Interconnection line structures on MCM-Si for giga-hertz quasi-TEM signal transmission

Abstract

Recently, electrical performances of high-speed digital integrated circuits and MCMs have been limited by undesired RF phenomena of interconnection lines, such as delay attenuation, crosstalk, dispersion, reflection, and noise. Transmission line structures are required for future interconnection lines of the integrated circuits and MCMs to minimize the RF effects and, therefore, to maximize transmission bandwidth and minimize signal loss of the interconnection lines. Also, to predict those effects, it is necessary to use correct and simple electrical models of the transmission line structures. In this paper, we propose new embedded microstrip structures, such as an embedding microstrip (EM) and an inverted embedding microstrip (IEM) structures for the MCM-Si interconnection line. The proposed IEM and EM structures are proven to be less lossy and dispersive at high frequencies than the conventional MCM-Si interconnection line structures. The proposed line structures were demonstrated to support low loss quasi-TEM mode propagation through the lines. The characteristics and frequency dependent electrical models of the proposed structures will be reported based on microwave S-parameter measurements up to 20 GHz.