Full-wave analysis of large conductor systems over substrate

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2006.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 137-145).Designers of high-performance integrated circuits are paying ever-increasing attention to minimizing problems associated with interconnects such as noise, signal delay, crosstalk, etc., many of which are caused by the presence of a conductive substrate. The severity of these problems increases as integrated circuit clock frequencies rise into the multiple gigahertz range. In this thesis, a simulation tool is presented for the extraction of full-wave interconnect impedances in the presence of a conducting substrate. The substrate effects are accounted for through the use of full-wave layered Green's functions in a mixed-potential integral equation (MPIE) formulation. Particularly, the choice of implementation for the layered Green's function kernels motivates the development of accelerated techniques for both their 3D volume and 2D surface integrations, where each integration type can be reduced to a sum of D line integrals. In addition, a set of high-order, frequency-independent basis functions is developed with the ability to parameterize the frequency-dependent nature of the solution space, hence reducing the number of unknowns required to capture the interconnects' frequency-variant behavior.(cont.) Moreover, a pre-corrected FFT acceleration technique, conventional for the treatment of scalar Green's function kernels, is extended in the solver to accommodate the dyadic Green's function kernels encountered in the substrate modeling problem. Overall, the integral-equation solver, combined with its numerous acceleration techniques, serves as a viable solution to full-wave substrate impedance extractions of large and complex interconnect structures.by Xin Hu.Ph.D

Efficient 3D capacitance extraction solver using instantiable basis functions for VLSI interconnects

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2010.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 62-65).State-of-the-art capacitance extraction methods for Integrated Circuits (IC) involve scanning 2D cross-sections, and interpolating 2D capacitance values using a table lookup approach. This approach is fast and accurate for a large percentage of IC wires. It is however quite inaccurate for full 3D structures, such as crossing wires in adjacent metal layers. For such cases electrostatic field solvers are required. Unfortunately standard field solvers are inherently very time-consuming, making them completely impractical in typical IC design flows. Even fast matrix-vector product approaches (e.g., fastmultipole or precorrected FFT) are inefficient for these structures since they have a significant computational overhead and scale linearly with the number of conductors only for much larger structures with more than several hundreds of wires. In this talk we present therefore a new 3D extraction field solver that is extremely efficient in particular for the smaller scale extraction problem involving the ten to one hundred conductors in the 3D structures that cannot be handled by the 2D scanning and table look up approach. Because of highly restrictive design rules of the recent sub-micro to nano-scale IC technologies, smooth and regular charge distributions extracted from simple model structures can be stored beforehand as "templates" and instantiated and stretched to fit practical complicated cases as basis function building blocks. This "template-instantiated" strategy largely reduces the number of unknowns and computational time without additional overhead. Given that all basis functions are obtained by the same very few stretched templates, Galerkin coefficients can be readily computed from a mixture of analytical, numerical and table lookup approaches. Furthermore, given the low accuracy (i.e., 3%-5%) required by IC extraction and the specific aspect ratios and separations of wires on ICs, we have observed in our numerical experimentations that edge and corner charge singularities do not need to be included in our templates, hence reducing the complexity of our solver even further.by Yu-Chung Hsiao.S.M

Modelling and analysis of crosstalk in scaled CMOS interconnects

The development of a general coupled RLC interconnect model for simulating scaled bus structures m VLSI is presented. Several different methods for extracting submicron resistance, inductance and capacitance parameters are documented. Realistic scaling dimensions for deep submicron design rules are derived and used within the model. Deep submicron HSPICE device models are derived through the use of constant-voltage scaling theory on existing 0.75µm and 1.0µm models to create accurate interconnect bus drivers. This complete model is then used to analyse crosstalk noise and delay effects on multiple scaling levels to determine the dependence of crosstalk on scaling level. Using this data, layout techniques and processing methods are suggested to reduce crosstalk in system

