# US 12,184,237 B2 · Surface-mount amplifier devices

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- Number: US 12,184,237 B2
- Document ID: US12184237B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/516,360
- Filed: 2021-11-01
- Published: 2023-05-04
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2021-11-01
- Assignees: NXP USA, Inc.
- Applicants: NXP USA, Inc.
- Inventors: Lu Ll; Li Ll; Lakshminarayan Viswanathan; Zhiwei Gong; Fernando A. Santos; Elie A. Maalouf; Eduard Jan Pabst
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12184237B2

## CPC

- H03F 1/0288: {using a main and one or several auxiliary peaking amplifiers whereby the load is connected to the main amplifier using an impedance inverter, e.g. Doherty amplifiers}
- H05K 1/0204: {using means for thermal conduction connection in the thickness direction of the substrate (H05K1/0207 takes precedence)}
- H03F 3/193: with field-effect devices (H03F3/195 takes precedence)
- H03F 3/195: in integrated circuits
- H03F 3/213: in integrated circuits
- H05K 1/021: {Components thermally connected to metal substrates or heat-sinks by insert mounting}
- H05K 1/183: associated with components mounted in and supported by recessed areas of the PCBs
- H10W 40/778: {in encapsulations}
- H10W 70/68: Shapes or dispositions thereof
- H05K 1/0237: {High frequency adaptations (H05K1/0216 takes precedence)}
- H05K 3/284: {for encapsulating mounted components (H05K1/185 takes precedence)}
- H05K 3/4697: {having cavities, e.g. for mounting components (H05K3/4691 takes precedence)}
- H05K 2201/10416: Metallic blocks or heatsinks completely inserted in a PCB
- H05K 2201/10969: Metallic case or integral heatsink of component electrically connected to a pad on PCB
- H10W 40/228: {the projecting parts being wire-shaped or pin-shaped}
- H10W 70/468: {Circuit boards}
- H10W 70/611: {for connecting multiple chips together}
- H10W 70/657: {on sidewalls or bottom surfaces of the package substrates, interposers or redistribution layers}
- H10W 70/685: comprising multiple insulating layers
- H10W 72/5445: {being orthogonal to a side surface of the chip, e.g. parallel arrangements}
- H10W 72/5475: {multiple bond wires connected to common bond pads at both ends of the wires}
- H10W 74/00: Encapsulations, e.g. protective coatings
- H10W 90/701: {characterised by the relative positions of pads or connectors relative to package parts}
- H10W 90/753: {between laterally-adjacent chips}
- H10W 90/754: {between a chip and a stacked insulating package substrate, interposer or RDL}
- H03F: AMPLIFIERS
- H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A device includes a package body including a central flange and an amplifier module mounted to the central flange of the surface-mount device. The amplifier module includes a module substrate mounted to the central flange. The module substrate includes a first die mount window, a first circuitry on a first surface of the module substrate, a second circuitry on the first surface of the module substrate, and a first amplifier die mounted on the central flange. The first amplifier die is at least partially disposed within the first die mount window and the first amplifier die is electrically connected to the first circuitry and the second circuitry. The first circuitry is electrically connected to a first lead of the package body and the second circuitry is electrically connected to a second lead of the package body.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system, comprising:
a system substrate having a top system substrate surface; and
a surface-mount device coupled to the top system substrate surface, wherein the surface-mount device includes:
a central thermal pad is configured to conduct heat to a heatsink, and
an amplifier module mounted to the central thermal pad of the surface-mount device, the amplifier module comprising:
a module substrate mounted to the central thermal pad;
a signal splitter mounted to a first surface of the module substrate, the signal splitter being configured to receive a radio frequency (RF) input signal at an input of the signal splitter and generate a first RF output signal and a second RF output signal;
a carrier amplifier mounted to the first surface of the module substrate in a first die mounting zone, the carrier amplifier being configured to receive the first RF output signal from the signal splitter and generate a first amplified RF output signal;
a peaking amplifier mounted to the first surface of the module substrate in a second die mounting zone, the peaking amplifier being configured to receive the second RF output signal from the signal splitter and generate a second amplified RF output signal; and
a combining node on the first surface of the module substrate, the combining node being configured to receive the first amplified RF output signal and the second amplified RF output signal and generate an amplifier output signal at an output terminal of the amplifier module.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the module substrate further comprises:
a first landing pad on a second surface of the module substrate, the second surface of the module substrate being opposite the first surface of the module substrate; and
a second landing pad on the second surface of the module substrate and wherein, the first landing pad is electrically connected to a first lead of the surface-mount device and the input of the signal splitter and the second landing pad is electrically connected to a second lead of the surface-mount device and the output terminal of the amplifier module.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the module substrate includes thermally conductive trenches extending from the first surface of the module substrate to a second surface of the module substrate, wherein the second surface is opposite the first surface and the thermally conductive trenches are formed within the first die mounting zone and the second die mounting zone.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3, wherein the carrier amplifier is thermally coupled to the thermally conductive trenches within the first die mounting zone by a first thermally conductive material and the peaking amplifier is thermally coupled to the thermally conductive trenches within the second die mounting zone by a second thermally conductive material.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3, wherein the system substrate includes a system substrate thermally conductive flange and the system substrate thermally conductive flange is thermally coupled to at least one of the thermally conductive trenches.

