The Paradigm Shift of RF and millimeter Wave Circuit Design with FinFET Technology: How to Keep Up with The Next Generation of CMOS Process Technology for Circuit Optimization and Planning

Even though FinFET technology keeps pushing digital circuit design into extreme area and power scaling with higher performance beyond what Moore’s law ever predicted, the latest technology has not fully appeared to RF and mmWave circuit design engineers YET. The new benefits of FinFET technology to RF and mm-wave frequency designs are neither fully explored nor fully understood by those whom are normally so conservative to jump into latest process technology. In this talk, we will share some key learning from the latest Intel FinFET process which is especially interesting for RF and mmWave engineers. These include key process performance metrics of both actives and passives, and unique device characteristics that may help or hurt RF and mmWave frequency circuit designs. Furthermore, example designs fabricated in Intel’s FinFET technology will be presented to review techniques for improving key performance metrics of RF and mmWave frequency circuits and to provide audiences with an easy entrance to the FinFET process.