Energy-efficient RF power modules developed using SOI technology

January 7, 2026 -- Within the framework of the BEYOND5 project, CEA-Leti researchers have developed energy-efficient RF power modules based on SOI technology. This innovation won an award at the IEEE RFIC 2025 conference.

Over the period 2020-2024, some 37 industrial and academic partners from 10 European countries worked together on the BEYOND5 project coordinated by Soitec. The aim was to leverage Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) technology to develop new applications in the field of radiofrequency (RF) communications, in particular for connected vehicles. SOI makes it possible to deliver high power levels while optimizing linearity (i.e. the ability to limit distortion) and power consumption.

RF power modules operating at frequencies beyond 5 GHz

As part of the BEYOND5 project, CEA-Leti was responsible for developing a RF power module (FEM) combining three essential RF functions: a power amplifier (PA), which amplifies transmitted signals; a low-noise amplifier (LNA), which processes received signals; and a switch, which toggles between transmission and reception modes.

The research team was assigned to develop a RF FEM able to operate at frequencies beyond 5 GHz, in order to achieve the low latency and high communication rates required for future connected vehicle applications. Reaching this goal meant overcoming a scientific hurdle: how to increase the communication range while limiting the system's power consumption?

"To achieve this, we explored new SOI technology design approaches with the aim of expanding the available bandwidth," explains Alexandre Giry, head of RF/mmW Power Modules Research at CEA-Leti. "In particular, we innovated by combining reconfigurable architectures and new design methodologies, making it possible to maximize energy efficiency and linearity according to the frequency used."

The researchers developed reconfigurable FEMs intended to maximize performance while minimizing power consumption across a frequency band ranging from 5 to 7 GHz. As a result, regardless of their operating frequency within this band, the developed FEMs can be configured to maximize linearity and minimize power consumption.

An RFIC 2025 award-winning SOI RF power module

Experimental testing confirmed the superiority of these SOI technology-based RF power modules over conventional solutions, both in terms of output power and from a linearity and power consumption perspective. These results were recognized at the 2025 edition of the IEEE RFIC conference, a flagship international event in the field of RF integrated circuits. The paper describing the original design methodology and the performance achieved won an award in the Best Industry Paper category. This award underscores the relevance of the proposed approach and elevates its visibility, particularly among key industrial stakeholders in the field.

"We are now working to improve the performance of our RF power modules, in particular to widen the transmitted signal's instantaneous bandwidth and to improve performance at the upper edge of the band," notes Alexandre Giry. "And we also want to diversify the possible applications of our technology, adapting it to emerging new use cases." 

​​The research team is therefore seeking an industrial partner to help bring their solutions to maturity, along the lines of an earlier agreement with the Japanese market leader Murata. That partnership involved the transfer of an SOI-based RF power module, designed to deliver enhanced energy efficiency for 2.4GHz Wi-Fi applications.

From left to right: François Rivet (IMS Bordeaux, RFIC 2025 General Chair), Alexandre Giry (CEA-Leti), Pascal Reynier (CEA-Leti), Mohyee Mikhemar (Broadcom, RFIC 2025 TPC Chair)

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