U.S. patent application number 12/720237 was filed with the patent office on 2010-09-16 for semiconductor device, transmission system, method for manufacturing semiconductor device, and method for manufacturing transmission system.
This patent application is currently assigned to SONY CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Hirofumi Kawamura.
Application Number | 20100231320 12/720237 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42224284 |
Filed Date | 2010-09-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100231320 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kawamura; Hirofumi |
September 16, 2010 |
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE, TRANSMISSION SYSTEM, METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE, AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING TRANSMISSION
SYSTEM
Abstract
Disclosed herein is a semiconductor device including: a
semiconductor circuit element configured to process an electrical
signal having a predetermined frequency; and a transmission line
configured to be connected to the semiconductor circuit element via
a wire and transmit the electrical signal. An impedance matching
pattern having a symmetric shape with respect to a direction of the
transmission line is provided in the transmission line.
Inventors: |
Kawamura; Hirofumi; (Chiba,
JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SONNENSCHEIN NATH & ROSENTHAL LLP
P.O. BOX 061080, WACKER DRIVE STATION, WILLIS TOWER
CHICAGO
IL
60606-1080
US
|
Assignee: |
SONY CORPORATION
Tokyo
JP
|
Family ID: |
42224284 |
Appl. No.: |
12/720237 |
Filed: |
March 9, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
333/33 ;
257/E21.505; 257/E21.511; 438/107; 438/125 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01L 24/06 20130101;
H01L 2224/48091 20130101; H01L 2924/01004 20130101; H05K 1/0243
20130101; H05K 2201/10166 20130101; H01L 2224/05647 20130101; H01L
23/66 20130101; H01L 2924/01047 20130101; H01L 2924/00014 20130101;
H01L 2224/49175 20130101; H01L 2224/48091 20130101; H01L 2924/01006
20130101; H01L 2223/6611 20130101; H01L 2924/19039 20130101; H01L
2224/73265 20130101; H01L 2924/30111 20130101; H01L 2924/01082
20130101; H01P 5/08 20130101; H01L 2223/6633 20130101; H01L
2223/6677 20130101; H01L 2924/01013 20130101; H01L 2924/00014
20130101; H01L 2224/32225 20130101; H01L 2924/181 20130101; H01L
2224/05624 20130101; H01L 2224/48227 20130101; H05K 2203/049
20130101; H01L 2924/30111 20130101; H01L 2224/49171 20130101; H01L
2924/00014 20130101; H05K 1/025 20130101; H01L 2224/48227 20130101;
H01L 2924/00012 20130101; H01L 2924/01005 20130101; H01L 2224/49175
20130101; H01L 24/49 20130101; H01L 2224/49171 20130101; H01L
2224/05554 20130101; H01P 1/047 20130101; H01L 2224/48227 20130101;
H01L 2924/00014 20130101; H01L 2924/00014 20130101; H01L 2924/00012
20130101; H01L 2224/05599 20130101; H01L 2924/00 20130101; H01L
2924/00 20130101; H01L 2224/32225 20130101; H01L 2924/00 20130101;
H01L 2224/48227 20130101; H01L 2924/00014 20130101; H01L 2224/45099
20130101; H01L 2924/00 20130101; H01L 2223/6627 20130101; H01L
2224/05624 20130101; H01L 2224/73265 20130101; H01L 2924/3011
20130101; H01L 24/48 20130101; H01Q 21/0075 20130101; H01L
2924/01033 20130101; H01L 2924/19032 20130101; H01L 2924/181
20130101; H01L 2224/05647 20130101; H01L 2924/01029 20130101; H05K
1/0219 20130101; H05K 2201/09727 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
333/33 ; 438/125;
438/107; 257/E21.511; 257/E21.505 |
International
Class: |
H03H 7/38 20060101
H03H007/38; H01L 21/58 20060101 H01L021/58; H01L 21/60 20060101
H01L021/60 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 16, 2009 |
JP |
2009-063564 |
Claims
1. A semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor circuit
element configured to process an electrical signal having a
predetermined frequency; and a transmission line configured to be
connected to the semiconductor circuit element via a wire and
transmit the electrical signal, wherein an impedance matching
pattern having a symmetric shape with respect to a direction of the
transmission line is provided in the transmission line.
2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the
transmission line is provided on the semiconductor circuit
element.
3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the
impedance matching pattern has a circular shape symmetric with
respect to the direction of the transmission line.
4. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein a
resonant frequency of the impedance matching pattern is shifted
depending on distance between one end of the transmission line and
the impedance matching pattern, and the electrical signal having a
desired frequency is transmitted.
5. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the
semiconductor circuit element is covered by an insulating
protective member having a predetermined dielectric constant, and a
resonant frequency of the impedance matching pattern is shifted
depending on the dielectric constant of the protective member, and
the electrical signal having a desired frequency is
transmitted.
6. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the
predetermined frequency is in a millimeter-wave band.
7. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein a
plurality of grounding electrodes are provided for the transmission
line, and the plurality of grounding electrodes are provided
symmetrically with respect to the direction of the transmission
line.
8. A transmission system comprising: a first semiconductor device
configured to include a first semiconductor circuit element that
processes an electrical signal having a predetermined frequency, a
first transmission line that is connected to the first
semiconductor circuit element via a wire and transmits the
electrical signal, and a first antenna part that converts the
electrical signal transmitted from the first transmission line to
an electromagnetic wave signal and sends the electromagnetic wave
signal; and a second semiconductor device configured to include a
second antenna part that receives the electromagnetic wave signal
sent from the first antenna part and converts the electromagnetic
wave signal to an electrical signal having the predetermined
frequency, a second transmission line that transmits the electrical
signal arising from conversion by the second antenna part, and a
second semiconductor circuit element that is connected to the
second transmission line via a wire and processes the electrical
signal transmitted by the second transmission line, wherein
impedance matching patterns having symmetric shapes with respect to
directions of the first and second transmission lines are provided
in the first and second transmission lines.
9. The transmission system according to claim 8, further comprising
a dielectric transmission path configured to be provided between
the first semiconductor device and the second semiconductor device
and have a predetermined dielectric constant, the dielectric
transmission path transmitting the electrical signal from the first
semiconductor device to the second semiconductor device.
10. The transmission system according to claim 9, wherein a
viscoelastic member having a predetermined dielectric constant is
provided between the first and second semiconductor devices and the
dielectric transmission path.
11. The transmission system according to claim 9, wherein at least
one dielectric material among an acrylic resin-based material, a
urethane resin-based material, an epoxy resin-based material, a
silicone-based material, and a polyimide-based material is
used.
12. The transmission system according to claim 8, wherein the
predetermined frequency is in a millimeter-wave band.
13. The transmission system according to claim 8, wherein a
plurality of grounding electrodes are provided for the transmission
line, and the plurality of grounding electrodes are provided
symmetrically with respect to the direction of the transmission
line.
14. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, the method
comprising the steps of: forming a semiconductor circuit element
that processes an electrical signal having a predetermined
frequency; forming, on a substrate, a transmission line that
transmits the electrical signal and an impedance matching pattern
having a symmetric shape with respect to a direction of the
transmission line; setting the semiconductor circuit element on the
substrate; and connecting the transmission line to the
semiconductor circuit element via a wire.
15. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according
to claim 14, further comprising the step of forming an insulating
protective member having a predetermined dielectric constant on the
substrate.
16. A method for manufacturing a transmission system, the method
comprising the steps of: fabricating a first semiconductor device;
fabricating a second semiconductor device; and connecting the first
semiconductor device to the second semiconductor device, wherein
the step of fabricating a first semiconductor device includes the
sub-steps of forming a first semiconductor circuit element that
processes an electrical signal having a predetermined frequency,
forming, on a first substrate, a first transmission line that
transmits the electrical signal and an impedance matching pattern
having a symmetric shape with respect to a direction of the first
transmission line, setting the first semiconductor circuit element
on the first substrate, and connecting the first transmission line
to the first semiconductor circuit element via a wire, and the step
of fabricating a second semiconductor device includes the sub-steps
of forming a second semiconductor circuit element that processes an
electrical signal having a predetermined frequency, forming, on a
second substrate, a second transmission line that transmits the
electrical signal and an impedance matching pattern having a
symmetric shape with respect to a direction of the second
transmission line, setting the second semiconductor circuit element
on the second substrate, and connecting the second transmission
line to the second semiconductor circuit element via a wire.
