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RF CMOS is ametal–oxide–semiconductor (MOS)integrated circuit (IC) technology that integratesradio-frequency (RF), analog anddigital electronics on amixed-signalCMOS (complementary MOS)RF circuit chip.^[7][8] It is widely used in modernwirelesstelecommunications, such ascellular networks,Bluetooth,Wi-Fi,GPS receivers,broadcasting,vehicular communication systems, and theradio transceivers in all modernmobile phones andwireless networking devices. RF CMOS technology was pioneered by Pakistani engineerAsad Ali Abidi atUCLA during the late 1980s to early 1990s, and helped bring about thewireless revolution with the introduction ofdigital signal processing in wireless communications. The development and design of RF CMOS devices was enabled byvan der Ziel's FET RF noise model, which was published in the early 1960s and remained largely forgotten until the 1990s.^{[9][10][11][12]}

Pakistani engineerAsad Ali Abidi, while working atBell Labs and thenUCLA during the 1980s–1990s, pioneeredradio research inmetal–oxide–semiconductor (MOS) technology and made seminal contributions toradio architecture based oncomplementary MOS (CMOS)switched-capacitor (SC) technology.^[13] In the early 1980s, while working at Bell, he worked on the development ofsub-micronMOSFET (MOS field-effect transistor)VLSI (verylarge-scale integration) technology, and demonstrated the potential of sub-micronNMOSintegrated circuit (IC) technology in high-speedcommunication circuits. Abidi's work was initially met with skepticism from proponents ofGaAs andbipolar junction transistors, the dominant technologies for high-speed communication circuits at the time. In 1985 he joined theUniversity of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he pioneered RF CMOS technology during the late 1980s to early 1990s. His work changed the way in whichRF circuits would be designed, away from discretebipolar transistors and towardsCMOS integrated circuits.^[14]

Abidi was researching analog CMOS circuits forsignal processing andcommunications at UCLA during the late 1980s to early 1990s.^[14] Abidi, along with UCLA colleagues J. Chang and Michael Gaitan, demonstrated the first RF CMOSamplifier in 1993.^[15][16] In 1995, Abidi used CMOS switched-capacitor technology to demonstrate the first direct-conversiontransceivers fordigital communications.^[13] In the late 1990s, RF CMOS technology was widely adopted inwireless networking, asmobile phones began entering widespread use.^[14] This changed the way in which RF circuits were designed, leading to the replacement of discretebipolar transistors withCMOS integrated circuits inradio transceivers.^[14]

There was a rapid growth of thetelecommunications industry towards the end of the 20th century, primarily due to the introduction ofdigital signal processing inwireless communications, driven by the development of low-cost,very large-scale integration (VLSI) RF CMOS technology.^[17] It enabled sophisticated, low-cost and portableend-user terminals, and gave rise to small, low-cost, low-power and portable units for a wide range of wireless communication systems. This enabled "anytime, anywhere" communication and helped bring about thewireless revolution, leading to the rapid growth of the wireless industry.^[18]

In the early 2000s, RF CMOS chips withdeep sub-micron MOSFETs capable of over 100 GHz frequency range were demonstrated.^[19] As of 2008^[update], theradio transceivers in all wireless networking devices and modern mobile phones are mass-produced as RF CMOS devices.^[14]

Thebaseband processors^[20][21] andradio transceivers in all modernwireless networking devices andmobile phones are mass-produced using RF CMOS devices.^[14] RF CMOS circuits are widely used to transmit and receive wireless signals, in a variety of applications, such assatellite technology (includingGPS andGPS receivers),Bluetooth,Wi-Fi,near-field communication (NFC),mobile networks (such as3G and4G),terrestrialbroadcast, andautomotiveradar applications, among other uses.^[22]

Examples of commercial RF CMOS chips include Intel'sDECT cordless phone, and802.11 (Wi-Fi) chips created byAtheros and other companies.^[23] Commercial RF CMOS products are also used forBluetooth andWireless LAN (WLAN) networks.^[24] RF CMOS is also used in the radio transceivers for wireless standards such asGSM, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth, transceivers for mobile networks such as 3G, and remote units inwireless sensor networks (WSN).^[25]

RF CMOS technology is crucial to modern wireless communications, including wireless networks andmobile communication devices. One of the companies that commercialized RF CMOS technology wasInfineon. Its bulk CMOSRF switches sell over 1 billion units annually, reaching a cumulative 5 billion units, as of 2018^[update].^[26]

Practicalsoftware-defined radio (SDR) for commercial use was enabled by RF CMOS, which is capable of implementing an entire software-defined radio system on a single MOS IC chip.^[27][28][29] RF CMOS began to be used for SDR implementations during the 2000s.^[28]

RF CMOS is widely used in a number of common applications, which include the following.

• Digital electronics
• Electronic design
• Integrated circuits
• MOSFETs
• Pakistani inventions

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