The demand for wireless data communications is rapidly increasing due to several factors including increased internet access, increasingly growing number of mobile users and services, implementation of the Internet of Things (IoT), high-definition (HD) video streaming and video calling. To meet the bandwidth requirement of new and emerging applications, it is necessary to move from the existing microwave bands towards millimeter-wave bands. 

This thesis presents different antenna arrays at 60 GHz and 28 GHz that are integrated with the front-end RFIC to steer the beam in ≈ ±50° in the azimuth plane. The 5G antenna arrays at 28 GHz are designed to provide broadband high data rate services to the end users. In order to transport this high-volume data to the core network, a fixed wireless access (FWA) link demands the implementation of a broadband, high gain and steerable narrow-beam array. The 60 GHz antenna arrays, presented in this thesis, are good candidates for both FWA as well as backhaul communications. The two proposed arrays at 60 GHz (57-66 GHz) are i) a stacked patches array and ii) a connected slots array feeding a high gain lens antenna. The 2×16 stacked patches antenna array shows more than 20 dBi realized gain. The array is integrated with the front-end RFIC and the resulting module shows > 40 dBm measured effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP). The other 60 GHz antenna array is designed as linear connected slots with sixteen equidistant feeding points. The latest is then used as a feeder of a high gain dielectric lens. Peak measured gain of 25.4 dBi is achieved with this antenna.  Moreover, instead of experiencing scan loss, the lens is designed to get higher gain when the beam is steered away from the broadside direction.

Furthermore, two compact antenna arrays are designed at 28 GHz (24.25 - 29.50 GHz). A linear polarized (LP) and a circular polarized (CP) array are realized in the fan-out embedded wafer level ball-grid-array (eWLB) package. In comparison with the PCB arrays, this antenna in package (AiP) solution is not only cost-effective but it also reduces the integration losses because of shorter feed lines and no geometrical discontinuity.  The LP array is realized as a dipole antenna array feeding a novel horn-shaped heatsink.  The RF module gives 34 dBm peak EIRP with beam-steering in ±35°. Besides, the CP antenna array is realized with the help of crossed dipoles and the RF module provides 31 dBm peak EIRP with beam-steering in ±50°.

The data demands are not limited to the telecom industry as the upgradation of accelerators and experiments at the large hadron collider (LHC) at CERN will result in increased event rate thus demanding higher data rate front-end readout systems. This work thus investigates the feasibility of 60 GHz wireless links for the data readout at CERN. For this purpose, the 60 GHz wireless chips are irradiated with 17 MeV protons [dose 7.4 Mrad (RX) & 4.2 Mrad (TX)] and 200 MeV electrons [dose 270 Mrad (RX) & 314 Mrad (TX)] in different episodes. The chips have been found operational in the post-irradiation investigations with some performance degradation. The encouraging results motivate to move forward and investigate the realization of wireless links in such a complex environment.