Influence of advanced GaAs MMICs on structure and cost of high frequency communication and radar systems for volume markets

Following the rapid expansion of mobile communication systems the access and overlay networks are extensively employing GaAs MMIC in order to improve producibility for the required production quantities and to enable the first phase of cost reduction. A new generation of MMIC is now emerging which is based on multifunctional integration. This approach could reduce the number of MMIC presently used by more than 50% with a respective influence on the cost of the high-frequency frontends. This could be a key step towards the introduction of broadband wireless access to the home for really consumer-oriented markets (wireless Internet to the home, LMDS, MVDS)