Radio frequency integrated circuit technology for low-power wireless communications

The radio frequency portion of a handheld wireless communications device represents a significant fraction of the battery drain of the overall unit. As a result, an intensive effort is underway on a worldwide basis to minimize the overall radio frequency power requirements. This effort has proceeded on many fronts, with the best work drawing on the multidisciplinary efforts of researchers in the communications systems, circuit design, and semiconductor technology areas. This article will summarize the significant technological challenges to the realization of low-power radio frequency circuits, and will follow with a discussion of the research programs that have been put in place to address these challenges.