Enabling 2-D Beamforming for 6G Communication in the D-Band with a Scalable Transmitter MMIC Utilizing On-Chip Antennas

In this work, we present a 2D-scalable architecture for D-band transmitters to enable 6G communication. It allows for arrays that can be extended up to 8 × 8 on a circuit board level. The presented chip houses four transmit channels with on-chip antennas arranged as a 2 × 2 array. Thus, requiring a very compact design to encompass the antennas and the active circuitry while still allowing for an antenna spacing of just 0.51 λ for 2D-beamsteering. Moreover, the chip features a 3-dB bandwidth of 16 GHz, fully covering the potential 141-148.5 GHz communication band with a saturated EIRP of up to 3 dBm.