Measurement techniques for integrated-circuit slot antennas

Techniques for on-wafer integrated antenna measurement are presented. Two novel techniques and associated apparatus are developed specifically for the measurement of input impedance and radiation pattern of 20 GHz to 30 GHz slot antennas integrated onto GaAs wafers. Both draw upon equipment already used for nonradiating integrated circuits, i.e., a wafer-prober system, but involve significant modifications. The resulting setups are validated using a numerical electromagnetic analysis tool which shows the effect of the measurement fixtures on the experimental results. Finally, some examples of measured data are given to illustrate the usefulness of the techniques.