TWI809027B - Radio frequency device and antenna module - Google Patents

Abstract

A radio frequency (RF) device may include a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) chip and an antenna module on an upper surface of the RFIC chip. The antenna module may include a first patch parallel to the RFIC chip and having an upper surface configured to emit radiation in a vertical direction opposite the first patch from the RFIC chip, a ground plate parallel to the first patch, and between the first patch and the RFIC chip, and a first plurality of feed lines connected to a lower surface of the first patch and configured to supply at least one first differential signal to the first patch from the RFIC chip.

Description

Radio frequency device and antenna module [CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS]

This application claims Korean Patent Application No. 10-2018-0003888 filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on January 11, 2018 and Korean Patent Application No. 10 filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on March 20, 2018 - The benefit of No. 2018-0032345, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The present inventive concept relates to patch antennas, and more particularly to multi-fed patch antennas and devices comprising said multi-fed patch antennas.

An antenna used for wireless communication is a reversible device and may include conductors. Signals can be transmitted by emitting electromagnetic waves from a conductor, and the signals can be induced by electromagnetic waves reaching the conductor. A conductor included in the antenna may have various shapes, and an antenna including a conductor having an appropriate shape may be used according to an application. For example, a patch antenna as a planar type antenna may include a ground plate, a low-loss dielectric material on the ground plate, and a patch formed of the low-loss dielectric material, and may be used for mobile application.

In the case of applications involving limited space and power, such as mobile phones, it may be desirable to have antennas of reduced size. Furthermore, in wireless communication applications, high transmission power may be used, resulting in high power consumption and heat generation. Therefore, antennas with high power efficiency and limited size may be desired.

The inventive concept provides a patch antenna and a device including the patch antenna with high power efficiency and reduced size based on the multi-feed structure of the patch antenna.

According to an aspect of the inventive concept, there is provided a radio frequency (radio frequency, RF) device, the radio frequency device comprising a radio frequency integrated circuit (radio frequency integrated circuit, RFIC) chip and an upper surface of the RFIC chip antenna module. The antenna module includes: a first patch parallel to the RFIC chip and having an upper surface configured to emit radiation from the RFIC chip in a vertical direction opposite to the first patch a ground plate parallel to the first patch and located between the first patch and the RFIC die; and a first plurality of feed lines connected to the lower surface of the first patch and configured to supply at least one first differential signal from the RFIC die to the first patch.

According to an aspect of the concept of the present invention, there is provided an antenna module, the antenna module includes: a ground plate; a first patch parallel to the ground plate and having an upper surface configured to be in contact with the ground plate radiating from the ground plane in a vertical direction opposite to the first patch; and a first plurality of feed lines connected to the first patch respectively a first plurality of feed points on the lower surface of the block, the first plurality of feed points comprising a first feed point and a second feed point spaced apart from each other in a first horizontal direction, and The third feeding point and the fourth feeding point are separated from each other in the second horizontal direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction.

According to an aspect of the inventive concept, there is provided a radio frequency (RF) device including: a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) chip configured to output a first differential signal and a second differential signal; and an antenna A module is located on the upper surface of the RFIC chip. The antenna module includes: a first patch parallel to the RFIC chip and configured to radiate from the RFIC chip in a vertical direction opposite to the first patch; a ground plate connected to the first patch a patch parallel to and located between the first patch and the RFIC chip; and a first differential feed line and a second differential feed line connected to the lower surface of the first patch and configured to The first patch supplies the first differential signal and the second differential signal.

10, 10a, 10b, 10c: communication equipment

13a, 13b, 13c: digital integrated circuits

15, 15': Feed line

17: Jumper

20a, 20b, 20c: Radio frequency systems

30: Antenna module

31: Top patch

32: Bottom patch

33: Grounding plate

35: Feed line

36:Buried vias

37: Metallized pad

38: solder ball

42: patch

43: Grounding plate

51, 52, 53, 54: antenna module

60: Antenna module

61: Top patch

62: Bottom patch

71, 72, 81: Antenna module

81_1: The first patch

81_2: Second patch

81_3: The third patch

81_4: The fourth patch

82: Antenna module

82_1, 82_2: patch block

83: Antenna module

83_1, 83_2, 83_3, 83_4: patch block

90a, 90b, 90c: antenna module

91a, 91b, 91c: first patch

92a, 92b: second patch

100, 100': Antenna

100", 100a, 100b, 100c: antenna module

101: First Patch

102: Second patch

110a, 110b, 110c: conductors

111, 112, 113, 114: block antenna

120a: Substrate

120c: Antenna board

121, 122, 123, 124: dipole antenna

200, 200', 200", 200a, 200b, 200c, 200d: radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)

220, 220': switch/duplexer

221, 221': the first transceiver

221_1: Power Amplifier

221_2: phase shifter

221_3: Low noise amplifier

221_4: phase shifter

222: second transceiver

223: the third transceiver

223': the third transceiver

223_1: Power amplifier

223_2: phase shifter

223_3: Low noise amplifier

223_4: phase shifter

224: The fourth transceiver

225: fifth transceiver

226: The sixth transceiver

227: seventh transceiver

228: eighth transceiver

300: signal processor

400, 500a, 500b: carrier board

600: Wireless communication system

610: base station

620: User equipment

630: Multiple input and multiple output channels

710: Access Point (AP)

721:Household Gadgets

722: Household appliances

723: Entertainment device

L, L1, L2: Length

LX: second centerline

LY: first center line

P1: first feed point

P2: Second feed point

P3: Third feed point

P4: The fourth feed point

PA: power amplifier

PORT1: the first port

PORT2: the second port

PORT3: the third port

PORT4: the fourth port

Pout: power output

Pout_total: total power input

RX: receive signal

RX1: the first receiving signal

RX3: The third receiving signal

TX: transmit signal

TX1: the first transmission signal

TX3: The third transmission signal

W: Length

X, Y, Z: direction axis

In the drawings appended to this specification, the size of constituent elements may be exaggerated or reduced for easy understanding.

Some exemplary embodiments will be more clearly understood by reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings: FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a communication device according to some exemplary embodiments.

