Antenna system using complementary metal oxide semiconductor techniques

• US 7,492,317 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2007
• Issued: 02/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Suh, Seong-Youp, Tinsley, Keith R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Owens; Douglas W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alemu; Ephrem
• Application Number:
  US11/782,445
• Publication Number:
  US 20070262904A1
• Time in Patent Office: 574 Days
• Field of Search: 343/700.MS, 343/793, 343/850, 343/856, 343/893, 342/372
• US Class Current: 343/700.0MS
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0093 Monolithic arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 23/00 Antennas with active circuits or circuit elements integrated within them or attached to them
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/045 with particular feeding means for circular polarisation H01Q9/0428

Abstract

Apparatus, system, and method are described for a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuit device having a first metal layer that includes a radiating element and a second metal layer that includes a first conductor coupled to the radiating element. The first conductor and the radiating element are mutually coupled to form an antenna to wirelessly communicate a signal.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuit device having a first metal layer comprising a radiating element; and

a second metal layer comprising a first conductor coupled to said radiating element, said first conductor and said radiating element mutually coupled to form an antenna to wirelessly communicate a signal, and said first conductor formed on a top side of said second metal layer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a third metal layer comprising a first ground plane disposed below said second metal layer and said first conductor.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said first ground plane is located below said second metal layer and said radiating element substantially overlaps said first conductor to form a microstrip transmission line.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a first and second ground plane disposed on said second metal layer, wherein said first conductor is disposed between said first and second ground planes and said radiating element substantially overlaps said first conductor to form a coplanar waveguide transmission line.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a third metal layer, wherein said first and second ground planes are disposed on said third metal layer.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second conductor disposed on said second metal layer laterally disposed from said first conductor, wherein said radiating element is disposed above said first and second conductors and overlaps an edge portion of said first conductor on a first side and overlaps an edge portion of said second conductor on a second side to form a slotline transmission line.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said radiating element forms a portion of an array for an antenna system.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said radiating element is formed of raised metal on a top metal layer of said CMOS integrated circuit device.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said communication occurs at any one millimeter wavelength from 1 meter to 1 millimeter.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein electrical energy in said first conductor is coupled to said radiating element via transverse electromagnetic modes created by electrically stimulating said first conductor.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said second metal layer is located one metal layer below said first metal layer.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said second metal layer is located about 10 μ

m below said first metal layer.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said CMOS integrated circuit device comprises 130 nm CMOS devices.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said CMOS integrated circuit device comprises 90 nm CMOS devices.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said CMOS integrated circuit device comprises 65 nm CMOS devices.

16. A system, comprising:

a transceiver; and

a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuit device having a first metal layer comprising a radiating element; and

a second metal layer comprising a first conductor coupled to said radiating element, said first conductor and said radiating element mutually coupled to form an antenna to wirelessly communicate a signal, and said first conductor formed on a top side of said second metal layer.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a third metal layer comprising a first ground plane disposed below said second metal layer and said first conductor.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said first ground plane is located below said second metal layer and said radiating element substantially overlaps said first conductor to form a microstrip transmission line.

19. The system of claim 16, further comprising a first and second ground plane disposed on said second metal layer, wherein said first conductor is disposed between said first and second ground planes and said radiating element substantially overlaps said first conductor to form a coplanar waveguide transmission line.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising a third metal layer, wherein said first and second ground planes are disposed on said third metal layer.

21. The system of claim 16, further comprising a second conductor disposed on said second metal layer laterally disposed from said first conductor, wherein said radiating element is disposed above said first and second conductors and overlaps an edge portion of said first conductor on a first side and overlaps a an edge portion of said second conductor on a second side to form a slotline transmission line.

22. A method, comprising:

on a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuit substrate, forming a first metal layer comprising a radiating element; and

forming a second metal layer comprising a first conductor coupled to said radiating element, said first conductor and said radiating element mutually coupled to form an antenna to wirelessly communicate a signal, and said first conductor formed on a top side of said second metal layer.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising forming a third metal layer disposed below said second metal layer and said first conductor and forming a first ground plane on said third metal layer.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein forming said first ground plane comprises forming said first ground plane below said second metal layer and forming said radiating element comprises forming said radiating element to substantially overlap said first conductor to form a microstrip transmission line.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising forming a first and second ground plane disposed on said second metal layer, and forming said first conductor comprises forming said first conductor disposed between said first and second ground planes and said radiating element to substantially overlap said first conductor to form a coplanar waveguide transmission line.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising forming a third metal layer and forming said first and second ground planes on said third metal layer.

27. The method of claim 22, further comprising forming a second conductor disposed on said second metal layer laterally disposed from said first conductor, wherein said radiating element is formed above said first and second conductors to overlap an edge portion of said first conductor on a first side and to overlap an edge portion of second conductor on a second side.