Assessment of a Contactless Characterization Method for Integrated Antennas

Determining the input reflection coefficient of integrated antennas using over-the-air measurements under near-field conditions

“…The key aspect of the CCM is that if a different load is connected to the AUT, this will only affect the latter reflection. By performing three measurements with three different known loads connected to the AUT, the reflection coefficient of the AUT can be retrieved, as shown in [12][13][14][15][16]. Typically, the three different known loads are a short, open, and a load having an impedance equal to the characteristic impedance of the system.…”

“…Performing a calibration results in down-time of the measurement system, hence requiring calibration is disadvantageous for high-volume testing. In [12][13][14][15][16], a similar contactless method has been used. With this method, only the reflection coefficient of the antenna can be determined, but no calibration procedure is required.…”

“…ICs are usually manufactured in a clean room, making the use of common RF absorbers in an IC testing facility not practical, if not impossible. It is experimentally verified in [16], that the use of an anechoic chamber is not a necessity to acquire accurate results using this contactless characterization method (CCM), making this CCM attractive for high-volume testing.…”

“…In [12][13][14][15][16], the reported separation between the measurement antenna and the antenna-under-test (AUT) has always been larger than the far-field distances of either antenna. However, reducing the separation between the antennas will potentially relief dynamic range requirements of measurement equipment and would allow for more compact testing solutions.…”