A Terahertz CMOS V-Shaped Patch Antenna with Defected Ground Structure

Area of Science:

• Terahertz (THz) technology
• Antenna engineering
• Semiconductor device physics

Background:

• Standard complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) patch antennas exhibit limited performance due to thin dielectric layers and metal stacking.
• Terahertz frequencies pose challenges for on-chip antenna design, requiring innovative solutions for bandwidth and efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and validate a V-shaped patch antenna with a defected ground structure for improved terahertz performance.
• To overcome the limitations of conventional CMOS patch antennas at terahertz frequencies.
• To enhance antenna bandwidth, gain, and efficiency using novel structural modifications.

Main Methods:

• Design of a V-shaped patch antenna incorporating slots in the ground plane (Defected Ground Structure).
• Integration of an additional stacked patch for impedance-matching bandwidth enhancement.
• Electromagnetic simulations to analyze radiation characteristics and leakage wave effects.
• Fabrication using a standard 65 nm CMOS process and on-wafer measurement.

Main Results:

• Achieved a measured bandwidth greater than 28.7% (240 to >320 GHz) for an input reflection coefficient below -10 dB.
• Measured a peak gain of 5.48 dBi at 295 GHz.
• Demonstrated enhanced directivity and gain due to coherent interference from defected ground leakage waves.

Conclusions:

• The proposed V-shaped patch antenna with a defected ground structure offers superior performance compared to existing terahertz CMOS on-chip antennas.
• This design achieves excellent broadband characteristics and high gain without additional complex components or processes.
• The findings represent a significant advancement in on-chip antenna technology for terahertz communication and sensing applications.