Miniaturisation of UHF IoT antennas for On-Package integration

Abstract:
The miniaturization of antennas for the Internet of Things (IoT) represents a major technological challenge, aiming to reduce antenna size while maintaining optimal communication performance. This evolution enables the design of more compact and efficient IoT devices, which are essential for ubiquitous and discreet wireless connectivity in various environments. However, miniature antennas face fundamental physical limitations in terms of bandwidth, gain, and efficiency. These three parameters have been theoretically linked to the electrical size of the antenna, thereby defining the insurmountable performance bounds of electrically small antennas.

In this seminar, following a contextual introduction, the theoretical description of these limits will first be revisited, with a particular focus on recent advancements concerning the fundamental bounds on radiation efficiency. The presentation will then detail a research approach aimed at optimizing the performance of a cubic antenna designed for integration on an RF chip package. Two fabricated and measured prototypes developed during the course of the PhD work will be thoroughly analyzed. A comparative discussion of measurements taken in two anechoic chambers and using the Wheeler cap method will be presented. Finally, the results will be compared against the state of the art in the field of miniature antennas.