Analog IC's in the submicron era: Trends and perspectives

As has been the case for digital technology, analog ICs have enjoyed dramatic improvements in performance and functionality per unit cost as a result of improvements and innovations at the technology, device, circuit, and architectural levels. This paper describes recent trends in the analog circuit area, subdividing the area into dedicated interface, general purpose, and semicustom products. The process technology trends and requirements for the three segments are discussed, and CAD tool and device modeling requirements in analog IC design in general are discussed.