封装天线技术发展历程回顾

[摘要] 封装天线（AiP）是基于封装材料与工艺，将天线与芯片集成在封装内，实现系统级无线功能的一门技术。 AiP技术顺应了硅基半导体工艺集成度提高的潮流，为系统级无线芯片提供了良好的天线解决方案，因而深受广大芯片及封装制造商的青睐。AiP技术很好地兼顾了天线性能、成本及体积，代表着近年来天线技术的重要成就。另外，AiP技术将天线触角伸向集成电路（IC）、封装、材料与工艺等领域，倡导多学科协同设计与系统级优化。AiP技术已逐渐趋于成熟，在技术方面有很多论文和专利可供参考，但还没有一篇专门回顾AiP技术发展历程及其背后的故事，文章旨在填补这一方面的空白。将以AiP技术发展历程中起到重要推动作用的经典设计为例，加上自己亲身经历的故事，为大家勾勒出AiP技术发展的来龙去脉。

[关键词] 封装天线；射频芯片（RFIC）；移动通信；物联网

[Abstract] Antenna-in-Package (AiP) technology is an antenna solution technology that implements an antenna or antennas on (or in) an integrated circuit (IC) package that can carry a highly-integrated radio or radar transceiver die (or dies). Keeping with the trend of silicon semiconductor technologies, AiP technology provides elegant antenna solutions to radio-frequency system-on-chip. Hence, AiP technology has been widely adopted by chip makers for single-chip radios and radars. Having well balanced among performance, size, and cost, AiP technology represents an important antenna technology achievement in recent years. In addition, AiP knowledge is permeating from the antenna to packaging, IC, material, microwave, and wireless communication fields, AiP technology is getting matured. There are literally many papers and patents devoted to AiP technology. However, there is no paper about its development history. This paper aims to fill this void by reviewing those important design examples that have driven the development of AiP technology as we know today.

[Keywords] AiP; radio frequency IC (RFIC); mobile communications; Internet of things