17. The method for manufacturing a transmission system according to
claim 16, further comprising the step of forming, between the first
semiconductor device and the second semiconductor device, a
dielectric transmission path that has a predetermined dielectric
constant and transmits the electrical signal from the first
semiconductor device to the second semiconductor device.
18. The method for manufacturing a transmission system according to
claim 17, further comprising the step of forming a viscoelastic
member having a predetermined dielectric constant between the first
and second semiconductor devices and the dielectric transmission
path.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a semiconductor device, a
transmission system, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor
device, and a method for manufacturing a transmission system that
allow high-speed data transmission by use of an electrical signal
having a millimeter-wave frequency.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] In recent years, demands for high-speed data transmission
for transmitting large-volume data such as moving image data at
high speed are increasing. For such high-speed data transmission,
there is a method of using an electrical signal having a
millimeter-wave frequency as one of high-frequency signals.
[0005] For example, an oscillating circuit in which a resonant
electrode is formed in a resonator is disclosed in PCT Patent
Publication No. WO2006/33204 (FIG. 1 and FIG. 8, hereinafter Patent
Document 1). In this oscillating circuit, the resonant electrode is
formed in the resonator and the resonator and a transmission line
provided on a circuit board are connected to each other by a
bonding wire. By this resonator, a resonant frequency in the range
of 22 GHz to 26 GHz can be achieved.
[0006] FIG. 23 is a perspective view showing a configuration
example of a semiconductor device 100 of a related art. FIG. 24 is
a plan view showing a configuration example of a major part of the
semiconductor device 100, and FIG. 25 is a front view thereof. As
shown in FIGS. 23 to 25, the semiconductor device 100 includes a
circuit board 10 serving as a semiconductor circuit element that
processes an electrical signal having a millimeter-wave frequency,
and an interposer substrate (hereinafter, referred to as the
substrate 17) having a transmission line 14 that transmits the
electrical signal processed by the circuit board 10.
[0007] The circuit board 10 has a terminal unit 11 composed of a
signal transmission terminal 11a and grounding terminals 11b. The
substrate 17 has a terminal unit 13 composed of a signal
transmission terminal 13a and grounding terminals 13b. The signal
transmission terminal 11a is connected to the signal transmission
terminal 13a via a wire 12a included in a wire unit 12. The
grounding terminals 11b are connected to the grounding terminals
13b via wires 12b included in the wire unit 12.
[0008] The substrate 17 has a first dielectric layer (hereinafter,
referred to as the dielectric layer 17a), a grounding layer 17b,
and a second dielectric layer (hereinafter, referred to as the
dielectric layer 17c). The grounding layer 17b is formed of copper
or aluminum and has a function for grounding. Vias 19 having
electrical conductivity are provided in the dielectric layer 17a at
the positions on which the grounding terminals 13b are provided.
The semiconductor device 100 is grounded by electrical connection
between the grounding terminals 13b and the grounding layer 17b
through the vias 19. The dielectric layer 17a has a predetermined
dielectric constant. The dielectric layer 17a, the transmission
line 14, and the grounding layer 17b form a micro-strip line. The
dielectric layer 17c has a function to support the dielectric layer
17a and the grounding layer 17b.
[0009] The transmission line 14 is connected to the signal
transmission terminal 13a, and this transmission line 14 transmits
a millimeter-wave electrical signal in a predetermined direction
(in FIGS. 24 and 25, in the right direction). An antenna part 16 is
connected to the transmission line 14, and the antenna part 16
converts the millimeter-wave electrical signal to an
electromagnetic wave signal. The semiconductor device 100 is sealed
by a sealing resin 18 in such a way that an upper part of the
substrate 17 is covered.
[0010] The millimeter-wave electrical signal resulting from signal
processing by the circuit board 10 is transmitted by the
transmission line 14 on the substrate 17 via the wire 12a. The
transmitted millimeter-wave electrical signal is changed to the
electromagnetic wave signal by the antenna part 16, and the
electromagnetic wave signal passes through the sealing resin 18 to
be output to the external.
[0011] A simulation result relating to the millimeter-wave signal
transmission by the semiconductor device 100 will be described
below. FIG. 26 is a graph showing a characteristic example of the
semiconductor device 100, obtained by the simulation. As shown in
FIG. 26, this simulation result is represented by plotting the
frequency (GHz) of the millimeter-wave electrical signal on the
abscissa and plotting the S-parameter magnitude (dB) on the
ordinate, and is obtained by calculation with use of the
semiconductor device 100 shown in FIGS. 23 to 25 based on
parameters shown in Table 1. The S-parameter magnitudes refer to
the parameter magnitudes representing the transfer and reflection
of the millimeter-wave electrical signal. The full lines in FIG. 26
indicate transfer characteristics S12 and S21, and the dashed lines
indicate reflection characteristics S11 and S22.
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Thickness A1 of transmission line 14 18
.mu.m Width A2 of transmission line 14 130 .mu.m Length A3 of
transmission line 14 2 mm Thickness A5 of dielectric layer 17a 70
.mu.m Relative dielectric constant of dielectric layer 17a 4.7
Dissipation factor of dielectric layer 17a 0.02 Relative dielectric
constant of sealing resin 18 4.2 Dissipation factor of sealing
resin 18 0.02 Length of wire 12a 635 .mu.m Length of wire 12b 711
.mu.m
[0012] As shown in Table 1, in this simulation, the width A2 and
the length A3 of the transmission line 14, shown in FIG. 24, are
set to 130 .mu.m and 2 mm, respectively. Referring to FIG. 25, the
thickness A1 of the transmission line 14 is set to 18 .mu.m, and
the thickness A5 of the dielectric layer 17a in the substrate 17 is
set to 70 .mu.m. Furthermore, the relative dielectric constant and
the dissipation factor of the dielectric layer 17a are set to 4.7
and 0.02, respectively. The relative dielectric constant and the
dissipation factor of the sealing resin 18 are set to 4.2 and 0.02,
respectively. The lengths of the wire 12a and the wire 12b are set
to 635 .mu.m and 711 .mu.m, respectively.
[0013] According to this simulation result, the S-parameter
magnitudes of the transfer characteristics S12 and S21 are lower
than those of the reflection characteristics S11 and S22 over the
frequency range of the millimeter-wave electrical signal from 40
GHz to 80 GHz. This indicates that the data transmission is
difficult when the frequency of the millimeter-wave electrical
signal is in the frequency band from 40 GHz to 80 GHz.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] By the technique of Patent Document 1, a resonant frequency
in the range of 22 GHz to 26 GHz can be obtained by the resonator.
However, a resonant frequency beyond this range can not be
obtained. Furthermore, for the semiconductor device 100 of the
related art, data transmission is difficult in the frequency band
from 40 GHz to 80 GHz.
[0015] There is a desire for the present invention to allow
enhancement in the transmission characteristic of an electrical
signal having a frequency in a frequency band over 40 GHz, and
provide a semiconductor device, a transmission system, a method for
manufacturing a semiconductor device, and a method for
manufacturing a transmission system that allow high-speed data
transmission involving little signal deterioration.
[0016] According to an embodiment of the present invention, there
is provided a semiconductor device including a semiconductor
circuit element configured to process an electrical signal having a
predetermined frequency, and a transmission line configured to be
connected to the semiconductor circuit element via a wire and
transmit the electrical signal. In the semiconductor device, an
impedance matching pattern having a symmetric shape with respect to
the direction of the transmission line is provided in the
transmission line.
[0017] In the semiconductor device according to the embodiment of
the present invention, the semiconductor circuit element processes
the electrical signal having the predetermined frequency. The
transmission line is connected to the semiconductor circuit element
via the wire and transmits the electrical signal. On the premise of
this configuration, the impedance matching pattern having a
symmetric shape with respect to the direction of the transmission
line is provided in the transmission line. Due to this feature,
impedance matching of the transmission line is achieved by the
impedance matching pattern, which makes it possible to reduce
reflection of the electrical signal that is transmitted through
this transmission line and has the predetermined frequency.