2A to 2C illustrate layouts of constituent elements of the communication device shown in FIG. 1 according to some exemplary embodiments.

FIG. 3A is a diagram of a 2-port antenna module according to some exemplary embodiments. 3B is a side view of the radio frequency (RF) system including the antenna module shown in FIG. 3A when viewed from the y-axis direction according to some exemplary embodiments.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating patches and electric fields formed by the patches, according to some example embodiments.

5A and 5B are graphs summarizing simulation results for a 2-port antenna module.

Figure 6A is a perspective view of a 4-port antenna module according to some example embodiments, and Figure 6B shows the lower surface of the lower patch shown in Figure 6A.

FIG. 7 is a graph summarizing simulation results for a 4-port antenna module.

Figure 8 is a diagram of an antenna module according to some example embodiments.

9A-9C are antennas according to some example embodiments.

10 is a block diagram of an antenna and radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), according to some example embodiments.

Figure 11 is a block diagram of an RFIC according to some example embodiments.

12 is a diagram of an antenna module including dipole and patch antennas, according to some example embodiments.

Figure 13 is a block diagram of a wireless communication system according to some example embodiments.

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a wireless communication system including a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) according to some example embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a communication device 10 according to some exemplary embodiments. As shown in FIG. 1, the communication device 10 may include an antenna 100, which may be The line 100 transmits or receives signals to communicate with another communication device in the wireless communication system, and thus may be referred to as a wireless communication device. According to some exemplary embodiments, the wireless communication system is similar or identical to the wireless communication system discussed below in connection with FIGS. 13-14 .

A non-limiting example of a wireless communication system for the communication device 10 to communicate with another communication device may be a wireless communication system using a cellular network (for example, a fifth generation ( ^5th Generation, 5G) wireless system, Long Term Evolution (Long Term Evolution) Term Evolution (LTE) system, Advanced Long Term Evolution system, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, or Global System for Mobile communications (Global System for Mobile communications, GSM) system), using wireless local area network ( WLAN) system wireless communication system or another arbitrary wireless communication system. Hereinafter, the wireless communication system using the cellular network will be mainly described, but some exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the communication device 10 may include an antenna 100 , a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) 200 and a signal processor 300 . The antenna 100 and the RFIC 200 may be connected to each other via the feeding line 15 . In this specification, the antenna 100 may be referred to as an antenna module, and the antenna 100 together with the feeding line 15 may be referred to as an antenna module. Furthermore, the antenna 100, the feeder line 15, and the RFIC 200 together may be referred to as a radio frequency system or a radio frequency device.

In the transmission mode, the RFIC 200 can provide a signal generated by processing the transmission signal TX provided from the signal processor 300 to the antenna 100 through the feed line 15 . Additionally, in receive mode, the RFIC 200 can The received signal RX is provided to the signal processor 300 by processing the signal received from the antenna 100 . For example, RFIC 200 may include a transmitter, and the transmitter may include a filter, a mixer, and a power amplifier (PA). In addition, the RFIC 200 may include a receiver, and the receiver may include a filter, a mixer, and a low noise amplifier (LNA). In some exemplary embodiments, an RFIC may include a plurality of transmitters and receivers, and may include a transceiver in which the transmitters and receivers are combined with each other.

The signal processor 300 can generate a transmission signal TX by processing a signal including information to be transmitted, and can generate a signal including information by processing a reception signal RX. For example, to generate the transmission signal TX, the signal processor 300 may include an encoder, a modulator, and a digital-to-analog converter (DAC). In addition, to process the received signal RX, the signal processor 300 may include an analog-to-digital converter (analog-to-digital, ADC), a demodulator, and a decoder. The signal processor 300 may generate a control signal to control the RFIC 200 , through which a transmission mode or a reception mode may be set, and may control power and gain of constituent elements included in the RFIC 200 . In some exemplary embodiments, the signal processor 300 may include at least one core, and a memory for storing commands executed by the at least one core. Additionally, at least a portion of signal processor 300 may include software blocks stored in memory, and it is described herein that operations performed by signal processor 300 may be performed by executing commands and/or software blocks stored in memory. At least one core of the block executes. In some exemplary embodiments, the signal processor 300 may include a logic circuit designed by logic synthesis, and the signal At least a portion of the processor 300 may include hardware blocks implemented by logic circuits.

Wireless communication systems can define a high spectrum band for transmitting large amounts of data. For example, the 5G cellular system (or 5G wireless system) officially designated as IMT-2020 by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) defines millimeter wave (mmWave) greater than 24 GHz. Millimeter waves enable broadband transmission and enable miniaturization of radio frequency systems (ie, antenna 100 and RFIC 200 ). Millimeter waves may provide increased directivity but also increased attenuation, and thus reduced attenuation may be desired.

In order to mitigate signal attenuation caused by high frequency bands, high transmit power can be used. According to Friis transmission formula, the transmission power can be calculated by multiplying the output power of the power amplifier and the gain of the antenna 100 . The increase in the power of the power amplifier may result in excessive heat generation or power consumption due to the inefficiency of the power amplifier included in the RFIC 200 . Therefore, it may be desirable to increase antenna gain to increase transmission power. Antenna gain may be proportional to the size of the effective open area of antenna 100 . However, in mobile phone applications where space is limited, the effective open area may also be limited, and as the antenna gain increases, the beam width output from the antenna 100 becomes narrower, and thus the communication range of the antenna 100 may be limited. decrease.

According to some exemplary embodiments, the antenna 100 can receive differential signals from the RFIC 200 via at least two feeding lines 15 . Therefore, as described below with reference to FIG. 4 , by supplying two signals whose phases are directly opposite to each other to feeding points spaced apart on the antenna 100 , high transmission power can be achieved without degrading the performance of the antenna 100 . The RFIC 200 can be manufactured using a semiconductor process, and thus has the potential to integrate circuits The constraints to generate differential signals can be relatively weak.

