Keynote and Plenary sessions
Keynote #1
Mr. Joshua J. Caron
Topic: Integration and Complexity Challenges in Mobile RF on the Path to 6G
Affiliation:
Senior Director of Engineering, Skyworks Solutions
Bio:
Josh Caron is Senior Director of Engineering at Skyworks Solutions, where he leads advanced development of RF acoustic filters and front end modules for next generation mobile devices. With more than three decades of experience spanning RF systems, acoustic filtering, power amplifier architectures, and heterogeneous integration, Josh has played a key role in delivering high performance solutions used in billions of wireless devices worldwide.
Earlier in his career, Josh worked on acoustic wave sensors and materials research as part of Dr. John Vetelino’s group at the University of Maine, where he earned his BSEE and MSEE degrees and contributed to early advancements in SAW/BAW based sensing technologies. His industry work has since focused on advancing the state of the art in RF acoustic filters and addressing the increasingly complex challenges of modern cellular front ends, including wideband architectures, carrier aggregation, thermal and linearity scaling, coexistence management, and advanced packaging.
Josh is deeply engaged in bridging device level innovation with system level requirements as the industry moves toward 5G Advanced and 6G. He is the inventor on more than 60 U.S. patents, both issued and pending, and has collaborated closely with global OEMs and technology partners to shape the next generation of mobile RF performance.
Plenary #1
Dr. Muhannad Bakir
Topic: 2.5D/3D Heterogeneous Integration (3DHI): Emerging Trends and Opportunities
Affiliation:
Dan Fielder Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
Bio:
Muhannad S. Bakir is the GlobalFoundries Termed Chair in Packaging and 3D Heterogeneous Integration Professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Georgia Tech and the Director of the 3D Systems Packaging Research Center. His areas of interest include 2.5D and 3D heterogeneous integration technologies, photonic interconnects, and embedded cooling.
Dr. Bakir and his research group have received more than thirty paper and presentation awards including eight from the IEEE Electronic Components and Technology Conference (ECTC), four from the IEEE International Interconnect Technology Conference (IITC), one (best invited paper) from the IEEE Custom Integrated Circuits Conference (CICC), and one (best student paper award) from the IEEE International Microwave Symposium (IMS). Dr. Bakir's group was awarded Best Paper Awards from the 2014, 2017, 2023, and 2024 IEEE Transactions on Components Packaging and Manufacturing Technology (TCPMT). Dr. Bakir is the recipient of the 2013 Intel Early Career Faculty Honor Award, 2012 DARPA Young Faculty Award, 2011 IEEE CPMT Society Outstanding Young Engineer Award, and was an Invited Participant in the 2012 National Academy of Engineering Frontiers of Engineering Symposium. Dr. Bakir is also the recipient of the 2018 IEEE Electronics Packaging Society (EPS) Exceptional Technical Achievement Award "for contributions to 2.5D and 3D IC heterogeneous integration, with focus on interconnect technologies."
In 2020, Dr. Bakir was the recipient of the Georgia Tech Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Advisor Award.
Abstract:
This presentation will first begin with a motivation of 2.5D/3DHI technologies and highlight recent commercial products. Next, we will present an overview of emerging 3DHI technologies for both digital and RF/mm-wave technologies leveraging silicon- and glass-based technologies. We will emphasize the processes, bonding/assembly technologies, and electrical and thermal performances. Special emphasis will be placed on novel bonding processes including inverse hybrid bonding and silicon/glass chiplet reconstitution processes. We will also discuss opportunities for photonic co-integration.
Plenary #2
Dr. Rhonda Franklin
Topic: Engineering the Invisible: Nanotechnology in RF Innovation, and the Future Microwave Workforce
Affiliation:
McKnight Presidential Endowed Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Minnesota
Bio:
Rhonda R. Franklin (B.S.E.E., Texas A&M University; M.S., Ph.D., University of Michigan) is the McKnight Presidential Endowed Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Abbott Professor for Innovative Education at the University of Minnesota. She is internationally recognized for contributions to high-frequency engineering, microwave education, and engineering workforce development. Her research focuses on miniaturized RF/microwave circuits and antennas, heterogeneous integration and packaging, and characterization of electronic and magnetic nanomaterials, enabling advances in communications, biomedical systems, ecological sensing, and next-generation wireless technologies. She has co-authored 179 publications, six book chapters, and holds 12 patents and applications. Her honors include the NSF PECASE, IEEE MGA Diversity and Inclusion Award, IEEE N. Walter Cox Service Award, IEEE Fellow, and now Rudy Henning Mentoring Award. She is active in IEEE and national mentoring initiatives that expand access to research pathways, build mentoring ecosystems, and engage the full spectrum of talent.
Abstract:
As wireless systems advance toward higher frequencies, tighter integration, and greater performance demands, the “invisible” layers of engineering—materials, interfaces, and nanoscale structures—are becoming critical to innovation. This talk examines how nanotechnology is transforming RF and microwave engineering, enabling low-loss interconnects, miniaturized antennas, advanced packaging, and multifunctional materials for next-generation communication, sensing, and biomedical systems.
