Integrated on-chip antennas using CMOS circuit ground planes

Wireless communication is an alternative for increasing the chip-to-chip interconnects data rate. Integrated antennas are the most chip area demanding elements of an integrated wireless link. This work investigates the possibility of using the already available on-chip elements like the power supply metallization as a radiating structure, thus integrating the antennas without occupying significant chip area. The operation mode of such antennas is presented and various structures are investigated. The influence of the CMOS interconnects on the antennas has been studied. An experimental setup for verifying the properties the proposed antenna structures has been designed.