JP2006270850A - Antenna component, its manufacturing method, and radio device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an antenna component whose radiation electrode is to be positioned accurately with respect to a dielectric block. <P>SOLUTION: The component comprises the dielectric block 11, a concave portion 11x formed on one main surface 11a of the dielectric block 11, and the radiation electrode 12 to be embedded in the concave portion 11x. Since the radiation electrode 12 is embedded in the concave portion 11x provided in the dielectric block 11, a formed position of the radiation electrode 12 corresponds to a formed position of the concave portion 11x. Consequently, the radiation electrode 12 can be positioned with extremely high accuracy with respect to the dielectric block 11, if the concave portion 11x is to be formed by integral molding of the dielectric block 11. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an antenna component and a manufacturing method thereof, and more particularly to an antenna component in which a radiation electrode is positioned with high accuracy with respect to a dielectric block and a manufacturing method thereof. The present invention also relates to a radio apparatus, and more particularly to a radio apparatus using an antenna component in which a radiation electrode is positioned with high accuracy with respect to a dielectric block.

  As disclosed in Patent Document 1, the antenna component used in the radio apparatus is formed on the dielectric block, the radiation electrode formed on one main surface thereof, and the other main surface of the dielectric substrate. A patch antenna is most commonly provided with a ground electrode and a feed pin disposed so as to penetrate from one main surface of the dielectric block to the other main surface.

In addition, as an antenna component having another structure, Patent Document 2 discloses a technique in which a feeding electrode having a predetermined gap is provided on one main surface (a surface on which a radiation electrode is formed) of a dielectric block. Has been proposed. According to this structure, since it is not necessary to use a power supply pin that penetrates the dielectric block, surface mounting is facilitated, and the wireless device can be reduced in size and height.
JP 2003-289219 A JP-A-11-74721

  However, since the antenna parts described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 require that the radiation electrode be formed by a screen printing method, a patterning method, a transfer method, etc., the tolerance of the dielectric block and the process for fixing the dielectric block are required. There is a possibility that the planar position of the radiation electrode is shifted with respect to the dielectric block due to the tolerance of the tool or the variation of the printing machine. In this case, the characteristics as designed may not be obtained. That is, in the antenna components described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, there is a possibility that the distance and the angle between the end of the radiation electrode and the end of the dielectric block may be shifted. Further, the antenna described in Patent Document 1 In parts, the relative positional relationship between the radiation electrode and the power supply pin may be shifted.

  The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and an object thereof is to provide an antenna component in which a radiation electrode is positioned with high accuracy with respect to a dielectric block and a method for manufacturing the antenna component.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a radio apparatus using an antenna component in which a radiation electrode is positioned with high accuracy with respect to a dielectric block.

  An antenna component according to the present invention includes a dielectric block, a concave portion formed on one main surface of the dielectric block, and a radiation electrode embedded in the concave portion. According to the present invention, since the radiation electrode is embedded in the recess provided in the dielectric block, the formation position of the radiation electrode coincides with the formation position of the recess. For this reason, if the concave portion is formed by integral molding of the dielectric block, the radiation electrode can be positioned with extremely high accuracy with respect to the dielectric block.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that the one main surface of the dielectric block and the surface of the radiation electrode constitute substantially the same plane. This is a structure obtained when polishing is used as a method of embedding the radiation electrode in the recess.

  The antenna component according to the present invention preferably further includes at least one feed electrode that is electromagnetically coupled to the radiation electrode. As described above, when the power feeding electrode and the radiation electrode are not directly connected but are fed by electromagnetic coupling, the influence of the planar displacement of the radiation electrode on the characteristics is extremely high. growing. However, in the antenna component according to the present invention, since the radiation electrode is positioned with high accuracy with respect to the dielectric block, it is possible to obtain characteristics almost as designed even with such a structure.

  In this case, it is preferable that at least a part of the power supply electrode is formed on a surface different from the one main surface of the dielectric block. According to this, the size of the one main surface of the dielectric block can be reduced as compared with the conventional one. As a result, further downsizing can be realized, and when mounted on a printed circuit board or the like, the mounting area can be reduced as compared with the conventional case. Furthermore, since the resonance frequency and the axial ratio and impedance can be adjusted almost independently, it is possible to obtain an advantage that the design is facilitated.

  Furthermore, in this case, it is preferable that at least a part of the power supply electrode is embedded in another recess formed in the dielectric block. According to this, it is possible to position the feeding electrode formation position with high accuracy.