2A to 2C illustrate layouts of constituent elements of the communication device 10 shown in FIG. 1 according to some exemplary embodiments. Hereinafter, the layout of the constituent elements of the communication device 10 shown in FIGS. 2A to 2C will be explained with reference to FIG. The description of , will not be repeated here. In this specification, the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction perpendicular to each other may be referred to as a first horizontal direction and a second horizontal direction, respectively, and a plane formed by the X-axis and the Y-axis may be referred to as a horizontal plane. Also, an area may refer to an area on a plane parallel to a horizontal plane, and a direction perpendicular to the horizontal plane (ie, a Z-axis direction) may be referred to as a vertical direction. A constituent element further disposed in the +Z-axis direction with respect to other constituent elements may be referred to as a constituent element disposed above the other constituent elements, and a constituent element further disposed in the -Z-axis direction with respect to the other constituent elements may be referred to as a constituent element disposed above the other constituent elements. It is referred to as a constituent element provided below the other constituent elements. Furthermore, among the surfaces of the constituent elements, the surface of the constituent element farthest in the +Z axis direction may be referred to as an upper surface of the constituent element, and the surface of the constituent element farthest in the -Z axis direction may be referred to as an upper surface of the constituent element. constitutes the lower surface of the element.

In high frequency bands, such as millimeter wave bands, loss parameters may be worse, and thus it may be difficult to adopt the layout of antenna 100 and RFIC 200 used in low frequency bands (eg, in frequency bands below 6 GHz). For example, the antenna feed line structure used in the low frequency band can reduce the attenuation characteristics of the signal in the millimeter wave frequency band, and can make the Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP) and noise figure (noise figure) downgrade. Therefore, in order to reduce the Small signal attenuation, the antenna 100 and the RFIC 200 can be close to each other. In particular, in mobile applications such as mobile phones, high space efficiency may be desired, and thus, as shown in FIGS. -in-package, SIP) structure.

Referring to FIG. 2A, the communication device 10a may include a radio frequency system 20a, a digital integrated circuit 13a, and a carrier board 500a. The radio frequency system 20a and the digital integrated circuit 13a can be mounted on the upper surface of the carrier board 500a. The radio frequency system 20a and the digital integrated circuit 13a can be connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other through the conductive pattern formed in the carrier board 500a. In some exemplary embodiments, the carrier board 500a may be a printed circuit board (Printed Circuit Board, PCB). The digital integrated circuit 13a can include the signal processor 300 shown in FIG. 1, and thus can transmit the transmission signal TX to the RFIC 200a or can receive the reception signal RX from the RFIC 200a, and can also provide a control signal to the RFIC 200a to control RFIC 200a. In some exemplary embodiments, the digital integrated circuit 13a may include at least one core and/or memory, and may control the operation of the communication device 10a. According to some exemplary embodiments, operations described herein as being performed by the digital integrated circuit 13a may be performed by at least one core executing commands and/or software blocks stored in memory.

The radio frequency system 20a may include an antenna module 100a and an RFIC 200a. The antenna module 100a may be called an antenna package, and as shown in FIG. 2A , may include a substrate 120a and a conductor 110a formed on the substrate 120a. For example, as described below with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B , the antenna module 100a may include a ground plane and a patch parallel to the horizontal plane, or may include a signal feeder. The RFIC 200a may have an upper surface electrically connected to the lower surface of the antenna module 100a and may be referred to as a radio die. In some exemplary embodiments, the antenna module 100a and the RFIC 200a may be connected to each other via a controlled collapse chip connection (C4). The radio frequency system 20a shown in FIG. 2A may be desirable for heat dissipation and may have a stable structure.

Referring to FIG. 2B, the communication device 10b may include a digital integrated circuit 13b and a carrier board 500b. The RFIC 200b and the digital integrated circuit 13b can be mounted on the lower surface of the carrier board 500b. The RFIC 200b and the digital integrated circuit 13b can be connected to each other to be able to communicate with each other through the conductive pattern formed in the carrier 500b.

In the communication device 10b shown in FIG. 2B , the radio frequency system 20b may include the antenna module 100b formed in the carrier board 500b and the RFIC 200b mounted on the lower surface of the carrier board 500b. As shown in FIG. 2B, the antenna module 100b may include a conductor 110b formed on a carrier 500b, and a feed line formed in the carrier 500b to supply signals from the RFIC 200b to the conductor 110b. In the communication device 10b shown in FIG. 2B, the process of mounting the radio frequency system 20b on the carrier board 500b can be omitted and the substrate for the antenna can be omitted. Therefore, the communication device 10b may have a reduced height, that is, a reduced length in the Z-axis direction.

Referring to FIG. 2C, the communication device 10c may include a radio frequency system 20c, a carrier board 400, and a digital integrated circuit 13c. As shown in FIG. 2C , the digital integrated circuit 13 c can be installed on the lower surface of the carrier board 400 , and the radio frequency system 20 c and the carrier board 400 can be connected to each other to be able to communicate with each other through the jumper 17 .

In the communication device 10c shown in FIG. 2C , the radio frequency system 20c may include an antenna module 100c and an RFIC 200c installed on the lower surface of the antenna module 100c. As shown in FIG. 2C, the antenna module 100c may include an antenna board 120c, a conductor 110c formed on the antenna board 120c, and a feed line formed in the antenna board 120c to supply signals from the RFIC 200c to the conductor 110c. In the communication device 10c shown in FIG. 2C, the substrate for the antenna can be omitted, and the radio frequency system 20c and the carrier board 400 can be manufactured independently, and thus the communication device 10c can be produced more efficiently and at reduced cost.

In the following, some exemplary embodiments may be explained with reference to the radio frequency system 20a shown in FIG. 2A. However, it should be understood that the descriptions can also be applied not only to the radio frequency systems 20b and 20c shown in FIG. 2B and FIG. (System-on-Chip, SoC) structure) radio frequency system.

FIG. 3A is a perspective view of an antenna module 30 according to some exemplary embodiments, and FIG. 3B is a radio frequency (RF) system viewed from the y-axis direction including the antenna module 30 shown in FIG. 3A according to some exemplary embodiments. side view of the radio frequency system. 3A and 3B show a block antenna as an example of the antenna module 30 , and for ease of explanation, only some constituent elements of the antenna module 30 are shown.

