# US 10,770,802 B2 · Antenna on a device assembly > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,770,802 B2 - Document ID: US10770802B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/933,552 - Filed: 2015-11-05 - Published: 2016-05-12 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2014-11-10 - Assignees: Qorvo US, Inc. - Applicants: RF Micro Devices, Inc. - Inventors: Alexander Wayne Hietala; Julio C. Costa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10770802B2 ## CPC - H01Q 19/10: using reflecting surfaces - H01Q 1/2283: {mounted in or on the surface of a semiconductor substrate as a chip-type antenna or integrated with other components into an IC package} - H01Q 1/243: {with built-in antennas} - H01Q 1/40: Radiating elements coated with or embedded in protective material - H01Q 9/0407: {Substantially flat resonant element parallel to ground plane, e.g. patch antenna (dipole H01Q9/285; monopole H01Q9/40)} - H01Q 21/065: {Patch antenna array} - H10W 20/423: {Shielding layers} - H10W 42/20: protecting against electromagnetic or particle radiation, e.g. light, X-rays, gamma-rays or electrons - H10W 44/20: at high-frequency [HF] or radio frequency [RF] - H10W 44/248: {for antennas} - H10W 72/252: {comprising solid metals or solid metalloids, e.g. PbSn, Ag or Cu} - H10W 90/724: {between a chip and a stacked insulating package substrate, interposer or RDL} - H01Q: ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS (radiators or antennas for microwave heating H05B6/72) - H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract Aspects disclosed in the detailed description include an antenna on a device assembly. A device assembly includes a silicon device layer having at least one antenna. The device assembly also includes a polymer substrate that is formed with insulating material that does not interfere with the at least one antenna in the silicon device layer. As a result, it is unnecessary to shield the at least one antenna from the polymer substrate, thus allowing radio frequency (RF) signals radiating from the at least one antenna to pass through the polymer substrate. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device assembly comprising: a polymer substrate having an upper surface and a lower surface; a silicon device layer disposed on the lower surface of the polymer substrate; at least one antenna provided in the silicon device layer, wherein radio frequency (RF) signals radiating from the at least one antenna pass through the polymer substrate; a metal ground shield separated from the polymer substrate by the silicon device layer; a metal mesh provided on the upper surface of the polymer substrate; and an attenuation switch having a first end coupled to the metal mesh and a second end coupled to the metal ground shield. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device assembly of claim 1 wherein the at least one antenna is planar and resides in a plane parallel to the silicon device layer. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The device assembly of claim 1 wherein the at least one antenna is a patch antenna. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The device assembly of claim 1 further comprising an oxide layer disposed between the lower surface of the polymer substrate and the silicon device layer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The device assembly of claim 1 wherein the silicon device layer comprises at least one first conducting layer and at least one second conducting layer disposed in parallel to the lower surface of the polymer substrate. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The device assembly of claim 5 further comprising one or more circuitries provided on the at least one first conducting layer and electrically coupled to the at least one antenna provided on the at least one second conducting layer. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The device assembly of claim 1 wherein the silicon device layer is mounted on an upper surface of a laminate region via a plurality of soldering bumps. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The device assembly of claim 7 wherein the RF signals radiating from the at least one antenna pass through the laminate region. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The device assembly of claim 7 wherein the laminate region comprises at least one conducting layer that forms the metal ground shield to reflect the RF signals radiating from the at least one antenna. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The device assembly of claim 9 wherein the metal ground shield has a coverage area encompassing the at least one antenna. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The device assembly of claim 9 wherein the at least one antenna comprises one or more planar inverted-F antennas (PIFAs) having a shorting post electrically coupled to the metal ground shield in the laminate region. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The device assembly of claim 9 wherein the metal mesh is provided on the upper surface of the polymer substrate and configured to control radiation patterns of the RF signals radiating from the at least one antenna and the RF signals reflected by the metal ground shield. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The device assembly of claim 12 wherein the attenuation switch is configured to: couple the metal mesh to the metal ground shield to attenuate the RF signals radiating from the at least one antenna and the RF signals reflected by the metal ground shield when the attenuation switch is closed; and decouple the metal mesh from the metal ground shield to not attenuate the RF signals radiating from the at least one antenna and the RF signals reflected by the metal ground shield when the attenuation switch is open. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The device assembly of claim 1 wherein the at least one antenna comprises one or more antennas that are driven by varying phase and amplitude to form an electrically-steerable antenna array. ### Claim 15 A device assembly comprising: a polymer substrate having an upper surface and a lower surface; a laminate region having an upper surface and a lower surface; a silicon device layer disposed between the lower surface of the polymer substrate and the upper surface of the laminate region; at least one antenna provided in the silicon device layer wherein radio frequency (RF) signals radiating from the at least one antenna pass through the polymer substrate and the laminate region; and a metal ground shield separated from the polymer substrate by the silicon device layer; a metal mesh provided on the upper surface of the polymer substrate; and an attenuation switch having a first end coupled to the metal mesh and a second end coupled to the metal ground shield. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The device assembly of claim 15 wherein the laminate region comprises at least one conducting layer that forms the metal ground shield to reflect the RF signals radiating from the at least one antenna. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The device assembly of claim 16 wherein the metal ground shield has a coverage area encompassing the at least one antenna. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The device assembly of claim 16 wherein the metal mesh is configured to control radiation patterns of the RF signals radiating from the at least one antenna and the RF signals reflected by the metal ground shield. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The device assembly of claim 18 wherein the attenuation switch is configured to: couple the metal mesh to the metal ground shield to attenuate the RF signals radiating from the at least one antenna and the RF signals reflected by the metal ground shield when the attenuation switch is closed; and decouple the metal mesh from the metal ground shield to not attenuate the RF signals radiating from the at least one antenna and the RF signals reflected by the metal ground shield when the attenuation switch is open.