  In addition, the antenna component according to the present invention preferably further includes a feed pin provided through the dielectric block and connected to the radiation conductor. In such a structure, if the relative positional relationship between the through hole into which the feed pin is inserted and the radiation electrode is different from the design value, the antenna characteristics change greatly. If the concave portion to be formed is integrally molded, there is no relative positional deviation between the two, and it is possible to prevent the characteristic deviation caused by this.

  The antenna component according to the present invention preferably further includes a ground electrode formed on the other main surface opposite to the one main surface of the dielectric block. According to this, even if a ground plane is not formed on the substrate side to be mounted, it functions as an antenna by itself.

  A radio apparatus according to the present invention includes the antenna component described above, an RF unit connected to a radiation electrode of the antenna component, and a signal processing unit connected to the RF unit. Such a wireless device has a very small variation in the characteristics of the antenna components. Therefore, even when the frequency band to be used is high, it is possible to minimize a change in the characteristics due to manufacturing variations.

  An antenna component manufacturing method according to one aspect of the present invention includes a first step of integrally molding a dielectric block having a recess on one main surface, and an area larger than that of the recess so that at least the entire surface of the recess is covered. A second step of forming a large electrode material on the one main surface of the dielectric block; and a third step of forming a radiation electrode by removing the electrode material formed outside the recess by polishing. It is characterized by providing. If an antenna component is manufactured by the method according to the present invention, it is possible to manufacture an antenna component with very small characteristic variations by using a commonly used electrode material (electrode paste) as it is.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an antenna component manufacturing method comprising: a first step of integrally molding a dielectric block having a recess on one main surface; and an electrode having an area smaller than the recess inside the recess. A second step of forming a material, and a third step of forming a radiation electrode by flowing the electrode material using the side wall of the recess as a stopper. If an antenna component is manufactured by the method according to the present invention, it is possible to manufacture an antenna component with very small characteristic variation without using a polishing process.

  The method for manufacturing an antenna component according to the present invention preferably further includes a fourth step of forming at least one feed electrode that is electromagnetically coupled to the radiation electrode. In the fourth step, it is preferable that at least a part of the power supply electrode is formed on a surface different from the one main surface of the dielectric block. As described above, with such a structure, the influence of the deviation of the planar position of the radiation electrode on the characteristics becomes very large. However, if the antenna component is manufactured by the method of the present invention, the characteristics are almost as designed. Can be obtained.

  In the first step, it is also preferable to further include a fourth step of inserting a power feed pin into the through hole after integrally forming a through hole, one of which is opened at the recess, to form the radiation electrode. As described above, in such a structure, if the relative positional relationship between the through-hole into which the feed pin is inserted and the radiation electrode is different from the design value, the antenna characteristics greatly change. If an antenna component is manufactured by the above, it is possible to obtain characteristics almost as designed.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an antenna component in which the radiation electrode is positioned with extremely high accuracy with respect to the dielectric block, and a radio apparatus using the antenna component. For this reason, variations in characteristics are reduced, and it is possible to obtain antenna characteristics almost as designed.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  1A and 1B are schematic perspective views showing the structure of an antenna component 10 according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A is a view seen from the upper oblique direction, and FIG. 1B is a view seen from the lower oblique direction. FIG.

  The antenna component 10 according to the present embodiment is a surface-mount type antenna component. As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, a plate-shaped dielectric block 11 that is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped, and one of the dielectric blocks 11. A radiation electrode 12 formed on the main surface 11a, a ground electrode 13 formed on the other main surface 11b of the dielectric block 11, and a power supply electrode 14 formed on the side surface 11c of the dielectric block 11. It is configured. The antenna component 10 according to the present embodiment is suitable for surface mounting because it does not use a feed pin that penetrates the dielectric block, and it is possible to reduce the size and height of a wireless device using the antenna component 10. It becomes.

The material of the dielectric block 11 may be appropriately selected from ceramic, glass, resin, etc. according to the target frequency. In order to reduce the size of the dielectric block 11 while ensuring a sufficient gain. For example, it is preferable to form the dielectric block 11 using a material having a relative dielectric constant εr of about 20 to 25. Preferred examples of the material having a relative dielectric constant εr of about 20 to 25 include Mg—Ca—Ti dielectric ceramics. As the Mg—Ca—Ti dielectric ceramic, it is particularly preferable to use a Mg—Ca—Ti dielectric ceramic containing TiO ₂ , MgO, CaO, MnO, and SiO ₂ .

  FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view along the line AA shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a recess 11x is formed in the main surface 11a of the dielectric block 11, and the radiation electrode 12 is embedded in the recess 11x. Although not particularly limited, in the present embodiment, the main surface 11a of the dielectric block 11 and the surface of the radiation electrode 12 constitute substantially the same plane. This is due to the manufacturing method of the antenna component 10 according to the present embodiment, and details will be described later.

  Referring back to FIG. 1A, the planar shape of the radiation electrode 12 is substantially square except for the corner notch 12a. The notches 12a are provided to generate circularly polarized waves. In this example, the notches 12a are provided at the right rear corner and the left front corner when viewed from the feeding electrode 14, Thus, it is configured to be able to radiate right-handed polarized waves.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1B, the ground electrode 13 is formed on almost the entire other main surface 11 b of the dielectric block 11 except for the notch 13 a provided in the vicinity of the end portion of the feeding electrode 14. ing. The notch 13a is provided to prevent the feeding electrode 14 and the ground electrode 13 from short-circuiting. When actually mounting on a printed circuit board or the like, the side on which the ground electrode 13 is provided becomes a mounting surface facing the printed circuit board or the like. The ground electrode 13 is not embedded in the recess like the radiation electrode 12 but is formed as it is on the main surface 11b of the dielectric block.

  As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the power supply electrode 14 has a substantially T-shaped planar shape. The T-shaped horizontal bar portion 14 a is disposed in a portion adjacent to one main surface 11 a of the dielectric block 11 so as to face one side of the radiation electrode 12, and the T-shaped vertical bar portion 14 b is a horizontal bar portion. 14 a is disposed from the center in the longitudinal direction to a portion adjacent to the other main surface 11 b of the dielectric block 11. Although the feeding electrode 14 is not in direct contact with the radiation electrode 12, it is possible to feed the radiation electrode 12 by electromagnetic coupling. The power supply electrode 14 is not embedded in the concave portion like the radiation electrode 12 but is formed as it is on the side surface 11c of the dielectric block.

  The material of the radiation electrode 12, the ground electrode 13, and the feeding electrode 14 is not particularly limited, but gold (Au), silver (Ag), copper (Cu), palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt ), Aluminum (Al) or an alloy thereof (silver palladium, silver platinum, or the like) or the like can be used.

  Next, a method for manufacturing the antenna component 10 according to the present embodiment will be described.

  First, as shown in FIG. 3, a dielectric block 11 having a recess 11x on one main surface 11a is integrally formed. That is, the recess 11x is not separately formed after the rectangular parallelepiped dielectric block 11 is formed, but the recess 11x is integrally formed using a mold or the like. For this reason, there is no deviation in the planar position of the concave portion 11x with respect to the one main surface 11a of the dielectric block 11, and the concave portion 11x is formed at a correct position according to the mold.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 4, an electrode material 12 x having a larger area than the recess 11 x is formed on the main surface 11 a of the dielectric block 11 so that at least the entire surface of the recess 11 x is covered. The method for forming the electrode material 12x is not particularly limited, and for example, a screen printing method or the like can be used. Further, the electrode material 12x may be formed on the entire main surface 11a of the dielectric block 11 including the inside of the recess 11x by using a sputtering method. As a result, on the surface of the electrode material 12x, a step corresponding to the depth of the recess 11x is generated between the region formed inside the recess 11x and the region formed outside the recess 11x. The thickness of the electrode material 12x is not particularly limited, and may be thicker or thinner than the depth of the recess 11x.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 5, by polishing one main surface 11a of the dielectric block 11, the electrode material 12x formed outside the recess 11x is removed. Thereby, the electrode material 12x remains only in the recess 11x, and the remaining electrode material 12x becomes the radiation electrode 12. The polishing method is not particularly limited, and a grindstone or a paper file may be used.

  As a result, when the thickness of the formed electrode material 12x is greater than the depth of the recess 11x, the main surface 11a of the dielectric block 11 and the surface of the radiation electrode 12 constitute substantially the same plane. Become. Even when the thickness of the electrode material 12x is thinner than the depth of the recess 11x, depending on the polishing amount, the main surface 11a of the dielectric block 11 and the surface of the radiation electrode 12 are substantially flush with each other. Will be composed. However, in the present invention, it is not essential that these surfaces constitute the same plane, and the surface of the radiation electrode 12 may be positioned below the main surface 11 a of the dielectric block 11.