Referring to FIG. 3A , the antenna module 30 may include a top patch 31 and a bottom patch 32 spaced parallel to each other in the Z-axis direction, and may emit electromagnetic waves in the +Z-axis direction. The top patch 31 and the bottom patch 32 may comprise a conductive material such as metal, and as depicted in FIG. 3A , may have a rectangular shape. in some exemplary embodiments 3A, at least one of the top patch 31 and the bottom patch 32 may have a shape other than a rectangular shape, such as a circular shape, an ellipse shapes, rhombus shapes, etc. Although not shown in FIG. 3A, as shown in FIG. 3B, the antenna module 30 may further include a ground plate 33 located below the bottom patch 32, and in some exemplary embodiments, the top patch may be omitted. Block 31.

The antenna module 30 may include a first port PORT1 and a second port PORT2 connected to the bottom patch 32 . As shown in FIG. 3A , the first port PORT1 and the second port PORT2 may be separated in the X-axis direction and each may include a feed line to supply a signal to the bottom patch 32 . As described below with reference to FIG. 4 , the bottom patch 32 can receive differential signals from two feed points separated in the X-axis direction, and thus can have high power efficiency.

Referring to FIG. 3B , the RFIC 200d may be mounted on the lower surface of the antenna module 30 . The RFIC 200d can provide signals, ie, differential signals, to the bottom patch 32 through the feed lines included in the first port PORT1 and the second port PORT2. For example, as shown in FIG. 3B , the second port PORT2 may include a feed line 35 connected to the bottom patch 32 and a plurality of buried vias 36 . The feeding line 35 may include a portion (eg, a through hole) extending in the Z-axis direction and a portion (eg, a metal pattern) extending in the X-axis direction. The feed points where the feed lines 35 of the first port PORT1 and the second port PORT2 are connected to the bottom patch 32 may be separated from each other in the X-axis direction.

The buried via 36 may be provided spaced apart from the feed line 35 . For example, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B , buried vias 36 can be formed by They are spaced and regularly arranged from the feed line 35 in the Y-axis direction. The buried via 36 may be configured to apply a potentiostat and, for example, as depicted in FIG. 3B , the buried via 36 may be connected to the ground plate 33 .

The first port PORT1 may have the same or similar structure as the second port PORT2. In some exemplary embodiments, the first port PORT1 and the second port PORT2 may have a symmetrical structure with a surface parallel to a plane formed by the Z axis and the Y axis as a center. The structures of the first port PORT1 and the second port PORT2 depicted in FIGS. 3A and 3B are examples only, and thus it should be understood that ports having structures different from those depicted in FIGS. Axially separated to supply differential signals to the patch.

The upper surface of the RFIC 200d can be electrically connected to the lower surface of the antenna module 30 via a plurality of paths. In some exemplary embodiments, the antenna module 30 and the RFIC 200d may be connected to each other by a flip chip method. For example, as shown in FIG. 3B , metallization pads 37 may be disposed on the lower surface of the antenna module 30 , and solder balls 38 may be respectively disposed on the metallization pads 37 . Solder balls 38 may contact connections made up of conductors on the upper surface of RFIC 200d. In this way, the RFIC 200d can be connected to the feed line 35 via the controlled collapse die connection (C4) and can supply one of the differential signals to the feed line 35 (and the other of the differential signals to the other feed line). In addition, the RFIC 200d may be connected to the ground plate 33 and may apply a ground potential to or receive a ground potential from the ground plate 33 .

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a patch 42 and an electric field formed by the patch 42 , according to some example embodiments. In detail, the diagram on the left side of Figure 4 shows the connection The first feed point P1 and the second feed point P2 of the two feed lines connected to the lower surface of the patch 42 , and the diagram on the right side of FIG. 4 shows the electric field generated between the patch 42 and the ground plate 43 .

Referring to the diagram on the left side of FIG. 4 , the patch 42 may have a rectangular shape and may have a length L in the X-axis direction and a length W in the Y-axis direction. In some exemplary embodiments, the length L in the X-axis direction may be half of the wavelength emitted by the differential signal. Two feed lines may be connected to the lower surface of the patch 42 at a first feed point P1 and a second feed point P2. The first feeding point P1 and the second feeding point P2 can be separated in the X-axis direction, and the positions of the first feeding point P1 and the second feeding point P2 on the lower surface of the patch 42 can be determined by impedance matching. In some exemplary embodiments, the first feeding point P1 and the second feeding point P2 may be disposed on or close to the first centerline LY parallel to the X-axis, and intersect the center of the patch 42 .

In the electric field distribution of the patch antenna, electric fields having phases opposite to each other can be formed on both ends of an axis feeding a signal at the center. Therefore, when two input signals with opposite phases (ie, differential signals) are applied to the axis of the feed signal, higher power transmission is possible without degrading the performance of the patch antenna. For example, as shown on the right side of FIG. 4, when a signal with a relatively high potential is applied to the first feed point P1 and a signal with a relatively low potential is applied to the second feed point due to the differential signal At P2, an electric field with opposite phases may be formed on both ends with an axis intersecting the first feed point P1 and the second feed point P2 (ie, an axis parallel to the X axis) as the center. Therefore, the antenna gain can be maintained and the EIRP can be doubled compared to the single feed line structure. Hereinafter, the package will be described with reference to FIGS. 5A and 5B . Advantageous properties of an antenna module comprising two feed lines for supplying differential signals.

5A and 5B are diagrams summarizing simulation results of antenna modules. In detail, FIG. 5A shows the simulation results of the antenna module 51 to which differential signals are fed through two ports and the simulation results of the antenna module 52 to which signals are fed through a single port. FIG. 5B shows the simulation results of the antenna module 53 fed with differential signals via two ports and the simulation results of the antenna module 54 including two patches fed with signals via corresponding single ports. Hereinafter, repeated descriptions of the overlapping parts described with reference to FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B are omitted.

