Power technologies “amplified” at IMS 2009
Jana Knezovich, Contributing Editor -- Test & Measurement World, 5/14/2009 11:55:00 AM
Power amplifiers continue to be one of the hot topics of 2009, according to Fred Schindler, general chair of this year's International Microwave Symposium (IMS) and director of RF Micro Devices' Boston Design Center. "WiMAX is pretty hot, and 4G is very big," said Schindler. "The mobile Internet is driving 4G and even 3G mobile devices. . . with ever-higher bit rates, and we can't afford to drain the battery very fast. That's why there's such a push into amplified technologies."
The conference, which will be held June 7 to 12 in Boston, MA, will include timely topics such as design approaches for emerging 3-D microsystems and the future of gigabit-per-second (Gbps) wireless communications links. Schindler discussed this year's IMS in a phone interview.
What topics stand out this year?
It seems that power amplifiers have been the biggest issue for the last 20 years, and they are still in the forefront today. Now, interesting architectures give you high efficiency over a spectrum of powers. New wrinkles include the growing presence of CMOS technology, with 90-nm CMOS propagating into transceivers to reduce power consumption. That casts a broad shadow on a lot of technology. Another is the impact of GaN (gallium nitride) transistors, operating at higher temperatures and hence much higher voltages.
In terms of system-on-chip vs. 3-D chips, systems today are more integrated and more complicated, obviously. The argument whether all should be integrated on one chip or in a multichip module or higher level has been raging for a long time. The answer is always, “it depends.” The decision point is practicality. 3-D chip integration techniques, not available 10 years ago, are now coming on board. We’re seeing constant progression, and IMS2009 will be talking about it.
With WiMAX and 4G being key drivers, your keynote speaker, Petteri Alinikula, VP of core technology research at Nokia, seems right on target.
We are really thrilled that Petteri is speaking at IMS. Nokia is still driving this technology. It will be interesting to hear what the leader in mobile devices is saying about “Innovating Openly in Wireless.” Platform is key, and we have to work with partners to develop platforms, and to get the applications to work so people want to buy the device. Petteri will be giving us an idea of how that future will work.
What are the technical challenges with multi-gigabit wireless communication links?
When trying to cover large bandwidth, it is tough to achieve power linearity and efficiency simultaneously. You also have to do it at a modest cost and small size. Of course, the system architectures are more complicated. With CMOS having such a large role in baseband and transceivers, we see it being implemented there without a huge burden.
What trends do you see?
Interestingly, I reread the IMS technology program from 2000; that year, power-amplifier linearization was a big topic. This year, there is a lot of excellent work being done in amplification technologies. GaN is looking like a very much "here and now” technology. Papers in the past have explained how to optimize the GaN process, but now the papers are product-oriented. The technology is ready to go.
It is interesting to note that, for the first time at IMS, there is a panel on work/life balance for microwave engineers. What inspired that topic?
That comes out of a group within the MTT Society (IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society) , “Graduates of the Last Decade,” or GOLD. Their focus is on younger professionals, already into their careers but perhaps starting to have families, and trying to make everything fit into their life. GOLD is also offering a panel on financial investment in a time of crisis, for this targeted age group.
How much of the show is consumer and commercial oriented vs. military and aerospace?
Speculating, maybe 50:50. A lot of technology being discussed could be used either way. Twenty-five years ago, this conference had a dominant military focus. With the wireless revolution, commercial has a much stronger role. Both have a lot in common, and both are driving technology. You’ll see that in the trade show as well. Tools and technology are applicable to both, with some hardware focused one way over another. In some ways, the commercial requirements are even tougher than the military. Often, space and power availability are more restricted.
How are paper submissions and the exhibit floor holding up in the downturn?
Paper submissions were up roughly 15% over last year. We’d like to attribute that to interest in coming to the conference in Boston! The exhibit floor is also doing well, with 510 exhibitors, and about 890 booth spaces sold. We are up from last year, and very close to our ambitious goals set before the economic downturn.
We’ve reached out to exhibitors to explain the value: In times like these, when you are concerned about maintaining and growing your business, it’s more important than ever to talk directly with your customers and potential customers. If there’s an event that matters in the RF/microwave space, it’s this one. It would be a very tough time not to exhibit.
Registrations are solid. Compared to past years, we’re “where we ought to be” at this point. Early-bird registration with its deep discount ends on May 15, but advanced registration at intermediate pricing continues until the day before the show. The full program and registration material are available at www.ims2009.org.
Why should someone attend IMS?
If you’re involved in the technology, you need to stay on top of things. In these times, it’s even more critical, because things change quickly. If you’re involved in test and measurement, you need to understand where the technology is going more than anybody.
The event has the umbrella title of Microwave Week. It includes not just IMS2009 and the trade show, but also the RFIC Symposium (www.rfic2009.org), and the ARFTG Conference (www.arftg.org). ARFTG (Automated RF Test Group) focuses on test issues. They’re offering workshops on RF MEMS testing and on advanced measurement techniques for different memory effects. This is increasingly important in 4G technologies, because if the memory effect is too severe, it degrades performance. The test world needs to know how to characterize these latest developments.
For designers, it’s about the technologies and products. Some advanced system architectures are of interest to designers of all stripes. We’re investigating GaAs (gallium arsenide), and where CMOS is actually operating now. We’re addressing terahertz CMOS applications! If you’re a designer, at the very least IMS gives you an idea of what you ought to be thinking about in the future. At best, IMS may have a solution to a problem you have right now.
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