RF/Microwave Integrated Circuits Design and Application

A special issue of Electronics (ISSN 2079-9292). This special issue belongs to the section "Circuit and Signal Processing".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 December 2026 | Viewed by 2570

Editors


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Guest Editor
1. College of Electronics Information Engineer, Guang’an Institute of Technology, Guang’an 638000, China
2. College of Intelligent Science and Engineering, Qinghai Minzu University, Xining 810007, China
Interests: RF/microwave circuit design; circuit reliability design and analysis; circuit/die behavior modeling; electronic technology application

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Guest Editor
School of Electronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610000, China
Interests: RF CMOS/GaAs/GaN IC design

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Guest Editor
School of Microelectronics, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
Interests: EDA technique

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the full-scale deployment of 5G communications, the emergence of 6G research, and the rapid advancement of technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), autonomous driving, and satellite internet, the demand for high-performance, low-power, and miniaturized radio frequency (RF)/microwave integrated circuits has reached unprecedented levels. Advanced semiconductor processes (e.g., CMOS, SiGe, GaAs, GaN) have enabled the realization of RF front-end modules with higher frequencies and greater efficiency. This Special Issue aims to compile the latest research advances and innovative applications in the field of RF/microwave-integrated circuit design, addressing challenges and solutions from device modeling and circuit design to system integration. We cordially invite researchers from academia and industry to submit original research articles and reviews to collectively push the boundaries of this field.

The collection will usefully supplement (relate to) existing literature:

Option 1: Emphasizing a Technological Shift (e.g., towards 5G/6G and new applications)

This framing positions the Special Issue as essential for keeping up with rapid, application-driven technological changes.

Option 2: Emphasizing the Convergence of Technologies (e.g., Materials, AI, and Design)

This framing highlights how the Special Issue addresses the interdisciplinary nature of modern RF/MW IC design, which is a gap in more siloed existing literature.

Option 3: Emphasizing a Focus on "Systems-in-a-Package/Module" vs. Individual Circuits

This approach argues that the Special Issue addresses a move beyond individual block design to a higher level of integration, which is a key trend not yet comprehensively covered.

We welcome original and novel contributions, including research papers and extensive reviews, addressing the impact and relevance of RF/Microwave Integrated Circuits Design and Application.

We welcome submissions detailing new theories and evolutionary methods for RF/Microwave Integrated Circuits Design and Application. A non-exhaustive list of topics is as follows:

Design and Modeling Techniques:

  • Design of high-performance low-noise amplifiers;
  • Design of high-linearity and high-efficiency power amplifiers;
  • Low-phase-noise voltage-controlled oscillators and frequency synthesizers;
  • Mixers, modulators, and demodulators;
  • RF switches, phase shifters, and attenuator circuits;
  • Monolithic microwave integrated circuit design;
  • Device modeling and simulation techniques for RF applications (e.g., BSIM-CMG, HB-FO).

Process and Integration Technologies:

  • RF integrated circuits based on advanced CMOS and SiGe BiCMOS processes;
  • Compound semiconductor (GaAs, GaN, InP) microwave integrated circuits;
  • Millimeter-wave and terahertz integrated circuits for 5G/6G applications;
  • RF micro-electro-mechanical systems and integrated passive devices;
  • System-in-package and heterogeneous integration technologies.

Systems and Applications:

  • 5G/6G transceiver chips and RF front-end modules;
  • Phased array radar and beamforming chips;
  • Satellite communication terminal chips;
  • Automotive radar chips (76-81 GHz);
  • Transceivers for IoT and wireless sensor networks;
  • RF integrated circuits for biomedical applications.

Emerging and Interdisciplinary Areas:

  • AI-assisted rf circuit design and optimization;
  • Control circuits for reconfigurable intelligent surfaces and metasurfaces;
  • Microwave control circuits for quantum information systems;
  • RF energy harvesting and wireless power transmission chips.

Prof. Dr. Qian Lin
Prof. Dr. Fei You
Prof. Dr. Feng Feng
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • RF/microwave integrated circuits
  • low-noise amplifiers
  • power amplifiers
  • RF integrated circuits
  • monolithic microwave integrated circuit
  • compound semiconductor
  • RF/microwave system-on-chip

