Syllabus Application
EE 411
RF Integrated Circuits I
Faculty
Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences
Semester
Fall 2026-2027
Course
EE 411 -
RF Integrated Circuits I
Time/Place
Time
Week Day
Place
Date
09:40-12:30
Thu
FENS-L027
Sep 28-Dec 31, 2026
Level of course
Undergraduate
Course Credits
SU Credit:3, ECTS:6, Engineering:6
Prerequisites
EE 306
Corequisites
EE 411L
Course Type
Lecture
Instructor(s) Information
İlker Kalyoncu
Yaşar Gürbüz
- Email: yasar@sabanciuniv.edu
Course Information
Catalog Course Description
In this course, student develops understanding understand the fundamentals of RF integrated circuits, performance metrics, semiconductor technologies, active devices, passive components, and packaging, analyzing RF circuits using concepts of gain, noise, linearity, impedance matching, bandwidth, and stability, developing specification-driven circuit designs for RF front-end building blocks such as low-noise amplifiers (LNAs), RF switches, attenuators, variable-gain amplifiers, and phase-shifters, designing, simulating and optimizing RF integrated circuits using industry-standard CAD tools and electromagnetic (EM) simulation environments, implementing RF circuit layouts and evaluate the impact of parasitics, process variations, and packaging on circuit performance, translate system-level requirements into circuit-level specifications and verify design performance through comprehensive simulation and analysis and finally, developing practical expertise in integrated RF circuit design through design projects and technical documentation.
Learning Outcomes:
| 1. | Explain the operating principles, advantages, limitations, and applications of major RF integrated-circuit technologies, devices, passive components, and packaging solutions. |
|---|---|
| 2. | Evaluate RF circuits using key performance metrics including gain, noise figure, input/output matching, isolation, bandwidth, linearity, power handling, switching speed, dynamic range, and stability. |
| 3. | Design and analyze impedance-matching networks using transmission lines, lumped components, and Smith-chart techniques. |
| 4. | Analyze and design low-noise amplifiers using common-source, common-gate, cascode, feedback, and noise-canceling architectures. |
| 5. | Analyze and design RF switches and related control circuits, including attenuators, variable-gain amplifiers, phase shifters, and true-time-delay circuits. |
| 6. | Perform RF circuit simulations using S-parameter, noise, large-signal, transient, and frequency-domain analyses in professional CAD environments. |
| 7. | Design RF integrated-circuit layouts, perform electromagnetic simulations, and assess the impact of layout parasitics on circuit performance. |
| 8. | Decompose system-level RF requirements into circuit-level specifications and make informed architectural and topology selections. |
| 9. | Complete a full RFIC design flow, including specification definition, schematic design, simulation, layout implementation, EM verification, optimization, and design reporting. |
| 10. | Communicate RFIC design methodologies, trade-offs, results, and verification data through professional technical reports and presentations. |
Course Objective
1) To understand the concept of RF integrated circuits
2) To analyze RF circuit building blocks building blocks (through lectures, homework and recitations)
3) To design these RF circuit building blocks (through lectures, homework and recitations.).
4) To design, simulate and optimize RF circuits with the aid of Cadence tools (through recit).
5) To design spiral inductors and transmission lines with the aid of SONNET tools (through recit).
6) To practice layout techniques in Cadence design environment (through recit).
7) To understand applications of RF circuits.
2) To analyze RF circuit building blocks building blocks (through lectures, homework and recitations)
3) To design these RF circuit building blocks (through lectures, homework and recitations.).
4) To design, simulate and optimize RF circuits with the aid of Cadence tools (through recit).
5) To design spiral inductors and transmission lines with the aid of SONNET tools (through recit).
6) To practice layout techniques in Cadence design environment (through recit).
7) To understand applications of RF circuits.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Related to This Course:
| Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure |