A Test Structure for the EMC Characterization of Small Integrated Circuits

This paper deals with the measurement methods used to evaluate the electromagnetic (EM) emission of integrated circuits (ICs) as well as their susceptibility to EM interference. In particular, the micro stripline method, which is prescribed by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC 62132-8), is considered and its limitations for the characterization of ICs encapsulated in small packages are highlighted. Wanting to address such issues, a new EM guiding structure that shows an enhanced coupling with the device under test in the frequency range 800 MHz-3 GHz is proposed. A circuit model of the test structure based on lumped elements that allows one to perform circuit analysis with SPICE-like simulators is proposed. It can also be used to check the effectiveness of the test bench before setting it up. The model has been validated comparing the scattering parameters obtained from simulations with those resulted from measurements carried out on a real test structure, which was designed and fabricated for this purpose.