320 GHz InP-Based On-Chip Aperture Antenna With 10.1 dBi Gain by Using Open-Ended SIW Cavity

In this communication, a wideband and high-gain on-chip aperture antenna in indium phosphide (InP) technology operating at terahertz band is proposed. First, the four-sides-shorted substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) cavity of the aperture antenna is selectively opened, and the opening position is investigated to ensure that the antenna performance is insensitive to the chip size. Then, an improved aperture antenna with the enhancements of the peak value and flatness of the antenna gain is introduced, and its resonant modes, performance improvement mechanism, and working principle are illustrated. Moreover, the stair-shaped package with side walls is established to support the chip, meanwhile, further gain enhancement can be achieved by manipulating the electric current distribution on the package. Finally, a prototype of the proposed antenna is fabricated and assembled, and measured results agree with the simulation. The improved performances with 5.7% bandwidth and 10.1 dBi gain are simultaneously obtained, which demonstrates it a good candidate for terahertz transceiver.