One-Antenna Radiation Pattern Measurement of On-Wafer Antennas in Probe Station Environment

Abstract

We propose and demonstrate the use of radiation pattern measurement method for on-wafer antennas for the first time that is capable of in-depth antenna characterization with limited equipment. This one-antenna method extracts gain without the need for a second antenna in the on-wafer probe station environment. A combination of reference reflector translation and rotation allows radiation pattern sampling at multiple angles enabling characterization over the relevant solid angle. Several microstrip patch antennas with varying beam directions (0˚, 20˚, and 30˚) were measured with the proposed method over 120˚ in the H-plane with good agreement between simulation and experiment. The method offers a cost-effective and time-efficient solution for probe-fed, on-wafer antenna radiation performance characterization.