Integrated antennas and antenna arrays for millimetre-wave high data-rate communications

This paper reviews several demonstrations of millimetre-wave antennas for 60-GHz high data-rate communications and illustrates the wide variety of integration technologies available depending on the applications requirements: System-on-Chip integration enables the fabrication of low-cost and highly-integrated single-chip radios with low-gain antennas suitable for very short-range communications; System-in-Package integration on ceramic, silicon or BGA (Ball Grid Array) laminates offer a large choice of cost-effective solutions for the implementation of radio modules with single antennas or small antenna arrays; for very high-directivity antennas, innovative solutions such as flat discrete lens antennas can be realized at moderate cost using standard printed-board technologies. Finally, this paper presents a measurement set-up for probe-fed integrated antennas dedicated to the accurate characterization of low-gain quasi-omnidirectionnal antennas.