Investigation of RF de-embedding approaches for device characterization

Device measurements for characterization and modeling are typically performed on wafer with the devices embedded in a probing padframe. The parasitic elements associated with these padframes need to be removed from both the DC and RF measurements for accurate representation of the device performance. In this paper the effectiveness of various RF de-embedding techniques is analyzed for various padframe types and sizes. The difference between desired and de-embedded DUT S-parameters versus frequency is shown for both the Open-Short and TRL de-embedding techniques, and conclusions are made as to which de-embedding technique is more appropriate for a given padframe size and measurement frequency range.