A 190 GHz Inset-Fed Patch Antenna in SiGe BEOL for On-Chip Integration

Abstract

This paper presents the design and characterization of an integrated rectangular patch antenna implemented in the back end of line (BEOL) of a 130 nm silicon germanium (SiGe) technology. The inset-fed antenna has a patch area of 0.19 mm2. To the knowledge of the authors, this is one of the smallest radiating element areas reported in literature for on-chip antennas at comparable frequencies. Electromagnetic simulations show a maximum antenna gain of 2.6 dBi and a directivity of 9.3 dBi. The measured resonance frequency of 192.3 GHz is in agreement with post-layout simulation results. Design challenges including impact of density fillers in integrated technologies are also discussed.