  When the ground electrode 13 is formed on the other main surface 11b of the dielectric block 11 and the feeding electrode 14 is formed on the side surface 11c of the dielectric block 11, the antenna component 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is completed. The ground electrode 13 and the power supply electrode 14 can also be formed using a screen printing method or the like. The order of forming the radiation electrode 12, the ground electrode 13, and the feeding electrode 14 is not particularly limited, and may be formed in any order.

  Next, another method for manufacturing the antenna component 10 according to the present embodiment will be described.

  First, after the dielectric block 11 shown in FIG. 3 is integrally molded, as shown in FIG. 6, an electrode material 12x having an area smaller than that of the recess 11x is formed inside the recess 11x. In this method, it is necessary to use a material having sufficiently high fluidity as the material of the electrode material 12x. For this reason, the electrode material 12x flows with time and spreads to the side wall 11y of the concave portion 11x serving as a stopper. That is, the electrode material 12x spreads over the entire surface of the recess 11x. Thereafter, by drying the solvent or the like added to the electrode material 12x in order to improve the fluidity and reducing the fluidity of the electrode material 12x, it is possible to obtain a structure substantially the same as the structure shown in FIG.

  Thereafter, as in the manufacturing method described above, the ground electrode 13 is formed on the other main surface 11b of the dielectric block 11, and the power supply electrode 14 is formed on the side surface 11c of the dielectric block, as shown in FIGS. The antenna component 10 is completed. Also in this case, the order of forming the radiation electrode 12, the ground electrode 13, and the feeding electrode 14 is not particularly limited, and may be formed in any order.

  Regarding the manufacturing method of the antenna component 10, the former method, that is, the method of removing an unnecessary portion by polishing after forming the electrode material 12x having a larger area than the concave portion 11x (see FIGS. 3 to 5) or the latter. Any of the above methods, that is, the method of forming the electrode material 12x having a smaller area than the concave portion 11x and then flowing it to fill the concave portion 11x with the electrode material 12x (see FIG. 6) may be used. According to this method, there is an advantage that a normally used electrode material (electrode paste) can be used as it is, while the latter method has an advantage that a polishing step is unnecessary.

  As described above, when the antenna component 10 is manufactured by one of the two methods described above, the planar position of the radiation electrode 12 coincides with the planar position of the recess 11x. Therefore, the positioning is performed with extremely high accuracy. For this reason, it becomes possible to correctly form the radiation electrode 12 at a desired position regardless of the printing accuracy and patterning accuracy when forming the electrode material 12x.

  In particular, in the antenna component 10 according to the present embodiment, the feeding electrode 14 is not in direct contact with the radiation electrode 12, and the feeding electrode 14 formed on the side surface 11 c of the dielectric block 11 and the main surface 11 a of the dielectric block 11 are used. Since the structure is such that the formed radiation electrode 12 is fed by electromagnetically coupling with the formed radiation electrode 12, the influence of the displacement of the planar position of the radiation electrode 12 on the characteristics is very large, but the method according to the present embodiment Thus, even with such a structure, it is possible to obtain characteristics almost as designed.

  In the antenna component 10 according to the present embodiment, only the radiation electrode 12 is formed on one main surface 11 a of the dielectric block 11, and the feeding electrode 14 is formed on the side surface 11 c of the dielectric block 11. For this reason, the size of one main surface 11a of the dielectric block 11 can be reduced as compared with the conventional one. For this reason, it is possible to realize further downsizing, and when mounted on a printed circuit board or the like, the mounting area can be reduced as compared with the conventional case.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of the wireless device 100 using the antenna component 10 according to the present embodiment.

  The radio apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 8 includes an RF unit 110 connected to the radiation electrode 12 through the feeding electrode 14, a signal processing unit 120 connected to the RF unit 110, and an interface unit connected to the signal processing unit 120. 130. Thereby, the signal received by the antenna component 10 is converted into a signal processable format by the RF unit 110, processed by the signal processing unit 120, and output from the interface unit 130. Similarly, a signal input from the interface unit 130 is processed by the signal processing unit 120, converted into a high frequency signal by the RF unit 110, and then emitted from the antenna component 10. Examples of the interface unit 130 include output devices such as a speaker, a display, and a printer, and input devices such as a microphone, a keyboard, and a mouse. Although not shown, the signal processing unit 120 can be further connected to a recording device such as a hard disk device or a CD-ROM drive.