[0018] According to another embodiment of the present invention,
there is provided a transmission system including a first
semiconductor device configured to include a first semiconductor
circuit element that processes an electrical signal having a
predetermined frequency, a first transmission line that is
connected to the first semiconductor circuit element via a wire and
transmits the electrical signal, and a first antenna part that
converts the electrical signal transmitted from the first
transmission line to an electromagnetic wave signal and sends the
electromagnetic wave signal. The transmission system further
includes a second semiconductor device configured to include a
second antenna part that receives the electromagnetic wave signal
sent from the first antenna part and converts the electromagnetic
wave signal to an electrical signal having the predetermined
frequency, a second transmission line that transmits the electrical
signal arising from conversion by the second antenna part, and a
second semiconductor circuit element that is connected to the
second transmission line via a wire and processes the electrical
signal transmitted by the second transmission line. In the
semiconductor device, impedance matching patterns having symmetric
shapes with respect to the directions of the first and second
transmission lines are provided in the first and second
transmission lines.
[0019] According to further another embodiment of the present
invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing a
semiconductor device. The method includes the steps of forming a
semiconductor circuit element that processes an electrical signal
having a predetermined frequency, forming, on a substrate, a
transmission line that transmits the electrical signal and an
impedance matching pattern having a symmetric shape with respect to
the direction of the transmission line, setting the semiconductor
circuit element on the substrate, and connecting the transmission
line to the semiconductor circuit element via a wire.
[0020] According to further another embodiment of the present
invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing a
transmission system. The method includes the steps of fabricating a
first semiconductor device, fabricating a second semiconductor
device, and connecting the first semiconductor device to the second
semiconductor device. The step of fabricating a first semiconductor
device includes the sub-steps of forming a first semiconductor
circuit element that processes an electrical signal having a
predetermined frequency, forming, on a first substrate, a first
transmission line that transmits the electrical signal and an
impedance matching pattern having a symmetric shape with respect to
the direction of the first transmission line, setting the first
semiconductor circuit element on the first substrate, and
connecting the first transmission line to the first semiconductor
circuit element via a wire. The step of fabricating a second
semiconductor device includes the sub-steps of forming a second
semiconductor circuit element that processes an electrical signal
having a predetermined frequency, forming, on a second substrate, a
second transmission line that transmits the electrical signal and
an impedance matching pattern having a symmetric shape with respect
to the direction of the second transmission line, setting the
second semiconductor circuit element on the second substrate, and
connecting the second transmission line to the second semiconductor
circuit element via a wire.
[0021] In the semiconductor device according to the embodiment of
the present invention, impedance matching of the transmission line
is achieved by the impedance matching pattern. Due to this feature,
reflection of the electrical signal that is transmitted through
this transmission line and has the predetermined frequency can be
reduced, and thus the transmission characteristic of the electrical
signal can be enhanced. This can provide a semiconductor device
capable of high-speed data transmission involving little signal
deterioration.
[0022] The transmission system according to the embodiment of the
present invention includes the above-described semiconductor
device. This can provide a transmission system capable of
high-speed data transmission involving little signal
deterioration.
[0023] In the method for manufacturing a semiconductor device and
the method for manufacturing a transmission system according to the
embodiments of the present invention, the transmission line that
transmits the signal having the predetermined frequency and the
impedance matching pattern having a symmetric shape with respect to
the direction of this transmission line are formed on the same
substrate. Therefore, the step of forming the impedance matching
pattern can be carried out simultaneously with the step of forming
the transmission line, and thus cost reduction can be achieved.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0024] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration example
of a semiconductor device according to a first embodiment of the
present invention;
[0025] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a configuration example of a
major part of the semiconductor device;
[0026] FIG. 3 is a side view showing the configuration example of
the major part of the semiconductor device;
[0027] FIG. 4 is a graph showing a characteristic example of the
semiconductor device, obtained by simulation;
[0028] FIG. 5 is a graph showing a characteristic example of the
semiconductor device including characteristic difference dependent
on distance, obtained by simulation;
[0029] FIG. 6 is a graph showing a characteristic example of the
semiconductor device including characteristic difference dependent
on the relative dielectric constant of a sealing resin, obtained by
simulation;
[0030] FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing a
manufacturing example of the semiconductor device;
[0031] FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view showing the
manufacturing example of the semiconductor device;
[0032] FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing the
manufacturing example of the semiconductor device;
[0033] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a configuration example of a
major part of a semiconductor device according to a second
embodiment of the present invention;
[0034] FIG. 11 is a side view showing the configuration example of
the major part of the semiconductor device;
[0035] FIG. 12 is a graph showing a characteristic example of the
semiconductor device, obtained by simulation;
[0036] FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a configuration example of a
major part of a semiconductor device according to a third
embodiment of the present invention;
[0037] FIG. 14 is a front view showing the configuration example of
the major part of the semiconductor device;
[0038] FIG. 15 is a graph showing a characteristic example of the
semiconductor device, obtained by simulation;
[0039] FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing a configuration
example of a semiconductor device according to a fourth embodiment
of the present invention;
[0040] FIG. 17 is a side view showing a configuration example of a
transmission system according to a fifth embodiment of the present
invention;
[0041] FIG. 18 is a plan view showing the configuration example of
the transmission system, parallel to the section along line A-A in
FIG. 17;
[0042] FIG. 19 is a side view showing a configuration example of a
transmission system according to a sixth embodiment of the present
invention;
[0043] FIG. 20 is an exploded perspective view showing an assembly
example of the transmission system;
[0044] FIG. 21 is an exploded perspective view showing the assembly
example of the transmission system;
[0045] FIG. 22 is an exploded perspective view showing the assembly
example of the transmission system;
[0046] FIG. 23 is a perspective view showing a configuration
example of a semiconductor device of a related art;
[0047] FIG. 24 is a plan view showing a configuration example of a
major part of the semiconductor device;
[0048] FIG. 25 is a side view showing the configuration example of
the major part of the semiconductor device; and
[0049] FIG. 26 is a graph showing a characteristic example of the
semiconductor device, obtained by simulation.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0050] Modes (hereinafter, referred to as embodiments) for carrying
out the present invention will be described below. The description
will be made in the following order.
1. First Embodiment (semiconductor device 1: configuration example,
characteristic example, and manufacturing example) 2. Second
Embodiment (semiconductor device 2: configuration example and
characteristic example) 3. Third Embodiment (semiconductor device
3: configuration example and characteristic example) 4. Fourth
Embodiment (semiconductor device 4: configuration example) 5. Fifth
Embodiment (transmission system 5: configuration example) 6. Sixth
Embodiment (transmission system 6: configuration example and
assembly example)
First Embodiment
Configuration Example of Semiconductor Device 1
[0051] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a semiconductor device 1 according
to the present embodiment includes a circuit board 10 serving as a
semiconductor circuit element that processes an electrical signal
having a predetermined frequency, e.g. a frequency in the
millimeter-wave band, and a transmission line 14 that is connected
to the circuit board 10 via a wire unit 12 and transmits the
electrical signal. In the transmission line 14, a resonant pattern
15 serving as an impedance matching pattern having a symmetric
shape with respect to the direction of this transmission line is
provided. The semiconductor device 1 further includes a substrate
17 on which the transmission line 14 and the resonant pattern 15
are formed.
[0052] The circuit board 10 has a terminal unit 11 composed of a
signal transmission terminal 11a and grounding terminals 11b. The
substrate 17 has a terminal unit 13 composed of a signal
transmission terminal 13a and grounding terminals 13b serving as
grounding electrodes. The signal transmission terminal 11a is
connected to the signal transmission terminal 13a via a wire 12a
included in the wire unit 12. The grounding terminals 11b are
connected to the grounding terminals 13b via wires 12b included in
the wire unit 12. The grounding terminals 13b are provided
symmetrically with respect to the direction of the transmission
line 14. This feature can stabilize the electrical signal
transmitted through the transmission line 14.
[0053] The substrate 17 has a dielectric layer 17a, a grounding
layer 17b, and a dielectric layer 17c. The grounding layer 17b is
formed of copper or aluminum and has a function for grounding. Vias
19 having electrical conductivity are provided in the dielectric
layer 17a at the positions on which the grounding terminals 13b are
provided. The via 19 is formed by making a hole from the upper
surface to the lower surface of the dielectric layer 17a and
inserting an electrically-conductive material such as a metal in
this hole.
[0054] The semiconductor device 1 is grounded by electrical
connection between the grounding terminals 13b and the grounding
layer 17b through the vias 19. The dielectric layer 17a has a
predetermined dielectric constant. The dielectric layer 17a, the
transmission line 14, and the grounding layer 17b form a
micro-strip line. The dielectric layer 17c has a function to
support the dielectric layer 17a and the grounding layer 17b.
