Micromachined Loop Antennas on Low Resistivity Silicon Substrates

The integration of K-band (20-40 GHz) full wavelength square wire- and slot-loop antennas on low resistivity (11-70 Omegacm) silicon substrates is addressed. By the use of polymer or silicon oxide/nitride membranes to support the slot or wire loop over micromachined trenches the efficiency of the antennas is enhanced while the majority of the bulk silicon within the aperture of the antenna is preserved to enable the integration of active devices. A 3.6times3.6 mm² large slot loop antenna chip with 200 mum micromachined trench width yields 1.5 dBi gain at 29.5 GHz, while 1.0 dBi gain is obtained at 24 GHz for a wire loop antenna on a 4.5times4.5 mm² large chip with 360 mum wide trenches