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Which textbooks and references are standard in RF design?

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The RF design literature is anchored by a set of widely adopted textbooks: Pozar for microwave engineering,[1] Razavi[2] and Lee[3] for RF integrated circuits, Balanis for antennas,[4] Gonzalez for transistor amplifiers,[5] Cripps for power amplifiers,[6] and Ott for EMC.[7] Vendor application notes from test-equipment and semiconductor makers complement them with measurement practice.

Which books cover each topic?

TopicReferences
Microwave circuits and theoryPozar, Microwave Engineering;[1] Collin, Foundations for Microwave Engineering[8]
RF ICs and transceiversRazavi, RF Microelectronics;[2] Lee, The Design of CMOS RF ICs[3]
AmplifiersGonzalez;[5] Cripps;[6] Kenington (linearity)[9]
Filters and matchingMatthaei, Young & Jones;[10] Hong;[11] Zverev[12]
AntennasBalanis, Antenna Theory[4]
PLLs and synthesisBest;[13] Banerjee;[14] Egan[15]
Wireless systems and propagationRappaport[16]
EMC and SIOtt;[7] Paul;[17] Bogatin[18]
RadarSkolnik[19]
Practical and amateurBowick;[20] ARRL Handbook[21]
MeasurementRauscher (spectrum analysis);[22] Hiebel (VNA)[23]

Which application notes are classics?

Keysight’s network analysis (AN 1287 series), spectrum analysis (AN 150), noise figure (AN 57-1) and S-parameter design (AN 154) notes;[24][25][26][27] Analog Devices tutorials on phase noise and jitter (MT-008), PLLs (MT-086) and converter metrics (MT-003);[28][29][30] and Rohde & Schwarz phase noise and EMC notes.[31][32]

Which original papers are worth reading?

Friis on noise figure (1944) and transmission (1946);[33][34] Smith’s chart (1939);[35] Kurokawa on power waves (1965);[36] Leeson on oscillator noise (1966);[37] Doherty (1936);[38] Sokal and Sokal on class E (1975);[39] Gilbert (1968);[40] Wilkinson (1960);[41] Engen and Hoer on TRL (1979).[42]

Frequently asked questions

Which book should a beginner start with?

Pozar for microwave fundamentals, or Bowick for a gentler practical introduction.

Are application notes reliable?

They are written to promote products but are generally technically reviewed; cross-check with textbooks.

Where can I read the original papers?

Through IEEE Xplore and other publishers' archives, often via libraries.

References

Online sources accessed October 21, 2026; printed works cited by edition. See all sources.