[0055] The transmission line 14 is connected to the signal
transmission terminal 13a, and the transmission line 14 transmits a
millimeter-wave electrical signal in a predetermined direction (in
FIGS. 2 and 3, in the right direction). The resonant pattern 15
having a symmetric shape with respect to the direction of the
transmission line is formed in the transmission line 14. The shape
of the resonant pattern 15 is e.g. a circular shape symmetric with
respect to the predetermined direction. By this resonant pattern
15, impedance matching of the transmission line 14 is achieved,
which makes it possible to reduce reflection of the millimeter-wave
electrical signal.
[0056] An antenna part 16 is connected to the other end of the
transmission line 14, and the antenna part 16 converts the
millimeter-wave electrical signal to an electromagnetic wave
signal. The antenna part 16 outputs the electromagnetic wave signal
arising from the conversion by the antenna part 16 to the external
via a sealing resin 18. The semiconductor device 1 is sealed by the
sealing resin 18 in such a way that an upper part of the substrate
17 is covered. The sealing resin 18 is composed of an
electrically-insulating material having a predetermined dielectric
constant.
[Characteristic Example of Semiconductor Device 1 by
Simulation]
[0057] A simulation result relating to the millimeter-wave signal
transmission by the semiconductor device 1 will be described below.
As shown in FIG. 4, this simulation result is represented by
plotting the frequency (GHz) of the millimeter-wave electrical
signal on the abscissa and plotting the S-parameter magnitude (dB)
on the ordinate, and is obtained by calculation with use of the
semiconductor device 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 based on parameters
shown in Table 2. The full lines in FIG. 4 indicate transfer
characteristics S12A and S21A, and the dashed lines indicate
reflection characteristics S11A and S22A.
TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Thickness A1 of transmission line 14 18
.mu.m Width A2 of transmission line 14 130 .mu.m Length A3 of
transmission line 14 2 mm Thickness A5 of dielectric layer 17a 70
.mu.m Relative dielectric constant of dielectric layer 17a 4.7
Dissipation factor of dielectric layer 17a 0.02 Relative dielectric
constant of sealing resin 18 4.2 Dissipation factor of sealing
resin 18 0.02 Length of wire 12a 635 .mu.m Length of wire 12b 711
.mu.m Distance B4 between one end of transmission 860 .mu.m line
14and center of resonant pattern 15 Radius B6 of resonant pattern
15 350 .mu.m
[0058] As shown in Table 2, in this simulation, the width A2 of the
transmission line 14 and the length A3 from one end of the
transmission line 14 to the other end of the transmission line 14,
shown in FIG. 2, are set to 130 .mu.m and 2 mm, respectively.
Referring to FIG. 3, the thickness A1 of the transmission line 14
is set to 18 .mu.m, and the thickness A5 of the dielectric layer
17a in the substrate 17 is set to 70 .mu.m. Furthermore, referring
to FIG. 2, the distance B4 between one end of the transmission line
14 and the center of the resonant pattern 15 is set to 860 .mu.m,
and the radius B6 of the resonant pattern 15 is set to 350 .mu.m.
In addition, the relative dielectric constant and the dissipation
factor of the dielectric layer 17a are set to 4.7 and 0.02,
respectively. The relative dielectric constant and the dissipation
factor of the sealing resin 18 are set to 4.2 and 0.02,
respectively. The lengths of the wire 12a and the wire 12b are set
to 635 .mu.m and 711 .mu.m, respectively.
[0059] As shown in FIG. 4, the transfer characteristics S12A and
S21A have S-parameter magnitudes of about -3 dB when the frequency
of the millimeter-wave electrical signal is around 60 GHz. The
reflection characteristics S11A and S22A have S-parameter
magnitudes of about -12 dB and -18 dB, respectively, when the
frequency of the millimeter-wave electrical signal is around 60
GHz.
[0060] As above, compared with the simulation result of the
semiconductor device 100 of the related art, shown in FIG. 26, the
S-parameter magnitudes of the transfer characteristics S12A and
S21A are increased and the S-parameter magnitudes of the reflection
characteristics S11A and S22A are decreased when the frequency of
the millimeter-wave electrical signal is around 60 GHz. This
indicates that the transmission characteristic of the
millimeter-wave electrical signal can be enhanced. Based on this
feature, the semiconductor device 1 can carry out high-speed data
transmission involving little signal deterioration.
[0061] FIG. 5 shows a simulation result indicating the reflection
characteristics of the semiconductor device 1, obtained by
calculation with variation in the distance between one end of the
transmission line 14 and the center of the resonant pattern 15 in
the semiconductor device 1 (hereinafter, this distance will be
referred to as the distance B4) in the range from 800 .mu.m to 1000
.mu.m in increments of 20 .mu.m. As shown in FIG. 5, this
simulation result is represented by plotting the frequency (GHz) of
the millimeter-wave electrical signal on the abscissa and plotting
the S-parameter magnitude (dB) on the ordinate, and is obtained by
calculation with use of the parameters other than the distance B4,
among the above-described parameters in Table 2.
[0062] In FIG. 5, a reflection characteristic L80 indicates the
reflection characteristic of the semiconductor device 1 when the
distance B4 is set to 800 .mu.m. A reflection characteristic L82
indicates the reflection characteristic of the semiconductor device
1 when the distance B4 is set to 820 .mu.m. A reflection
characteristic L84 indicates the reflection characteristic of the
semiconductor device 1 when the distance B4 is set to 840 .mu.m. A
reflection characteristic L86 indicates the reflection
characteristic of the semiconductor device 1 when the distance B4
is set to 860 .mu.m. A reflection characteristic L88 indicates the
reflection characteristic of the semiconductor device 1 when the
distance B4 is set to 880 .mu.m. A reflection characteristic L90
indicates the reflection characteristic of the semiconductor device
1 when the distance B4 is set to 900 .mu.m. A reflection
characteristic L92 indicates the reflection characteristic of the
semiconductor device 1 when the distance B4 is set to 920 .mu.m. A
reflection characteristic L94 indicates the reflection
characteristic of the semiconductor device 1 when the distance B4
is set to 940 .mu.m. A reflection characteristic L96 indicates the
reflection characteristic of the semiconductor device 1 when the
distance B4 is set to 960 .mu.m. A reflection characteristic L98
indicates the reflection characteristic of the semiconductor device
1 when the distance B4 is set to 980 .mu.m. A reflection
characteristic L100 indicates the reflection characteristic of the
semiconductor device 1 when the distance B4 is set to 1000
.mu.m.
[0063] As shown in FIG. 5, the resonant frequency of the resonant
pattern 15 is shifted depending on the distance B4. The resonant
frequency of the resonant pattern 15 is about 68 GHz when the
distance B4 is set to 800 .mu.m. The resonant frequency of the
resonant pattern 15 is about 66 GHz when the distance B4 is set to
820 .mu.m. The resonant frequency of the resonant pattern 15 is
about 65 GHz when the distance B4 is set to 840 .mu.m. The resonant
frequency of the resonant pattern 15 is about 63 GHz when the
distance B4 is set to 860 .mu.m. The resonant frequency of the
resonant pattern 15 is about 62 GHz when the distance B4 is set to
880 .mu.m. The resonant frequency of the resonant pattern 15 is
about 61 GHz when the distance B4 is set to 900 .mu.m. The resonant
frequency of the resonant pattern 15 is about 60 GHz when the
distance B4 is set to 920 .mu.m. The resonant frequency of the
resonant pattern 15 is about 58 GHz when the distance B4 is set to
940 .mu.m. The resonant frequency of the resonant pattern 15 is
about 57 GHz when the distance B4 is set to 960 .mu.m. The resonant
frequency of the resonant pattern 15 is about 56 GHz when the
distance B4 is set to 980 .mu.m. The resonant frequency of the
resonant pattern 15 is about 55 GHz when the distance B4 is set to
1000 .mu.m.
[0064] In this manner, the resonant frequency of the resonant
pattern 15 is shifted toward the lower frequency side when the
distance B4 is set longer. This feature makes it possible to
transmit the millimeter-wave electrical signal at the desired
frequency through change in the distance B4.
[0065] FIG. 6 shows a simulation result indicating the reflection
characteristics, obtained by calculation with variation in the
relative dielectric constant of the sealing resin 18 in the
semiconductor device 1 in the range from 3.0 to 5.0 in increments
of 0.2. As shown in FIG. 6, this simulation result is represented
by plotting the frequency (GHz) of the millimeter-wave electrical
signal on the abscissa and plotting the S-parameter magnitude (dB)
on the ordinate, and is obtained by calculation with use of the
parameters other than the relative dielectric constant of the
sealing resin 18, among the above-described parameters in Table
2.
