Packaged antenna and method for producing same

Abstract

Electronic apparatus having an antenna chip with a substrate and an antenna structure, and a method of producing the same. The antenna chip is integrated or packaged in a package having a chip mounting surface for mounting the antenna chip, and an encapsulating material. The encapsulating material typically is a plastic mold used in the industrial packaging of integrated circuits. Between the antenna structure and the chip mounting surface, a first void is disposed in the substrate.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a chip comprising a semiconductor substrate and an antenna structure provided at a front side of the chip;   a chip package comprising an encapsulating material; and   a void arranged in the semiconductor substrate below the antenna structure, wherein the apparatus is configured to provide radiation in the direction of the front side of the chip.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a vertical projection of the void onto the antenna structure has substantially the same largest diameter as the largest diameter of the antenna structure or a larger diameter than the largest diameter of the antenna structure. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the largest dimension of the shape of the first void, as projected vertically on the antenna structure, is approximately ten percent larger than the largest dimension of the antenna 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a high frequency circuit that is integrated in the chip.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the antenna structure has a size smaller than 2 mm 2 . 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a chip package comprising an encapsulating material and a chip mounting structure, wherein the chip is mounted with a backside to the chip mounting structure.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a high frequency circuit chip, which is mounted to the chip mounting structure.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a further void in the encapsulating material, wherein the antenna structure is arranged between the void and the further void.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a cap covering the antenna structure at the front side of the chip; and   a further void disposed between the antenna structure and the cap; wherein the antenna structure is arranged between the void and the further void.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the encapsulation material has a form of an encapsulating lid that is not in direct contact with the antenna chip to form the further void is formed. 
     
     
         11 . An apparatus comprising:
 a chip comprising a semiconductor substrate and an antenna structure provided on a front side of the chip;   a chip package comprising an encapsulating material and a chip mounting structure, wherein the chip is mounted with a backside to the chip mounting structure;   a void in the semiconductor substrate; and   a further void in the encapsulating material, wherein the antenna structure is arranged between the void and the further void, wherein the apparatus is configured to provide radiation in the direction of the back side of the chip.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a cap that is placed on the antenna structure at the front side of the chip, the cap having a conducting inner surface to reflect radiation emitted from the antenna structure.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the cap has a height that is a quarter of an operating wavelength of the radiation emitted from the antenna structure. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the chip mounting structure comprises at least one opening adjacent to the void in the semiconductor substrate to allow radiation being emitted in the direction of the back side of the chip. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the chip package further comprising a lead frame, which forms the chip mounting structure. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a high frequency circuit that is integrated in the chip.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a high frequency circuit chip, which is mounted to the chip mounting structure.