阅读说明：本技术 高频模块以及通信装置 (High-frequency module and communication device ) 是由 中泽克也 上嶋孝纪 津田基嗣 竹松佑二 中川大 原田哲郎 武部正英 松本直也 祐森义 于 2019-08-07 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明提供抑制了功率放大器的放大特性的劣化的高频模块。高频模块(1)具备：发送功率放大器(11)，由级联连接的放大晶体管(110P)以及(110D)构成；以及安装基板(90)，具有相互背向的主面(90a)以及(90b)，并在主面(90a)安装有发送功率放大器(11)，放大晶体管(110P)配置于最后一级，并具有发射极端子(112P)，放大晶体管(110D)配置于比放大晶体管(110P)靠前一级，并具有发射极端子(112D)，安装基板(90)按距离主面(90a)从近到远的顺序具有地线电极层(93g)～(96g)，发射极端子(112P)与发射极端子(112D)不经由主面(90a)上的电极电连接，并且不经由地线电极层(93g)电连接。(The invention provides a high-frequency module which suppresses deterioration of amplification characteristics of a power amplifier. A high-frequency module (1) is provided with: a transmission power amplifier (11) composed of cascade-connected amplification transistors (110P, 110D); and a mounting substrate (90) having principal surfaces (90a) and (90b) facing away from each other, wherein the transmission power amplifier (11) is mounted on the principal surface (90a), the amplification transistor (110P) is disposed at the last stage and has an emitter terminal (112P), the amplification transistor (110D) is disposed at the stage before the amplification transistor (110P) and has an emitter terminal (112D), the mounting substrate (90) has ground electrode layers (93g) to (96g) in order from the near side to the far side from the principal surface (90a), and the emitter terminal (112P) and the emitter terminal (112D) are not electrically connected via the electrodes on the principal surface (90a) and are not electrically connected via the ground electrode layer (93 g).)

1. A high-frequency module is provided with:

a power amplifier including a plurality of amplification elements connected in cascade; and

a mounting board having a first main surface and a second main surface facing away from each other, the power amplifier being mounted on the first main surface,

the plurality of amplification elements include:

a first amplifying element disposed at the last stage of the plurality of amplifying elements and having a first ground terminal; and

a second amplifying element disposed at a stage before the first amplifying element and having a second ground terminal,

the mounting substrate has a plurality of ground electrode layers substantially parallel to the first main surface inside, and includes first to nth ground electrode layers in order from a near side to a far side from the first main surface, where n is an integer of 2 or more,

the first ground terminal and the second ground terminal are not electrically connected to each other via the electrode on the first main surface and the first ground electrode layer on the mounting substrate.

2. The high frequency module of claim 1,

the first ground terminal and the second ground terminal are not connected to each other through the plurality of ground electrode layers of the mounting board.

3. The high frequency module according to claim 1 or 2,

the mounting board has a via conductor which is elongated in a plan view of the mounting board,

the first ground terminal and the via conductor are connected to each other on the first main surface.

4. The high frequency module according to claim 1 or 2,

the high-frequency module further includes a connection electrode connected to a surface of the power amplifier,

the mounting board has a via conductor which is elongated in a plan view of the mounting board,

the connection electrode and the via hole conductor are connected to each other on the first main surface.

5. The high frequency module of claim 4,

the connection electrode is a first bump electrode having an elongated shape in the plan view,

the first bump electrode and the via conductor are aligned with each other in the longitudinal direction in the plan view, and are connected to an overlapping region of the first bump electrode and the via conductor, the overlapping region being longer in at least the longitudinal direction in the plan view.

6. The high frequency module of claim 5,

the first amplification element includes a bipolar transistor having a base terminal, a collector terminal, and an emitter terminal, and configured to cause a drive current to flow from the collector terminal to the emitter terminal,

the emitter terminal is the first ground terminal.

7. The high frequency module of claim 6,

further comprising a second bump electrode connected to the surface of the power amplifier,

the second bump electrode is connected to at least one of the base terminal and the collector terminal,

the first bump electrode has an area larger than an area of the second bump electrode in the plan view.

8. The high frequency module of claim 5,

the first amplification element includes a field effect transistor having a gate terminal, a drain terminal, and a source terminal, and configured to cause a drive current to flow from the drain terminal to the source terminal,

the source terminal is the first ground terminal.

9. The high frequency module of claim 8,

further comprising a second bump electrode connected to the surface of the power amplifier,

the second bump electrode is connected to at least one of the gate terminal and the drain terminal,

the first bump electrode has an area larger than an area of the second bump electrode in the plan view.

10. The high-frequency module according to any one of claims 5 to 9,

the first bump electrode is a pillar electrode mainly composed of copper.

11. The high-frequency module according to any one of claims 5 to 10,

the mounting board further includes a non-conductor portion which is a main body of the mounting board and which is in contact with an outer periphery of the via hole conductor,

the first bump electrode includes a region that does not overlap the via conductor and overlaps the non-conductor portion in the plan view.

12. A communication device is provided with:

an RF signal processing circuit for processing the high frequency signal transmitted and received by the antenna element; and

the high-frequency module according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the high-frequency signal is transmitted between the antenna element and the RF signal processing circuit.

Technical Field

The invention relates to a high-frequency module and a communication device.

Background

In mobile communication devices such as mobile phones, particularly, with the progress of multi-band, it is necessary to mount circuit elements constituting a high-frequency front-end circuit at high density. When circuit elements are mounted at high density, a measure for dissipating heat from the amplifier circuit and passive elements through which high-frequency signals output from the amplifier circuit pass is important.

Patent document 1 discloses a power amplification module including a semiconductor chip including a power amplification circuit and a wiring board on which the semiconductor chip is mounted. The bump electrode connected to the source of the semiconductor chip is formed in a so-called stripe shape in which a plurality of ball bumps are connected in a long shape. With this configuration, the power amplifier module can dissipate heat generated from the power amplifier circuit from the bump electrode connected to the source to the rear surface terminal of the wiring substrate through the plurality of source via holes (VH1S to VH3S) provided in the wiring substrate.

