Characterization Techniques for Reconfigurable Reflectarray Unit Cells at 240 GHz

Reflectarrays and tunable surfaces receive increasing attention for wavefront engineering in the upper millimeter-wave range. As chip-based phase shifters can now be integrated with antenna elements, the performance verification at unit cell (UC) level is of great interest for a cost-efficient investigation of large-scale arrays. In this article, two UC designs with integrated phase shifter and on-chip antenna are evaluated experimentally at 240 GHz. For the first time, a single element is characterized above 100 GHz by applying the classic waveguide simulator technique. Since this method is mechanically problematic at high frequencies due to small dimensions and mechanical tolerances, an alternative approach involving a near-field probe is presented and investigated. The results for both measurement methods are compared and interpreted, assisted by full-wave simulations.