Referring to FIG. 5A, the antenna module 51 including the first port PORT1 and the second port PORT2 may be called a dual-fed patch antenna module (dual-fed patch antenna module) 51, and only includes the antenna module of the first port PORT1. Group 52 may be referred to as a single-fed patch antenna module 52 . Referring to the table shown in FIG. 5A, a dual-feed block antenna module 51 may have a higher antenna height compared to a single-feed block antenna module 52 at the same power input (i.e., 10 decibels milliwatts (dBm)). Gain (ie, 6.52dBi>5.92dBi). Furthermore, EIRP as well as radiated power can be increased by more than 3dB without power combining loss.

Referring to FIG. 5B , the antenna module 53 (which may also be referred to as a dual-feed block antenna module 53 ) may include a first port PORT1 and a second port PORT2 connected to a single lower patch. The antenna module 54 may include a first port PORT1 and a second port PORT2 respectively connected to two lower patches spaced apart from each other in the Y-axis direction, and may be referred to as a 1-by-2 block array antenna . Referring to the table shown in FIG. 5B, comparing the dual-feed block antenna module 53 with the 1-to-2 antenna module 54, the dual-feed block antenna Module 53 may have a reduced antenna gain. However, compared with the 1-to-2 antenna module 54, the dual-feed block antenna module 53 occupies a smaller area (ie, 8mm×8mm<13mm×8mm), and can also provide Wide beam width.

FIG. 6A is a perspective view of an antenna module 60 according to some exemplary embodiments, and FIG. 6B shows the lower surface of the bottom patch 62 of the antenna module 60 depicted in FIG. 6A . 6A and 6B show a block antenna as an example of the antenna module 60 , and for convenience of explanation, only some constituent elements of the antenna module 60 are shown.

Referring to FIG. 6A , the antenna module 60 may include a top patch 61 and a bottom patch 62 that are parallel to and separated from each other in the Z-axis direction, and may emit electromagnetic waves in the +Z-axis direction. Similar to the antenna module 30 shown in FIG. 3A , the top patch 61 and the bottom patch 62 may comprise conductive materials such as metal, and as shown in FIG. 6A , may have a rectangular shape. Although not shown in FIG. 6A , as shown in FIG. 3B , antenna module 60 may further include a ground plate located below bottom patch 62 , and in some exemplary embodiments, the top patch may be omitted. 61.

The antenna module 60 may include four ports, namely the first port PORT1 to the fourth port PORT4. As shown in FIG. 6A , the first port PORT1 and the second port PORT2 may be separated from each other in the X-axis direction, and the third port PORT3 and the fourth port PORT4 may be separated from each other in the Y-axis direction. In some exemplary embodiments, the first port PORT1 to the fourth port PORT4 may have the same or similar structure as the port structure described with reference to FIG. 3A , respectively.

The bottom patch 62 can receive the first differential signal through the first port PORT1 and the second port PORT2 separated from each other in the X-axis direction, and can receive the first differential signal through the Y-axis direction. The third port PORT3 and the fourth port PORT4 separated from each other receive the second differential signal. The RFIC connected to the antenna module 60 (for example, 200a shown in FIG. 2A ) can generate the first differential signal and the second differential signal, and can provide the first differential signal and the second differential signal to the antenna module 60 . Therefore, as described with reference to FIG. 4, the antenna module 60 can have high power due to the first port PORT1 and the second port PORT2 providing the first differential signal and the third port PORT3 and the fourth port PORT4 providing the second differential signal. efficiency. In addition, the antenna module 60 can provide dual Polarization (dual-polarization).

Referring to FIG. 6B , the bottom patch 62 may have a rectangular shape with a length L1 in the X-axis direction and a length L2 in the Y-axis direction. Four feed lines respectively included in the four ports (ie, the first port PORT1 to the fourth port PORT4) can be connected to the four feed points (ie, the first feed point P1 to the fourth feed point P4) to The lower surface of the bottom patch 62 . That is, the feed line of the first port PORT1 can be connected to the bottom patch 62 at the first feed point P1, the feed line of the second port PORT2 can be connected to the bottom patch 62 at the second feed point P2, and the third port The feed line of PORT3 can be connected to the bottom patch 62 at the third feed point P3, and the feed line of the fourth port PORT4 can be connected to the bottom patch 62 at the fourth feed point P4. Therefore, as indicated by the solid circles shown in FIG. 6B , the first differential signal can be applied to the first feeding point P1 and the second feeding point P2 . Furthermore, as indicated by the open circles in FIG. 6B , the second differential signal may be applied to the third feed point P3 and the fourth feed point P4 .

In some exemplary embodiments, the length of the bottom patch 62 in the X-axis direction The length L1 may be half of the emission wavelength generated by the first differential signal, and the length L2 of the bottom patch 62 in the Y-axis direction may be half the emission wavelength generated by the second differential signal. The positions of the first feed point P1 to the fourth feed point P4 can be determined by impedance matching. In some exemplary embodiments, the first feed point P1 and the second feed point P2 can be set on or close to the first center line LY parallel to the X axis, and intersect the center of the bottom patch 62 . In some exemplary embodiments, the third feeding point P3 and the fourth feeding point P4 can be set on or close to the second centerline LX parallel to the Y axis, and intersect the center of the bottom patch 62 .

FIG. 7 is a graph summarizing the simulation results of the antenna module. In detail, FIG. 7 shows the simulation results of the antenna module 71 fed with two differential signals via four ports and the simulation results of the antenna module 72 fed with a signal via a single port.

Referring to FIG. 7, an antenna module 71 including a first port PORT1, a second port PORT2, a third port PORT3 and a fourth port PORT4 may be called a dual-fed/dual-polarized block The antenna module 71 and the antenna module 72 including only the first port PORT1 can be referred to as a single-fed block antenna module 72 . Referring to the table shown in FIG. 7, the dual feed/dual polarization block antenna module 71 under the same power input (that is, 10dBm) is compared with the single feed block antenna module 72, and the dual feed/dual polarization The block antenna module 71 can have the same area as the single-feed block antenna module 72 (i.e., 8 mm x 8 mm), and moreover, the EIRP and radiated power can be increased by more than 3dB. As a result, simulation results indicate that the dual-feed structure can be applied to dual-polarization applications without power combining losses.

