CAD TECHNIQUES FOR THE ELECTROMAGNETIC DESIGN OF MONOLITHIC MILLIMETER-WAVE INTEGRATED-CIRCUITS

It is well known that mm-waves have an important role to play in the r apid expansion of mobile and personal communications. MMIC technology is an important factor since it can provide a means of mass producing rite user terminal RF subsystems. Millimetre-wave integrated circuits do not yet however offer the high packing density and functionality wh ich is now possible for lower frequency applications where lumped elem ents are used. This problem is influenced most of all by the extreme m odelling difficulties encountered at frequencies above 30 GHz. This pa per reviews the current state-of-the-art for CAD techniques used in MM IC design. It describes some limitations of the standard Smart(TM) lib rary approach and looks at the application of commercial electromagnet ic simulators in the design of both microstrip and CPW circuits.