Abstract: An antenna apparatus includes an antenna substrate with opposite first and second surfaces; and a PCB having opposite first and second surfaces. Antenna elements are disposed at the first surface of the antenna substrate. Electrically conductive columns, each having a first end attached to the second surface of the PCB and a second end attached to the second surface of the antenna substrate, secure the PCB to the antenna substrate and provide an electrical interconnect between the PCB and the antenna substrate. RFIC chips are each attached to the second surface of the antenna substrate and are coupled to the antenna elements. At least one circuit element is attached to the first surface of the PCB and electrically coupled to at least one of the RFIC chips through at least one of the electrically conductive columns.

Abstract: An antenna apparatus includes an antenna substrate having opposite first and second surfaces, and at least one antenna element disposed at the first surface. At least one radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) chip has a lower surface attached to the second surface of the antenna substrate and has an RF contact coupled to the at least one antenna element through the antenna substrate. The RFIC chip has an RF signal conductor at an upper surface thereof and beamforming circuitry coupled between the RF contact and the RF signal conductor. A transmission line section has a lower surface attached to the second surface of the antenna substrate, and has an upper surface at which a transmission line conductor is disposed and electrically connected to the RF signal conductor of the RFIC chip through an upper surface interconnect.

Abstract: Disclosed is an antenna apparatus including a first subassembly having a plurality of antenna elements, and a second subassembly adhered to the first subassembly. The second subassembly may include a plurality of components of a beamforming network encapsulated within a molding material. One or more interconnect layers may be disposed on the molding material to electrically couple the plurality of components of the beamforming network to the plurality of antenna elements. Methods of fabricating the antenna apparatus are also disclosed.

Abstract: An antenna apparatus includes a first component layer having a plurality of antenna elements forming an antenna array. A second component layer includes: (i) a plurality of RFICs coupled to the antenna elements, where each RFIC has active beamforming circuitry to adjust signals communicated with one or more of the antenna elements, and a portion of a first stage of a beamforming network (BFN); and (ii) an additional stage and a further stage of the BFN, each disposed externally of the RFICs. At least some of the RFICs include an intermediate amplifier coupled between the additional and further stages of the BFN.

Abstract: Disclosed is an antenna apparatus including a substrate having a cavity in a first outer surface thereof. The substrate has a sidewall defining a portion of the cavity, and a first edge contact is formed at the sidewall. An IC chip is disposed within the cavity and has a side surface facing the sidewall and a second edge contact formed on the side surface electrically connected to the first edge contact. An antenna element, disposed at a second outer surface of the substrate opposite the first outer surface, is electrically connected to RF circuitry within the IC chip through a conductive via extending within the substrate.

Abstract: Disclosed is an antenna apparatus including a first subassembly having a plurality of antenna elements, and a second subassembly adhered to the first subassembly. The second subassembly may include a plurality of components of a beamforming network encapsulated within a molding material. One or more interconnect layers may be disposed on the molding material to electrically couple the plurality of components of the beamforming network to the plurality of antenna elements. Methods of fabricating the antenna apparatus are also disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed is an antenna apparatus including a substrate having a cavity in a first outer surface thereof. The substrate has a sidewall defining a portion of the cavity, and a first edge contact is formed at the sidewall. An IC chip is disposed within the cavity and has a side surface facing the sidewall and a second edge contact formed on the side surface electrically connected to the first edge contact. An antenna element, disposed at a second outer surface of the substrate opposite the first outer surface, is electrically connected to RF circuitry within the IC chip through a conductive via extending within the substrate.

Abstract: Disclosed is an antenna apparatus including a radiating layer with a plurality of antenna elements forming an antenna array; a semiconductor wafer including multiple tiles each having beamforming circuits; and a multi-layer interposer. The multi-layer interposer may include: a lower dielectric layer adjacent to the substrate; an upper dielectric layer adjacent to the radiating layer; a metal layer between the lower and upper layers and including a plurality of conductive traces; a plurality of first vias extending through both the upper and lower layers and electrically coupling the beamforming circuits to the plurality of antenna elements; and a plurality of second vias extending between the beamforming circuits and the conductive traces to interconnect the tiles.

Abstract: Disclosed is an antenna apparatus including a first subassembly having a plurality of antenna elements, and a second subassembly adhered to the first subassembly. The second subassembly may include a plurality of components of a beamforming network encapsulated within a molding material. One or more interconnect layers may be disposed on the molding material to electrically couple the plurality of components of the beamforming network to the plurality of antenna elements. Methods of fabricating the antenna apparatus are also disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed is an antenna apparatus including a radiating layer with a plurality of antenna elements forming an antenna array; a semiconductor wafer including multiple tiles each having beamforming circuits; and a multi-layer interposer. The multi-layer interposer may include: a lower dielectric layer adjacent to the substrate; an upper dielectric layer adjacent to the radiating layer; a metal layer between the lower and upper layers and including a plurality of conductive traces; a plurality of first vias extending through both the upper and lower layers and electrically coupling the beamforming circuits to the plurality of antenna elements; and a plurality of second vias extending between the beamforming circuits and the conductive traces to interconnect the tiles.

Abstract: Disclosed is an antenna apparatus including a substrate having a cavity in a first outer surface thereof. The substrate has a sidewall defining a portion of the cavity, and a first edge contact is formed at the sidewall. An IC chip is disposed within the cavity and has a side surface facing the sidewall and a second edge contact formed on the side surface electrically connected to the first edge contact. An antenna element, disposed at a second outer surface of the substrate opposite the first outer surface, is electrically connected to RF circuitry within the IC chip through a conductive via extending within the substrate.

