Semiconductor device with embedded flexible circuit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11916007-B2
Application number	US-201916661864-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 23, 2019
Priority date	Oct 23, 2019
Publication date	Feb 27, 2024
Grant date	Feb 27, 2024

Abstract

A semiconductor device includes a substrate comprising an antenna and a conductive feature; an integrated circuit (IC) die attached to the substrate and comprising a radio frequency (RF) circuit; and a flexible circuit integrated with the substrate, where the flexible circuit is electrically coupled to the IC die and the substrate, a first portion of the flexible circuit being disposed between opposing sidewalls of the substrate, a second portion of the flexible circuit extending beyond the opposing sidewalls of the substrate, the second portion of the flexible circuit comprising an electrical connector at a distal end.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A semiconductor device comprising:
a substrate comprising an antenna and a conductive feature;
an integrated circuit (IC) die attached to the substrate and comprising a radio frequency (RF) circuit; and
a flexible circuit integrated with the substrate, wherein the flexible circuit is configured to be bendable at an angle of ninety degrees, wherein the substrate comprises a topmost metal layer contacting and extending along a topmost surface of the substrate distal from the IC die, wherein the topmost metal layer comprises the antenna, wherein the topmost metal layer is disposed between the flexible circuit and the IC die, wherein the IC die is disposed outside of the flexible circuit and outside of the substrate, wherein the flexible circuit is electrically coupled to the IC die and the substrate, a first portion of the flexible circuit being disposed between opposing sidewalls of the substrate, a second portion of the flexible circuit extending beyond the opposing sidewalls of the substrate, the second portion of the flexible circuit comprising an electrical connector at a distal end, wherein the first portion of the flexible circuit has an opening, wherein the antenna of the substrate is exposed by the opening.

2. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible circuit comprises a dielectric material and conductive layers disposed in the dielectric material, wherein a first outermost surface of the dielectric material in the first portion of the flexible circuit extends parallel to a first side of the substrate and physically contacts the substrate.

3. The semiconductor device of claim 2 , wherein the electrical connector comprises a plurality of pins or a plurality of conductive pads, and is configured for electrical connection with another electrical component separated from the semiconductor device.

4. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the IC die has an RF terminal configured to transmit or receive an RF signal, wherein the conductive feature of the substrate is electrically coupled to the RF terminal of the IC die.

5. The semiconductor device of claim 4 , wherein the substrate further comprising a ground plane between the antenna and the conductive feature, wherein the ground plane has an opening that is disposed between the antenna and the conductive feature, wherein the antenna is configured to be electromagnetically coupled to the conductive feature of the substrate.

6. The semiconductor device of claim 4 , wherein the substrate has an outermost dielectric layer at a bottommost surface of the substrate facing the IC die, wherein the RF terminal of the IC die extends to the outermost dielectric layer to be electrically coupled to the conductive feature of the substrate.

7. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , further comprising a first solder resist layer at a first side of the substrate and a second solder resist layer at a second side of the substrate opposing the first side, wherein the first portion of the flexible circuit is disposed between the first solder resist layer and the second solder resist layer.

8. A semiconductor device comprising:
an integrated circuit (IC) comprising a radio frequency (RF) circuit and an RF terminal configured to transmit or receive RF signals;
a substrate comprising an antenna proximate to a first side of the substrate facing away from the IC and comprising a conductive feature proximate to a second side of the substrate facing the IC, wherein the IC is attached to the second side of the substrate, and the RF terminal of the IC is electrically coupled to the conductive feature of the substrate, wherein there is no direct electrical connection between the RF terminal of the IC and the antenna, and the antenna is configured to be electromagnetically coupled to the RF terminal of the IC to transmit or receive the RF signals; and
a flexible circuit attached to the substrate, wherein the flexible circuit is configured to be bendable at an angle of ninety degrees, wherein the flexible circuit is electrically coupled to the IC and the substrate, wherein a first segment of the flexible circuit is disposed within lateral extents of the substrate, and a second segment of the flexible circuit is disposed outside the lateral extents of the substrate, the second segment of the flexible circuit comprising an electrical connector, wherein the antenna is disposed between the flexible circuit and the IC, wherein the first segment of the flexible circuit has an opening, wherein the antenna is exposed by the opening.

9. The semiconductor device of claim 8 , wherein the conductive feature of the substrate is disposed between the first segment of the flexible circuit and the IC.

10. The semiconductor device of claim 8 , wherein the flexible circuit comprises a dielectric material and conductive layers disposed between a first outermost surface of the dielectric material and an opposing second outermost surface of the dielectric material, wherein the first outermost surface of the dielectric material of the flexible circuit physically contacts the substrate.

11. The semiconductor device of claim 8 , wherein the substrate comprises an outermost dielectric layer at the second side of the substrate, wherein the RF terminal of the IC extends to the outermost dielectric layer to be electrically coupled to the conductive feature of the substrate.

12. A method of forming an electrical device, the method comprising:
attaching a first portion of a flexible circuit to a first substrate, wherein the first substrate comprises an antenna in a first metal layer of the first substrate, wherein the first portion of the flexible circuit has an opening, wherein after the attaching, the antenna is exposed by the opening, wherein a second portion of the flexible circuit extends beyond lateral extents of the first substrate after the attaching, the second portion of the flexible circuit having an electrical connector at a distal end; and
after the attaching, bonding conductive pillars of a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) to conductive features of the first substrate disposed at a first surface of the first substrate, wherein after the bonding, the RFIC is electrically coupled to the first substrate and the flexible circuit, wherein the bonding comprises:
forming openings in the first substrate to expose the conductive features of the first substrate; and
bonding the conductive pillars of the RFIC with the conductive features of the first substrate.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the attaching comprises attaching the first portion of the flexible circuit to a second surface of the first substrate opposing the first surface, wherein the conductive features of the first substrate are between the flexible circuit and the RFIC after the bonding.

Assignees

• Infineon Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Baheti Ashutosh
• Cho Eung San
• Trotta Saverio

Classifications

• H10W44/248

  for antennas · CPC title

• H10W72/072

  of bump connectors · CPC title

• H10W70/095

  of vias therein · CPC title

• H10W44/20 Primary

  at high-frequency [HF] or radio frequency [RF] · CPC title

• H10W72/241

  Dispositions, e.g. layouts · CPC title