  Since such a wireless device 100 uses a surface-mounted antenna component 10 that has a small mounting area and is easy to mount, various wireless devices that use circularly polarized waves, such as GPS devices (Global Positioning), are used. System), ETC device (Electronic Toll Collection System), satellite radio, and other wireless devices can be reduced in size and cost. Further, since the antenna component 10 according to the present embodiment has a very small characteristic variation, even if the frequency band to be used is high, a change in the characteristic due to the manufacturing variation can be minimized.

  In the antenna component 10 according to the above embodiment, only the radiation electrode 12 is embedded in the recess 11x, and the other electrodes, that is, the ground electrode 13 and the feeding electrode 14 are formed on the surface of the dielectric block 11 as they are. However, one or both of these may be formed in the recess formed in the dielectric block 11.

  FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view showing the structure of the dielectric block 11 used when the radiation electrode 12 and the feeding electrode 14 are embedded in the recesses 11x and 11z, respectively. Also for the dielectric block 11 shown in FIG. 9, since these concave portions 11x and 11z are formed by integral molding, the concave portions 11x and 11z are not displaced with respect to the main surface 11a and the side surface 11c of the dielectric block 11. Absent.

  Thereafter, as described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, after forming electrode materials 12x and 12z (not shown, the same applies hereinafter) having a larger area than the recesses 11x and 11z, the recesses 11x and 11z are polished by polishing. The electrode materials 12x and 12z formed outside the substrate may be removed. In this case, the formation and polishing of the electrode material 12x on the main surface 11a of the dielectric block 11 and the formation and polishing of the electrode material 12z on the side surface 11c of the dielectric block 11 may be performed in separate steps. A method of forming electrode materials 12x and 12z having a smaller area than the recesses 11x and 11z and flowing them can also be used. However, the recess 11z in which the power supply electrode 14 is to be formed has no side wall. Therefore, in this case, it is preferable to use a method of polishing after forming the electrode material 12z having a larger area than the recesses and 11z.

  As described above, since not only the planar position of the radiation electrode 12 but also the planar position of the feeding electrode 14 does not shift, the characteristic variation caused by the planar positional shift of the feeding electrode 14 is also reduced. It becomes possible.

  In the antenna component 10 according to the above-described embodiment, the planar shape of the feeding electrode 14 is substantially T-shaped. However, the planar shape of the feeding electrode 14 can be appropriately changed in consideration of an axial ratio, impedance, and the like. It is. For example, the planar shape of the feeding electrode 14 may be substantially L-shaped, may be a straight line having a constant width (rectangular shape), or may be a shape in which the T-shaped horizontal bar portion 14a is replaced with a semicircle, The T-shaped horizontal bar portion 14a may be replaced with a triangle. That is, since the axial ratio and the impedance are substantially determined by the length of the side adjacent to the one main surface 11a of the dielectric block 11 among the sides of the feeding electrode 14, this side is linear and the dielectric block 11 Any shape may be adopted as long as it is arranged adjacent to one main surface 11a. However, in view of the fact that the adjustment of the axial ratio and impedance is easy and the fact that the wiring distance can be minimized by making the left and right symmetry, the plane of the feeding electrode 14 as shown in FIG. Most preferably, the shape is substantially T-shaped.

  Furthermore, in the antenna component 10 according to the above-described embodiment, the feeding electrode 14 is formed only on one side surface 11c of the dielectric block 11, but it is also possible to form the feeding electrode 14 on two or more side surfaces. . For example, if the feeding electrode 14 is formed on each of two adjacent side surfaces, that is, side surfaces that form an angle of 90 ° with each other, the right-handed polarized wave can be transmitted / received via the one feeding electrode 14 and the other feeding side. Left-handed polarized waves can be transmitted and received via the electrode 14. According to this, antenna components having the same structure can be used for right-handed polarized waves and for left-handed polarized waves without separately creating right-handed polarized wave antenna parts and left-handed polarized wave antenna parts. Is possible. Thereby, further cost reduction can be realized.

  Next, a second preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view showing the structure of the antenna component 20 according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the antenna component 20 according to the present embodiment has the above first electrode in that the feeding electrode 24 is formed over the side surface 21 c and one main surface 21 a of the dielectric block 21. It is different from the embodiment. Other points are the same as those in the first embodiment. That is, the radiation electrode 22 is formed on one main surface 21 a of the dielectric block 21, and the ground electrode 23 is formed on the other main surface 21 b of the dielectric block 21. In addition, notches 22a are formed at two opposite corners of the radiation electrode 22, and the ground electrode 23 is provided with a notch 23a that prevents the feeding electrode 24 and the ground electrode 23 from short-circuiting. It has been.