[0066] In FIG. 6, a reflection characteristic E30 indicates the
reflection characteristic of the semiconductor device 1 when the
relative dielectric constant of the sealing resin 18 is set to 3.0.
A reflection characteristic E32 indicates the reflection
characteristic of the semiconductor device 1 when the relative
dielectric constant of the sealing resin 18 is set to 3.2. A
reflection characteristic E34 indicates the reflection
characteristic of the semiconductor device 1 when the relative
dielectric constant of the sealing resin 18 is set to 3.4. A
reflection characteristic E36 indicates the reflection
characteristic of the semiconductor device 1 when the relative
dielectric constant of the sealing resin 18 is set to 3.6. A
reflection characteristic E38 indicates the reflection
characteristic of the semiconductor device 1 when the relative
dielectric constant of the sealing resin 18 is set to 3.8. A
reflection characteristic E40 indicates the reflection
characteristic of the semiconductor device 1 when the relative
dielectric constant of the sealing resin 18 is set to 4.0. A
reflection characteristic E42 indicates the reflection
characteristic of the semiconductor device 1 when the relative
dielectric constant of the sealing resin 18 is set to 4.2. A
reflection characteristic E44 indicates the reflection
characteristic of the semiconductor device 1 when the relative
dielectric constant of the sealing resin 18 is set to 4.4. A
reflection characteristic E46 indicates the reflection
characteristic of the semiconductor device 1 when the relative
dielectric constant of the sealing resin 18 is set to 4.6. A
reflection characteristic E48 indicates the reflection
characteristic of the semiconductor device 1 when the relative
dielectric constant of the sealing resin 18 is set to 4.8. A
reflection characteristic E50 indicates the reflection
characteristic of the semiconductor device 1 when the relative
dielectric constant of the sealing resin 18 is set to 5.0.
[0067] As shown in FIG. 6, the resonant frequency of the resonant
pattern 15 is shifted depending on the relative dielectric constant
of the sealing resin 18. The resonant frequency of the resonant
pattern 15 is about 64 GHz when the relative dielectric constant of
the sealing resin 18 is set to 3.0. The resonant frequency of the
resonant pattern 15 is about 63.5 GHz when the relative dielectric
constant of the sealing resin 18 is set to 3.2. The resonant
frequency of the resonant pattern 15 is about 63 GHz when the
relative dielectric constant of the sealing resin 18 is set to 3.4.
The resonant frequency of the resonant pattern 15 is about 62.5 GHz
when the relative dielectric constant of the sealing resin 18 is
set to 3.6. The resonant frequency of the resonant pattern 15 is
about 62 GHz when the relative dielectric constant of the sealing
resin 18 is set to 3.8. The resonant frequency of the resonant
pattern 15 is about 61.5 GHz when the relative dielectric constant
of the sealing resin 18 is set to 4.0. The resonant frequency of
the resonant pattern 15 is about 61 GHz when the relative
dielectric constant of the sealing resin 18 is set to 4.2. The
resonant frequency of the resonant pattern 15 is about 60.5 GHz
when the relative dielectric constant of the sealing resin 18 is
set to 4.4. The resonant frequency of the resonant pattern 15 is
about 60 GHz when the relative dielectric constant of the sealing
resin 18 is set to 4.6. The resonant frequency of the resonant
pattern 15 is about 59.5 GHz when the relative dielectric constant
of the sealing resin 18 is set to 4.8. The resonant frequency of
the resonant pattern 15 is about 59 GHz when the relative
dielectric constant of the sealing resin 18 is set to 5.0.
[0068] In this manner, the resonant frequency of the resonant
pattern 15 is shifted toward the lower frequency side when the
relative dielectric constant of the sealing resin 18 is set higher.
This feature makes it possible to transmit the millimeter-wave
electrical signal at the desired frequency through change in the
relative dielectric constant of the sealing resin 18.
[Manufacturing Example of Semiconductor Device 1]
[0069] A method for manufacturing the semiconductor device 1 will
be described below. As shown in FIG. 7, for the semiconductor
device 1, the terminal unit 13, the transmission line 14, the
resonant pattern 15, and the antenna part 16 are formed on a
predetermined surface (in FIG. 7, the upper surface) of the
substrate 17 composed of the dielectric layers 17a and 17c and the
grounding layer 17b. The terminal unit 13, the transmission line
14, the resonant pattern 15, and the antenna part 16 are formed by
e.g. etching.
[0070] The dielectric layers 17a and 17c are composed of an
electrically-insulating material and formed by using e.g. resin or
ceramics. The grounding layer 17b, the terminal unit 13, the
transmission line 14, the resonant pattern 15, and the antenna part
16 are composed of the same electrically-conductive material and
formed by using e.g. copper or aluminum.
[0071] A patch antenna is employed as an example of the antenna
part 16 in this manufacturing example. The patch antenna can be
fabricated as a thin component similarly to the terminal unit 13,
the transmission line 14, and the resonant pattern 15. Thus, the
adhesion between the antenna part 16 and the sealing resin 18 can
be increased, so that efficient electromagnetic coupling is
achieved. Furthermore, the patch antenna can be fabricated at low
cost because it has a simple two-dimensional physical shape.
[0072] Paste 50 is applied at a predetermined position (in FIG. 7,
in the dashed line rectangle) on the substrate 17 on which the
terminal unit 13, the transmission line 14, the resonant pattern
15, and the antenna part 16 are formed. The paste 50 is composed of
e.g. a metal material such as silver or aluminum and an organic
solvent. The circuit board 10 on which the terminal unit 11 is
formed is placed on the substrate 17 on which the paste 50 is
applied. The substrate 17 on which the circuit board 10 is placed
is loaded in a constant-temperature chamber or a conveyer drying
oven at about 200.degree. C., and the paste 50 is dried. This
surely fixes the substrate 17 and the circuit board 10 to each
other.
[0073] After the paste 50 is dried, as shown in FIG. 8, the
terminal unit 11 on the circuit board 10 is connected to the
terminal unit 13 on the substrate 17 by the wire unit 12. For this
connection between the terminal units 11 and 13 by the wire unit
12, e.g. apparatus for wire bonding, called a wire bonder, is
used.
[0074] As shown in FIG. 9, the upper surface of the substrate 17 on
which the wire unit 12 is mounted is sealed by injection molding of
the sealing resin 18. The sealing resin 18 has the
electrically-insulating characteristic and a predetermined
dielectric constant, and transmits a signal output from the antenna
part 16. Furthermore, the sealing resin 18 has a function for
protection from dusts and water from the external. For the sealing
resin 18, e.g. a resin material such as an epoxy resin or a
urethane resin is used.
[0075] By such a manufacturing method, the semiconductor device 1,
which is allowed to have an enhanced transmission characteristic of
the millimeter-wave electrical signal through impedance matching of
the transmission line 14 by the resonant pattern 15, can be
fabricated at low cost.
[0076] As above, in the semiconductor device 1 according to the
first embodiment, the circuit board 10 processes an electrical
signal having a millimeter-wave frequency. The transmission line 14
is connected to the circuit board 10 via the wire unit 12 and
transmits the electrical signal. On the premise of this
configuration, the resonant pattern 15 having a symmetric shape
with respect to the direction of the transmission line 14 is
provided in the transmission line 14. Thus, impedance matching of
the transmission line 14 is achieved by the resonant pattern 15,
which makes it possible to reduce reflection of the electrical
signal that is transmitted through this transmission line 14 and
has the millimeter-wave frequency. As a result, the transmission
characteristic of the millimeter-wave electrical signal can be
enhanced, and the semiconductor device 1 capable of high-speed data
transmission involving little signal deterioration can be
provided.
Second Embodiment
Configuration Example of Semiconductor Device 2
[0077] The present embodiment relates to a semiconductor device in
which a resonant pattern is provided in a transmission line on a
circuit board. In this second embodiment, the component having the
same name and symbol as those of the component in the
above-described first embodiment has the same function, and
therefore description thereof is omitted.
[0078] As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, a semiconductor device 2
according to the present embodiment includes a circuit board 20
serving as a semiconductor circuit element that processes a
millimeter-wave electrical signal, and a second transmission line
(hereinafter, referred to as the transmission line 21) that is
provided on the circuit board 20 and transmits the electrical
signal. In the transmission line 21, a resonant pattern 22 serving
as an impedance matching pattern having a symmetric shape with
respect to the transmission line 21 is provided. Furthermore, the
semiconductor device 2 includes a substrate 17 and a sealing resin
18.
