Analog, digital and mixed-signal integrated circuits for high speed applications

The presentation gives an overview of recent results upon a broad range of monolithic integrated circuits for high-speed applications based on III/V device technology. Monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs) like low noise amplifiers and down converters at 12 GHz have been successfully demonstrated with MESFET technology. For short range communication systems at 60 GHz, amplifiers and modulators with coplanar transmission lines for matching networks with excellent performance have also been developed. Highest frequency of operation is required for automotive applications, e.g. amplifiers at 76 GHz using special transistor geometries utilizing pulse doped heterostructures and 0.15 mym mushroom gates. Digital circuits with gate delays below 10 psec are under investigation for signal processing as well as laser driver and transimpedance amplifier for 20 Gbit/s optical data transmission. High speed and precision is required for analog-to-digital-converters as well as digital-to-an alog-converters with sampling rates of more than two billions per second, using low power enhancement/depletion transistors.