This dissertation aims to evaluate the package effects on the performance of radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs) for wireless applications. A model-based study is presented to compare the effects between flip-chip and wire-bond packages on a front-end cascode low-noise amplifier (LNA) in a 2.45 GHz CMOS wireless local area network (WLAN) receiver. To construct the package electrical models, specific modeling dies are designed to help extract the equivalent-circuit elements from measured S-parameters for chip-package interconnects. Furthermore, the ground-proximity effect on on-chip spiral inductors in a flip-chip package is first observed and presented in this modeling study. Excellent agreement between modeling and measurement is obtained by up to 20 GHz for a 64-pin flip-chip ball grid array (FC-BGA) package and a 64-pin wire-bond quad flat nonlead (WB-QFN) package. For practical applications, the established package models are used to predict the degradation of the figure of merit for the cascode LNA under packaged condition. Chip-package co-simulations can achieve good agreement with measurements, and thus can persuasively account for the complete effects caused by the two different packages on the cascode LNA. To simultaneously consider the package and board interconnect effects on RFICs, this dissertation also designs and implements a 1.95 GHz upconverter for the wideband code-division multiple-access (W-CDMA) transmitter. Specific ground wire-bonding and board connection are designed to minimize the linearity degradation due to package and board interconnects. Nonlinear analysis technique is also used to evaluate the nonlinear distortion of the upconverter in the chip-package-board co-design phase. The final measurement results have successfully verified the co-design predictions and simulations for this upconverter.

There are several methods for the full-wave characterization of waveguide discontinuities; Finite Element Method (FEM), Finite Difference Technique (FDT), and Method of Moments (MoM) are popular. However, these methods are not easily applied when studying the modal anatomy of a discontinuity. Other full-wave techniques are better suited. This dissertation discusses the formulation of a technique known as Generalized Transverse Resonance (GTR), which is a subset of Method of Moments. Generalized Transverse Resonance is a hybrid method combining the Transverse Resonance Method (TRM) with the Mode Matching Technique (MMT). The understanding of the generalized transverse resonance method starts with a discussion of Longitudinal Section Waves and from this derives the transverse resonance method for layered media para1lel to the wave propagation. It is shown that Maxwells equations can be represented as a mode function and voltage or current. This representation is used to reduce to the problem of merging the TRM and MMT into the GTR method by using network theory. The propagation constant is found by solving the wave equation, as an eigenvalue problem, subject to the boundary conditions. Discussed is the relative convergence phenomenon followed by the optimization strategy. Once the propagation constant is found, the cross sectional fields can be solved and from the fields the characteristic impedance is found. Theoretical data is compared to measure data to show the accuracy of the GTR method. Presented is an understanding of the propagation characteristics of a CPW transmission line in proximity with high and low loss silicon. This data will show the loss and propagation characteristics for four CPW structures using two separate silicon lids at six different heights above the transmission line. Two modes have been clearly identified and will be explained.