Patent document 1: japanese patent application laid-open No. 2010-267944

Generally, for ground reinforcement and heat dissipation reinforcement of a power amplifier circuit, it is effective to connect a ground terminal of the power amplifier circuit to a ground electrode layer in a wiring substrate.

However, a power amplifier is assumed to be configured by a plurality of stages of amplifying elements connected in cascade, and particularly, a high-power high-frequency signal output from the amplifying element of the last stage (power stage) is routed to the amplifying element of the previous stage (drive stage) via the ground electrode layer in the wiring substrate. In this case, since the high-frequency signal that has bypassed the amplifying element of the previous stage (driving stage) becomes a noise signal, the amplification characteristic of the power amplifier deteriorates.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide a high-frequency module and a communication device in which deterioration of amplification characteristics of a power amplifier is suppressed.

In order to achieve the above object, a high-frequency module according to an aspect of the present invention includes: a power amplifier including a plurality of amplification elements connected in cascade; and a mounting substrate having a first main surface and a second main surface facing away from each other, the power amplifier being mounted on the first main surface, the plurality of amplification elements including: a first amplifying element disposed at the last stage of the plurality of amplifying elements and having a first ground terminal; and a second amplifier element which is disposed at a stage before the first amplifier element and has a second ground terminal, wherein the mounting substrate has a plurality of ground electrode layers substantially parallel to the first main surface inside, the first ground electrode layer to the nth ground electrode layer (n is an integer of 2 or more) are provided in order from the first main surface to the distant side, and the first ground terminal and the second ground terminal are not electrically connected to each other via the electrode on the first main surface and are not electrically connected to each other via the first ground electrode layer on the mounting substrate.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a high-frequency module and a communication device in which deterioration of the amplification characteristic of a power amplifier is suppressed.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a circuit configuration of a high-frequency module according to an embodiment.

Fig. 2A is a circuit configuration diagram of a power amplifier included in the high-frequency module according to the embodiment.

Fig. 2B is a schematic plan view showing a circuit arrangement of the high-frequency module according to the embodiment.

Fig. 3A is a schematic cross-sectional view of a high-frequency module according to an embodiment.

Fig. 3B is a schematic sectional view and a schematic plan view showing an installation arrangement of a power amplifier included in the high-frequency module according to the embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a high-frequency module according to a modification of the embodiment.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention and modifications thereof will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments and modifications described below are general or specific examples. The numerical values, shapes, materials, constituent elements, arrangement of constituent elements, connection modes, and the like shown in the following embodiments and modifications thereof are examples, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Among the components in the following embodiments and modifications thereof, those not recited in the independent claims are described as arbitrary components. The sizes of the components shown in the drawings and the ratio of the sizes are not necessarily strict.

In the following embodiments and modifications thereof, the phrase "a and B are connected" is defined to mean (1) that a and B are in direct contact with each other or (2) that a and B are in contact with each other via a conductive film (a and B are in contact with the front surface and the back surface of the conductive film, respectively). In addition, "a and B are electrically connected" is defined to include a case where a and B may not be in direct contact and a and B are connected indirectly via a conductive wiring.

In the following embodiments and modifications thereof, among A, B and C mounted on a substrate, "C is disposed between a and B in a plan view of the substrate (or a main surface of the substrate)" is defined as meaning that at least a part of a C region projected in a plan view of the substrate is superimposed on a line connecting an arbitrary point in a region a projected in a plan view of the substrate and an arbitrary point in a region B projected in a plan view of the substrate.

(embodiment mode)

[1 Circuit configuration of high-frequency Module and communication device ]

Fig. 1 is a circuit configuration diagram of a high-frequency module 1 according to the embodiment. As shown in the figure, the communication device 5 includes a high-frequency module 1, an antenna element 2, an RF signal processing circuit (RFIC)3, and a baseband signal processing circuit (BBIC) 4.

The RFIC3 is an RF signal processing circuit that processes high-frequency signals transmitted and received by the antenna element 2. Specifically, the RFIC3 performs signal processing on the high-frequency reception signal input via the reception signal path of the high-frequency module 1 by down-conversion or the like, and outputs the reception signal generated by the signal processing to the BBIC 4. The RFIC3 performs signal processing on the transmission signal input from the BBIC4 by up-conversion or the like, and outputs the high-frequency transmission signal generated by the signal processing to the transmission signal path of the high-frequency module 1.

The BBIC4 is a circuit that performs signal processing using an intermediate frequency band having a lower frequency than the high-frequency signal propagating through the high-frequency module 1. The signal processed by the BBIC4 is used as an image signal for image display or as a sound signal for making a call via a speaker, for example.

The RFIC3 also has a function as a control unit that controls the connection of the switches 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, and 56 included in the high-frequency module 1 based on the communication band (band) used. Specifically, the RFIC3 switches the connection of the switches 51 to 56 included in the high-frequency module 1 by a control signal (not shown). The control unit may be provided outside the RFIC3, for example, may be provided in the high frequency module 1 or the BBIC 4.

The antenna element 2 is connected to the common terminal 100 of the high-frequency module 1, radiates a high-frequency signal output from the high-frequency module 1, receives an external high-frequency signal, and outputs the signal to the high-frequency module 1.

In the communication device 5 according to the present embodiment, the antenna element 2 and the BBIC4 are not essential components.

Next, the detailed structure of the high-frequency module 1 will be explained.

As shown in fig. 1, the high-frequency module 1 includes a common terminal 100, transmission power amplifiers 11 and 12, reception low-noise amplifiers 21 and 22, transmission filters 61T, 62T, 63T, and 64T, reception filters 61R, 62R, 63R, and 64R, a transmission/output matching circuit 30, a reception/input matching circuit 40, matching circuits 71, 72, 73, and 74, switches 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, and 56, a coupler 80, and a coupler output terminal 180.

The common terminal 100 is connected to the antenna element 2.

The transmission power amplifier 11 is a power amplifier that amplifies high-frequency signals of the communication band a and the communication band B belonging to the first band group. The transmission power amplifier 12 is a power amplifier that amplifies high-frequency signals in the communication band C and the communication band D belonging to the second band group on the high-frequency side of the first band group.

