New Developments in Gigabit Electronics

This review of gigabit electronics is particularly timely. For several years GaAs has been seen as the front-runner of the research effort in the subject. Now, commercial GaAs circuits operating at above 1Gbit/s are available and the material has matured to the point where accurate circuit design can begin to achieve the performance benefits predicted for the material. The heralded performance benefits over Si have never fully been realised although there is a threefold margin of performance currently being achieved. In an attempt to extend the margin new materials and structures are being examined, particularly those made possible by the new epitaxial processes, MBE and MOVPE. The potential of these new structures will be discussed and comparisons will be made between circuits fabricated in Si, GaAs and these advanced structures.