Characterization of the broadband transmission behavior of interconnections on silicon substrates

Some characteristics of the transmission behavior of interconnections on conductive silicon substrates are presented. With regard to the signal propagation on high-speed digital circuits the broadband behavior of the lines is of special interest. The characteristic impedance and the propagation constant of the lines are determined experimentally by microwave measurements. The influence of the line geometry, the substrate resistivity and the signal frequency on the transmission behavior are clarified. Based on the results of the measurements, the suitability of the conventional RLC line model for time-domain simulations of the transmission characteristics of interconnections on silicon substrates is investigated.<
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