Demonstration of Inter-Chip RF Data Transmission Using On-Chip Antennas in Silicon Photonics

This letter describes the design and the measurements of a 15 GHz monopole antenna implemented in silicon photonics for inter-chip communication. The antenna is designed in HFSS with its radiation pattern simulated. To confirm its operation and experimentally demonstrate inter-chip communication, the antenna is fabricated in a commercial Silicon Photonics fabrication process. Measurements include s-parameter using a vector network analyzer, and inter-chip data transmission between two on-chip antennas. The inter-chip data transmission is demonstrated using an off-chip photodetector directly as a transmitter as a proof-of-concept. Results indicate the feasibility of a monolithically integrated photodiode-antenna system as a transmitter.