The transmission power amplifier 11 has an input terminal 114 and an output terminal 111, and a first amplifier 11P and a second amplifier 11D. The first amplifier 11P and the second amplifier 11D are connected between the input terminal 114 and the output terminal 111, and are connected in cascade (series) with each other. The first amplifier 11P is disposed at the last stage, and the second amplifier 11D is disposed at a stage before the first amplifier 11P.

The transmission power amplifier 12 has an input terminal 124 and an output terminal 121, and a first amplifier 12P and a second amplifier 12D. The first amplifier 12P and the second amplifier 12D are connected between the input terminal 124 and the output terminal 121, and are connected in cascade (series) with each other. The first amplifier 12P is disposed at the last stage, and the second amplifier 12D is disposed at a stage before the first amplifier 12P.

Fig. 2A is a circuit configuration diagram of transmission power amplifier 11 according to the embodiment. The transmission power amplifier 11 has a structure including 2-stage amplification transistors cascade-connected to each other. As shown in fig. 2A, the transmission power amplifier 11 has a first amplifier 11P and a second amplifier 11D.

The first amplifier 11P includes an amplifying transistor 110P, capacitors 115P and 116P, a bias circuit 117P, a collector terminal 113P, an emitter terminal 112P, an input terminal 114P, and an output terminal 111.

The amplification transistor 110P is a first amplification element disposed in the last stage (power stage) of the plurality of amplification transistors, and is, for example, a bipolar transistor of a grounded emitter type having a collector, an emitter, and a base, and amplifies a high-frequency current input to the base and outputs the amplified high-frequency current from the collector. The amplification transistor 110P may be a field-effect transistor having a drain (corresponding to a collector), a source (corresponding to an emitter), and a gate (corresponding to a base).

The second amplifier 11D includes an amplifying transistor 110D, capacitors 115D and 116D, a bias circuit 117D, a collector terminal 113D, an emitter terminal 112D, an input terminal 114, and an output terminal 111D.

The amplification transistor 110D is a second amplification element disposed at a stage (driver stage) before the amplification transistor 110P disposed at the last stage, and is, for example, a bipolar transistor of emitter-grounded type having a collector, an emitter, and a base, and amplifies a high-frequency current input to the base and outputs the amplified current from the collector. The amplification transistor 110D may be a field-effect transistor having a drain (corresponding to a collector), a source (corresponding to an emitter), and a gate (corresponding to a base).

The capacitor 115P is a DC-cut capacitive element, and has a function of preventing a direct current from leaking to the input terminal 114P by a direct current bias voltage applied to the base from the bias circuit 117P. The capacitor 115D is a DC-cut capacitive element, and has a function of preventing a direct current from leaking to the input terminal 114 by a direct current bias voltage applied to a base from the bias circuit 117D.

The capacitor 116P is a DC-cut capacitive element, has a function of removing a DC component of the high-frequency amplified signal superimposed with the DC bias voltage, and the high-frequency amplified signal from which the DC component is removed is output from the output terminal 111. The capacitor 116D is a DC-cut capacitive element, has a function of removing a DC component of the high-frequency amplified signal superimposed with the DC bias voltage, and the high-frequency amplified signal from which the DC component is removed is output from the output terminal 111D.

The bias circuit 117P is connected to the base of the amplification transistor 110P, and has a function of optimizing the operating point of the amplification transistor 110P by applying a bias voltage to the base. The bias circuit 117D is connected to the base of the amplification transistor 110D, and has a function of optimizing the operating point of the amplification transistor 110D by applying a bias voltage to the base.

Here, the emitter terminal 112P is a first ground terminal for electrically connecting the first amplifier 11P with a ground. The emitter terminal 112D is a second ground terminal for electrically connecting the second amplifier 11D with a ground line.

In other words, the amplifying transistor 110P is a first amplifying element having a first ground terminal and disposed at the last stage of the plurality of amplifying transistors, and the amplifying transistor 110D is a second amplifying element having a second ground terminal and disposed at the previous stage of the amplifying transistor 110P.

According to the above-described circuit configuration of the transmission power amplifier 11 according to the present embodiment, the high frequency signal RFin input from the input terminal 114 becomes the base current Ib1 flowing from the base to the emitter of the amplifying transistor 110D. The base current Ib1 is amplified by the amplifying transistor 110D to be the collector current Icc1, and a high-frequency signal corresponding to the collector current Icc1 is output from the output terminal 111D (input terminal 114P). Further, the high-frequency signal amplified by the amplifying transistor 110D becomes a base current Ib2 flowing from the base to the emitter of the amplifying transistor 110P via the input terminal 114P. The base current Ib2 is amplified by the amplifying transistor 110P to be the collector current Icc2, and a high-frequency signal corresponding to the collector current Icc2 is output from the output terminal 111. At this time, a current obtained by adding the base current Ib1 and the collector current Icc1 flows from the emitter terminal 112D to the ground. A large current obtained by adding base current Ib2 and collector current Icc2 flows from emitter terminal 112P to ground.

The amplifying transistors 110P and 110D are each formed of, for example, a field effect transistor of a CMOS (Complementary metal oxide Semiconductor) including Si, a field effect transistor made of GaAs, or a bipolar transistor as described above. Further, the high-frequency module 1 can be manufactured at low cost by constituting the amplifying transistor 110D, which does not require power processing, by a CMOS including Si. On the other hand, the amplifying transistor 110P having a high power level of the high-frequency transmission signal is made of a GaAs-based material, and can output the high-frequency transmission signal having high-quality amplification characteristics and noise characteristics.

Further, the amplifying transistor 110D which does not require power processing may be integrated into one chip by a CMOS including Si, together with the switches 51 to 55, and a control unit which controls the connection of the switches 51 to 55 and the amplification factors of the transmission power amplifier 11 and the reception low noise amplifier 21. This can reduce the size of the high-frequency module 1.

In the present embodiment, each of the transmission power amplifiers 11 and 12 is configured by a 2-stage amplification element, but may be configured by an amplification element having 3 or more stages. In this case, the amplifier transistor disposed at the last stage among the plurality of amplifier transistors is a first amplifier element, and the amplifier transistor disposed at the stage before the first amplifier element is a second amplifier element.

