• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.8-13
• /
• 2009

In this paper, discontinuous interconnect lines are modeled as a cascaded line composed of many uniform interconnect lines. The system functions of respective uniform interconnect lines are determined, followed by its time domain response. Since the time domain response expression is a transcendental form, the waveform expression is reconfigured as an approximated linear expression. The proposed model has less than 2% error in the delay estimation.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SD
• /
• v.37 no.6
• /
• pp.50-56
• /
• 2000

The integrated circuit interconnection lines are experimented with patterned ground shields (PGS) at microwave frequencies. Measurement results demonstrate that the PGS can significantly reduce the power loss through the interconnect lines over wide frequency ranges as the PGS shields the lossy silicon substrate. The transmission line characteristics of the PGS interconnect lines are analyzed and identified that the PGS reduces the wave length of the interconnect line.

• ETRI Journal
• /
• v.45 no.5
• /
• pp.910-921
• /
• 2023

In this study, we designed a 6T-SRAM cell using 16-nm CMOS process and analyzed the performance in terms of read-speed latency. The temperaturedependent Cu and multilayered graphene nanoribbon (MLGNR)-based nanointerconnect materials is used throughout the circuit (primarily bit/bit-bars [red lines] and word lines [write lines]). Here, the read speed analysis is performed with four different chip operating temperatures (150K, 250K, 350K, and 450K) using both Cu and graphene nanoribbon (GNR) nano-interconnects with different interconnect lengths (from 10 ㎛ to 100 ㎛), for reading-0 and reading-1 operations. To execute the reading operation, the CMOS technology, that is, the16-nm PTM-HPC model, and the16-nm interconnect technology, that is, ITRS-13, are used in this application. The complete design is simulated using TSPICE simulation tools (by Mentor Graphics). The read speed latency increases rapidly as interconnect length increases for both Cu and GNR interconnects. However, the Cu interconnect has three to six times more latency than the GNR. In addition, we observe that the reading speed latency for the GNR interconnect is ~10.29 ns for wide temperature variations (150K to 450K), whereas the reading speed latency for the Cu interconnect varies between ~32 ns and 65 ns for the same temperature ranges. The above analysis is useful for the design of next generation, high-speed memories using different nano-interconnect materials.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SD
• /
• v.43 no.7 s.349
• /
• pp.20-28
• /
• 2006

A new TWA(Traveling-wave-based Waveform Approximation)-based signal integrity verification method for practical interconnect layout structures which are composed of non-uniform RLC lines with various discontinuities is presented. Transforming the non-uniform lines into virtual uniform lines, signal integrity of the practical layout structures can be very efficiently estimated by using the TWA-technique. It is shown that the proposed technique can estimate the signal integrity much more efficiently than generic SPICE circuit model with 5% timing error and 10% crosstalk error.

• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
• /
• v.7 no.4
• /
• pp.260-266
• /
• 2007

Analytical compact form models for the signal transients and crosstalk noise of inductive-effect-prominent multi-coupled RLC lines are developed. Capacitive and inductive coupling effects are investigated and formulated in terms of the equivalent transmission line model and transmission line parameters for fundamental modes. The signal transients and crosstalk noise expressions of two coupled lines are derived by using a waveform approximation technique. It is shown that the models have excellent agreement with SPICE simulation.

• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
• /
• v.13 no.6
• /
• pp.594-607
• /
• 2013

A new efficient analytical eye-diagram determination technique for coupled interconnect lines is presented. Two coupled lines are decoupled into isolated eigen modes; bit blocks for coupled lines, which are defined as a block of consecutive bits, are then represented with decoupled modes. The crosstalk effects within the bit blocks are taken into account. Thereby, the crucial input bit patterns for the worst case eye-diagram determination are modeled mathematically, including inter-symbol interference (ISI). The proposed technique shows excellent agreement with the SPICE-based simulation. Furthermore, it is very computation-time-efficient in the order of magnitude, compared with the SPICE simulation, which requires numerous pseudo-random bit sequence (PRBS) input signals.

• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.15-22
• /
• 2011

Interconnect lines with inter-layer vias are experimentally characterized by using high-frequency S-parameter measurements. Test patterns are designed and fabricated using a package process. Then they are measured using Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) up to 25 GHz. Modeling a via as a circuit, its model parameters are determined. It is shown that the circuit model has excellent agreement with the measured S-parameters. The signal integrity of the lines with inter-layer vias is evaluated by using the developed circuit model. Thereby, it is shown that via may have a substantially deteriorative effect on the signal integrity of high-speed integrated circuits.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SD
• /
• v.39 no.9
• /
• pp.19-27
• /
• 2002

Characteristics of interconnect lines considering underlayer geometries of a silicon substrate and crossing metal lines are experimentally analyzed through elaborately devised patterns. In this work, test patterns for transmission lines having several kinds of underlayer geometries were devised, and the signal characteristics and responses are measured by S-parameter and time domain reflection meter (TDR). The patterns were designed and fabricated with a deep-submicron CMOS DRAM technology having 1 Tungsten and 2 Aluminum metals. From the analysis of measured results on the patterns, it is founded that the effects of underlayter line structures on line parameters (especially line capacitance and resistance) and signal distortions occurred from them cannot be negligible. The results provide useful and insightful understanding in the skew balance of package leads and global signal lines such as high-speed clock and data lines.

• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
• /
• v.14 no.6
• /
• pp.824-831
• /
• 2014

In this study, structural variations and overlay errors caused by multiple patterning lithography techniques to print narrow parallel metal interconnects are investigated. Resistance and capacitance parasitic of the six lines of parallel interconnects printed by double patterning lithography (DPL) and triple patterning lithography (TPL) are extracted from a field solver. Wide parameter variations both in DPL and TPL processes are analyzed to determine the impact on signal propagation. Simulations of 10% parameter variations in metal lines show delay variations up to 20% and 30% in DPL and TPL, respectively. Monte Carlo statistical analysis shows that the TPL process results in 21% larger standard variation in delay than the DPL process. Crosstalk simulations are conducted to analyze the dependency on the conditions of the neighboring wires. As expected, opposite signal transitions in the neighboring wires significantly degrade the speed of signal propagation, and the impact becomes larger in the C-worst metals patterned by the TPL process compared to those patterned by the DPL process. As a result, both DPL and TPL result in large variations in parasitic and delay. Therefore, an accurate understanding of variations in the interconnect parameters by multiple patterning lithography and adding proper margins in the circuit designs is necessary.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
• /
• v.12 no.1 s.34
• /
• pp.27-33
• /
• 2005

The effect of microstructure on alternating current-induced damage in 200 and 300 nm thick polycrystalline sputtered Cu lines on Si substrates has been investigated. Alternating currents were used to generate temperature cycles (with ranges from 100 to $300^{\circ}C$) and thermal strains (with ranges from 0.14 to $0.42\%$) in the Cu lines at a frequency of 10 kHz. Fatigue loading caused the development of severe surface roughness that was localized within individual grains which depends severely on grain orientations.