Power plane SPICE models and simulated performance for materials and geometries

A SPICE model for power plane simulation has been developed. It is based on the geometries and materials of the power planes and uses a unit cell composed of RLC elements, transmission line elements or the HSPICE W-element. Simulated resonances in the frequency domain and delays in the time domain are consistent with results calculated from physical dimensions. SPICE model simulations compare well with hardware measurements in both the frequency and time domains. The role of dielectric thickness, dielectric constant and parallel pairs of power planes is demonstrated through simulation. The spreading inductance of power planes is defined, discussed and measured. Power plane performance in terms of impedance, resonances, damping and spreading inductance is optimized by the use of a thin dielectric layer between conductive planes.