Broad-band microwave amplifier design considerations

Broad-band microwave integrated circuit (MIC) amplifier design is a complex, multi-disciplinary process. This work focuses on three important aspects: the behaviour of microstrip transmission lines, discontinuities, and related structures; the accurate measurement of components and devices mounted in microstrip circuits; and the circuit design methodology. Techniques for microstrip quasi-static analysis are reviewed in order to identify methods suitable for extension to deal with the effects of substrate anisotropy. An integral equation method is described and the anisotropic Green's function derived using an extension to the method of partial images. Proposed transform methods are assessed and the preferred option implemented by adaption of a microstrip analysis computer program. A method, by which accurate measurements of microstrip properties may be made, is developed. Involving measurements of the resonant behaviour of half-wavelength short circuit resonators with two arbitrary coupling conditions, this technique allows the unloaded properties to be deduced. Results for microstrip on a sapphire substrate concur with the analysis. A pragmatic but effective approach to the calculation of the capacity component of microstrip discontinuities, and some other three dimensional MIC structures, is described and developed to allow existing data for isotropic substrates to be applied to the anisotropic situation. The computer corrected network analyser (CCNA) is a widely used microwave measurement tool. Weaknesses in popular correction strategies are identified and remedies developed. In particular, revised calibration equations that better accommodate test port mismatch variation with s-parameter selection, and a model for quadrature error are presented. A 2-port calibration scheme suitable for use with MIC transmission lines, using only simple standards, is described. The standards are partially self-calibrating;the values of propagation constant, loss, and end effect are deduced in the calibration process. An effective jig for use with microstrip is described and the results of measurements on microwave transistors presented. Conventionally microwave amplifiers are designed using reactive components both to achieve good port matches and compensate the frequency dependent gain of the active devices. The problems associated with this approach are enumerated and the alternatives reviewed. A methodology which combines the benefits of frequency dependant dissipative networks with the elegance of reactive network synthesis is described. The device gain slope is compensated by simple lumped or distributed circuits incorporating a resistive element to produce a composite `device' with a specififed (flat) maximum available gain frequency response. Reactive matching networks are then used to interface these gain blocks. By this structured approach the amplifier gain breakdown can be defined at the outset and preserved through the design process. Other advantages stemming from the use of dissipative compensation include improved tolerance to device parameter and component value scatter, reduced group delay variations and enhanced reverse isolation. The method is demonstrated by the design and characterisation of 4 to 9 GHz amplifier having a representative specification. The close conformance of the performance of the untrimmed amplifier to that predicted by computer simulation testifies to the inherent accuracy of the design method, the microstrip (and related structures) analysis techniques and the CCNA MIC calibration scheme

MODELING AND MEASUREMENT OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATED EMISSION FROM HIGH SPEED INTERCONNECTS IN DIGITAL CIRCUITS

Ph.DDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPH

Application of PEEC modeling for the development of a novel multi-gigahertz test interface with fine pitch wafer level package

