This volume concentrates on three topics: volt electronics, design and implementation of mixed-mode systems, and low-noise and RF power amplifiers for telecommunication. The book comprises six papers on each topic written by specialists. These papers are tutorial in nature and together aim to make a substantial contribution to improving the design of analog circuits. The book is divided into three parts. Part I covers volt electronics, presenting some of the circuit design challenges which are having to be met as the need for more electronics on a chip forces smaller transistor dimensions, and thus lower breakdown voltages. The papers cover techniques for 1-Volt electronics. Part II discusses the design and implementation of mixed-mode systems, and deals with the various problems that are encountered in mixed analog-digital design. In the future, all integrated circuits are bound to contain both digital and analog sub-blocks. Problems such as substrate bounce and other substrate coupling effects cause deterioration in signal integrity.
Both aspects of mixed-signal design have been addressed in this section and it illustrates that careful layout techniques embedded in a hierarchical design methodology can allow engineers to cope with most of the challenges presented by mixed analog-digital design. Part III covers low-noise and RF power amplifiers for telecommunication, and focuses on telecommunications systems. In these systems low-noise amplifiers are front-ends of receiver designs. At the transmitter part a high-performance, high-efficiency power amplifier is a critical design. Examples of both system parts are described in this section. This text should be an essential reference source for analog design engineers and researchers wishing to keep abreast with developments in the field. The tutorial nature of the contributions should also make it suitable for use in an advanced course.