The Book on RFIC [Book\/Software Reviews

Abstract

This book covers almost every topic imaginable on radiofrequency integrated circuits (RFIC), provides examples as well as problems for students, and has a consistency of presentation that teachers, students, and researchers alike will appreciate. Almost all the examples and derivations originate from the author and based on fundamentals. The work of other researchers is cited to give the book a broad foundation, but this is not a collection of examples from the literature, which makes this book all the more useful for teachers. In 16 chapters and one appendix, Dr. Nguyen covers everything from the fundamentals of electromagnetics to systems. This book methodically goes through almost all aspects of RFICs in a way that is well thought out and easy to read. The lengthiest chapters are on transmission lines and amplifiers, while the shortest are on electromagnetics and stability. It is easier to point out what the book does not include than to itemize what it does. The book is primarily about complementary metal-oxide semiconductors (CMOSs) although GaAs circuits are mentioned. The chapter on stability discusses load pull and K factors but does not mention newer stability criteria such as the normalized determinant function, which is more relevant to multitransistor circuits. Any quibbles aside, this book covers a huge amount of ground in a well-developed manner and so is a very useful reference and textbook.