  The power supply electrode 24 is configured by portions 24 a and 24 b formed on one main surface 21 a of the dielectric block 21 and a portion 24 c formed on the side surface 21 c, and is formed on one main surface 21 a of the dielectric block 21. The formed portions 24a and 24b are substantially T-shaped in plan view. The T-shaped horizontal bar portion 24a is arranged in parallel so as to face one side of the radiation electrode 22, and the T-shaped vertical bar portion 24b extends from the center in the longitudinal direction of the horizontal bar portion 24a. It arrange | positions over the part adjacent to the side surface 21c. On the other hand, the portion 24c formed on the side surface 21c of the dielectric block 21 is connected to the end portion of the vertical bar portion 24b, and is linearly disposed across the portion adjacent to the other main surface 21b of the dielectric block 21. ing. Also in the present embodiment, the feeding electrode 24 and the radiation electrode 22 are not in direct contact, but the radiation electrode 22 is fed by electromagnetic coupling.

  As shown in FIG. 11, a recess 21x is formed in the main surface 21a of the dielectric block 21, and is formed on one main surface 21a of the dielectric block 21 among the radiation electrode 22 and the feeding electrode 24. The portions 24a and 24b are embedded in the recess 21x. Although not particularly limited, also in this embodiment, the main surface 21a of the dielectric block 21 and the surfaces of the radiation electrode 22 and the feeding electrodes 24a and 24b constitute substantially the same plane.

  The manufacturing method of the antenna component 20 having such a structure is the same as the manufacturing method of the antenna component 10 according to the first embodiment. That is, after integrally molding the dielectric block 21 having the concave portion 21x on one main surface 21a, an electrode material having a larger area than the concave portion 21x is applied to the main surface 21a of the dielectric block 21 so that at least the entire surface of the concave portion 21x is covered. To form. Then, by polishing one main surface 21a of the dielectric block 21 to remove the electrode material 21x formed outside the recess 21x, the electrode material remains only inside the recess 21x. The power supply electrodes 24a and 24b are formed (see FIGS. 3 to 5).

  Alternatively, after the dielectric block 21 is integrally molded, an electrode material having a smaller area than the recess 21x is formed inside the recess 21x, and the electrode material is spread over the entire surface of the recess 21x by flowing it. 22 and power supply electrodes 24a and 24b (see FIG. 6).

  Then, when the ground electrode 23 is formed on the other main surface 21b of the dielectric block 21 and the feeding electrode 24c is formed on the side surface 21c of the dielectric block, the antenna component 20 is completed. Also in this case, the order of forming the radiation electrode 22, the ground electrode 23, and the feeding electrode 24 is not particularly limited, and may be formed in any order.

  According to the present embodiment, a portion 24 a of the feeding electrode 24 that is actually electromagnetically coupled to the radiation electrode 22 is formed on the same plane as the radiation electrode 22, that is, one main surface 21 a of the dielectric block 21. Therefore, although the size of the dielectric block 21 is larger than that in the first embodiment, the relative positional relationship between the radiation electrode 22 and the feeding electrode 24 can be made more accurate. In addition, since the T-shaped vertical bar portion 24b of the feeding electrode 24 forms a microstrip line, the impedance of the antenna component 20 can be adjusted accordingly.

  Next, a preferred third embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 12 is a schematic perspective view showing the structure of an antenna component 30 according to a preferred third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the antenna component 30 according to the present embodiment is different from the first and second embodiments in that the feeding electrode 34 is directly connected to the radiation electrode 32. The other points are substantially the same as those of the first and second embodiments. The radiation block 32 is formed on one main surface 31a of the dielectric block 31, and the other main surface 31b of the dielectric block 31 is formed. A ground electrode 33 is formed. In addition, a notch 32a is formed at two opposite corners of the radiation electrode 32, and a notch 33a for preventing the feeding electrode 34 and the ground electrode 33 from being short-circuited is provided in the ground electrode 33. It has been.

  The power feeding electrode 34 includes a portion 34a formed on one main surface 31a of the dielectric block 31 and a portion 34b formed on the side surface 31c, both of which have a linear shape. .

