Transition between a plastic waveguide and a semiconductor chip, where the semiconductor chip is embedded and encapsulated within a mold compound

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9583811-B2
Application number	US-201414453746-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 7, 2014
Priority date	Aug 7, 2014
Publication date	Feb 28, 2017
Grant date	Feb 28, 2017

Abstract

A microwave device includes a semiconductor package comprising a microwave semiconductor chip and a waveguide part associated with the semiconductor package. The waveguide part is configured to transfer a microwave waveguide signal. It includes one or more pieces. The microwave device further includes a transformer element configured to transform a microwave signal from the microwave semiconductor chip into the microwave waveguide signal or to transform the microwave waveguide signal into a microwave signal for the microwave semiconductor chip.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A microwave device, comprising:
a semiconductor package comprising a microwave semiconductor chip;
one or more plastic pieces connected to the semiconductor package, the one or more plastic pieces forming a waveguide part configured to transfer a microwave waveguide signal; and
a transformer element configured to transform a microwave signal from the microwave semiconductor chip into the microwave waveguide signal for the waveguide part or to transform the microwave waveguide signal from the waveguide part into a microwave signal for the microwave semiconductor chip,
wherein the semiconductor package is an embedded wafer level package, and wherein the microwave semiconductor chip is embedded as an insert in a mold compound or laminate forming an encapsulant of the semiconductor package.

2. The microwave device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more plastic pieces are 3D printed plastic parts.

3. The microwave device of claim 1 , wherein the waveguide part comprises a microwave component selected from the group consisting of a filter, an antenna, a resonator, a power combiner, and a power divider.

4. The microwave device of claim 1 , wherein the waveguide part comprises a wall metallization or is electrically conductive.

5. The microwave device of claim 1 , wherein the transformer element is embedded as a further insert in the mold compound or laminate forming the encapsulant of the semiconductor package.

6. The microwave device of claim 1 , wherein the waveguide part further comprises a third waveguide.

7. The microwave device of claim 6 , wherein the microwave device comprises at least the semiconductor package comprising the microwave semiconductor chip and a second semiconductor package comprising a second microwave semiconductor chip, wherein a first waveguide is associated with the semiconductor package, a second waveguide is associated with the second semiconductor package, and the third waveguide provides for an inter semiconductor package waveguide connection.

8. The microwave device of claim 1 , wherein a shape of the semiconductor package fits into a complementary-shaped recess of a surface of the waveguide part.

9. The microwave device of claim 1 , wherein the transformer element is an antenna.

10. The microwave device of claim 9 , wherein the antenna is an on-chip antenna or an off-chip antenna.

11. The microwave device of claim 1
wherein the transformer element comprises at least one electrically conducting wall structure and is at least partly embedded in the encapsulant.

12. The microwave device of claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor package further comprises:
an electrical interconnect comprising a microwave transmission line and configured to electrically couple the semiconductor chip to the transformer element.

13. The microwave device of claim 12 , wherein the electrical interconnect is formed by an electrical redistribution layer of the semiconductor package, wherein the electrical redistribution layer extends over a common planar bottom surface of the semiconductor package, and wherein the common planar bottom surface comprises a bottom surface of the microwave semiconductor chip and a bottom surface of the encapsulant.

14. A microwave device, comprising:
a semiconductor package comprising a microwave semiconductor chip;
a 3D printed plastic waveguide part connected to the semiconductor package and configured to transfer a microwave waveguide signal; and
a transformer element configured to transform a microwave signal from the microwave semiconductor chip into the microwave waveguide signal for the waveguide part or to transform the microwave waveguide signal from the waveguide part into a microwave signal for the microwave semiconductor chip,
wherein the semiconductor package is an embedded wafer level package, and wherein the microwave semiconductor chip is embedded as an insert in a mold compound or laminate forming an encapsulant of the semiconductor package.

15. The microwave device of claim 14 , wherein the 3D printed plastic waveguide part comprises a passive microwave component shaped by 3D printing.

16. The microwave device of claim 15 , wherein the passive microwave component is selected from the group consisting of a filter, an antenna, a resonator, a power combiner, and a power divider.

17. The microwave device of claim 14 , wherein the transformer element is embedded as a further insert in the mold compound or laminate forming the encapsulant of the semiconductor package.

18. The microwave device of claim 14 , wherein a shape of the semiconductor package fits into a complementary-shaped recess of a surface of the waveguide part.

19. A method of manufacturing a microwave device, comprising:
packaging a microwave semiconductor chip to form a semiconductor package;
forming a waveguide part by 3D printing; and
assembling the waveguide part to the semiconductor package to transfer a microwave waveguide signal from or to the semiconductor package.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein packaging the microwave semiconductor chip comprises:
placing a plurality of microwave semiconductor chips on a temporary carrier;
covering the plurality of microwave semiconductor chips with an encapsulation material to form an encapsulation body; and
separating the encapsulation body into single semiconductor packages each comprising a microwave semiconductor chip.

21. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
depositing a metal layer on a wall of the waveguide part.

22. A microwave device, comprising:
a semiconductor package comprising a microwave semiconductor chip;
one or more plastic pieces connected to the semiconductor package, the one or more plastic pieces forming a waveguide part configured to transfer a microwave waveguide signal; and
a transformer element configured to transform a microwave signal from the microwave semiconductor chip into the microwave waveguide signal for the waveguide part or to transform the microwave waveguide signal from the waveguide part into a microwave signal for the microwave semiconductor chip,
wherein the waveguide part comprises at least a first waveguide and a second waveguide.

Assignees

• Infineon Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Seler Ernst
• Wojnowski Maciej
• Hartner Walter
• Boeck Josef

Classifications

• H01P11/003

  Manufacturing lines with conductors on a substrate, e.g. strip lines, slot lines · CPC title

• H01P11/002 Primary

  Manufacturing hollow waveguides · CPC title

• H01P5/107 Primary

  Hollow-waveguide/strip-line transitions · CPC title

• H01P1/042

  Hollow waveguide joints · CPC title

• H10W74/142

  the encapsulations exposing the passive side of the semiconductor body · CPC title