Transmission power amplifier 12 also has the same circuit configuration as transmission power amplifier 11 and has the same function as transmission power amplifier 11.

The reception low-noise amplifier 21 is a low-noise amplifier that amplifies high-frequency signals in the communication band a and the communication band B with low noise. The reception low-noise amplifier 22 is a low-noise amplifier that amplifies high-frequency signals in the communication band C and the communication band D with low noise.

The reception low-noise amplifiers 21 and 22 are formed of, for example, CMOS, or field-effect transistors or bipolar transistors made of GaAs.

The transmission filter 61T is electrically connected to the output terminal of the transmission power amplifier 11 via the transmission output matching circuit 30 and the switch 51, and passes the high-frequency transmission signal of the transmission frequency band of the communication frequency band a among the high-frequency transmission signals amplified by the transmission power amplifier 11. The transmission filter 62T is electrically connected to the output terminal of the transmission power amplifier 11 via the transmission output matching circuit 30 and the switch 51, and passes the high-frequency transmission signal of the transmission frequency band of the communication frequency band B among the high-frequency transmission signals amplified by the transmission power amplifier 11. The transmission filter 63T is electrically connected to the output terminal of the transmission power amplifier 12 via the transmission output matching circuit 30 and the switch 52, and passes the high-frequency transmission signal of the transmission frequency band of the communication frequency band C among the high-frequency transmission signals amplified by the transmission power amplifier 12. The transmission filter 64T is electrically connected to the output terminal of the transmission power amplifier 12 via the transmission output matching circuit 30 and the switch 52, and passes the high-frequency transmission signal of the transmission frequency band of the communication frequency band D among the high-frequency transmission signals amplified by the transmission power amplifier 12.

The reception filter 61R is electrically connected to the input terminal of the reception low noise amplifier 21 via the reception input matching circuit 40 and the switch 53, and passes a high frequency reception signal of the reception band of the communication band a among the high frequency reception signals input from the common terminal 100. The reception filter 62R is electrically connected to the input terminal of the reception low noise amplifier 21 via the reception input matching circuit 40 and the switch 53, and passes a high frequency reception signal in the reception frequency band of the communication frequency band B among the high frequency reception signals input from the common terminal 100. The reception filter 63R is electrically connected to the input terminal of the reception low noise amplifier 22 via the reception input matching circuit 40 and the switch 54, and passes a high frequency reception signal of the reception frequency band of the communication frequency band C among the high frequency reception signals input from the common terminal 100. The reception filter 64R is electrically connected to the input terminal of the reception low noise amplifier 22 via the reception input matching circuit 40 and the switch 54, and passes a high frequency reception signal in the reception frequency band of the communication frequency band D among the high frequency reception signals input from the common terminal 100.

The transmission filters 61T to 64T and the reception filters 61R to 64R may be any of, for example, a surface Acoustic Wave filter, an elastic Wave filter using BAW (Bulk Acoustic Wave), an LC resonance filter, and a dielectric filter, and are not limited to these.

The transmission filter 61T and the reception filter 61R constitute a duplexer 61 having a communication band a as a pass band. The transmission filter 62T and the reception filter 62R constitute a duplexer 62 having a communication band B as a pass band. The transmission filter 63T and the reception filter 63R constitute a duplexer 63 having a communication band C as a pass band. The transmission filter 64T and the reception filter 64R constitute a duplexer 64 having a communication band D as a pass band.

The transmission output matching circuit 30 has matching circuits 31 and 32. Matching circuit 31 is disposed in a transmission path connecting transmission power amplifier 11 and transmission filters 61T and 62T, and performs impedance matching between transmission power amplifier 11 and transmission filters 61T and 62T. The matching circuit 32 is disposed in a transmission path connecting the transmission power amplifier 12 and the transmission filters 63T and 64T, and performs impedance matching between the transmission power amplifier 12 and the transmission filters 63T and 64T.

The reception input matching circuit 40 has matching circuits 41 and 42. The matching circuit 41 is disposed in a reception path connecting the reception low noise amplifier 21 and the reception filters 61R and 62R, and performs impedance matching between the reception low noise amplifier 21 and the reception filters 61R and 62R. The matching circuit 42 is disposed in a reception path connecting the reception low noise amplifier 22 and the reception filters 63R and 64R, and performs impedance matching between the reception low noise amplifier 22 and the reception filters 63R and 64R.

Switch 51 is disposed on a transmission path connecting matching circuit 31 and transmission filters 61T and 62T, and switches between electrical connection between transmission power amplifier 11 and transmission filter 61T and electrical connection between transmission power amplifier 11 and transmission filter 62T. Switch 52 is disposed on a transmission path connecting matching circuit 32 and transmission filters 63T and 64T, and switches between electrical connection between transmission power amplifier 12 and transmission filter 63T and electrical connection between transmission power amplifier 12 and transmission filter 64T. The switch 53 is disposed on a reception path connecting the matching circuit 41 and the reception filters 61R and 62R, and switches between electrical connection between the reception low noise amplifier 21 and the reception filter 61R and electrical connection between the reception low noise amplifier 21 and the reception filter 62R. The switch 54 is disposed on a reception path connecting the matching circuit 42 and the reception filters 63R and 64R, and switches between electrical connection of the reception low noise amplifier 22 and the reception filter 63R and electrical connection of the reception low noise amplifier 22 and the reception filter 64R.

The switch 55 is disposed on a signal path connecting the common terminal 100 and the transmission filters 61T to 64T and the reception filters 61R to 64R, and switches (1) electrical connection between the common terminal 100 and the transmission filters 61T and 61R, (2) electrical connection between the common terminal 100 and the transmission filters 62T and 62R, (3) electrical connection between the common terminal 100 and the transmission filters 63T and 63R, and (4) electrical connection between the common terminal 100 and the transmission filters 64T and 64R. The switch 55 is a multi-connection type switch circuit capable of simultaneously performing 2 or more connections of the above-described (1) to (4).