  As shown in FIG. 13, a recess 31 x is formed on the main surface 31 a of the dielectric block 31, and is formed on one main surface 31 a of the dielectric block 31 among the radiation electrode 32 and the feeding electrode 34. The portion 34a is embedded in the recess 31x. Although not particularly limited, also in this embodiment, the main surface 31a of the dielectric block 31 and the surfaces of the radiation electrode 32 and the feeding electrode 34a constitute substantially the same plane.

  The manufacturing method of the antenna component 30 having such a structure is the same as the manufacturing method of the antenna components 10 and 20 according to the first and second embodiments, and redundant description is omitted.

  In the antenna component 30 according to the present embodiment, since the feeding electrode 34 and the radiation electrode 32 are not electromagnetically coupled but directly connected, the displacement of the planar position of the radiation electrode 32 is caused by the antenna. The influence on the characteristics is small as compared with the first and second embodiments. However, if the displacement of the planar position of the radiation electrode 32, that is, the distance or angle between the end of the radiation electrode 32 and the end of one main surface 31a of the dielectric block 31 is different from the design value, the antenna characteristics are Although it changes reliably, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent such a deviation in characteristics.

  Next, a preferred fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 14 is a schematic perspective view showing the structure of an antenna component 40 according to a preferred fourth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view along the line DD in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, in the antenna component 40 according to the present embodiment, the feeding electrode provided on the side surface is eliminated, and instead, the feeding pin 45 is provided in the through hole 44 provided in the dielectric block 41. It is different from the above embodiments in that it is inserted. The through hole 44 is provided from one main surface 41 a of the dielectric block 41 to the other main surface 41 b, and the portion of the one main surface 41 a of the dielectric block 41 where the through hole 44 is opened. Is provided with a recess 41x. The through hole 44 and the recess 41x are integrally formed when the dielectric block 41 is formed, and therefore, there is substantially no deviation in the relative positional relationship between them.

  A radiation electrode 42 is embedded in the recess 41 x, and the radiation electrode 42 is connected to the head of the power feed pin 45 inserted in the through hole 44 by solder 46. The length of the power supply pin 45 is longer than the thickness of the dielectric block 41 (distance from one main surface 41 a to the other main surface 41 b). Therefore, a part of the power supply pin 45 is the other main surface of the dielectric block 41. It is in a state protruding from 41b. The ground electrode 43 is provided with a notch 43 a around the through hole 44 so that the protruding portion and the ground electrode 43 formed on the other main surface 41 b of the dielectric block 41 are not short-circuited.

  The main part of the manufacturing method of the antenna component 40 having such a structure is substantially the same as the manufacturing method of the antenna components 10, 20, and 30 according to the first to third embodiments, and the description of the overlapping portions is omitted. However, after the formation of the radiation electrode 42 and the ground electrode 43 is completed, if the feeding pin 45 is inserted into the through hole 44 and the head of the feeding pin 45 is fixed by the solder 46, the antenna component 40 according to the present embodiment is obtained. Complete.

  Since the antenna component 40 according to the present embodiment is fed through the feed pin 45, if the relative positional relationship between the through hole 44 into which the feed pin 45 is inserted and the radiation electrode 42 is different from the design value, Although the antenna characteristics change greatly, in the present embodiment, the through hole 44 and the recess 41x, which is the region where the radiation electrode 42 is formed, are integrally molded. There is no such thing, and it is possible to prevent the deviation of the characteristics due to this.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Needless to say, it is included in the range.

  For example, in the antenna components 10, 20, 30, 40 according to the above embodiments, the planar shape of the radiation electrodes 12, 22, 32, 42 is substantially square except for the corner notches 12a, 22a, 32a, 42a. However, various shapes other than this can be used as the shape of the radiation electrode for emitting circularly polarized waves. For example, the planar shape of the radiation electrode may be a rectangle with no notches or protrusions, a square with protrusions at the opposite corners, a circle with notches at the opposite positions, or at the opposite positions. It is also possible to use a circular shape with protrusions or an oval shape with no cutouts or protrusions.

  In each of the above embodiments, the antenna component that radiates circularly polarized waves has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to an antenna component that radiates linearly polarized waves. . In this case, it is possible to reduce the size and cost of various wireless devices using linearly polarized waves, for example, wireless devices such as a wireless local area network (LAN) and a Bluetooth device.

  In each of the above embodiments, the dielectric blocks 11, 21, 31, and 41 have a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. However, the dielectric blocks 11, 21, 31, and 41 may have other shapes such as a cylindrical shape.

