Devices and methods related to packaging of radio-frequency devices on ceramic substrates

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9564937-B2
Application number	US-201414528447-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2014
Priority date	Nov 5, 2013
Publication date	Feb 7, 2017
Grant date	Feb 7, 2017

Abstract

Devices and methods related to packaging of radio-frequency (RF) devices on ceramic substrates. In some embodiments, a packaged electronic device can include a ceramic substrate configured to receive one or more components. The ceramic substrate can include a conductive layer in electrical contact with a ground plane. The packaged electronic device can further include a die having an integrated circuit and mounted on a surface of the ceramic substrate. The packaged electronic device can further include a conformal conductive coating implemented over the die to provide shielding functionality. The packaged electronic device can further include an electrical connection between the conformal conductive coating and the conductive layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A packaged electronic device comprising:
a ceramic substrate configured to receive one or more components, the ceramic substrate including a conductive layer in electrical contact with a ground plane;
a die having an integrated circuit, the die mounted on a surface of the ceramic substrate;
a conformal conductive coating implemented over the die and on the surface of the ceramic substrate extending to side edges of the ceramic substrate to provide shielding functionality; and
an electrical connection between the conformal conductive coating and the conductive layer.

2. The packaged electronic device of claim 1 wherein the conformal conductive coating is implemented substantially directly on the die.

3. The packaged electronic device of claim 2 wherein the die is configured as a flip-chip device.

4. The packaged electronic device of claim 3 further comprising an underfill implemented between the flip-chip device and the ceramic substrate.

5. The packaged electronic device of claim 4 wherein the underfill includes an edge profile configured to provide an angled transition between side walls of the flip-chip device and the surface of the ceramic substrate.

6. The packaged electronic device of claim 5 wherein the angled transition profile of the underfill is configured to facilitate improved coverage of the conformal conductive coating between the flip-chip device and the ceramic substrate.

7. The packaged electronic device of claim 2 wherein the integrated circuit includes a radio-frequency (RF) switching circuit.

8. The packaged electronic device of claim 7 wherein the die is a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) die.

9. The packaged electronic device of claim 1 wherein the conductive layer includes an edge along a corresponding side edge of the ceramic substrate such that the edge of the conductive layer is in electrical contact with the conformal conductive coating.

10. The packaged electronic device of claim 9 wherein the conductive layer includes a conductive strip along the corresponding side edge of the ceramic substrate.

11. The packaged electronic device of claim 10 wherein the conductive strip includes an edge exposed sufficiently on the corresponding side edge of the ceramic substrate to facilitate the electrical contact between the conductive strip and the conformal conductive coating.

12. The packaged electronic device of claim 11 wherein the conductive layer includes a plurality of the conductive strips arranged such that each edge of the ceramic substrate includes the corresponding exposed edge of the conductive strip in electrical contact with the conformal conductive coating.

13. The packaged electronic device of claim 1 wherein the conformal conductive coating includes a metallic paint layer or a conductive layer formed by deposition.

14. The packaged electronic device of claim 1 wherein the ceramic substrate includes a low-temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) substrate.

15. The packaged electronic device of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of contact pads implemented on an underside of the ceramic substrate, the contact pads configured to allow mounting of the packaged electronic device on a circuit board.

16. The packaged electronic device of claim 2 wherein the conformal conductive coating directly on the die results in the packaged electronic device being a low-profile shielded device.

17. The packaged electronic device of claim 1 further comprising an overmold implemented over the die such that the conformal coating is implemented on a surface of the overmold.

18. The packaged electronic device of claim 17 wherein the overmold is dimensioned such that its side walls generally align with corresponding side walls of the ceramic substrate.

19. An RF module configured to process an RF signal, the RF module including:
a ceramic substrate configured to receive one or more components, the ceramic substrate including a conductive layer in electrical contact with a ground plane;
a die having an integrated circuit, the die mounted on a surface of the ceramic substrate;
a conformal conductive coating implemented over the die and on the surface of the ceramic substrate extending to side edges of the ceramic substrate to provide shielding functionality; and
an electrical connection between the conformal conductive coating and the conductive layer.

20. The RF module of claim 19 wherein the conductive layer includes an edge along a corresponding side edge of the ceramic substrate such that the edge of the conductive layer is in electrical contact with the conformal conductive coating.

Assignees

• Skyworks Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Lobianco Anthony James
• Chen Howard E
• Whitefield David Scott

Classifications

• H10W42/276

  the arrangements being on an external surface of the package, e.g. on the outer surface of an encapsulation · CPC title

• H10W74/15

  on active surfaces of flip-chip devices, e.g. underfills · CPC title

• H10W90/724

  between a chip and a stacked insulating package substrate, interposer or RDL · CPC title

• H10W90/734

  between a chip and a stacked insulating package substrate, interposer or RDL · CPC title

• H10P72/0478

  the substrates being processed being not semiconductor wafers, e.g. leadframes or chips · CPC title