The matching circuit 71 is disposed on a path connecting the switch 55, the transmission filter 61T, and the reception filter 61R. The matching circuit 72 is disposed on a path connecting the switch 55 and the transmission filter 62T and the reception filter 62R. The matching circuit 73 is disposed on a path connecting the switch 55, the transmission filter 63T, and the reception filter 63R. The matching circuit 74 is disposed on a path connecting the switch 55, the transmission filter 64T, and the reception filter 64R.

The coupler 80 and the switch 56 are circuits that monitor the power strength of the high-frequency signal transmitted between the common terminal 100 and the switch 55, and output the monitored power strength to the RFIC3 or the like via the coupler output terminal 180.

According to the above circuit configuration, the high-frequency module 1 can simultaneously transmit, simultaneously receive, and simultaneously transmit/receive at least one of a high-frequency signal in any one of the communication bands a and B and a high-frequency signal in any one of the communication bands C and D.

The transmission filters 61T to 64T, the reception filters 61R to 64R, the transmission power amplifier 12, the reception low noise amplifiers 21 and 22, the matching circuits 31, 32, 41, 42, 71 to 74, the couplers 80, the switches 51 to 56, and the coupler output terminal 180 are not essential components of the high frequency module of the present invention. In other words, the high-frequency module 1 according to the present embodiment is a circuit that transmits a high-frequency signal in the communication band a, and is characterized by a connection structure between the transmission power amplifier 11 and a mounting board (shown in fig. 3A and 3B) on which the transmission power amplifier 11 is mounted.

[2 Circuit element arrangement Structure of high-frequency Module 1 ]

Fig. 2B is a schematic plan view showing the circuit arrangement of the high-frequency module 1 according to the embodiment. Fig. 3A is a schematic cross-sectional view of the high-frequency module 1 according to the embodiment. Fig. 3B is a schematic sectional view and a schematic plan view showing the mounting arrangement of the transmission power amplifier 11 included in the high-frequency module 1 according to the embodiment. More specifically, fig. 3A is a sectional view taken along line IIIA-IIIA of fig. 2B, fig. 3B (B) is a plan view of a main surface 90a of an area Ap where the transmission power amplifier 11 of fig. 2B is mounted, and fig. 3B (a) is a sectional view taken along line IIIB-IIIB of fig. 3B (B).

As shown in fig. 2B and 3A, the high-frequency module 1 according to the present embodiment includes a mounting substrate 90 and a resin member 70 in addition to the circuit configuration shown in fig. 1.

The mounting substrate 90 is a substrate having a main surface 90a (first main surface) and a main surface 90b (second main surface) facing away from each other, and on which the circuit element shown in fig. 1 is mounted. As the mounting substrate 90, for example, a multilayer substrate made of resin, a Low Temperature Co-fired ceramic (LTCC) multilayer substrate made of a plurality of dielectric layers, or the like is used.

The resin member 70 is disposed on the main surface 90a of the mounting substrate 90, covers the circuit element mounted on the main surface 90a and the main surface 90a of the mounting substrate 90, and has a function of securing reliability such as mechanical strength and moisture resistance of the circuit element. The resin member 70 is not an essential component of the high-frequency module according to the present invention.

As shown in fig. 2B and 3A, in the high-frequency module 1 according to the present embodiment, the transmission power amplifiers 11 and 12, the reception low-noise amplifiers 21 and 22, the duplexers 61 to 64, the matching circuits 31, 32, 41, and 42, and the switches 51, 52, and 55 are mounted on the surface of the main surface 90a of the mounting substrate 90. The transmission power amplifier 12, the reception low noise amplifiers 21 and 22, the duplexers 61 to 64, the matching circuits 31, 32, 41, and 42, and the switches 51, 52, and 55 may be mounted on the main surface 90b of the mounting substrate 90. Although the switch 56, the matching circuits 71 to 74, and the coupler 80 are not shown in fig. 2B, they may be surface-mounted on either of the main surfaces 90a and 90B of the mounting board 90, or may be internally provided in the mounting board 90.

The matching circuit 31 includes an inductor 31L and a capacitor 31C. Matching circuit 32 includes an inductor 32L and a capacitor 32C. The matching circuit 41 includes an inductor 41L and a capacitor 41C. The matching circuit 42 includes an inductor 42L and a capacitor 42C.

As shown in fig. 2B, in a case where the mounting substrate 90 is viewed in plan, the transmission power amplifiers 11 (the first amplifier 11P and the second amplifier 11D) and the transmission power amplifiers 12 (the first amplifier 12P and the second amplifier 12D), the matching circuits 31 and 32, and the transmission circuit elements of the switches 51 and 52 are arranged in a left region of the mounting substrate 90. On the other hand, the receiving circuit elements that receive the low noise amplifiers 21 and 22 and the matching circuits 41 and 42 are disposed in the right side area of the mounting substrate 90. When the main surface 90a of the mounting substrate 90 is viewed in plan, the duplexers 61 to 64 are disposed between (in the central region of) the transmission circuit element and the reception circuit element. Thus, since the transmission system circuit and the reception system circuit of the high-frequency module 1 are disposed separately with the duplexer interposed therebetween, the isolation between the transmission system circuit and the reception system circuit can be improved.

As shown in fig. 3A and 3B, the high-frequency module 1 further includes a bump electrode 13P (first bump electrode) and a bump electrode 13D which are connected to the transmission power amplifier 11 and have an elongated shape in a plan view of the surface. The transmission power amplifier 11 (the first amplifier 11P and the second amplifier 11D) is mounted on the main surface 90a of the mounting substrate 90. As shown in fig. 2A, the first amplifier 11P and the second amplifier 11D have emitter terminals 112P (first ground terminals) and 112D (second ground terminals), respectively. As shown in fig. 3B (B), the emitter terminal 112P of the first amplifier 11P is connected to the bump electrode 13P, and the emitter terminal 112D of the second amplifier 11D is connected to the bump electrode 13D.

The mounting substrate 90 includes via hole conductors 91P and 91D having a long and narrow shape in a plan view of the mounting substrate 90. The bump electrode 13P is connected to the via conductor 91P, and the bump electrode 13D is connected to the via conductor 91D.

