S-PARAMETER ANALYSIS OF MULTICONDUCTOR, INTEGRATED-CIRCUIT INTERCONNECT SYSTEMS

This paper explores the use of S-parameter-based network techniques for the analysis of coupled, multiconductor, high-speed analog and digital integrated circuit interconnects. S-parameter-based computer-aided design (CAD) techniques, widely used in microwave network analysis, provide a powerful framework for the analysis of analog and digital integrated circuit interconnect systems. They show promise as a method for analyzing complex systems that may contain large numbers of coupled transmission lines and discontinuities. This is particularly true for cases in which very high frequency components are important and where the dispersive nature of the non-transverse-electromagnetic (TEM) transmission line modes needs to be accounted for. The specific additions to the existing S-parameter network analysis framework developed in this paper provides for multiport interconnect capabilities and for the use of multiconductor S parameters derived from three categories of input parameters: (1) lossy quasi-static R, L, C and G; (2) lossy frequency-dependent (dispersive) R, L, C, G; and (3) the propagation constants, gamma, the characteristic impedance, Z(c), and the conductor eigencurrents, I, derived from full-wave electromagnetic analysis. Results are compared with computed simulations and experimental measurements.