Abstract: Disclosed is an antenna apparatus including a first subassembly having a plurality of antenna elements, and a second subassembly adhered to the first subassembly. The second subassembly may include a plurality of components of a beamforming network encapsulated within a molding material. One or more interconnect layers may be disposed on the molding material to electrically couple the plurality of components of the beamforming network to the plurality of antenna elements. Methods of fabricating the antenna apparatus are also disclosed.

Abstract: A wireless data transfer system. The system includes a first hard disk, a first hard disk interface, and a first transmitter. The first hard disk interface is configured to retrieve first read data from the first hard disk and to create a first bit serial signal from the retrieved first read data. The first bit serial signal conforms to a protocol selected from the group consisting of serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) protocol and serial attached small computer system interface (SAS) protocol. The first transmitter is configured to operate at selected carrier frequency greater than 50 GHz, comprising, to operate at effective isotropic radiated power level less than or equal to 40 dBm, to receive the first bit serial signal from the first hard disk interface, to modulate the first bit serial signal using amplitude shift keying modulation to substantially create directly a first signal, and to transmit the first signal.

Abstract: A bi-directional transceiver (100) having reduced circuitry and that may be formed on a non-semiconductor substrate includes impedance matching and filtering circuitry (114, 116, 122, 124, 128, 132) coupled to a non-linear diode (118) for converting a lower frequency modulated signal to a higher frequency RF transmit signal and to function as a square-law detector to envelope detect RF signals. The non-linear diode (118) includes, in one exemplary embodiment, at least two insulative layers disposed between two conductive layers, wherein a quantum well is formed between the insulators that allows only high-energy tunneling.

Abstract: A substrate having two high frequency components positioned on substrates typically used for lower frequency devices. A coplanar strip transmission line, providing for transmission of high frequency signals, comprises first, second and third parallel, spaced conductive traces positioned on a surface of the substrate, wherein the substrate defines a first slot extending from the first surface into the substrate and between the first and second parallel, spaced conductive traces and a second slot extending from the first surface into the substrate and between the first and third parallel, spaced conductive traces. Optionally, an antenna is coupled to the coplanar strip transmission line and comprises first and second antenna traces, the substrate defining a third slot therebetween.

Abstract: A communication device (110, 210) has an antenna (150, 152, 250, 252) positioned on a multilayer substrate/printed circuit board (154, 254, 254?). A first high frequency material (116, 216) is disposed over a first side of the substrate (154, 254) characterized for low frequency devices. A conductive layer (118, 218) is patterned over the first high frequency material (116, 216), defining first and second circuit traces (122, 124, 222, 224) and first and second antenna traces (132, 134, 232, 234). The first and second antenna traces (132, 134, 232, 234) define a first slot (116, 216) in the first conductive layer (122, 222), which is aligned with a cutout (162, 262) defined by the substrate (154, 254). One of a transmitter (112, 212) and a receiver (114, 214) are disposed over the high frequency material (116, 216) and coupled to the edge emitting antenna (150, 250) by the first and second circuit traces (122, 124, 222, 224).

Abstract: An eyewear apparatus (100) has a first plurality of antennas (144, 142, 158) disposed thereon for transmitting a signal in a narrow beam (402), for example, with a directivity greater than 10 dBi, the signal comprising at least one of data and video. A microcomputer (126) is coupled to the first plurality of antennas for providing the signal thereto.

Abstract: A bi-directional transceiver (100) having reduced circuitry and that may be formed on a non-semiconductor substrate includes impedance matching and filtering circuitry (114, 116, 122, 124, 128, 132) coupled to a non-linear diode (118) for converting a lower frequency modulated signal to a higher frequency RF transmit signal and to function as a square-law detector to envelope detect RF signals. The non-linear diode (118) includes, in one exemplary embodiment, at least two insulative layers disposed between two conductive layers, wherein a quantum well is formed between the insulators that allows only high-energy tunneling.

Abstract: A wireless data transfer system. The system includes a first hard disk, a first hard disk interface, and a first transmitter. The first hard disk interface is configured to retrieve first read data from the first hard disk and to create a first bit serial signal from the retrieved first read data. The first bit serial signal conforms to a protocol selected from the group consisting of serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) protocol and serial attached small computer system interface (SAS) protocol. The first transmitter is configured to operate at selected carrier frequency greater than 50 GHz, comprising, to operate at effective isotropic radiated power level less than or equal to 40 dBm, to receive the first bit serial signal from the first hard disk interface, to modulate the first bit serial signal using amplitude shift keying modulation to substantially create directly a first signal, and to transmit the first signal.

Abstract: A communication device (310) is provided that includes a nano-sized RF antenna (100) having low power consumption and wide-range frequency spectrum based on bottom-up nanotechnology. The antenna (100) includes an insulator layer (110) positioned between a free magnetic layer (112) and a fixed magnetic layer (108). A DC voltage source (124) is coupled to the free magnetic layer (112) and the fixed magnetic layer (108) for providing a current (118) therethrough. A detector (126) is coupled between the antenna (100) and the DC voltage source (124) for detecting a change in the current (118) in response to a radiated signal being received by the antenna (100) which causes a change in the spin on electrons in the free magnetic layer (112).