Further, as shown in fig. 3A, the mounting substrate 90 has a plurality of ground electrode layers substantially parallel to the main surface 90a inside, and the ground electrode layer 93g (first ground electrode layer), the ground electrode layer 94g (second ground electrode layer), the ground electrode layer 95g (third ground electrode layer), and the ground electrode layer 96g (fourth ground electrode layer) are arranged in order from near to far from the main surface 90 a. Further, the mounting substrate 90 has a ground electrode layer 93 formed on the main surface 90 b. The mounting substrate 90 may have 2 or more ground electrode layers inside thereof.

Here, as shown in fig. 3B (a), the via conductor 91D is connected to the ground electrode layers 93g and 94g, whereas the via conductor 91P is not connected to the ground electrode layer 93g of the first layer but connected to the ground electrode layer 94g of the second layer.

In other words, the high-frequency module 1 according to the present embodiment includes: a transmission power amplifier 11 configured by a plurality of amplifying transistors 110P (first amplifying element) and 110D (second amplifying element) connected in cascade; and a mounting substrate 90 having principal surfaces 90a (first principal surface) and 90b (second principal surface), and having the transmission power amplifier 11 mounted on the principal surface 90 a. The amplifying transistor 110P is disposed at the last stage and has an emitter terminal 112P (first ground terminal). The amplifying transistor 110D is disposed at a stage prior to the amplifying transistor 110P, and has an emitter terminal 112D (second ground terminal). The mounting substrate 90 includes, in its interior, a ground electrode layer 93g (first ground electrode layer), a ground electrode layer 94g (second ground electrode layer), a ground electrode layer 95g (third ground electrode layer), and a ground electrode layer 96g (fourth ground electrode layer) in order from near to far from the main surface 90 a. Here, emitter terminal 112P and emitter terminal 112D are not electrically connected via an electrode on main surface 90a, and are not electrically connected via ground electrode layer 93g of the first layer.

Generally, for ground reinforcement and heat dissipation reinforcement of the transmission power amplifier circuit, it is effective to connect a ground terminal of the transmission power amplifier circuit to a ground electrode layer in a mounting substrate. However, in order to achieve high power output, a case is assumed where a transmission power amplifier is configured by a plurality of stages of amplifying transistors connected in cascade, and in particular, a high-power high-frequency signal generated by the amplifying transistor of the last stage (power stage) is routed to the amplifying transistor of the previous stage (driving stage) via a ground electrode layer in the mounting substrate. In this case, since the high-frequency signal that has passed around the amplifying transistor of the previous stage (driving stage) becomes noise in the amplifying transistor of the previous stage (driving stage), the amplification characteristics of the transmission power amplifier deteriorate.

In contrast, according to the above configuration of the high-frequency module 1 according to the present embodiment, the emitter terminal 112P as the ground terminal of the amplifier transistor 110P and the emitter terminal 112D as the ground terminal of the amplifier transistor 110D are not electrically connected to each other through the electrode on the main surface 90a and the ground electrode layer 93g of the first layer on the mounting substrate 90. Therefore, the ground terminal of the amplifying transistor 110P and the ground terminal of the amplifying transistor 110D are not electrically connected to each other by the shortest path formed in the vicinity of the surface layer of the main surface 90a of the mounting substrate 90 among the paths passing through the mounting substrate 90, and therefore the electrical path between the ground terminals can be extended. Therefore, a high-power, high-frequency signal output from the amplifying transistor 110P of the last stage (power stage) is sufficiently attenuated even if it propagates in the ground wiring and flows into the amplifying transistor 110D of the driver stage. Therefore, since the intrusion of the noise signal from the first amplifier 11P of the power stage to the second amplifier 11D of the driver stage can be suppressed, the deterioration of the amplification characteristics of the transmission power amplifier 11 and the high-frequency module 1 can be suppressed.

In the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 3B (a), the emitter terminal 112P of the first amplifier 11P and the emitter terminal 112D of the second amplifier 11D are electrically connected to each other on the mounting substrate 90 not via the electrode on the main surface 90a, and not via the ground electrode layer 93g of the first layer, but via the ground electrode layer 94g of the second layer. In contrast, emitter terminal 112P and emitter terminal 112D may not be electrically connected via any ground electrode layer of mounting substrate 90. In this case, emitter terminal 112P and emitter terminal 112D are electrically connected to, for example, an external substrate disposed to face main surface 90b of mounting substrate 90. Thus, since the intrusion of the noise signal from the first amplifier 11P of the power stage to the second amplifier 11D of the driver stage can be suppressed to the maximum in the high-frequency module 1, the deterioration of the amplification characteristics of the transmission power amplifier 11 and the high-frequency module 1 can be suppressed to the maximum.

Further, the bump electrodes 13P and 13D and the via hole conductors 91P and 91D may not be elongated, and may be substantially circular, for example. The bump electrodes 13P and 13D may not be bumps, and may be connection electrodes disposed on the surface of the transmission power amplifier 11.

Further, bump electrodes 13P and 13D may not be provided, emitter terminal 112P and via hole conductor 91P may be directly connected, and emitter terminal 112D and via hole conductor 91D may be directly connected. In other words, emitter terminal 112P and via conductor 91P may be connected to each other on main surface 90a, and emitter terminal 112D and via conductor 91D may be connected to each other on main surface 90 a.

In the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 3B (B), the bump electrode 13P and the via conductor 91P are aligned in the longitudinal direction in the plan view, and are connected to at least the overlapping region of the bump electrode 13P and the via conductor 91P, which are long in the longitudinal direction, in the plan view. Here, the alignment in the longitudinal direction is not limited to a state in which the longitudinal direction of the via conductor 91P is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the bump electrode 13P, and includes a state in which the angle formed by the longitudinal direction of the via conductor 91P and the longitudinal direction of the bump electrode 13P is 45 degrees or less. The long overlapping region is a region in which the long region in the longitudinal direction in the region of the bump electrode 13P in a plan view overlaps with the long region in the longitudinal direction in the region of the via conductor 91P in a plan view. The bump electrode 13D and the via conductor 91D are aligned in the longitudinal direction in the plan view, and at least the bump electrode 13D, which is long in the longitudinal direction in the plan view, is connected to the overlapping region of the via conductor 91D.

