On Chip Antenna Measurement: A Survey of Challenges and Recent Trends

Exponential increase in the requirements of cost effective and highly compact wireless modules has put system-on-chip (SoC) technology in high demand. On-chip-antenna (OCA) is an integral component of SoC-based wireless communication systems and has emerged as a perfect candidate for plethora of promising applications, especially at millimeter wave and terahertz frequencies. OCAs also support compact and low power applications of wireless sensor networks and Internet-of-Things. Since OCAs are manufactured on a single substrate along with other components, therefore their successful realization is subject to several challenges; the most significant of which is their accurate measurement. OCA's precise characterization is considered to be one of the toughest challenges to overcome since traditional off-chip antenna measurement setups are not suitable for this job. This calls for innovative measurement techniques, setups and solutions to enable their true characterization. Inspired by the significance of OCA characterization, this paper presents a comprehensive survey of the key recent developments in the field of OCA measurements. The techniques used to measure conventional off-chip antennas are briefly outlined followed by a succinct description of OCA's characterization challenges. The most recent trends and techniques of OCA measurement are expansively compiled. Some avenues for future trends in this regards are also delineated. It is anticipated that the presentation of this review will inspire the research community to come up with the novel methods and proposals to facilitate the OCA characterization process.