TFSOI-can it meet the challenge of single chip portable wireless systems?

Tremendous progress in understanding and improving SOI material and devices has been made in recent years. The reduced junction capacitance and the minimal body-effect of SOI provides an inherent advantage for low-voltage low-power applications. Recent growth in the portable wireless communication market and the push for low cost solutions have driven the semiconductor industry into a race for the ultimate solution: a single chip radio capable of handling both the RF and baseband functions. In this paper, the applications of Thin-Film-Silicon-On-Insulator (TFSOI) to the different circuit elements of wireless communication systems are reviewed. The use of CMOS SOI devices as well as future development essential to realize the single chip radio are discussed.