### Claim 6

A surface-mount device, comprising:
a package body including a central flange configured to conduct heat to a heatsink; and
an amplifier module mounted to the central flange of the surface-mount device, the amplifier module comprising:
a module substrate mounted to the central flange, the module substrate including a first die mount window,
a first circuitry on a first surface of the module substrate,
a second circuitry on the first surface of the module substrate, and
a first amplifier die mounted directly to the central flange, wherein the first amplifier die is at least partially disposed within the first die mount window and does not physically contact the module substrate and the first amplifier die is electrically connected to the first circuitry and the second circuitry, and wherein the first circuitry is electrically connected to a first lead of the package body and the second circuitry is electrically connected to a second lead of the package body.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The surface-mount device of claim 6, wherein the module substrate further comprises:
a first landing pad on a second surface of the module substrate, the second surface of the module substrate being opposite the first surface of the module substrate; and
a second landing pad on the second surface of the module substrate and wherein, the first landing pad is electrically connected to the first lead and the first circuitry and the second landing pad is electrically connected to the second lead and the second circuitry of the amplifier module.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The surface-mount device of claim 7, wherein the first lead and the second lead are selected from Quad Flat No-Lead (QFN) package leads, gull wing leads, Land Grid Array (LGA) package leads, and Ball Grid Array (BGA) package leads.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The surface-mount device of claim 6, wherein the first amplifier die is thermally coupled to the central flange by a first thermally conductive material.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The surface-mount device of claim 6, wherein the module substrate includes a second die mount window and further comprising a second amplifier die mounted to the central flange, wherein the second amplifier die is at least partially disposed within the second die mount window and the second amplifier die is electrically connected to the first circuitry and the second circuitry.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The surface-mount device of claim 10, wherein the first amplifier die includes a carrier amplifier of a Doherty amplifier device, and the second amplifier die includes a peaking amplifier of the Doherty amplifier device.

### Claim 12 (depends on 6)

The surface-mount device of claim 6, wherein the central flange includes a die attach pillar and the first amplifier die is mounted to the die attach pillar of the central flange.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The surface-mount device of claim 12, wherein a height of the die attach pillar is equal to a height of the module substrate minus a height of the first amplifier die.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The surface-mount device of claim 12, wherein the die attach pillar is formed integrally with the central flange.

### Claim 15 (depends on 6)

The surface-mount device of claim 6, wherein the central flange includes a thermally and electrically conductive material.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The surface-mount device of claim 15, wherein the first amplifier die is not in direct physical contact with the module substrate.

### Claim 17

A method of manufacturing a surface-mount device, comprising:
mounting a substrate to a central flange of the surface-mount device, wherein the central flange is configured to conduct heat to a heatsink, wherein the substrate includes a first circuitry and a second circuitry on a first surface of the substrate and a die mount window;
mounting a first amplifier die to the central flange through the die mount window; and
electrically connecting the first amplifier die to the first circuitry and the second circuitry.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein mounting the first amplifier die to the central flange includes disposing a thermally conductive die attach material between the first amplifier die and the central flange of the surface-mount device.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, further comprising:
electrically connecting the first circuitry to a first lead of the surface-mount device; and
electrically connecting the second circuitry to a second lead of the surface-mount device.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, further comprising overmolding the first circuitry, the second circuitry, and the first amplifier die.