Ph.DDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPH

I/O port macromodelling

3D electromagnetic modelling and simulation of various Printed Circuit Board (PCB) components is an important technique for characterizing the Signal Integrity (SI) and Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) issues present in a PCB. However, due to limited computational resource and the complexity of the integrated circuits, it is currently not possible to fully model a complete PCB system with 3D electromagnetic solvers. An effort has been made to fully model the PCB with all its components and their S-parameters has been derived so as to integrate these S-parameters in 1D, 2D static or quasi-static field solver or circuit solver tool. The novelty of this thesis is the development and verification of active circuit such as Input and Output buffers and passive channel components such as interconnects, via and connectors and deriving their S-parameters in order to model and characterize the complete PCB using 3D full field solver based on Transmission Line Matrix modelling (TLM) method. An integration of Input/Output (I/O) port in the 3D full field modelling method allows for modelling of the complete PCB system without being computationally expensive. This thesis presents a method for integration of Input/Output port in the 3D time domain modelling environment. Several software tools are available in the market which can characterize these PCBs in the frequency as well as the time domain using 1D, 2D techniques or using circuit solver such as spice. The work in this thesis looks at extending these 1D and 2D techniques for 3D Electromagnetic solvers in the time domain using the TLM technique for PCB analysis. The modelling technique presented in this thesis is based on in-house developed 3D TLM method along with a developed behavioral Integrated Circuit (IC) – macromodel. The method has been applied to a wide variety of PCB topologies along with a range of IC packages to fully validate the approach. The method has also been applied to show the switching effect arising out of the crosstalk in a logic device apart from modelling various discontinuities of PCB interconnects in the form of S11 and S21 parameters. The proposed novel TLM based technique has been selected based on simplification of its approach, electrical equivalence (rather than complex mathematical functions of Maxwell's electromagnetic theory), time domain analysis for transients in a PCB with an increased accuracy over other available methods in the literature. On the experimental side two, four and six layered PCBs with various interconnect discontinuities such as straight line, right angle, fan-out and via and IC packages such as SOT-23 (DBV), SC-70 (DCK) and SOT-553 (DRL) has been designed and manufactured. The modelling results have been verified with the experimental results of these PCBs and other commercial software such as HSPICE, CST design studio available in the market. While characterizing the SI issues, these modelling results can also help in analyzing conducted and radiated EMC/EMI problems to meet various EMC regulations such as CE, FCC around the world

13th Annual Review of Progress in Applied Computational Electromagnetics at the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA, March 17-21, 1997, Conference Proceedings Volumes I & II

Includes Volumes 1 &

I/O port macromodelling

3D electromagnetic modelling and simulation of various Printed Circuit Board (PCB) components is an important technique for characterizing the Signal Integrity (SI) and Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) issues present in a PCB. However, due to limited computational resource and the complexity of the integrated circuits, it is currently not possible to fully model a complete PCB system with 3D electromagnetic solvers. An effort has been made to fully model the PCB with all its components and their S-parameters has been derived so as to integrate these S-parameters in 1D, 2D static or quasi-static field solver or circuit solver tool. The novelty of this thesis is the development and verification of active circuit such as Input and Output buffers and passive channel components such as interconnects, via and connectors and deriving their S-parameters in order to model and characterize the complete PCB using 3D full field solver based on Transmission Line Matrix modelling (TLM) method. An integration of Input/Output (I/O) port in the 3D full field modelling method allows for modelling of the complete PCB system without being computationally expensive. This thesis presents a method for integration of Input/Output port in the 3D time domain modelling environment. Several software tools are available in the market which can characterize these PCBs in the frequency as well as the time domain using 1D, 2D techniques or using circuit solver such as spice. The work in this thesis looks at extending these 1D and 2D techniques for 3D Electromagnetic solvers in the time domain using the TLM technique for PCB analysis. The modelling technique presented in this thesis is based on in-house developed 3D TLM method along with a developed behavioral Integrated Circuit (IC) – macromodel. The method has been applied to a wide variety of PCB topologies along with a range of IC packages to fully validate the approach. The method has also been applied to show the switching effect arising out of the crosstalk in a logic device apart from modelling various discontinuities of PCB interconnects in the form of S11 and S21 parameters. The proposed novel TLM based technique has been selected based on simplification of its approach, electrical equivalence (rather than complex mathematical functions of Maxwell's electromagnetic theory), time domain analysis for transients in a PCB with an increased accuracy over other available methods in the literature. On the experimental side two, four and six layered PCBs with various interconnect discontinuities such as straight line, right angle, fan-out and via and IC packages such as SOT-23 (DBV), SC-70 (DCK) and SOT-553 (DRL) has been designed and manufactured. The modelling results have been verified with the experimental results of these PCBs and other commercial software such as HSPICE, CST design studio available in the market. While characterizing the SI issues, these modelling results can also help in analyzing conducted and radiated EMC/EMI problems to meet various EMC regulations such as CE, FCC around the world