[0079] The circuit board 20 is composed of a first dielectric layer
(hereinafter, referred to as the dielectric layer 20a), a grounding
layer 20b, and a second dielectric layer (hereinafter, referred to
as the dielectric layer 20c). The grounding layer 20b is formed of
copper or aluminum and has a function for grounding. The dielectric
layer 20a has a predetermined dielectric constant. The dielectric
layer 20a, the transmission line 21, and the grounding layer 20b
form a micro-strip line. The dielectric layer 20c has a function to
support the dielectric layer 20a and the grounding layer 20b.
[0080] On the surface of the circuit board 20, a terminal unit 11
composed of a signal transmission terminal 11a and grounding
terminals 11b, the transmission line 21, and the resonant pattern
22 are formed. The terminal unit 11, the transmission line 21, and
the resonant pattern 22 are formed by covering the surface of the
circuit board 20 with a mask or the like having a predetermined
pattern and depositing a metal material such as copper or
aluminum.
[0081] The resonant pattern 22 has a symmetric shape with respect
to the direction in which the transmission line 21 transmits the
millimeter-wave electrical signal. The shape of the resonant
pattern 22 is e.g. a circular shape symmetric with respect to a
predetermined direction. By this resonant pattern 22, impedance
matching of the transmission line 21 is achieved, which makes it
possible to reduce reflection of the millimeter-wave electrical
signal. This feature can enhance the transmission characteristic of
the millimeter-wave electrical signal.
[0082] The substrate 17 has a terminal unit 13 composed of a signal
transmission terminal 13a and grounding terminals 13b. The
grounding terminals 11b are connected to the grounding terminals
13b via wires 12b included in a wire unit 12.
[0083] The substrate 17 has a dielectric layer 17a, a grounding
layer 17b, and a dielectric layer 17c. Vias 19 having electrical
conductivity are provided in the dielectric layer 17a at the
positions on which the grounding terminals 13b are provided. The
via 19 is formed by making a hole from the upper surface to the
lower surface of the dielectric layer 17a and inserting an
electrically-conductive material such as a metal in this hole.
[0084] The semiconductor device 2 is grounded by electrical
connection between the grounding terminals 13b and the grounding
layer 17b through the vias 19. The dielectric layer 17a has a
predetermined dielectric constant. The dielectric layer 17a, the
transmission line 14, and the grounding layer 17b form a
micro-strip line. The dielectric layer 17c has a function to
support the dielectric layer 17a and the grounding layer 17b.
[0085] The signal transmission terminal 11a is connected to the
signal transmission terminal 13a on the substrate 17 via a wire 12a
included in the wire unit 12. The transmission line 14 is connected
to the signal transmission terminal 13a, and the transmission line
14 transmits the millimeter-wave electrical signal in a
predetermined direction (in FIGS. 10 and 11, in the right
direction).
[0086] An antenna part 16 is connected to the other end of the
transmission line 14, and the antenna part 16 converts the
millimeter-wave electrical signal to an electromagnetic wave
signal. The antenna part 16 outputs the electromagnetic wave signal
arising from the conversion by the antenna part 16 to the external
via the sealing resin 18. The semiconductor device 2 is sealed by
the sealing resin 18 in such a way that an upper part of the
substrate 17 is covered. The sealing resin 18 is composed of an
electrically-insulating material having a predetermined dielectric
constant.
[0087] The operation of the semiconductor device 2 having the
above-described configuration will be described below. The
millimeter-wave electrical signal processed by the circuit board 20
is transmitted through the transmission line 21 provided with the
resonant pattern 22. This millimeter-wave electrical signal can be
transmitted through the transmission line 21 without suffering from
the influence of reflection because impedance matching of the
transmission line 21 is achieved by the resonant pattern 22. The
millimeter-wave electrical signal transmitted through the
transmission line 21 is subsequently transmitted through the
transmission line 14 via the signal transmission terminal 11a
provided on the circuit board 20, the wire 12a, and the signal
transmission terminal 13a. The millimeter-wave electrical signal
transmitted through the transmission line 14 is converted to the
electromagnetic wave signal by the antenna part 16, and the
electromagnetic wave signal is output to the outside of the
semiconductor device 2.
[Characteristic Example of Semiconductor Device 2 by
Simulation]
[0088] A simulation result relating to the millimeter-wave signal
transmission by the semiconductor device 2 will be described below.
As shown in FIG. 12, this simulation result is represented by
plotting the frequency (GHz) of the millimeter-wave electrical
signal on the abscissa and plotting the S-parameter magnitude (dB)
on the ordinate, and is obtained by calculation with use of the
semiconductor device 2 shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 based on parameters
shown in Table 3. The full lines in FIG. 12 indicate transfer
characteristics S12B and S21B, and the dashed lines indicate
reflection characteristics S11B and S22B.
TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 Thickness C1 of transmission line 21 1 .mu.m
Width C2 of transmission line 21 10 .mu.m Length C3 of transmission
line 21 2 mm Thickness C5 of dielectric layer 20a 5 .mu.m Relative
dielectric constant of dielectric layer 20a 3.5 Dissipation factor
of dielectric layer 20a 0.01 Relative dielectric constant of
sealing resin 18 4.2 Dissipation factor of sealing resin 18 0.02
Length of wire 12a 635 .mu.m Length of wire 12b 711 .mu.m Distance
C4 between one end of transmission 530 .mu.m line 21 and center of
resonant pattern 22 Radius C6 of resonant pattern 22 60 .mu.m
[0089] As shown in Table 3, in this simulation, the width C2 of the
transmission line 21 and the length C3 from one end of the
transmission line 21 to the other end of the transmission line 21,
shown in FIG. 10, are set to 10 .mu.m and 2 mm, respectively.
Referring to FIG. 11, the thickness C1 of the transmission line 21
is set to 1 .mu.m, and the thickness C5 of the dielectric layer 20a
is set to 5 .mu.m. Furthermore, referring to FIG. 10, the distance
C4 between one end of the transmission line 21 and the center of
the resonant pattern 22 is set to 530 .mu.m, and the radius C6 of
the resonant pattern 22 is set to 60 .mu.m. In addition, the
relative dielectric constant and the dissipation factor of the
dielectric layer 20a are set to 3.5 and 0.01, respectively. The
relative dielectric constant and the dissipation factor of the
sealing resin 18 are set to 4.2 and 0.02, respectively. The lengths
of the wire 12a and the wire 12b are set to 635 .mu.m and 711
.mu.m, respectively.
[0090] As shown in FIG. 12, the transfer characteristics S12B and
S21B have S-parameter magnitudes of about -3 dB when the frequency
of the millimeter-wave electrical signal is around 60 GHz. The
reflection characteristics S11B and S22B have S-parameter
magnitudes of about -26 dB and -10 dB, respectively, when the
frequency of the millimeter-wave electrical signal is around 60
GHz.
[0091] As above, compared with the simulation result of the
semiconductor device 100 of the related art, shown in FIG. 26, the
S-parameter magnitudes of the transfer characteristics S12B and
S21B are increased and the S-parameter magnitudes of the reflection
characteristics S11B and S22B are decreased when the frequency of
the millimeter-wave electrical signal is around 60 GHz. This
indicates that the transmission characteristic of the
millimeter-wave electrical signal can be enhanced. Based on this
feature, the semiconductor device 2 can carry out high-speed data
transmission involving little signal deterioration.
[0092] As above, in the semiconductor device 2 according to the
second embodiment, the circuit board 20 has the transmission line
21 for transmitting the millimeter-wave electrical signal in a
predetermined direction, and the resonant pattern 22 having a
symmetric shape with respect to the direction of the transmission
line 21, e.g. a circular shape, is provided in this transmission
line 21. Thus, impedance matching of the transmission line 21 is
achieved by the resonant pattern 22, which makes it possible to
reduce reflection of the millimeter-wave electrical signal
transmitted through this transmission line 21. As a result, the
transmission characteristic of the millimeter-wave electrical
signal can be enhanced, and the semiconductor device 2 capable of
high-speed data transmission involving little signal deterioration
can be provided.
