Abstract: A Marchand balun has a primary transmission line with a width smaller than the two secondary transmission lines. The two secondary transmission lines also have different widths and lengths. This arrangement provides an imbalance between the widths and lengths of the transmission lines. It has been found that this imbalance can enable improved amplitude unbalance and phase unbalance.

Abstract: The invention provides an air cavity package for a component. The package has a connection lead structure in which the or each connection lead has a connection zone within the package for receiving a wire connector. A region of no connection lead material is provided directly between the connection zone and the neighboring outer edge of the cavity. This provides a trap for flowing interconnect material.

Abstract: The invention provides a transmitter comprising two (or more) phase locked loops controlling respective oscillators, and implementing different phase modulation. Multiple phases are derived from the respective oscillators, and an edge rotator forms an output signal from a combination of the phases. The oscillators can operate at different frequencies, neither of which is an integer multiple of the other, whereas the output signals of the multiplexers of the first and second phase locked loops are closer in frequency and can be the same. This reduces the problem of pulling, with a circuit that can be implemented with low power and area and with the versatility of being digitally intensive.

Abstract: Radio Frequency (RF) amplifier circuits are disclosed which may exhibit improved video/instantaneous bandwidth performance compared to conventional circuits. For example, disclosed RF amplifier circuits employ various concepts for reducing an overall circuit inductance or enabling an increase in capacitance for a given circuit size.

Abstract: The invention refers to method for packaging an integrated circuit (IC) comprising steps of: attaching at least one die on a substrate; attaching bond-wires from the die(s) to package terminal pads; mold or dispense a thermo-degradable material on the substrate, die(s) and bond-wires; mold an encapsulant material; decompose the thermo-degradable materials by temperature treatment.