Characterization and electrical circuit modeling of interconnections and packages using time domain network analysis

The improved accuracy of Time Domain Reflection and Transmission (TDR/T) measurements made possible by the calibration process known as Time Domain Network Analysis (TDNA) is applied to the problem of characterization and modeling of electronic interconnect and packaging structures. TDNA uses measurements of known and partially known calibration standards to characterize the measurement system allowing for the correction of the raw measurements of an unknown network to eliminate the effects of system non-idealities and resulting in a significant improvement of the measurement quality. The correction process is shown to be analogous to the well established Frequency Domain Vector Network Analyzer calibrations and to have the same capabilities for high precision metrology applications.; Methods are developed to extract electrical circuit models from time domain measurements of lossless, nonuniform, multiconductor transmission lines for two broad classes of structures. Although unique solutions are not feasible for general structures that scatter the propagating wave-front, approximate solutions have been identified using the assumption of a single velocity wave-front, the case for homogeneous media. For structures with identical lines, such as a parallel line bus structure, the propagation behavior (eigenvector matrix) is determined only by the number of conductors, N, and is therefore known a priori for the entire structure allowing decoupling of the system into N orthogonal nonuniform transmission lines. Circuit models have been developed for these decoupled nonuniform lines as well as for the equal modal velocity assumption which relies on a matrix impedance profile to fully describe the system.; The implications of non-ideal grounding of interconnection circuits is explored. Traditional lumped element methods for modeling these effects are examined and typical examples where distributed circuit models are necessary to adequately describe the system are identified. Techniques for examining power-planes and substrate connections in integrated circuits and integrated circuit packages using the distributed ground model are presented. Novel circuit design methods to circumvent the limitations imposed by non-ideal grounds and nonzero length transmission structures are also proposed.