6G • Spectrum
Sub-THz Handset RFIC
Sub-Terahertz Radio Frequency Integrated Circuit for Mobile Terminals
Ultra-high-frequency radio frequency silicon integrated circuit operating in the 90-300 GHz band tailored for smartphone and wearable form factors.
Technical Explanation
Operating in sub-THz bands requires extreme miniaturization and high power efficiency. Handset sub-THz RFICs leverage advanced Silicon-Germanium (SiGe) BiCMOS or deeply scaled CMOS (e.g. 16nm/7nm FinFET) processes integrating on-chip power amplifiers, low-noise amplifiers, frequency multipliers, and phased array beamformers. Due to high path loss at 140 GHz and 220 GHz, the RFIC is packaged directly with antenna-in-package (AiP) modules to eliminate lossy transmission lines and maintain handset thermal thresholds below 40°C.
Key Functions
- Converts intermediate frequencies (IF) directly to 100-300 GHz carrier bands
- Delivers high PAE (Power-Added Efficiency) in battery-constrained form factors
- Integrates multi-channel phase shifters for compact phased array steering
- Implements sub-harmonic mixing to relax local oscillator routing constraints
Specifications
IEEE 802.15.3d, 3GPP Rel-19 Sub-THz Study, ITU-R WRC-27 Agenda Item 1.7
Interfaces
Antenna-in-Package (AiP)Baseband-Analog I/QRFFE MIPI
Want to memorize 6G concepts like this one?
Study it with SuperMemo SM-2 spaced repetition flashcards.