Digital-Centric RF CMOS Technology

Analog-centric RFCMOS technology has played important role to give the motivation to change the technology from conventional discrete device technology or bipolar IC technology to CMOS technology. However it has many issues such as poor performance, weak in PVT fluctuations, and cost increase with technology scaling. The most important advantage of CMOS technology to legacy RF technology must be the feature that CMOS can use more high performance digital circuits with cheapest cost. In fact, analog-centric RF-CMOS technology has failed the FM/AM tuner applications and the digital-centric CMOS technology is becoming attractive for many users. It has many advantages; such as high performance, no adjustment points, high productivity, and low cost. Therefore digital-centric RF CMOS technology must be right way and digital-RF technology that uses digital technology to RF circuits directly has emerged, however it is not matured and further investigations are expected.