Substrate Noise


Book Description

In the past decade, substrate noise has had a constant and significant impact on the design of analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits. Only recently, with advances in chip miniaturization and innovative circuit design, has substrate noise begun to plague fully digital circuits as well. To combat the effects of substrate noise, heavily over-designed structures are generally adopted, thus seriously limiting the advantages of innovative technologies. Substrate Noise: Analysis and Optimization for IC Design addresses the main problems posed by substrate noise from both an IC and a CAD designer perspective. The effects of substrate noise on performance in digital, analog, and mixed-signal circuits are presented, along with the mechanisms underlying noise generation, injection, and transport. Popular solutions to the substrate noise problem and the trade-offs often debated by designers are extensively discussed. Non-traditional approaches as well as semi-automated techniques to combat substrate noise are also addressed. Substrate Noise: Analysis and Optimization for IC Design will be of interest to researchers and professionals interested in signal integrity, as well as to mixed signal and RF designers.




Substrate Noise Coupling in RFICs


Book Description

The book reports modeling and simulation techniques for substrate noise coupling effects in RFICs and introduces isolation structures and design guides to mitigate such effects with the ultimate goal of enhancing the yield of RF and mixed signal SoCs. The book further reports silicon measurements, and new test and noise isolation structures. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first title devoted to the topic of substrate noise coupling in RFICs as part of a large SoC.




Substrate Noise Coupling in Mixed-Signal ASICs


Book Description

This book is the first in a series of three dedicated to advanced topics in Mixed-Signal IC design methodologies. It is one of the results achieved by the Mixed-Signal Design Cluster, an initiative launched in 1998 as part of the TARDIS project, funded by the European Commission within the ESPRIT-IV Framework. This initiative aims to promote the development of new design and test methodologies for Mixed-Signal ICs, and to accelerate their adoption by industrial users. As Microelectronics evolves, Mixed-Signal techniques are gaining a significant importance due to the wide spread of applications where an analog front-end is needed to drive a complex digital-processing subsystem. In this sense, Analog and Mixed-Signal circuits are recognized as a bottleneck for the market acceptance of Systems-On-Chip, because of the inherent difficulties involved in the design and test of these circuits. Specially, problems arising from the use of a common substrate for analog and digital components are a main limiting factor. The Mixed-Signal Cluster has been formed by a group of 11 Research and Development projects, plus a specific action to promote the dissemination of design methodologies, techniques, and supporting tools developed within the Cluster projects. The whole action, ending in July 2002, has been assigned an overall budget of more than 8 million EURO.




Analysis and Solutions for Switching Noise Coupling in Mixed-Signal ICs


Book Description

Modern microelectronic design is characterized by the integration of full systems on a single die. These systems often include large high performance digital circuitry, high resolution analog parts, high driving I/O, and maybe RF sections. Designers of such systems are constantly faced with the challenge to achieve compatibility in electrical characteristics of every section: some circuitry presents fast transients and large consumption spikes, whereas others require quiet environments to achieve resolutions well beyond millivolts. Coupling between those sections is usually unavoidable, since the entire system shares the same silicon substrate bulk and the same package. Understanding the way coupling is produced, and knowing methods to isolate coupled circuitry, and how to apply every method, is then mandatory knowledge for every IC designer. Analysis and Solutions for Switching Noise Coupling in Mixed-Signal ICs is an in-depth look at coupling through the common silicon substrate, and noise at the power supply lines. It explains the elementary knowledge needed to understand these phenomena and presents a review of previous works and new research results. The aim is to provide an understanding of the reasons for these particular ways of coupling, review and suggest solutions to noise coupling, and provide criteria to apply noise reduction. Analysis and Solutions for Switching Noise Coupling in Mixed-Signal ICs is an ideal book, both as introductory material to noise-coupling problems in mixed-signal ICs, and for more advanced designers facing this problem.




EDA for IC Implementation, Circuit Design, and Process Technology


Book Description

Presenting a comprehensive overview of the design automation algorithms, tools, and methodologies used to design integrated circuits, the Electronic Design Automation for Integrated Circuits Handbook is available in two volumes. The second volume, EDA for IC Implementation, Circuit Design, and Process Technology, thoroughly examines real-time logic to GDSII (a file format used to transfer data of semiconductor physical layout), analog/mixed signal design, physical verification, and technology CAD (TCAD). Chapters contributed by leading experts authoritatively discuss design for manufacturability at the nanoscale, power supply network design and analysis, design modeling, and much more. Save on the complete set.




