Use RF CMOS For Single-Chip Wireless Solutions

March 19, 2009
DEPENDING ON THE APPICATION, an RF system's baseband processor or controller is a system-ona- chip (SoC) device that contains one or more central processing units (CPUs), memories, complex logic, and analog circuits. Normally, the digital ...

DEPENDING ON THE APPICATION, an RF system's baseband processor or controller is a system-ona- chip (SoC) device that contains one or more central processing units (CPUs), memories, complex logic, and analog circuits. Normally, the digital baseband processor is implemented in advanced complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) process technologies. The RF transceiver is generally manufactured using a silicongermanium (SiGe) BiCMOS process while the power amplifier (PA) is based on gallium arsenide (GaAs) or BiCMOS. Ideally, the RF transceiver and digital-baseband processor will be integrated into a single SoC. According to a five-page white paper titled, "Motivation for RF Integration" from Fujitsu Microelectronics America, RF CMOS is now an option for such integration.

Advanced RF CMOS processes have switching speeds that are fast enough for most of the wireless technologies either in use or in development. In addition, future CMOS process generations will make systems that operate between 30 and 300 GHz affordable. Thanks to transistor enhancements, engineers also can design high-gain, lownoise RF circuits with excellent dynamic range.

According to the white paper, passive components fabricated in advanced RF CMOS technologies are as good or better than those created with traditional RF processes. For example, RF CMOS commonly offers metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitors with unit capacitance from 1.0 to 2.0 fF/m2. MIM capacitors can be stacked to produce twice the unit capacitance in the same die area at the expense of additional process steps. RF-optimized process design kits (PDKs) also allow engineers to explore process variation spaces.

Fujitsu Microelectronics America, Inc., 1250 E.Aarques Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94085-5401; (800) 866-8608, FAX: (408) 737-5999, Internet: www.fujitsu.com/us.

About the Author

Nancy Friedrich | RF Product Marketing Manager for Aerospace Defense, Keysight Technologies

Nancy Friedrich is RF Product Marketing Manager for Aerospace Defense at Keysight Technologies. Nancy Friedrich started a career in engineering media about two decades ago with a stint editing copy and writing news for Electronic Design. A few years later, she began writing full time as technology editor at Wireless Systems Design. In 2005, Nancy was named editor-in-chief of Microwaves & RF, a position she held (along with other positions as group content head) until 2018. Nancy then moved to a position at UBM, where she was editor-in-chief of Design News and content director for tradeshows including DesignCon, ESC, and the Smart Manufacturing shows.

Sponsored Recommendations

Wideband Peak & Average Power Sensor with 80 Msps Sample Rate

Aug. 16, 2024
Mini-Circuits’ PWR-18PWHS-RC power sensor operates from 0.05 to 18 GHz at a sample rate of 80 Msps and with an industry-leading minimum measurement range of -40 dBm in peak mode...

Turnkey Solid State Energy Source

Aug. 16, 2024
Featuring 59 dB of gain and output power from 2 to 750W, the RFS-G90G93750X+ is a robust, turnkey RF energy source for ISM applications in the 915 MHz band. This design incorporates...

90 GHz Coax. Adapters for Your High-Frequency Connections

Aug. 16, 2024
Mini-Circuits’ expanded line of coaxial adapters now includes the 10x-135x series of 1.0 mm to 1.35 mm models with all combinations of connector genders. Ultra-wideband performance...

Ultra-Low Phase Noise MMIC Amplifier, 6 to 18 GHz

July 12, 2024
Mini-Circuits’ LVA-6183PN+ is a wideband, ultra-low phase noise MMIC amplifier perfect for use with low noise signal sources and in sensitive transceiver chains. This model operates...