This convergence is also reshaping the future microwave workforce. Engineers must work across disciplines, combining electromagnetics, materials science, nanofabrication, with circuit and system-level design. Preparing this workforce requires new educational models that emphasize interdisciplinary learning, hands-on experience, and strong industry engagement while maintaining a strong foundation.
Drawing on research and workforce initiatives, this presentation highlights emerging applications of electronic and magnetic nanowire technologies for systems operating from RF to sub-millimeter-wave frequencies. Ultimately, “engineering the invisible” is not only about advancing technology, but about developing agile, multidimensional engineers equipped to lead the next era of microwave innovation.
Plenary #3
Dr. Jan Budroweit
Topic: Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) Components for Space - Opportunity or Risk?
Affiliation:
Team Leader, Radiation effects in Space subsystems, German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Bio:
Jan Budroweit is communication system engineer and team leader on radiation effects in space systems at the German Aerospace Center (DLR). He holds a PhD in electrical engineering (Dr.-Ing) from the Technical University of Hamburg (TUHH) in the field of radiation-tolerant communication system design and development. His main research interest includes the development of integrated multiband communication platform solutions for spacecraft missions. His research focuses on the prediction, characterization and mitigation of radiation effects in electronic components and systems in particular radio systems and RF devices. Jan Budroweit is a Senior Member of the IEEE and is actively working in the IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society (IEEE MTT-S) and the IEEE Nuclear and Plasma Sciences Society (IEEE NPSS). He is a member of the Technical Committee on Aerospace Systems (MTT-29) and serves the Speakers Bureau with his presentation on “Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) Components for Space – Opportunity or Risk?“. He is member of the chair-board in the IEEE Future Direction Initiative “Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Satellite and Systems“.
Abstract:
The rapid expansion of the space market has significantly increased interest in high-frequency and millimeter-wave technologies for space applications. Traditionally, the development of space-qualified systems has been driven by low risk tolerance and stringent reliability requirements, resulting in long development cycles and exceptionally high costs.
However, this paradigm is shifting with the emergence of the “NewSpace” approach, which emphasizes fast and cost-efficient satellite development and manufacturing. Achieving these goals often relies on the use of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components. While COTS solutions offer access to advanced, high-performance, and cost-effective technologies, they also introduce higher levels of risk, as they are typically not designed to withstand the harsh conditions of the space environment.
This talk explores the challenges associated with using COTS components in space missions and outlines key considerations for mitigating risk and improving mission success rates.
Keynote #2
Dr. Kaushik Sengupta
Topic: AI-enabled Chip (RF) Design beyond Human Intuition
Affiliation:
Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Princeton University
Bio:
Dr. Sengupta is an IEEE Fellow and currently Professor in the department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Princeton University. He received a B.Tech/M.Tech (dual degree) in Electronics and Electrical Communication Eng. from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, in 2007, an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Caltech in 2008, and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Caltech in 2012.His research interests include novel chip-scale architectures for intelligent sensing and communication for a wide range of emerging applications. He received the DARPA Young Faculty Award in 2018, the Bell Labs Prize in 2017, the Young Investigator Program Award from the Office of Naval Research in 2017, the Prime Minister Gold Medal Award from IIT Kharagpur in 2007, the Charles Wilts Prize at Caltech for the best Electrical Engineering Ph.D. thesis in 2013, and the inaugural Young Alumni Achievement Award from IIT Kharagpur in 2018. He served as a Distinguished Lecturer for the IEEE Solid-State Circuits Society from 2019 to 2020 and for the IEEE Microwave Theory and Technology Society from 2021 to 2023. He is a recipient of the 2021 IEEE Microwave Theory and Technology Outstanding Young Engineer Award and the 2022 IEEE Solid-state Circuits New Frontier Award. He received the IEEE Microwave Prize in 2015, several best paper awards including IEEE IMS (2020,2021,2022,2025) , RFIC (2012), and the Best paper of the year award from IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits in 2023 for the first deep-learning enabled RFIC design. He has over 20+ patents, and his work led to the start-up on long-distance wireless power transmission called Guru Inc, based in California, in which he has served as an advisor.
Abstract:
Traditionally, chip-scale RF system design has been in the domain of the expert, dominated by thumb rules and trial and error techniques. Designing these ICs, that form the bedrock of the wireless networks, is complex, time-consuming, requires years of expertise, and therefore, can be very expensive. Historically, the design process of RF IC design has relied on intuition based approaches with standard templates that are subsequently optimized, time-consuming parameter sweeps, or ad-hoc population-based metaheuristic optimization methods. There is no reason to believe that this approach is optimal in any sense. This talk will discuss how inverse design with AI-based approaches can open a new design space and allow rapid designs on demand. It will discuss deep-learning based modeling and generative AI approaches, that are transferrable across process design technologies, for inverse design and automated synthesis of mmWave/sub-THz circuits and antennas.