The elongated shape is a shape elongated in one direction, and the longitudinal direction is the one direction.

Thus, the elongated bump electrode 13P and the elongated via conductor 91P are connected to overlap over the entire length in the plan view, so that the contact area between the bump electrode 13P and the via conductor 91P is increased as compared with the conventional case, and the volumes of the bump electrode 13P and the via conductor 91P are also increased. Further, since the elongated bump electrode 13D and the elongated via conductor 91D are connected to overlap over the entire longitudinal direction in the plan view, the contact area between the bump electrode 13D and the via conductor 91D is larger than that in the conventional art, and since the bump electrode 13D and the via conductor 91D have elongated shapes, the volumes of the bump electrode 13D and the via conductor 91D are also increased. Therefore, the heat dissipation performance of the high-frequency module 1 can be improved.

The bump electrodes 13P and 13D are, for example, columnar electrodes mainly composed of copper (Cu). Thus, the bump electrodes 13P and 13D can be easily formed into the above-described elongated shape by an electrolytic or electroless plating method or the like, and the thermal resistance can be reduced as compared with other metal materials. Therefore, the manufacturing process can be simplified and the heat dissipation can be further improved.

As shown in fig. 2A, the first amplifier 11P includes an amplifying transistor 110P, capacitors 115P and 116P, a bias circuit 117P, a collector terminal 113P, an emitter terminal 112P, an input terminal 114P, and an output terminal 111. The amplifying transistor 110P is a bipolar transistor of a grounded emitter type having a collector, an emitter, and a base, but may be a field effect transistor having a drain (corresponding to the collector), a source (corresponding to the emitter), and a gate (corresponding to the base).

The second amplifier 11D includes an amplifying transistor 110D, capacitors 115D and 116D, a bias circuit 117D, a collector terminal 113D, an emitter terminal 112D, an input terminal 114, and an output terminal 111D. The amplifying transistor 110D is a bipolar transistor of a grounded emitter type having a collector, an emitter, and a base, but may be a field effect transistor having a drain (corresponding to the collector), a source (corresponding to the emitter), and a gate (corresponding to the base).

In the present embodiment, all of the bump electrode 13P connected to the emitter terminal 112P, the via conductor 91P, the bump electrode 13D connected to the emitter terminal 112D, and the via conductor 91D have an elongated shape in the plan view. Preferably, the bump electrode 13P and the via conductor 91P are elongated in comparison with the bump electrode 13D and the via conductor 91D. This can preferentially increase the heat radiation performance of the first amplifier 11P that outputs high power, and thus efficiently radiate heat from the high-frequency module 1.

As shown in fig. 3A and 3B, the high-frequency module 1 according to the present embodiment further includes a bump electrode 14P (second bump electrode) connected to the first amplifier 11P, and a bump electrode 14D connected to the second amplifier 11D. The bump electrode 14P is connected to at least one of the output terminal 111 and the collector terminal 113P of the first amplifier 11P, and the bump electrode 14D is connected to at least one of the output terminal 111D and the collector terminal 113D of the second amplifier 11D. The bump electrode 14P is connected to a substantially circular via conductor 92P provided on the mounting substrate 90, and the bump electrode 14D is connected to a substantially circular via conductor 92D provided on the mounting substrate 90. Here, the area of the bump electrode 13P (first bump electrode) is larger than the area of the bump electrode 14P (second bump electrode) in the plan view. Accordingly, the area of the bump electrode 13P in plan view, through which a large current flows, is larger than the area of the bump electrode 14P in plan view, through which a high-frequency signal or the power supply voltage Vcc is applied, and therefore the heat dissipation of the first amplifier 11P can be optimized.

Here, the area of the bump electrode 13D is larger than the area of the bump electrode 14D in the plan view. Accordingly, the area of the bump electrode 13D in the plan view is larger than the area of the bump electrode 14D to which the high-frequency signal or the power supply voltage Vcc is applied in the plan view, and therefore, the heat dissipation performance of the second amplifier 11D can be optimized.

In the high-frequency module 1 according to the present embodiment, the bump electrode 13P and the via conductor 91P completely overlap in the plan view (the via conductor 91P includes the bump electrode 13P in the plan view), and the bump electrode 13D and the via conductor 91D completely overlap in the plan view (the via conductor 91D includes the bump electrode 13D in the plan view). In contrast, the bump electrode 13P and the via conductor 91P may be aligned in the longitudinal direction in the plan view, a partial region of the bump electrode 13P may overlap the via conductor 91P, and another region of the bump electrode 13P may overlap the non-conductor portion of the mounting substrate 90. Further, the bump electrode 13D and the via conductor 91D may be aligned in the longitudinal direction in the plan view, a partial region of the bump electrode 13D may overlap the via conductor 91D, and another region of the bump electrode 13D may overlap a non-conductor portion of the mounting substrate 90.

The non-conductor portion of the mounting board 90 is a main body of the mounting board 90 that contacts the outer periphery of the via conductor in the plan view. For example, when the mounting board 90 is a multilayer board made of resin, the non-conductor portion of the mounting board 90 is a resin component constituting the main body of the multilayer board. When the mounting substrate 90 is an LTCC substrate, the non-conductor portion is a ceramic member constituting a main body of the LTCC substrate.

In other words, the bump electrode 13P may include a region not overlapping the via conductor 91P but overlapping the non-conductor portion in the plan view. The bump electrode 13D may include a region not overlapping the via conductor 91D but overlapping the non-conductor portion in the plan view.

The elongated via hole conductors 91P and 91D are formed by, for example, first forming holes in the mounting substrate 90 by laser or the like and then filling conductor members (e.g., conductive paste) such as silver (Ag) or copper (Cu) with the holes. Since the elongated via hole conductors 91P and 91D are not in a perfect circle shape in the plan view, the conductor filling amount in the via hole inner peripheral region may be smaller than that in the via hole outer peripheral region when the conductor member is filled when the via hole conductors 91P and 91D are formed. Therefore, it is assumed that a recess is more likely to be formed in the main surface 90a of the mounting substrate 90 in the via inner peripheral region than in the via outer peripheral region, and it is difficult to ensure flatness of the via conductors 91P and 91D in the main surface 90a of the mounting substrate 90. On the other hand, the non-conductor portion surrounding the via hole conductors 91P and 91D in the plan view ensures flatness on the main surface 90a of the mounting substrate 90.

