Study of the radiation properties of microwave monolithic integrated circuits.

The basic technological processes of production of monolithic integrated circuits of the microwave range in JSC "NPP Istok" named after Shokin are in the focus of the paper. The results of tests of standard products for resistance to the effects of special factors are presented. The main directions of improving the methods of forecasting and assessing resistance to these types of impacts have been developed.

Algorithm for automated visual inspection of MMIC using a classifier based on neural networks

We present the algorithm for automated visual inspection of microwave monolithic integrated circuits (MMIC) using computer vision and artificial neural networks. The artificial neural network classifies each pixel of a microphotograph to a certain photomask area. The algorithm detects defectiveness of an MMIC according to classification result and photomask comparison.

Simulation Techniques for Improving Fabrication Yield of RF-CMOS ICs

One of the industry sectors with the largest revenue in the telecommunication field is the wireless communications field. Wireless operators compete for being the first to place their products in the market to obtain the highest revenues. Moreover, they try to offer products that fulfill the user demands in terms of price, battery life, and product quality. All these requirements must be also fulfilled by the designer of the MMIC (Microwave Monolithic Integrated Circuits) circuits that will be used in those wireless terminals, achieving a reliable design, with high performance, low cost, and if possible, in one or two foundry iterations so as to bring the product out to the market as soon as possible. Silicon based technologies are the lowest cost. The demand to use them is simply based on that fact, but their usage in these applications is limited by the ease of use for the designer, in particular, by the lack of adequate simulation models. These technologies don’t include some essential components for the design of RF circuits, which leads to measurement results quite different from those simulated. On the other hand, GaAs based technologies, more mature in the RF and microwave field, provide very accurate models, as well as additional tools to verify the design reliability (yield and sensitivity analysis), allowing good results often with only one foundry iteration. The deep study of the problems presented when designing Si-based RF circuits will convince the reader of the need to use special tools as electromagnetic simulation or coo simulation to prevent it. The chapter provides different simulation techniques that help the designer to obtain better designs with a lower cost, as foundry iterations are reduced.