MMIC Fabrication Techniques and Wireless Communication Comparisons

Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits (MMICs) are integrated circuits where all active and passive elements, components, and connections are fabricated simultaneously on a single substrate. This is achieved through various deposition techniques, some of which are described below.

The primary MMIC fabrication techniques include:

• Diffusion
• Ion Implantation
• Epitaxial Growth
• Lithography
• Photo Etching
• Deposition

MMIC fabrication necessitates careful selection of the dielectric substrate material and the fabrication process itself. Substrate materials for MMICs are chosen based on their function:

• Substrate Materials: For mounting electronic devices (e.g., Alumina, Ferrite, GaAs, Sapphire).
• Conductor Materials: For printing patterns and creating ground planes (e.g., Aluminium, Copper, Gold, Silver).
• Dielectric Materials: For capacitors and blockers (e.g., SiO, Si3N4, Al2O3, Ta2O5, SiO2).
• Resistive Materials: For bias networks, attenuators, and terminations (e.g., Cr, NiCr, Ta, Ti).

Comparison Questions

• What is the difference between FDM and OFDM?
• What is the difference between SC-FDMA and OFDM?
• What is the difference between SISO and MIMO?
• What is the difference between TDD and FDD?
• What is the difference between 802.11 standards viz. 11-a, 11-b, 11-g, and 11-n?
• OFDM vs OFDMA
• CDMA vs GSM
• Bluetooth vs Zigbee
• Fixed WiMAX vs Mobile WiMAX