Integrated Test for Silicon Front Ends

Ongoing developments in integrated circuit (IC) technology have resulted in fully integrated monolithic systems-on-chip (SoC). The state of the art of todays silicon-based semiconductor technologies, such as the silicon-germanium heterojunction bipolar transistor (SiGe HBT) and the silicon metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET), allow for the low-cost fabrication of transceiver front-end circuitry with operating frequencies even above 100 GHz [1]. These key elements of silicon high-frequency semiconductor electronics have opened the door for the millimeter-wave consumer market in communication technology and sensor applications. © 2010 IEEE.