Abstract

As batteries go, so goes portable electronics. In the near future, small and light 3 volt batteries will become available. It necessitates future power supplies for notebook PCS, cellular and DCS/PCS handsets and HPCs (handheld PCS) to move from 5 to 6 volts to 3 volts. Consequently, both RF and baseband ICs will need to operate satisfactorily down to 2.5 volts to account for the aging of the battery. The high electronic mobility and low knee voltages of GaAs transistors are ideal for low supply voltage operations. Integrated power amplifiers for cellular handsets have good performances down to 1.5 volts. DC to DC converters with better than 95% conversion efficiencies are also available. We will address key technical and application issues in this talk.