Third Embodiment
Configuration Example of Semiconductor Device 3
[0093] The present embodiment relates to a semiconductor device
obtained by omitting the sealing resin 18 of the semiconductor
device 1. In this third embodiment, the component having the same
name and symbol as those of the component in the above-described
first embodiment has the same function, and therefore description
thereof is omitted.
[0094] As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, a semiconductor device 3
according to the present embodiment includes a circuit board 10
that processes a millimeter-wave electrical signal and a
transmission line 14 that is connected to the circuit board 10 via
a wire unit 12 and transmits the electrical signal. In the
transmission line 14, a resonant pattern 15 having a symmetric
shape with respect to the direction of this transmission line is
provided. The semiconductor device 3 further includes a substrate
17 on which the transmission line 14 and the resonant pattern 15
are formed. The circuit board 10 and the surface of the substrate
17 are not sealed by a sealing resin.
[Characteristic Example of Semiconductor Device 3 by
Simulation]
[0095] A simulation result relating to the millimeter-wave signal
transmission by the semiconductor device 3 will be described below.
As shown in FIG. 15, this simulation result is represented by
plotting the frequency (GHz) of the millimeter-wave electrical
signal on the abscissa and plotting the S-parameter magnitude (dB)
on the ordinate, and is obtained by calculation with use of the
semiconductor device 3 shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 based on parameters
shown in Table 4. The full lines in FIG. 15 indicate transfer
characteristics S12C and S21C, and the dashed lines indicate
reflection characteristics S11C and S22C.
TABLE-US-00004 TABLE 4 Thickness A1 of transmission line 14 18
.mu.m Width A2 of transmission line 14 130 .mu.m Length A3 of
transmission line 14 2 mm Thickness A5 of dielectric layer 17a 70
.mu.m Relative dielectric constant of dielectric layer 17a 4.7
Dissipation factor of dielectric layer 17a 0.02 Length of wire 12a
635 .mu.m Length of wire 12b 711 .mu.m Distance F4 between one end
of transmission 980 .mu.m line 14 and center of resonant pattern 15
Radius F6 of resonant pattern 15 350 .mu.m
[0096] As shown in Table 4, in this simulation, the width A2 of the
transmission line 14 and the length A3 from one end of the
transmission line 14 to the other end of the transmission line 14,
shown in FIG. 13, are set to 130 .mu.m and 2 mm, respectively.
Referring to FIG. 14, the thickness A1 of the transmission line 14
is set to 18 .mu.m, and the thickness A5 of the dielectric layer
17a is set to 70 .mu.m. Furthermore, referring to FIG. 13, the
distance F4 between one end of the transmission line 14 and the
center of the resonant pattern 15 is set to 980 .mu.m, and the
radius F6 of the resonant pattern 15 is set to 350 .mu.m. In
addition, the relative dielectric constant and the dissipation
factor of the dielectric layer 17a are set to 4.7 and 0.02,
respectively. The lengths of the wire 12a and the wire 12b are set
to 635 .mu.m and 711 .mu.m, respectively.
[0097] As shown in FIG. 15, the transfer characteristics S12C and
S21C have S-parameter magnitudes of about -3 dB when the frequency
of the millimeter-wave electrical signal is around 60 GHz. The
reflection characteristics S11C and S22C have S-parameter
magnitudes of about -11 dB and -42 dB, respectively, when the
frequency of the millimeter-wave electrical signal is around 60
GHz.
[0098] As above, compared with the simulation result of the
semiconductor device 100 of the related art, shown in FIG. 26, the
S-parameter magnitudes of the transfer characteristics S12C and
S21C are increased and the S-parameter magnitudes of the reflection
characteristics S11C and S22C are decreased when the frequency of
the millimeter-wave electrical signal is around 60 GHz. This
indicates that the transmission characteristic of the
millimeter-wave electrical signal can be enhanced. Based on this
feature, the semiconductor device 3 can carry out high-speed data
transmission involving little signal deterioration.
[0099] As above, in the semiconductor device 3 according to the
third embodiment, impedance matching of the transmission line 14 is
achieved by the resonant pattern 15 although a sealing resin is not
provided. This makes it possible to reduce reflection of the
millimeter-wave electrical signal transmitted through this
transmission line 14.
Fourth Embodiment
Configuration Example of Semiconductor Device 4
[0100] The present embodiment relates to a semiconductor device 4
having a printed board 35 provided with an antenna part 29. In this
fourth embodiment, the component having the same name and symbol as
those of the component in the above-described first embodiment has
the same function, and therefore description thereof is
omitted.
[0101] As shown in FIG. 16, the semiconductor device 4 according to
the present embodiment includes a circuit board 10 that processes a
millimeter-wave electrical signal and a transmission line 14 that
is connected to the circuit board 10 via a wire unit 12 and
transmits the electrical signal. In the transmission line 14, a
resonant pattern 15 having a symmetric shape with respect to the
transmission line 14 is provided. The semiconductor device 4
further includes an interposer substrate (hereinafter, referred to
as the substrate 25) on which the transmission line 14 is formed
and the printed board 35 having a third transmission line
(hereinafter, referred to as the transmission line 28) and the
antenna part 29.
[0102] The substrate 25 is equivalent to a component obtained by
omitting the antenna part 16 on the substrate 17 in the first
embodiment and providing a second via (hereinafter, referred to as
the via 27). On the surface of the printed board 35, the
transmission line 28 and the antenna part 29 are formed. The
transmission line 28 and the antenna part 29 are formed by using an
electrically-conductive metal such as copper or aluminum.
[0103] In the semiconductor device 4, the substrate 25 is placed on
a predetermined surface of the printed board 35. The printed board
35 and the substrate 25 are electrically connected to each other by
the via 27 in the substrate 25. The via 27 is formed by making a
hole from the upper surface to the lower surface of the substrate
25 and inserting an electrically-conductive material such as a
metal in this hole.
[0104] A millimeter-wave electrical signal is processed by the
circuit board 10, and the processed millimeter-wave electrical
signal is output to a terminal unit 13 on the substrate 25 via a
terminal unit 11 and the wire unit 12. The millimeter-wave
electrical signal output to the terminal unit 13 is transmitted
through the transmission line 14 in a predetermined direction. In
the transmission line 14, the resonant pattern 15 symmetric with
respect to the direction of the transmission line 14 is provided.
Impedance matching of the transmission line 14 is achieved by this
resonant pattern 15, and thus the transmission characteristic of
the millimeter-wave electrical signal can be enhanced. The
millimeter-wave electrical signal, whose transmission
characteristic is enhanced, is output to the transmission line 28
on the printed board 35 through the via 27. The millimeter-wave
electrical signal is transmitted through the transmission line 28
and output to the antenna part 29 at one end of the transmission
line 28. The antenna part 29 converts the output millimeter-wave
electrical signal to an electromagnetic wave signal and outputs the
signal to the external.
[0105] As above, in the semiconductor device 4 according to the
fourth embodiment, the millimeter-wave electrical signal is
transmitted by the transmission line 28 formed on the printed board
35, and therefore the flexibility of the configuration of the
antenna part 29 is high.
Fifth Embodiment
Configuration Example of Transmission System 5
[0106] The present embodiment relates to a transmission system 5
that employs two semiconductor devices 1 in the first embodiment
and allows transmission of a millimeter-wave between the
semiconductor devices. In this embodiment, the component having the
same name and numeral/symbol as those of the component in the
above-described first embodiment has the same function, and
therefore description thereof is omitted.
[0107] As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the transmission system 5
includes a first semiconductor device (hereinafter, referred to as
the semiconductor device 1A) and a second semiconductor device
(hereinafter, referred to as the semiconductor device 1B). Support
substrates 32 are provided under the semiconductor device 1A and on
the semiconductor device 1B. Support pillars 33 are provided at
four corners of the support substrates 32. The semiconductor
devices 1A and 1B are fixed to predetermined positions by the
support substrates 32 and the support pillars 33.
[0108] The semiconductor device 1A includes a first circuit board
(hereinafter, referred to as the circuit board 10A) and a first
interposer substrate (hereinafter, referred to as the substrate
17A). The circuit board 10A processes a millimeter-wave electrical
signal and outputs the processed millimeter-wave electrical signal
from a terminal unit 11A to the substrate 17A. The substrate 17A
has a first terminal unit (hereinafter, referred to as the terminal
unit 13A), a first transmission line (hereinafter, referred to as
the transmission line 14A), a first resonant pattern (hereinafter,
referred to as the resonant pattern 15A), and a first antenna part
(hereinafter, referred to as the antenna part 16A).
