Circuit design considerations for 100 GHz clock rates

Recent developments in highly scaled SiGe and InP IC technologies have yielded devices with f/sub T/ and f/sub max/ figures-of-merit well beyond 300GHz, bringing with them the potential to operate circuits of considerable complexity at clock rates exceeding 100GHz. An initial emphasis upon digital applications helps to put the technologies on a roadmap where further development can be fueled to open the door to other mixed-signal possibilities. Designing circuits at these frequencies requires a balance of thermal and electromagnetic concerns along with the traditional IC design issues, but measured results are demonstrating that these concerns are manageable.