This improves heat dissipation of the high-frequency module by the connection between the bump electrode 13P and the via conductor 91P, and ensures flatness of the transmission power amplifier 11 on the mounting substrate 90 by the connection between the bump electrode 13P and the bump electrode 13D and the non-conductor portion.

Further, since it is not necessary to completely overlap the bump electrode and the via conductor, the arrangement positions of the via conductors 91P and 91D on the mounting substrate 90 can be freely selected to some extent, and the heat dissipation area in the mounting substrate 90 can be changed. In particular, the via hole conductors 91P and 91D can be disposed apart from a member or the like having a large characteristic change due to heat, and the electrical characteristics of the high-frequency module can be stabilized.

The area of the via hole conductors 91P and 91D on the main surface 90a may be smaller than the area of the bump electrodes 13P and 13D. Thus, the via hole conductors 91P and 91D can be downsized, and thus the degree of freedom in wiring design inside the mounting substrate 90 can be improved.

Fig. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a high-frequency module 1A according to a modification of the embodiment. The high-frequency module 1A according to the present modification is different from the high-frequency module 1 of the embodiment only in the configuration of the bump electrode connected to the first amplifier 11P and the via conductor connected to the bump electrode. Hereinafter, the high-frequency module 1A according to the present modification will be described centering on differences from the high-frequency module 1 according to the embodiment, with descriptions of the same points as those of the high-frequency module 1 according to the embodiment omitted.

As shown in fig. 4, the first amplifier 11P is mounted on the main surface 90a of the mounting substrate 90. The first amplifiers 11P respectively have emitter terminals 112P, and the emitter terminals 112P are connected to the bump electrodes 13a, 13b, 13c, and 13 d. The bump electrodes 13a to 13d each have a substantially circular shape in the plan view and are discretely arranged along the x-axis direction.

The mounting substrate 90 has via hole conductors 91a, 91b, 91c, and 91 d. The via hole conductors 91a to 91d each penetrate the mounting substrate 90, and have a substantially circular shape in the plan view, and are discretely arranged along the x-axis direction.

Here, the bump electrode 13a is connected to the via conductor 91a, the bump electrode 13b is connected to the via conductor 91b, the bump electrode 13c is connected to the via conductor 91c, and the bump electrode 13d is connected to the via conductor 91 d.

Here, in the high-frequency module 1A according to the present modification, the emitter terminal 112P and the emitter terminal 112D are electrically connected to each other on the mounting substrate 90 without passing through the electrode on the main surface 90a and without passing through the ground electrode layer 93g of the first layer. This can suppress the intrusion of the noise signal from the first amplifier 11P of the power stage to the second amplifier 11D of the driver stage, and thus can suppress the deterioration of the amplification characteristics of the transmission power amplifier 11 and the high-frequency module 1A.

The via conductors 91a to 91d may be one via conductor having a long and narrow shape in the plan view inside the mounting substrate 90. In other words, the via hole conductors 91A to 91d and the elongated via hole conductors may be individually set in each layer of the mounting substrate 90 in accordance with the heat dissipation and ground reinforcement required for the high-frequency module 1A.

In the high-frequency module according to the above-described embodiment and the modifications thereof, the bump electrodes 13P and 13D having the elongated shapes are bump electrodes connected to the transmission power amplifier 11, but the bump electrodes 13P and 13D having the elongated shapes may be bump electrodes connected to the transmission power amplifier 12.

(other embodiments, etc.)

The high-frequency module and the communication device according to the present embodiment have been described above by taking the embodiment and the modifications thereof as examples, but the high-frequency module and the communication device according to the present invention are not limited to the embodiment and the modifications thereof. Other embodiments in which arbitrary constituent elements of the above-described embodiment and modifications thereof are combined, modifications to the above-described embodiment and modifications thereof that are obtained by applying various modifications that occur to those skilled in the art within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention, and various devices incorporating the above-described high-frequency module and communication device are also included in the present invention.

For example, in the high-frequency module and the communication device according to the above-described embodiments and the modifications thereof, other circuit elements, wirings, and the like may be inserted between the paths connecting the circuit elements and the signal paths disclosed in the drawings.

The present invention is widely applicable to communication devices such as mobile phones as a high-frequency module disposed at a tip corresponding to a multiband.

Description of the reference numerals

1. 1a … high frequency module; 2 … antenna element; 3 … RF signal processing circuit (RFIC); 4 … baseband signal processing circuit (BBIC); 5 … a communication device; 11. 11A, 12 … transmit power amplifiers; 11D, 12D … second amplifier; 11P, 12P … first amplifier; 13a, 13b, 13c, 13D, 13P, 14D, 14P … bump electrodes; 21. 22 … receives a low noise amplifier; 30 … sending out matching circuit; 31. 32, 41, 42, 71, 72, 73, 74 … matching circuits; 31C, 32C, 41C, 42C … capacitors; 31L, 32L, 41L, 42L … inductors; 40 … receiving an input matching circuit; 51. 52, 53, 54, 55, 56 … switches; 61. 62, 63, 64 … duplexers; 61R, 62R, 63R, 64R … receiving filters; 61T, 62T, 63T, 64T … transmit filters; 70 … resin member; an 80 … coupler; 90 … mounting a substrate; 90a, 90b … major faces; 91a, 91b, 91c, 91D, 91P, 92D, 92P … via conductors; 93 … a back ground electrode layer; 93g, 94g, 95g, 96g … ground electrode layer; 100 … common terminal; 110D, 110P … amplifying transistors; 111. 111D, 121 … output terminals; 112D, 112P … emitter terminals; 113D, 113P … collector terminals; 114. 114P, 124 … input terminals; 115D, 115P, 116D, 116P … capacitors; 117D, 117P … bias circuits; 180 … coupler output terminal.