Electromagnetic Simulation of High-Speed and RF Multi-Chip Modules — An Overview

Abstract

Electromagnetic (EM) simulators have already become established in the design of a variety of electromagnetic devices, such as MMICs (monolithic microwave integrated circuits), antennas, shields, electromechanical machines, and magnetic circuits. Such broad applicability results from the fact that the EM simulators are software packages for numerically solving the Maxwell’s fundamental electromagnetic field equations; for the same reason, and unlike some of the other simulators, they are independent of technology, models, foundry, and other such ephemeral considerations. Although designers have long carried out electromagnetic analysis of RF components and packages where necessary, the availability of commercial EM simulators1’2 since 1989 has made this task much more common, rapid, and easier. This development parallels the concurrent development of multi-chip module (MCM) technology for high-speed digital systems, as well as the front-ends of radio-frequency (RF) systems, such as receivers, transponders, transceivers, synthesizers, and transmit-receive modules. MCMs are a modern method of electronic packaging and integration that has the advantages of low-cost, compact size, and reliability. At low speeds/frequencies, the analysis, design, simulation, layout, and verification, of MCMs requires a number of software tools for computer-aided design (CAD), including process simulators, device simulators, circuit simulators, thermal simulators, and system simulators. For high-speed and RF MCMs, the design requirements make an additional CAD tool, namely EM simulator, indispensable.