Next generation narrowband RF front-ends in silicon IC technology

Abstract

It is anticipated that the next generation of wireless systems will deliver voice and data services at carrier frequencies extending up to 6GHz. The front-end circuits for these radios must be aggressively designed in order to deal with issues such as analog and digital compatibility, higher linearity imposed by broadband signal processing at IF, low supply voltage to minimize size, weight and power consumption, as well as operation in multiple frequency bands. The challenges and opportunities facing the designer of these radio frequency (RF) front-end IC's in silicon will be addressed in this paper from both the technological and circuit perspectives.