Chip antennas are semiconductor integrated circuits (IC) used to collect or radiate electromagnetic waves. Chip antennas are widely used in wireless communication devices such as cellular phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs), as well as in satellite radio applications.
Chip antennas function much like the larger aerial antennas used to transmit or receive signals. These small chip antennas are affected by the other components in a circuit layout and therefore must be designed carefully. Antenna design guidelines include ensuring that the chip antenna is free from the surrounding ground plane to preserve the antenna’s radiation pattern. Antenna design also involves making sure the length of the microstripline that feeds the antenna from the circuit is in proportion to the length and width of the ground plane.
A chip antenna is a common semiconductor component in a cell phone. A cell phone antenna can be embedded in the body of the phone itself or be partially external, depending on the design of the printed circuit board (PCB) that controls the functions of the phone. A cellular antenna may be designed for use in either Bluetooth or wireless LAN devices, or may be configured for use in both. Chip antennas must comply with electronics standards published by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). IEEE 802.11b was the first widely accepted wireless networking standard, operating in the 2.4 GHz range. This was followed by the 802.11a amendment, which operates in the 5 GHz range.
Chip antennas are also used as components in a satellite radio antenna. Satellite radio is a digital radio system that functions wherever there is line of sight between the radio antenna and the communications satellite. Chip antennas are also used in radio frequency identification applications, similar to the function that a barcode serves for inventory control or data collection.
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