Figure 8 is a diagram of an antenna module according to some example embodiments. In detail, FIG. 8 shows antenna modules 82 and 83 having more favorable characteristics than the antenna module 81 corresponding to the dual-polarized antenna.

Referring to FIG. 8 , the antenna module 81 may include first to fourth patches 81_1 to 81_4 , and each of the first to fourth patches 81_1 to 81_4 may have a single feed/dual polarization structure. For example, in each of the first to fourth patches 81_1 to 81_4, an electric field whose magnitude varies in a direction parallel to the X axis is formed by a signal applied to a feeding point indicated by a solid circle. , and furthermore, an electric field whose magnitude varies in a direction parallel to the Y-axis is formed by a signal applied to a feeding point indicated by an open circle.

As described with reference to FIG. 4 , FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B , antenna modules with dual feed structures can have increased EIRP, and antenna modules 82 and 83 with dual feed structures can be employed according to application constraints. For example, in the case of a communication device with space constraints, the antenna module 82 with a dual feed/dual polarization 1×2 block array structure including two patches 81_1 and 82_2 may be used. Comparing the antenna module 82 with the antenna module 81 at the same power input, the antenna module 82 may have a reduced area while providing a similar EIRP. In addition, in the case of a communication device utilizing high transmission power with limited power resources, an antenna module having a dual-feed/dual-polarization 2-to-2 (2by2) block array structure including four patches 83_1 to 83_4 can be used 83. When comparing the antenna module 83 with the antenna module 81 under the same power input, the antenna module 83 can provide a higher EIRP with the same area. Antenna modules 82 and 83 are examples, and thus it should be understood that antenna modules with different configurations may be used, including in various ways depending on the application. An antenna module with a dual-feed structure of the patch.

9A-9C are antennas according to some example embodiments. In detail, FIG. 9A shows an antenna module 90a having a single-feed 1×2 patch array structure according to a comparative example, and FIG. 9B shows an antenna module having a dual-feed 1×2 patch array structure according to some exemplary embodiments. group 90b, and FIG. 9C shows an antenna module 90c with a dual-feed single-patch structure.

Referring to FIG. 9A , the first patch 91 a and the second patch 92 a included in the antenna module 90 a can each receive a signal from a single power amplifier via a single feeding point. Referring to FIG. 9B , the first patch 91b and the second patch 92b included in the antenna module 90b can each receive differential signals from two power amplifiers via two feeding points. Referring to FIG. 9C , the first patch 91c included in the antenna module 90c can receive differential signals from two power amplifiers through two feeding points. In FIGS. 9A to 9C , assuming that the lengths of the feed lines connected to the patches are equal, the power amplifiers each output 6dBm of power, and each of the patches of the antenna modules 90a, 90b, and 90c provides an antenna gain of 5dBi .

The EIRP of the antenna module 90a can be calculated by Equation 1 below.

[Equation 1] 17dBm=6dBm+10log ₁₀ 2+5dBi+10log ₁₀ 2

In Equation 1, the preceding 10log ₁₀ 2 may correspond to two power amplifiers, and the following 10log ₁₀ 2 may correspond to the first patch 91a and the second patch 92a.

The EIRP of the antenna module 90b can be calculated by Equation 2 below.

[Equation 2] 20dBm=6dBm+10log ₁₀ 4+5dBi+10log ₁₀ 2

In Equation 2, 10log ₁₀ 4 may correspond to four power amplifiers, and 10log ₁₀ 2 may correspond to the first patch 91b and the second patch 92b. Therefore, high EIRP can be achieved by the dual feed structure in the same 1x2 patch array. On the other hand, in the case where the output power of the power amplifier shown in FIG. 9B is reduced to 3dBm to reduce the power consumption of the power amplifier, the EIRP of the antenna module 90b shown in FIG. 9B can be calculated as Equation 3, and thus can be achieved The same EIRP for antenna module 90a shown in FIG. 9A.

[Equation 3] 17dBm=3dBm+10log ₁₀ 4+5dBi+10log ₁₀ 2

The EIRP of the antenna module 90c shown in FIG. 9C can be calculated as Equation 4 below. The EIRP is reduced when compared to the antenna module 90a shown in FIG. 9A. However, an area reduction of approximately 40% can be achieved with a single patch.

[Equation 4] 14dBm=6dBm+10log ₁₀ 2+5dBi

Figure 10 is a block diagram of an antenna 100' and an RFIC 200' according to some example embodiments. In detail, FIG. 10 shows an antenna 100' including a first patch 101 and a second patch 102 having a dual-feed/dual-polarization structure, and an RFIC 200 including a first transceiver 221 to an eighth transceiver 228. '.

The RFIC 200' can be connected to the antenna 100' via eight feed lines 15' corresponding to the eight ports of the antenna 100'. For example, as described above with reference to FIGS. 2A to 2C , the antenna 100' and the antenna module including the feeder line 15' may be disposed on the RFIC 200', and may be on the upper surface of the RFIC 200' and the antenna module Formed on the lower surface of at least one connections. The antenna 100' can receive four differential signals from the RFIC 200' via eight feed lines 15' respectively connected to eight feed points on the first patch 101 and the second patch 102. For this operation, each pair of transceivers included in the RFIC 200' can generate a single differential signal, and thus the first transceiver 221 to the eighth transceiver 228 can generate four differential signals.

The switch/duplexer 220 can connect the output terminal or the input terminal of the first transceiver 221 to the eighth transceiver 228 to the eight feeding lines 15' or disconnect them from the eight feeding lines 15' according to the transmission mode or the reception mode. Connect the output terminal or input terminal described above. For example, in transmission mode, the switch/duplexer 220 can connect the output terminal of the first transceiver 221 to the first feeder line of the eight feeder lines 15', and can disconnect the input of the first transceiver 221 connection between the terminal and the first feeder line. In addition, in the receive mode, the switch/duplexer 220 can connect the input terminal of the first transceiver 221 to the first feed line, and can disconnect the output terminal of the first transceiver 221 from the first feed line. connect. An example of a transceiver included in the RFIC 200' will be explained below with reference to FIG. 11 .