  1. “Microwave Engineering, 4th ed.”. D. M. Pozar, Wiley. 2012.
  2. “RF Microelectronics, 2nd ed.”. B. Razavi, Prentice Hall. 2012.
  3. “The Design of CMOS Radio-Frequency Integrated Circuits, 2nd ed.”. T. H. Lee, Cambridge University Press. 2004.
  4. “Antenna Theory: Analysis and Design, 4th ed.”. C. A. Balanis, Wiley. 2016.
  5. “Microwave Transistor Amplifiers: Analysis and Design, 2nd ed.”. G. Gonzalez, Prentice Hall. 1997.
  6. “RF Power Amplifiers for Wireless Communications, 2nd ed.”. S. C. Cripps, Artech House. 2006.
  7. “Electromagnetic Compatibility Engineering”. H. W. Ott, Wiley. 2009.
  8. “Foundations for Microwave Engineering, 2nd ed.”. R. E. Collin, McGraw-Hill / IEEE Press. 1992 / 2001.
  9. “High-Linearity RF Amplifier Design”. P. B. Kenington, Artech House. 2000.
  10. “Microwave Filters, Impedance-Matching Networks, and Coupling Structures”. G. Matthaei, L. Young, E. M. T. Jones, McGraw-Hill / Artech House. 1964; Artech reprint 1980.
  11. “Microstrip Filters for RF/Microwave Applications, 2nd ed.”. J.-S. Hong, Wiley. 2011.
  12. “Handbook of Filter Synthesis”. A. I. Zverev, Wiley. 1967.
  13. “Phase-Locked Loops: Design, Simulation, and Applications, 6th ed.”. R. E. Best, McGraw-Hill. 2007.
  14. “PLL Performance, Simulation, and Design”. D. Banerjee, Texas Instruments. 5th ed., 2017.
  15. “Frequency Synthesis by Phase Lock, 2nd ed.”. W. F. Egan, Wiley. 2000.
  16. “Wireless Communications: Principles and Practice, 2nd ed.”. T. S. Rappaport, Prentice Hall. 2002.
  17. “Introduction to Electromagnetic Compatibility, 2nd ed.”. C. R. Paul, Wiley. 2006.
  18. “Signal and Power Integrity, Simplified, 3rd ed.”. E. Bogatin, Prentice Hall. 2018.
  19. “Introduction to Radar Systems, 3rd ed.”. M. I. Skolnik, McGraw-Hill. 2001.
  20. “RF Circuit Design, 2nd ed.”. C. Bowick, Newnes. 2008.
  21. “The ARRL Handbook for Radio Communications”. ARRL. annual editions.
  22. “Fundamentals of Spectrum Analysis”. C. Rauscher, Rohde & Schwarz. 2001 and later editions.
  23. “Fundamentals of Vector Network Analysis”. M. Hiebel, Rohde & Schwarz. 2007 and later editions.
  24. “Understanding the Fundamental Principles of Vector Network Analysis (Application Note 1287-1)”. Keysight Technologies. application note.
  25. “Spectrum Analysis Basics (Application Note 150)”. Keysight Technologies. application note.
  26. “Fundamentals of RF and Microwave Noise Figure Measurements (Application Note 57-1)”. Keysight Technologies. application note.
  27. “S-Parameter Design (Application Note 154)”. Keysight Technologies. application note.
  28. “MT-008: Converting Oscillator Phase Noise to Time Jitter”. W. Kester, Analog Devices. tutorial.
  29. “MT-086: Fundamentals of Phase Locked Loops (PLLs)”. Analog Devices. tutorial.
  30. “MT-003: Understand SINAD, ENOB, SNR, THD, THD + N, and SFDR so You Don't Get Lost in the Noise Floor”. W. Kester, Analog Devices. tutorial.
  31. “Phase noise measurement application notes”. Rohde & Schwarz. application note.
  32. “EMI/EMC test receiver and precompliance application notes”. Rohde & Schwarz. application note.
  33. “Noise Figures of Radio Receivers”. H. T. Friis, Proceedings of the IRE, vol. 32, no. 7, pp. 419-422. July 1944.
  34. “A Note on a Simple Transmission Formula”. H. T. Friis, Proceedings of the IRE, vol. 34, no. 5, pp. 254-256. May 1946.
  35. “Transmission Line Calculator”. P. H. Smith, Electronics, vol. 12. January 1939.
  36. “Power Waves and the Scattering Matrix”. K. Kurokawa, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 194-202. March 1965.
  37. “A Simple Model of Feedback Oscillator Noise Spectrum”. D. B. Leeson, Proceedings of the IEEE, vol. 54, no. 2, pp. 329-330. February 1966.
  38. “A New High Efficiency Power Amplifier for Modulated Waves”. W. H. Doherty, Proceedings of the IRE, vol. 24, no. 9, pp. 1163-1182. September 1936.
  39. “Class E: A New Class of High-Efficiency Tuned Single-Ended Switching Power Amplifiers”. N. O. Sokal and A. D. Sokal, IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, vol. 10, no. 3, pp. 168-176. June 1975.
  40. “A Precise Four-Quadrant Multiplier with Subnanosecond Response”. B. Gilbert, IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, vol. 3, no. 4, pp. 365-373. December 1968.
  41. “An N-Way Hybrid Power Divider”. E. J. Wilkinson, IRE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 116-118. January 1960.
  42. “Thru-Reflect-Line: An Improved Technique for Calibrating the Dual Six-Port Automatic Network Analyzer”. G. F. Engen and C. A. Hoer, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, vol. 27, no. 12, pp. 987-993. December 1979.
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