Enhancement of Patch Antenna Gain by Means of Wire Bond Radiation Effect in W Band

Abstract

Wire bonds are one of the most common interconnects used in microelectronics. However, their application to monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs) may severely decrease the overall system performance due to the high transmission loss, radiation loss, and reflection mismatch. This paper presents a wire-bonded patch antenna designed to operate in the frequency range from 81 to 83 GHz, which is a part of the IEEE W band. Obtained results show that the proposed structure demonstrates two major advantages. Firstly, it does not require any external matching network; hence, it can be directly connected to a 50-ohm contact pad of an MMIC die. Secondly, the wire bond radiation effect enhances the patch antenna gain at the broadside direction.