Radio-Frequency Integrated-Circuit Engineering


Book Description

Radio-Frequency Integrated-Circuit Engineering addresses the theory, analysis and design of passive and active RFIC's using Si-based CMOS and Bi-CMOS technologies, and other non-silicon based technologies. The materials covered are self-contained and presented in such detail that allows readers with only undergraduate electrical engineering knowledge in EM, RF, and circuits to understand and design RFICs. Organized into sixteen chapters, blending analog and microwave engineering, Radio-Frequency Integrated-Circuit Engineering emphasizes the microwave engineering approach for RFICs. * Provides essential knowledge in EM and microwave engineering, passive and active RFICs, RFIC analysis and design techniques, and RF systems vital for RFIC students and engineers * Blends analog and microwave engineering approaches for RFIC design at high frequencies * Includes problems at the end of each chapter




Noise Coupling in System-on-Chip


Book Description

Noise Coupling is the root-cause of the majority of Systems on Chip (SoC) product fails. The book discusses a breakthrough substrate coupling analysis flow and modelling toolset, addressing the needs of the design community. The flow provides capability to analyze noise components, propagating through the substrate, the parasitic interconnects and the package. Using this book, the reader can analyze and avoid complex noise coupling that degrades RF and mixed signal design performance, while reducing the need for conservative design practices. With chapters written by leading international experts in the field, novel methodologies are provided to identify noise coupling in silicon. It additionally features case studies that can be found in any modern CMOS SoC product for mobile communications, automotive applications and readout front ends.




Electronic Design Automation for IC Implementation, Circuit Design, and Process Technology


Book Description

The second of two volumes in the Electronic Design Automation for Integrated Circuits Handbook, Second Edition, Electronic Design Automation for IC Implementation, Circuit Design, and Process Technology thoroughly examines real-time logic (RTL) to GDSII (a file format used to transfer data of semiconductor physical layout) design flow, analog/mixed signal design, physical verification, and technology computer-aided design (TCAD). Chapters contributed by leading experts authoritatively discuss design for manufacturability (DFM) at the nanoscale, power supply network design and analysis, design modeling, and much more. New to This Edition: Major updates appearing in the initial phases of the design flow, where the level of abstraction keeps rising to support more functionality with lower non-recurring engineering (NRE) costs Significant revisions reflected in the final phases of the design flow, where the complexity due to smaller and smaller geometries is compounded by the slow progress of shorter wavelength lithography New coverage of cutting-edge applications and approaches realized in the decade since publication of the previous edition—these are illustrated by new chapters on 3D circuit integration and clock design Offering improved depth and modernity, Electronic Design Automation for IC Implementation, Circuit Design, and Process Technology provides a valuable, state-of-the-art reference for electronic design automation (EDA) students, researchers, and professionals.




Computer-Aided Design of Analog Integrated Circuits and Systems


Book Description

The tools and techniques you need to break the analog design bottleneck! Ten years ago, analog seemed to be a dead-end technology. Today, System-on-Chip (SoC) designs are increasingly mixed-signal designs. With the advent of application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC) technologies that can integrate both analog and digital functions on a single chip, analog has become more crucial than ever to the design process. Today, designers are moving beyond hand-crafted, one-transistor-at-a-time methods. They are using new circuit and physical synthesis tools to design practical analog circuits; new modeling and analysis tools to allow rapid exploration of system level alternatives; and new simulation tools to provide accurate answers for analog circuit behaviors and interactions that were considered impossible to handle only a few years ago. To give circuit designers and CAD professionals a better understanding of the history and the current state of the art in the field, this volume collects in one place the essential set of analog CAD papers that form the foundation of today's new analog design automation tools. Areas covered are: * Analog synthesis * Symbolic analysis * Analog layout * Analog modeling and analysis * Specialized analog simulation * Circuit centering and yield optimization * Circuit testing Computer-Aided Design of Analog Integrated Circuits and Systems is the cutting-edge reference that will be an invaluable resource for every semiconductor circuit designer and CAD professional who hopes to break the analog design bottleneck.




Design, Simulation and Applications of Inductors and Transformers for Si RF ICs


Book Description

The modern wireless communication industry has put great demands on circuit designers for smaller, cheaper transceivers in the gigahertz frequency range. One tool which has assisted designers in satisfying these requirements is the use of on-chip inductiveelements (inductors and transformers) in silicon (Si) radio-frequency (RF) integrated circuits (ICs). These elements allow greatly improved levels of performance in Si monolithic low-noise amplifiers, power amplifiers, up-conversion and down-conversion mixers and local oscillators. Inductors can be used to improve the intermodulation distortion performance and noise figure of small-signal amplifiers and mixers. In addition, the gain of amplifier stages can be enhanced and the realization of low-cost on-chip local oscillators with good phase noise characteristics is made feasible. In order to reap these benefits, it is essential that the IC designer be able to predict and optimize the characteristics of on-chip inductiveelements. Accurate knowledge of inductance values, quality factor (Q) and the influence of ad- cent elements (on-chip proximity effects) and substrate losses is essential. In this book the analysis, modeling and application of on-chip inductive elements is considered. Using analyses based on Maxwells equations, an accurate and efficient technique is developed to model these elements over a wide frequency range. Energy loss to the conductive substrate is modeled through several mechanisms, including electrically induced displacement and conductive c- rents and by magnetically induced eddy currents. These techniques have been compiled in a user-friendly software tool ASITIC (Analysis and Simulation of Inductors and Transformers for Integrated Circuits).