  In each of the above embodiments, the ground electrodes 13, 23, 33, and 34 are provided on the other principal surfaces 11b, 21b, 31b, and 41b of the dielectric blocks 11, 21, 31, and 41. If the ground electrode is provided on the substrate side on which the antenna is mounted, the ground electrode on the antenna component side can be omitted.

It is the schematic perspective view which shows the structure of the antenna component 10 by preferable 1st Embodiment of this invention, (a) is the figure seen from the upper diagonal direction, (b) is the figure seen from the lower diagonal direction. It is a schematic sectional drawing along the AA line shown to Fig.1 (a). 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing one manufacturing process of the antenna component 10 (molding of the dielectric block 11). FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing one manufacturing process of the antenna component 10 (formation of an electrode material 12x). FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing one manufacturing process of antenna component 10 (polishing of electrode material 12x). FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing one manufacturing process of the antenna component 10 (formation of an electrode material 12x). FIG. It is a schematic perspective view which shows the structure of the antenna component 10 which radiates | emits a left-handed polarized wave. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of a wireless device 100 using an antenna component 10. It is a schematic perspective view showing the structure of the dielectric block 11 used when the radiation electrode 12 and the feeding electrode 14 are embedded in the recess 11x. It is a schematic perspective view which shows the structure of the antenna component 20 by preferable 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing in alignment with the BB line of FIG. It is a schematic perspective view which shows the structure of the antenna component 30 by preferable 3rd Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view along the line CC in FIG. 12. It is a schematic perspective view which shows the structure of the antenna component 40 by preferable 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing in alignment with the DD line | wire of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

10, 20, 30, 40 Antenna parts 11, 21, 31, 41 Dielectric blocks 11a, 21a, 31a, 41a One main surface 11b, 21b, 31b, 41b of the dielectric block The other main surface 11c of the dielectric block , 21c, 31c Dielectric block side surface 11x, 11z, 21x, 31x, 41x Recess 11y Side wall 12, 22, 32, 42 Radiation electrode 12x Electrode material 13, 23, 33, 34 Ground electrode 14, 24, 34 Feed electrode 44 Through hole 45 Power supply pin 46 Solder 100 Wireless device 110 RF unit 120 Signal processing unit 130 Interface unit

Claims (13)

  An antenna component comprising: a dielectric block; a recess formed on one main surface of the dielectric block; and a radiation electrode embedded in the recess.   2. The antenna component according to claim 1, wherein the one main surface of the dielectric block and the surface of the radiation electrode constitute substantially the same plane.   The antenna component according to claim 1, further comprising at least one feeding electrode that is electromagnetically coupled to the radiation electrode.   The antenna component according to claim 3, wherein at least a part of the feeding electrode is formed on a surface different from the one main surface of the dielectric block.   5. The antenna component according to claim 3, wherein at least a part of the power supply electrode is embedded in another recess formed in the dielectric block.   The antenna component according to claim 1, further comprising a feed pin provided through the dielectric block and connected to the radiation conductor.   The antenna component according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a ground electrode formed on the other main surface opposite to the one main surface of the dielectric block.   The antenna component according to claim 1, an RF unit connected to the radiation electrode of the antenna component, and a signal processing unit connected to the RF unit. Wireless device.   A first step of integrally molding a dielectric block having a recess on one main surface, and an electrode material having an area larger than that of the recess so that at least the entire surface of the recess is covered; A method for manufacturing an antenna component, comprising: a second step of forming on a surface; and a third step of forming a radiation electrode by removing the electrode material formed outside the recess by polishing.   A first step of integrally molding a dielectric block having a concave portion on one main surface; a second step of forming an electrode material having an area smaller than the concave portion inside the concave portion; and a side wall of the concave portion as a stopper And a third step of forming a radiation electrode by flowing the electrode material.   11. The method of manufacturing an antenna component according to claim 9, further comprising a fourth step of forming at least one feeding electrode that is electromagnetically coupled to the radiation electrode.   12. The antenna component according to claim 11, wherein in the fourth step, at least a part of the feeding electrode is formed on a surface different from the one main surface of the dielectric block.   In the first step, the method further includes a fourth step of inserting a feed pin into the through-hole after integrally forming a through-hole, one of which is opened in the recess, to form the radiation electrode. The method for manufacturing an antenna component according to claim 9 or 10.

Images