The Chapter begins with a discussion of commonly used packaging technologies in the semiconductor industry and highlights their trade-offs when it comes to choosing the suitable packaging solution for a particular application. It goes on to discuss microelectronics fabrication, and then RF and microwave module types.

Solving Maxwell's equations to analyze a given electromagnetic (EM) problem yields an accurate solution with a plethora of spatiotemporal electric and magnetic fields information that may not be needed. It is also evident that quantities resulting from solving Maxwell's equations are interrelated and reconciled to the transmission line (TL) and circuit theory. Practically, port analysis techniques are more prevalent as a simple and effective method in analyzing microwave and mixed radio frequency (RF) digital circuits. Integrating additional components to the original problem has become an easy task by applying port analysis, where network loss, impedance transformation, and other effects are preserved. While most port parameters are valid to represent the device linear behavior due to small signal stimulus, other parameters are also available to cope with the nonlinear characteristics of circuits due to large signal excitation. Some network parameters are convenient to use than others depending on the circuit topology; therefore, conversions between the different port network parameters are also possible. Circuit analysis techniques can be classified into two categories based on their frequency of operation: low frequency based on quasi-static approximations of Maxwell's equations and high frequency (microwave) circuits based on full-wave EM analysis. At low frequencies, circuit physical dimensions are relatively small when compared to the operating wavelength and phase variation at any point in the circuit is considered negligible. There are several techniques used to analyze low-frequency circuits; however, they are not applicable for circuits operating at high (gigahertz) frequencies due to the domination of parasitic effects. Circuit synthesis techniques greatly benefit from applying port analysis methods to simplify the mathematical representation of the network transfer function and thereby the subsequent steps required to realize the circuit parameters.

With the continuous shrinkage of the minimum feature sizes of semiconductor integrated circuits and their packages along with the increase in the operating frequency have caused parasitic electromagnetic (EM) coupling to become a serious design concern. Realizing the significant role of EM coupling in influencing the system and device-level radio frequency (RF) performance entails a good understanding of the coupling mechanism occurring in a certain EM environment. EM coupling between the circuit elements can be considered as a desirable or undesirable phenomenon depending upon the intended application, the intrinsic EM structure, and components forming the RF circuit. EM coupling is necessary for the design of coupled microwave structures such as coupled line filters, couplers, microwave baluns, and several other distributed circuits. In other cases, however, EM coupling is not beneficial and considered as a source of EM interference (EMI) that can drastically impact the electrical performance of the circuit.

Driven by the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) who make smartphones, the fourth generation (4G) and the fifth generation (5G) mobile technologies are changing the radio frequency (RF) front-end (RFFE) industry landscape. This chapter discusses the different components utilized in the design of modern RFFE transceiver modules, whether used to construct a simple or a highly integrated complex module. In particular, the Chapter discusses RF power modules, low-noise amplifiers, RF switches, phase shifters, RF filters, CMOS controllers, RF circulators and isolators, RF mixers, RF oscillators, microwave baluns, RF power limiters, and diversity antennas.