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 5267 KB  
Article
A 3.3–8.0 GHz Wideband LNA with a 0.81–1.09 dB Noise Figure in 0.15 µm GaAs pHEMT Technology
by Seonghun Jo, Ishath Harshika Hewa Maddumage, Jaehun Lee, Gwanghyeon Jeong and Dong-Ho Lee
Electronics 2026, 15(11), 2259; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics15112259 - 23 May 2026
Viewed by 627
Abstract
This paper presents the design and fabrication of a wideband low-noise amplifier (LNA) covering C-band, using the 0.15 µm GaAs pHEMT process. To achieve both low noise performance and wide matching characteristics, a two-stage cascaded architecture is implemented. In the first stage, circular [...] Read more.
This paper presents the design and fabrication of a wideband low-noise amplifier (LNA) covering C-band, using the 0.15 µm GaAs pHEMT process. To achieve both low noise performance and wide matching characteristics, a two-stage cascaded architecture is implemented. In the first stage, circular inductors and an inductive source degeneration technique are employed to minimize the noise figure (NF) while ensuring wideband input matching. Furthermore, an RC feedback structure is incorporated to effectively enhance the stability of the amplifier. The proposed LNA operates under a supply voltage of 3.3 V and a gate bias of 0.35 V, with a total DC power consumption of 69.3 mW. The fabricated MMIC occupies a total chip area of 1.98 mm2, including the probing pads. Measurement results demonstrate that the LNA achieves an NF of 0.81–1.09 dB and a gain of over 20.1 dB in the frequency range of 3.3–8.0 GHz. The input and output return losses are maintained over 10 dB and 9.7 dB, respectively. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue RF/Microwave Integrated Circuits Design and Application)
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14 pages, 4537 KB  
Article
Design of a 7–16 GHz GaAs Power Amplifier with Adaptive Biasing Technique
by Jeongheon Kim, Jaehun Lee, Dong-Ho Lee and Gwanghyeon Jeong
Electronics 2026, 15(10), 1987; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics15101987 - 8 May 2026
Viewed by 496
Abstract
In this paper, an adaptive biasing technique for an upper-mid band GaAs power amplifier is proposed. The proposed technique applies an adaptive bias circuit (ABC) to the driver stage (DS). In multistage power amplifier architectures, only the minimal current required to drive the [...] Read more.
In this paper, an adaptive biasing technique for an upper-mid band GaAs power amplifier is proposed. The proposed technique applies an adaptive bias circuit (ABC) to the driver stage (DS). In multistage power amplifier architectures, only the minimal current required to drive the power stage (PS) is typically consumed by the DS. Consequently, the overall current consumption of the amplifier is primarily governed by the substantially larger current consumed by the PS. Therefore, for an equivalent improvement in amplitude-to-amplitude (AM-AM) distortion, a higher power-added efficiency (PAE) is achieved when the ABC is applied to the DS than when it is applied to the PS. The proposed power amplifier is operated over the 7 to 16 GHz frequency range, achieving a small-signal gain of 14 to 16 dB, a PAE of 18 to 28% at the 1 dB compression point, and an output power of 21.5 to 24 dBm. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue RF/Microwave Integrated Circuits Design and Application)
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13 pages, 3784 KB  
Article
Design and Implementation of an L-Band 400 W Continuous-Wave GaN Power Amplifier
by Xiaodong Jing, Hailong Wang, Fei You, Xiaofan Zhang and Kuo Ma
Electronics 2026, 15(1), 203; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics15010203 - 1 Jan 2026
Viewed by 849
Abstract
Based on a large-signal chip model, this paper designs and implements an L-band broadband continuous-wave 400 W high-efficiency power amplifier fabricated using 0.5 μm GaN High Electron Mobility Transistor (HEMT) technology. The input-matching circuit employs a hybrid structure combining a lumped-element pre-matching network [...] Read more.
Based on a large-signal chip model, this paper designs and implements an L-band broadband continuous-wave 400 W high-efficiency power amplifier fabricated using 0.5 μm GaN High Electron Mobility Transistor (HEMT) technology. The input-matching circuit employs a hybrid structure combining a lumped-element pre-matching network and a multi-section microstrip capacitor network to achieve impedance matching with a 50 Ω port. The output-matching circuit uses a multi-segment microstrip structure to meet the impedance requirements of the continuous mode, thereby achieving broadband impedance matching. In addition, in the circuit implementation, by optimizing the placement of the blocking capacitor, the current flowing through it is minimized to a low level, enhancing the circuit’s high-power handling capability under continuous-wave operation. Additionally, the power amplifier’s reliability lifetime was calculated based on simulation results of the operating temperature of the GaN amplifier chip. Measurement results demonstrate that across a wide operating bandwidth within the L-band, the output power exceeds 400 W with a drain efficiency greater than 70%. The estimated reliability lifetime (MTTF) of the power amplifier is 8.1 × 107 h. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue RF/Microwave Integrated Circuits Design and Application)
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