Figure 11 is a block diagram of an RFIC 200'' according to some exemplary embodiments. In detail, Figure 11 shows an example of a transceiver included in the RFIC 200' shown in Figure 10. As described above with reference to Figure 10 , the first transceiver 221' and the third transceiver 223' can output differential signals, and the switch/duplexer 220' can transmit the differential signals to the feed line in the transmission mode. That is, from the first transceiver 221' The first transmission signal TX1 issued and the third transmission signal TX3 issued from the third transceiver 223' can be applied to two separate feeding points on a single patch. In addition, the first transmission signal received by the first transceiver 221' The first received signal RX1 and the third received signal RX3 received by the third transceiver 223' can be received by two separate feed points on a single patch.

Referring to FIG. 11 , the first transceiver 221' may include a power amplifier 221_1, a low noise amplifier 221_3, and phase shifters 221_2 and 221_4. Similar to the first transceiver 221', the third transceiver 223' may include a power amplifier 223_1, a low noise amplifier 223_3, and phase shifters 223_2 and 223_4. In the transmission mode, the power amplifiers 221_1 and 223_1 of the first transceiver 221' and the third transceiver 223' can respectively output the first transmission signal TX1 and the third transmission signal TX3. In the receiving mode, the low noise amplifiers 221_3 and 223_3 of the first transceiver 221' and the third transceiver 223' can respectively receive the first receiving signal RX1 and the third receiving signal RX3.

The phase shifters 221_2 and 221_4 of the first transceiver 221' and the phase shifters 223_2 and 223_4 of the third transceiver 223' can provide a phase difference of 180 degrees. For example, the transmit phase shifter 221_2 of the first transceiver 221' may provide an output signal with a phase difference of zero degrees with respect to the input signal directed to the power amplifier 221_1, and the transmit phase shifter 223_2 of the third transceiver 223' An output signal having a phase difference of 180 degrees with respect to the input signal directed to the power amplifier 223_1, which is the same as the input signal provided to the transmit phase shifter 221_2 of the first transceiver 221', may be provided. Therefore, the first transmission signal TX1 and the third transmission signal TX3 may have a phase difference of 180 degrees, and may correspond to differential signals. In addition, the receiving phase shifter 221_4 of the first transceiver 221' can output a signal having a phase difference of zero degrees with respect to the output signal of the low noise amplifier 221_3, and the receiving phase shifter 223_4 of the third transceiver 223' can output With respect to the output signal of the low noise amplifier 223_3 has a phase of 180 degrees Poor signal.

FIG. 12 is a diagram of an antenna module 100″ according to some exemplary embodiments. As described above with reference to the drawings, the antenna module 100″ may include block antennas 111 respectively connected to a plurality of feed lines supplying differential signals. to 114. Furthermore, to achieve a dual polarized patch antenna, two differential signals may be applied to each of the patch antennas 111 - 114 .

Referring to FIG. 12, in addition to block antennas 111 to 114, the antenna module 100" can also include dipole antennas 121 to 124. In this way, different types of antennas can be added to the block antennas 111 to 114. And expand the coverage of the antenna module 100". The block antennas 111 to 114 and the dipole antennas 121 to 124 shown in FIG. 12 are merely examples, and thus it should be understood that the antennas may be arranged differently from the arrangement of the antennas shown in FIG. 12 .

Figure 13 is a block diagram of a communication device including an antenna according to some example embodiments. In detail, FIG. 13 shows an example of wireless communication between a base station 610 and a user equipment 620 in a wireless communication system 600 . One or both of the base station 610 and the UE 620 may include a multi-feed structure antenna, and may include an RFIC for providing differential signaling.

The base station 610 may be a fixed station that communicates with the UE 620 and/or another base station. For example, the base station 610 may be called a Node B, an evolved Node B (evolved-Node B, eNB), a sector (sector), a station (site), a Base Transceiver System (Base Transceiver System, BTS), an access point (access pint), relay node (relay node), remote radio head (Remote Radio Head, RRH), radio station (Radio Unit, RU), cell (small cell), etc. UE 620 may be fixed or mobile, and may transmit and receive data and/or control information by communicating with base station 610 . For example, the user equipment 620 may be called terminal equipment, mobile station (mobile station, MS), mobile terminal (mobile terminal, MT), user terminal (user terminal, UT), subscriber station (subscriber station, SS) ), wireless devices, handheld devices, etc.

As shown in FIG. 13 , the base station 610 and the UE 620 may each include multiple antennas, and may perform wireless communication via MIMO 630 . According to some exemplary embodiments, each of the antennas may have a multi-feed structure and/or a dual-polarization structure. Differential signals can be provided to the antennas via the RFIC, and the corresponding antennas of the base station 610 and/or UE 620 can be configured according to application-specific constraints. For example, EIRP can be increased by tripling the radio frequency path, and thus the area (or form factor) of the antenna can be reduced to half. Furthermore, the improved EIRP enables a wide beam, reduces DC power dissipation in half, and reduces the complexity of phase resolution. Furthermore, since an increased number of radio frequency paths of the RFIC can be used, a mmWave antenna module can be easily implemented with reduced transmission power. Furthermore, according to some exemplary embodiments, a dual polarized patch antenna can be easily achieved by applying two pairs of differential feeding structures to a single patch antenna.

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a communication device including an antenna according to some example embodiments. In detail, FIG. 14 shows an example of mutual communication of various wireless communication devices in a wireless communication system using a wireless local area network. The various wireless communication devices shown in FIG. 14 may respectively include multi-feed antennas, and may include providing differential signals to RFIC for up to feed antennas.

Household gadgets 721 , household appliances 722 , entertainment devices 723 and access points (Access Point, AP) 710 may constitute an Internet of Things (IoT). The household gadget 721 , the household appliance 722 , the entertainment device 723 and the access point 710 each may include as part thereof a transceiver according to some example embodiments. The household gadget 721 , the household appliance 722 and the entertainment device 723 can communicate with each other wirelessly via the access point 710 .

