MMICs in the millimeter-wave regime

On the basis of the current status of silicon based MMICs, it is possible to implement millimeter-wave SOC in silicon-based technologies that include the antenna, a medium-power amplifier, a transceiver, an LO (frequency synthesizer), and baseband circuits in a single chip. With certain interconnection schemes, such as flip-chip, to connect the chip to the substrate, it is also possible to integrate the best possible chips for a millimeter-wave communication system. Currently, CMOS is the best choice for the baseband circuits, while GaAs and InP MMICs can provide the best noise/power performance in the transceiver. High-efficiency antennas can be implemented directly on the packaging substrate. The SIP approach has the optimal combinations of the components for the best performance in a particular system. For example, a system in a package including CMOS baseband circuits, GaAs/InP-based transceiver, high-efficiency antenna, and high-power amplifier can achieve the best system characteristics. As we have discussed, the scope of SOC can be expanded along with more advanced MMIC fabrication technology and design techniques.