3-D Antenna-in-Package Design with Metallic Coating Technique

In this paper, challenges associated with antenna integration in platforms such as wearable and IoT are discussed. Considering lightweight and low-cost devices that deliver high-quality RF performance, the antenna is a key part of the design. The proposed antenna-in-package (AiP) structure uses metallic coating technology to print antenna patterns at the surface of molding compound to simplify the manufacture of antenna and shielding structure. The antenna dimension is only 7mm(L) × 1.6mm(W) × 1mm(H) and the radiation efficiency can reach 29% when mounting in a 20mm × 20mm sized PCB. In practical applications, electromagnetic interference and signal coupling between the antenna and chip or package should be carefully designed to prevent de-sensitization problem. Thus, added shielding wall could be integrated to form one single shielding house for better RF performance. Considering the aforementioned electrical performance requirements, several key manufacture processes were presented and discussed based on the findings from measurement and simulation.