[0109] The transmission line 14A transmits the millimeter-wave
electrical signal processed by the circuit board 10A in a
predetermined direction (in FIG. 17, in the right direction). The
terminal unit 13A at one end of this transmission line 14A is
connected to the terminal unit 11A on the circuit board 10A via a
wire unit 12A. In the transmission line 14A, the resonant pattern
15A having a symmetric shape with respect to the direction of the
transmission line 14A, e.g. a circular shape, is provided. By this
resonant pattern 15A, impedance matching of the transmission line
14A is achieved, which makes it possible to reduce reflection of
the millimeter-wave electrical signal. The substrate 17A converts
the millimeter-wave electrical signal to an electromagnetic wave
signal D1 by the antenna part 16A provided at the other end of the
transmission line 14A, and outputs the electromagnetic wave signal
D1 to the semiconductor device 1B.
[0110] The semiconductor device 1B includes a second circuit board
(hereinafter, referred to as the circuit board 10B) and a second
interposer substrate (hereinafter, referred to as the substrate
17B). The substrate 17B has a second terminal unit (hereinafter,
referred to as the terminal unit 13B), a second transmission line
(hereinafter, referred to as the transmission line 14B), a second
resonant pattern (hereinafter, referred to as the resonant pattern
15B), and a second antenna part (hereinafter, referred to as the
antenna part 16B).
[0111] The substrate 17B receives the electromagnetic wave signal
D1 output from the antenna part 16A by the antenna part 16B, and
converts the received signal to a millimeter-wave electrical
signal. One end of the transmission line 14B is connected to the
antenna part 16B. The transmission line 14B transmits the
millimeter-wave electrical signal arising from the conversion by
the antenna part 16B in a predetermined direction (in FIG. 17, in
the left direction).
[0112] In the transmission line 14B, the resonant pattern 15B
having a symmetric shape with respect to the transmission line 14B,
e.g. a circular shape, is provided. By this resonant pattern 15B,
impedance matching of the transmission line 14B is achieved, which
makes it possible to reduce reflection of the millimeter-wave
electrical signal. The terminal unit 13B is provided at the other
end of the transmission line 14B. A wire unit 12B is connected to
the terminal unit 13B and to a terminal unit 11B on the circuit
board 10B. The millimeter-wave electrical signal transmitted
through the transmission line 14B is output from the terminal unit
13B on the substrate 17B to the terminal unit 11B via the wire unit
12B. The circuit board 10B executes signal processing for the
millimeter-wave electrical signal output to the terminal unit
11B.
[0113] As above, the transmission system 5 according to the fifth
embodiment includes the semiconductor devices 1A and 1B having the
resonant patterns 15A and 15B in the transmission lines 14A and
14B, respectively. Due to this configuration, impedance matching of
the transmission lines 14A and 14B is achieved by the resonant
patterns 15A and 15B, and these transmission lines 14A and 14B
transmit the electrical signal. Thus, the transmission system 5
capable of high-speed data transmission involving little signal
deterioration can be provided.
[0114] Although the present embodiment relates to the transmission
system that transmits the millimeter-wave electrical signal from
the semiconductor device 1A to the semiconductor device 1B, the
transmission system may be so configured that the millimeter-wave
electrical signal is transmitted from the semiconductor device 1B
to the semiconductor device 1A.
Sixth Embodiment
Configuration Example of Transmission System 6
[0115] The present embodiment relates to a transmission system 6
obtained by providing a dielectric transmission path 40 in the
above-described transmission system 5 for transmitting a
millimeter-wave between semiconductor devices. In this embodiment,
the component having the same name and symbol as those of the
component in the above-described fifth embodiment has the same
function, and therefore description thereof is omitted.
[0116] As shown in FIG. 19, the transmission system 6 includes
semiconductor devices 1A and 1B and the dielectric transmission
path 40. A chassis 31 is provided between the semiconductor device
1A and the semiconductor device 1B. The chassis 31 has a function
to fix the semiconductor devices 1A and 1B to predetermined
positions. The chassis 31 is formed by using e.g. an
electrically-insulating material such as a resin. The dielectric
transmission path 40 is provided inside the chassis 31, and the
dielectric transmission path 40 is located above an antenna part
16A of the semiconductor device 1A and below an antenna part 16B of
the semiconductor device 1B. The dielectric transmission path 40
has a predetermined dielectric constant and is provided by using
e.g. any of an acrylic resin-based, urethane resin-based, epoxy
resin-based, silicone-based, and polyimide-based dielectric
materials.
[0117] Viscoelastic members 30 are provided between the
semiconductor devices 1A and 1B and the chassis 31. The
viscoelastic member 30 has a predetermined dielectric constant and
is provided by using e.g. any of an acrylic resin-based, urethane
resin-based, epoxy resin-based, silicone-based, and polyimide-based
dielectric materials. It is preferable that the viscoelastic member
30 be composed of the same material as that of the dielectric
transmission path 40.
[0118] As described above for the fifth embodiment, an
electromagnetic wave signal D1 is output from the antenna part 16A
on a substrate 17A. In the present embodiment, the viscoelastic
member 30 and the dielectric transmission path 40 are provided
above the antenna part 16A with the intermediary of a sealing resin
18. The electromagnetic wave signal D1 output from the antenna part
16A passes through the viscoelastic member 30 and the dielectric
transmission path 40 and is received by the antenna part 16B on a
substrate 17B.
[Assembly Example of Transmission System 6]
[0119] A method for manufacturing the transmission system 6 will be
described below. The method is based on the premise that the
semiconductor devices 1A and 1B are fabricated by the method for
manufacturing the semiconductor device 1, described with FIGS. 7 to
9.
[0120] As shown in FIG. 20, for the manufacturing of the
transmission system 6, an adhesive (not shown) is applied on the
lower part of the substrate 17A of the semiconductor device 1A and
a support substrate 32 is set, to thereby fix the semiconductor
device 1A and the support substrate 32. Furthermore, an adhesive is
applied on the bottom surfaces of support pillars 33 and the
support pillars 33 are provided upright and fixed at four corners
of the upper surface of the support substrate 32. The viscoelastic
member 30 is placed on the sealing resin 18 for sealing the
substrate 17A. An adhesive may be provided between the viscoelastic
member 30 and the sealing resin 18. However, it is preferable to
use, as this adhesive, an adhesive composed of the same material as
that of the viscoelastic member 30.
[0121] As shown in FIG. 21, an adhesive (not shown) is applied on
the upper part of the substrate 17B of the semiconductor device 1B
and the support substrate 32 is set, to thereby fix the
semiconductor device 1B and the support substrate 32. Furthermore,
an adhesive is applied on the upper surfaces of the support pillars
33 and the support pillars 33 are provided upright and fixed at
four corners of the lower surface of the support substrate 32. The
viscoelastic member 30 is placed under the sealing resin 18 of the
semiconductor device 1B. An adhesive may be provided between the
viscoelastic member 30 and the sealing resin 18 similarly to the
above-described semiconductor device 1A.
[0122] As shown in FIG. 22, a hole 41 is made at a predetermined
place of the chassis 31 (place opposed to the antenna parts 16A and
16B of the semiconductor devices 1A and 1B) and the dielectric
transmission path 40 is inserted therein. The chassis 31 is
provided between the semiconductor device 1A described with FIG. 20
and the semiconductor device 1B described with FIG. 21. An adhesive
is applied between the support pillars 33 provided for the
semiconductor devices 1A and 1B and the chassis 31, and the
semiconductor devices 1A and 1B and the chassis 31 are fixed. An
adhesive may be applied between the viscoelastic members 30
provided for the semiconductor devices 1A and 1B and the chassis
31. In this case, it is preferable to use, as this adhesive, an
adhesive composed of the same material as that of the viscoelastic
members 30. In this manner, the transmission system 6 shown in FIG.
19 is fabricated.
[0123] As above, the transmission system 6 according to the sixth
embodiment includes the dielectric transmission path 40 and the
viscoelastic members 30 between the semiconductor devices 1A and
1B, and thus can transmit the millimeter-wave electrical signal via
the dielectric substances.
[0124] The present application contains subject matter related to
that disclosed in Japanese Priority Patent Application JP
2009-063564 filed in the Japan Patent Office on Mar. 16, 2009, the
entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
[0125] It should be understood by those skilled in the art that
various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations and
alterations may occur depending on design requirements and other
factors insofar as they are within the scope of the appended claims
or the equivalents thereof.
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