SiGe BiCMOS processes for commercial RF front-end-module applications

Over the past decade, SiGe BiCMOS processes have become a mainstay in the Front-End-Module (FEM) of commercial radio products. SiGe BiCMOS processes offer an excellent compromise between the low cost of commodity CMOS and the high performance of III-V based technologies. This allows them to address many of the difficult specification challenges of FEM components in cellular phones and other complex radio systems at a cost level that is acceptable for very high volume products. In this paper several examples of applications of SiGe BiCMOS processes in FEMs are given, including power amplifiers, low-noise amplifiers, RF switches and combinations thereof. Further, the utility of SiGe BiCMOS to address emerging commercial applications at higher frequencies is discussed.