Semiconductors / Integrated Circuits

Semiconductors/MMIC/RFIC related products

ARTICLES

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2023 IEDM to Highlight Advances in Critical Semiconductor Technologies

With the Theme “Devices for a Smart World Built Upon 60 Years of CMOS”

The 2023 IEDM technical program, supporting the theme, “Devices for a Smart World Built Upon 60 Years of CMOS,” will consist of more than 225 presentations plus a full slate of panels, focus sessions, tutorials, short courses, a career luncheon, supplier exhibit and IEEE/EDS award presentations.


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DOCUMENTS AND FILES

Integrating EM Simulation Technologies within an RFIC Design Flow

Electromagnetic (EM) simulation is an indispensable tool for characterizing the on-chip passive structures found in radio-frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) designs. However, when it comes to full-chip analysis, the diversity of structure geometries and scale pose a significant challenge for any single EM simulation technology. Successful characterization of an RFIC generally requires three different types of simulators: parasitic extraction, planar EM, and full (arbitrary) 3D solvers.
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Pulsed GaN Power Transistors

This paper explains the pulsed RF operation of Microsemi pulsed GaN HEMT RF power transistors using as an example the 1011GN-700ELM 1030 MHz Mode-S Enhanced Message Length (ELM) avionics device. General descriptions are presented detailing both the pulsed gate bias operation and the bias sequencing operation of the pulser circuit used on the Microsemi evaluation test fixtures.

Pulsed RF Operation of Microsemi GaN RF Power Transistors

This paper explains the pulsed RF operation of Microsemi pulsed GaN HEMT RF power transistors using as an example the 1011GN-700ELM 1030 MHz Mode-S Enhanced Message Length (ELM) avionics device. General descriptions are presented detailing both the pulsed gate bias operation and the bias sequencing operation of the “pulser” circuit used on the Microsemi evaluation test fixtures.

Understanding VCO Concepts

This application note looks at VCO fundamentals, for typical oscillator designs through tuning sensitivity characteristics. Examples of a Colpitts and Clapp circuit are presented.

High Voltage Inverting Charge Pump Produces Low Noise

Dual-polarity supplies are commonly needed to operate electronics such as op amps, drivers, or sensors, but there is rarely a dual-polarity supply available at the point of load. The LTC®3260 is an inverting charge pump (inductorless) DC/DC converter with dual low noise LDO regulators that can produce positive and negative supplies from a single wide input (4.5V to 32V) power source. It can switch between high efficiency Burst Mode® operation and low noise constant frequency mode, making it attractive for both portable and noise-sensitive applications.

Biasing Constant Current MMICs

The Mini-Circuits family of microwave monolithic integrated circuit (MMIC) Darlington amplifiers offers the RF designer multi-stage performance in packages that look like a discrete transistor.

New GaN FETs, Amplifiers and Switches Offer System Engineers a Way to Reduce RF Board Space and System Prime Power

Ever-increasing demands for faster product launch times, higher performance, lower part counts and reduced costs create RF system design challenges. This paper focuses on how the latest gallium nitride (GaN) products, specifically discrete transistors, amplifiers and switches, offer design engineers enhanced flexibility and performance options by reducing RF board space and system prime power requirements.

Small-Signal Intermodulation Distortion in OFDM Transmission Systems

A system that utilizes OFDM/OFDMA, such as the E-UTRA (LTE) downlink or the IEEE 802.11a/g and the IEEE 802.16 physical layers, transmits OFDM symbols, each comprising a number of modulated sub-carriers carrying data or pilot symbols, with inter-subcarrier spacing being equal to or an integer multiple of a fixed frequency. The channel bandwidth (B) is determined by the number of 'occupied' (modulated) subcarriers and the subcarrier spacing.

Multicarrier TD-SCMA Feasibility

There are several options for the architecture of the transmit signal path. The factors that impact transmit signal elements are introduced, followed by a discussion of the different architectures. Figure 1 shows a direct conversion architecture for an initial point of reference only. Section 6 of 3GPP TS 25.105 describes the transmit signal requirements used throughout this discussion.

Harmonic Mixer Primer: The Gateway to the Millimeter Wave Frontier is Harmonic Mixer Technology

The next frequency frontier is the millimeter wave (mm-wave) band, which occupies the 30 GHz to 300 GHz spectrum (wavelengths from 10 to 1 mm). Emerging applications now span radio astronomy, communication, imaging, space research, and homeland security, and are starting to seriously populate this vast spectrum resourse. Market forecast and limited available spectrum suggest that attractive growth is just over the horizon so explorers are naturally migrating to stake their claim in this next frontier.