SOI technologies overview for low-power low-voltage radio-frequency applications

Thanks to their structure, the SOI technologies present several intrinsic a dvantages for analog and RF applications. Indeed, as it is well established now, these technologies allow the reduction of the power consumption at a given operating frequency. Moreover, the high-insulating properties of SOI substrates, in particular when high resistivity substrate is used, make tha t these technologies are perfect candidates for mixed-signal applications. In the present paper, we will discuss the performances of the SOI technolog ies in radio-frequency range. First of all, the high-frequency behavior of SOI substrates, thanks to the characterization of transmission lines, will be shown. The impact of the SOI substrate resistivity on the performances o f passive components will also be analyzed. Then, an overview of RF perform ances of SOI MOSFETs for two different architectures, fully- and partially- depleted, will be achieved and compared to the bulk ones. Finally, the infl uence of some specific parasitic effects, such as the kink effect, the self -heating effect and the kink-related excess noise, on the RF performances o f SOI devices will be studied, thanks to a specific high-frequency characte rization.