2002 IEEE Gallium Arsenide Integrated Circuits Symposium (GaAs IC)
As wireless and optical communications become more important in today's economy, GaAs and other compound semiconductors such as InP have become a critical part of the world's electronics infrastructure. Over the last 24 years, the IEEE Gallium Arsenide Integrated Circuits Symposium has become the preeminent international forum on developments in compound semiconductor integrated circuits. In addition to our traditional emphasis in GaAs and InP, the Symposium is broadening its range to include the latest developments in SiGe, GaN, SiC and other compound semiconductor device technologies. In 2002, the Symposium continues its tradition of presenting the best from around the world in high frequency/high-speed microelectronics. Technologists who are working in ultra high performance system, circuit and device technology, or those who simply want to stay abreast of the latest trends, will definitely want to attend. This year's symposium will be held October 20th to the 23rd in beautiful Monterey, California at the DoubleTree Hotel.
The Symposium will begin on Sunday, October 20, with a short course taught by five experts in the field of IC design for receivers. Brad Nelson has organized the course with an emphasis in the latest trends in IC design for both wireless and wired receivers and the architectures that drive them. An overview of system architectures and their enabling technologies will be addressed. Specific areas to be discussed include cable modem, set top box, 3G basestations, WLAN, and broadband and millimeter wave receivers.
On Sunday evening, Stephen Long and Donald Estreich will once again present the Symposium Primer Course, an excellent overview of the basics of GaAs, InP and SiGe RFICs. The course is good as both an introduction to those with little or no experience in the compound semiconductor industry, and as a refresher for those with more experience. Among the topics covered will be III/V materials; fabrication technology; FET and bipolar devices; and digital and analog/RF/microwave circuits. As always, the material will be tailored to fit the context of this year's technical program.
The Symposium Opening Reception will be held Sunday night in the DoubleTree Hotel. Come meet with old friends and make some new ones as you sample light hors d'oeuvres and wine, beer or soft drinks.
On Monday morning, the Technical Program, assembled by Chris Bozada and the Technical Program Committee, will open with our plenary session. This session features five invited papers by world-renowned experts in their fields. First, Paul Kempf of Jazz Semiconductor will give an overview of SiGe BiCMOS process technology. Next, Edgar Martinez of DARPA/MTO will speak on the evolution of MMIC technology. Following that, Bill McFarland of Atheros Communictions will describe a Dual Band 802.11 WLAN, Ben Velsher of Kyocera America will describe the latest in high-speed optoelectronic IC packaging, and John Sitch of Nortel Networks will review high speed ICs for fiber communications.
Following the Plenary Session, there will be thirteen more sessions featuring both contributed and invited papers, which will run from Monday afternoon to Wednesday afternoon. These sessions will consist of papers that are focussed on a particular topic, such as IC's for Microwave/Millimeter-wave applications; Optical front end IC's; Device reliability; Broadband amplifiers and optical modulator drivers; Frequency Conversion Techniques; Emerging technologies; Power amplifiers; 40 Gb/s IC's; Modeling and simulation; Applications of novel circuits; High Performance HBTs; and Analog and Digital high-speed IC's. A separate session will also be dedicated to late news papers featuring particularly outstanding results.
In addition to the paper sessions, the Symposium also features six panel sessions on controversial topics of high interest. Panels will feature a moderator and up to six speakers. The moderator will set the tone of the discussion and the panelists will each spend three to five minutes staking out a position. Following that, it will be a free-for-all as audience members make their own points and question the panelists. Panel session topics are: The market for compound semiconductors in defense applications; The future of 10Gb/s vs. 40 Gb/s systems; Alternative substrate technology (GaAs, InP, GaAs on Si?); The controversy over radio on chip vs. radio in a module; A WLAN power amplifier technology shootout, and InP vs. SiGe for 40 Gb/s communications. There will also be a new feature, our "Fab Forum" which will provide an opportunity for potential customers, business partners, or other interested parties to learn about some of the latest IC fab capabilities in our industry.
Another way to keep abreast of the latest developments in the field will be by attending the GaAs IC Technology Exhibition, which will be held on October 21 and 22 in the Monterey Conference Center, located adjacent to the DoubleTree Hotel. The Exhibition is open to all conference registrants, and features a wide variety of companies who offer state-of-the-art compound semiconductor IC's as well as those that provide products and services to the compound semiconductor IC industry. An early listing of the exhibition included 30 names, with more to come. The exhibitors will host an Exhibition Opening Reception on Monday evening, as well as an Exhibition Luncheon on Tuesday.
Of course, conference attendees will also have an opportunity to relax and learn about life outside of high-speed electronics. Tuesday evening is the Symposium Theme Party at the Outer Bay Wing of the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The Outer Bay Wing has been open for only five years and features marine life 60 miles offshore in the Monterey Canyon. A new feature attraction that has been added just this year is a stunning exhibit on jellyfish. Many of the unique animals featured at the Aquarium are not currently on live display anywhere else in the world. Naturally, in addition to the spectacular displays of nature, the Theme Party will also offer a dinner buffet featuring the best of California cuisine, beer, and wine.
On behalf of the organizing committee and the IEEE EDS, MTT-S, and SSCS, I invite you to be a part of the upcoming 2002 IEEE GaAs IC Symposium. For more information, try our website at http://www.gaasic.org. See you in Monterey. You won't want to miss it!
Tim Henderson
GaAs IC Symposium Chairman
TriQuint Semiconductor
Richardson, TX, USA