Design considerations for 60 GHz CMOS radios

With the availability of 7 GHz of unlicensed spectrum around 60 GHz, there is a growing interest in using this resource for new consumer applications requiring very high-data-rate wireless transmission. Historically, the cost of the 60 GHz electronics, implemented in the compound semiconductor technology, has been prohibitively expensive. A fully integrated CMOS solution has the potential to drastically reduce costs enough to hit consumer price points. System, circuit, and device-level barriers to a low-cost 60 GHz CMOS implementation are described, potential solutions are explored, and remaining challenges are discussed.