Recent trends and status of Japanese RFICs for commercial applications

This paper describes the recent trends and status of Japanese development of RFICs and related technologies for commercial applications. A focus will be put primarily on two markets: 800 MHz-1.9 GHz cellular phones to depict a existing high-volume rapidly growing market and millimeter-wave automotive radars to delineate a highest-frequency high-volume application in the foreseeable future. Recent results of RFIC technologies are described and reviewed to observe the status of resolving issues specific to each application. Some examples are also given to implicate device technologies for future RFIC use.