected with the negative polarization oscillator.
A packaged antenna device is characterized by comprising a first substrate, a second substrate, a horizontal polarization antenna and a vertical polarization antenna which are arranged in a stacked mode; wherein,

the vertically polarized antenna comprises a first radiator portion, a second radiator portion, a ground plate and a first feed path; the first radiator part is arranged in the first substrate, and the second radiator part is arranged in the second substrate; the first radiator portion and the second radiator portion are connected through the ground plate, the ground plate comprises a first ground layer, a second ground layer and a metal connector, the first ground plate is arranged on the first substrate, the second ground plate is arranged on the second substrate, and the first ground plate and the second ground plate are connected through the metal connector; the first feed path is used for feeding the first radiator part and the second radiator part;

the horizontally polarized antenna comprises a second feed path and a third radiator part which are arranged in the first substrate; wherein the second feed path is used for feeding the third radiator part;

the first radiator portion also serves as a ground for the horizontally polarized antenna.
The packaged antenna device of claim 14, wherein the third radiator portion comprises a positively polarized element and a negatively polarized element, wherein a perpendicular projection of the positively polarized element and the negatively polarized element onto a first plane is outside a perpendicular projection of the first radiator portion onto the first plane; the first plane is a setting surface of the first radiator portion.
A packaged antenna device according to claim 15, wherein the first radiator portion is provided with a first slot, one of two opposite side walls of the first slot being connected to the positive polarized element and the other side wall being connected to the negative polarized element.
The packaged antenna device of claim 16, wherein an end of the second feed path coupled to the first radiator portion is a sector structure.
The packaged antenna assembly of claim 15, wherein the positive polarized element is stacked with the negative polarized element, wherein,

the positive polarization oscillator is connected with the second feed circuit;

the negative polarization oscillator is connected with the first radiator part.
The packaged antenna device of claim 15, wherein the third radiator portion comprises a positively polarized element and a negatively polarized element, and wherein the second feed path is connected to the positively polarized element and the negatively polarized element, respectively, by a balun structure.
The packaged antenna device of any of claims 14 to 19, wherein the horizontally polarized antenna further comprises a horizontally polarized director disposed within the first substrate and matched to the third radiator portion.
A packaged antenna device according to any of claims 14 to 20, wherein the first feed path passes through the ground plane and is electrically isolated from the ground plane.
The packaged antenna device of claim 21, wherein the first feed path comprises a feed line, and at least one feed post connected to the feed line, the at least one feed post configured to couple feed to a radiating structure comprising the first radiator portion, the second radiator portion, and the ground plane, and each feed post comprises a first feed portion disposed in the first substrate and a second feed portion disposed in the second substrate, and the first feed portion and the second feed portion are electrically connected.
The packaged antenna device of claim 21 or 22, wherein the number of the feeding posts is two, and the two feeding posts are symmetrically arranged on two sides of the feeding wire.
A packaged antenna device according to claim 22 or 23, wherein a second slot is provided in the first ground plane and spans the at least one feed post.
The packaged antenna device according to any one of claims 14 to 24, wherein the packaged antenna device comprises a radio frequency processing chip, the radio frequency processing chip is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, and the radio frequency processing chip is connected to the first feeding path and the second feeding path respectively.
The packaged antenna device of claim 25, wherein the second feed path comprises a first feed line and a second feed line;

one end of the first feeder line is connected with the radio frequency processing chip, and the other end of the first feeder line is connected with the positive polarization oscillator;

one end of the second feeder line is connected with the grounding layer, and the other end of the second feeder line is connected with the negative polarization oscillator.
A terminal device comprising a printed circuit board and a packaged antenna device according to any one of claims 1 to 13 or a packaged antenna device according to any one of claims 14 to 26 electrically connected to the printed circuit board.