As mentioned above, some exemplary embodiments have been disclosed in the drawings and specification. In this specification, some exemplary embodiments have been described using some specific terms, but the terms used are only for the purpose of clarifying the technical scope of the concept of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the meaning of the technical scope described in the scope of claims . Accordingly, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes in form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventive concept as defined by the appended claims. Therefore, the scope of the inventive concept is defined not by the detailed description of the inventive concept but by the appended claims.

10‧‧‧Communication equipment

15‧‧‧Feeding line

100‧‧‧antenna

200‧‧‧Radio Frequency Integrated Circuit (RFIC)

300‧‧‧Signal Processor

RX‧‧‧receive signal

TX‧‧‧transmission signal

Claims (20)

A radio frequency (RF) device comprising: a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) die; and an antenna module located on an upper surface of the radio frequency integrated circuit die, the antenna module comprising: a first patch , parallel to the radio frequency integrated circuit chip and having an upper surface configured to emit radiation from the radio frequency integrated circuit chip in a vertical direction opposite to the first patch, a ground plate , parallel to the first patch and located between the first patch and the radio frequency integrated circuit die; and a first plurality of feed lines connected to the lower surface of the first patch and configured to supply a plurality of first set of differential signals from the radio frequency integrated circuit chip to the first patch, each of the plurality of first set of differential signals comprising two signals of opposite phases, Wherein the first plurality of feed lines include: a first feed line and a second feed line, respectively connected to a first feed point and a second feed point on the lower surface of the first patch and configured to supplying one of the plurality of first differential signals to the first patch; and a third feed line and a fourth feed line respectively connected to the lower surface of the first patch A third feed point and a fourth feed point configured to supply the other of the plurality of first differential signals to the first patch block, the first feed point, the second feed point , the third feed point and the fourth feed point are provided on the lower surface of the first patch for dual polarization. The radio frequency device according to claim 1, wherein the first feeding point is separated from the second feeding point in a first horizontal direction. The radio frequency device according to claim 2 of the patent application, wherein the first feeding point and the second feeding point are close to the first intersection point which intersects the center of the first patch in the first horizontal direction. center line. The radio frequency device according to claim 2, wherein the first feed point and the second feed point are equally close to the center of the first patch. The radio frequency device according to claim 2, wherein the first feeder line includes a first portion extending in the first horizontal direction and a second portion extending in the vertical direction, and the The second feed line includes a first portion extending in the first horizontal direction and a second portion extending in the vertical direction. The radio frequency device according to claim 2, wherein each of the upper surface of the first patch and the lower surface of the first patch has a rectangular shape, the rectangle The shape includes a pair of sides parallel to the first horizontal direction. The radio frequency device described in item 2 of the scope of the patent application, wherein The third feed point is spaced apart from the fourth feed point in a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction. The radio frequency device according to claim 7, wherein the third feeding point and the fourth feeding point are close to the second intersection with the center of the first patch in the second horizontal direction. center line. The radio frequency device according to claim 7, wherein the third feed point and the fourth feed point are equally close to the center of the first patch. The radio frequency device according to claim 7, wherein the third feed line includes a first portion extending in the second horizontal direction and a second portion extending in the vertical direction, and the The fourth feed line includes a first portion extending in the second horizontal direction and a second portion extending in the vertical direction. The radio frequency device as described in item 7 of the scope of the patent application, wherein the antenna module further includes: a second patch separated from the first patch in the first horizontal direction; and a second patch A plurality of feed lines connected to the lower surface of the second patch and configured to supply at least one second differential signal from the radio frequency integrated circuit chip to the second patch. The radio frequency device as described in item 11 of the patent application, wherein the antenna module further includes: a third patch spaced apart from the first patch in the second horizontal direction; a fourth patch spaced apart from the second patch in the second horizontal direction; a third patch a plurality of feed lines respectively connected to the lower surfaces of the third patch and the fourth patch and configured to feed from the radio frequency integrated circuit chip to the third patch and the fourth patch The block supplies at least a third differential signal. The radio frequency device as described in item 1 of the patent scope, wherein the antenna module further includes a top patch, and the top patch is parallel to the first patch above the upper surface of the first patch Patch. The radio frequency device according to claim 1, wherein the radio frequency integrated circuit chip includes: at least one phase shifter configured to generate the plurality of first differential signals. The radio frequency device according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the first patch is further configured to receive radiation via the first plurality of feed lines and provide corresponding signals to the A radio frequency integrated circuit chip, and the radio frequency integrated circuit chip includes at least one phase shifter configured to process the signals received via the first plurality of feed lines. An antenna module, comprising: a ground plate; a first patch, parallel to the ground plate and having an upper surface, the upper surface is configured to pass from the ground in a vertical direction opposite to the first patch; floor radiation and a first plurality of feed lines respectively connected to a first plurality of feed points on the lower surface of the first patch and configured to supply a plurality of first differential signals to the first patch , each of the plurality of first differential signals includes two signals of opposite phases, wherein the first plurality of feed points includes: first feed points separated from each other in a first horizontal direction and a second feed point for the first polarization; and a third feed point and a fourth feed point spaced apart from each other in a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction for the second polarization polarization. The antenna module as described in item 16 of the scope of the patent application, wherein the first feeding point and the second feeding point are close to the first intersection of the center of the first patch in the first horizontal direction. centerline, and the third feed point and the fourth feed point are close to a second centerline intersecting the center of the first patch in the second horizontal direction. The antenna module described in claim 16 of the scope of the patent application, wherein the first feed point and the second feed point are equally close to the center of the first patch, and the third feed point is close to the center of the first patch A fourth feed point is equally close to the center of the first patch. The antenna module described in item 16 of the scope of the patent application further includes: a second patch separated from the first patch in the first horizontal direction; and a second plurality of feed lines respectively connected to a second plurality of feed points on the lower surface of the second patch. The antenna module described in item 19 of the scope of the patent application further includes: a third patch separated from the first patch in the second horizontal direction; a fourth patch separated from the first patch in the second horizontal direction two horizontally separated from the second patch; and a third plurality of feed lines connected to a third plurality of feed points on the lower surfaces of the third patch and the fourth patch, respectively .