SBIR Phase II: An Ultra-Fast Signal Integrity Analyzer for Multi-Layer Electronic Packages and Boards

这项来自SIGRITY的小企业创新研究二期项目的目的是开发一种用于多层集成电路（IC）芯片封装和印刷电路板的超快速信号完整性分析仪。研究表明，多层电子封装中的电磁场可以分解为几个最重要的模式，并且每个模式都可以用特殊的快速算法求解。该信号完整性分析仪将快速电磁场求解器与传输线和电路求解器集成在一起，从而自动考虑封装和IC芯片之间的相互作用。集成电路转换速度和封装密度的不断提高对高性能电子封装的设计提出了严峻的挑战。目前，人们普遍认为封装性能是整个系统性能的主要限制因素之一。对电子封装进行精确的信号完整性分析需要进行电磁场仿真。然而，现有的商用电磁工具无法为实际封装结构的设计提供及时且具有成本效益的解决方案。该项目预计将实现一个原型信号完整性工具，其速度将比目前的商业工具快几个数量级。在这个第二期项目中，仿真方案将在原型软件工具中进一步开发和实现，以处理实际包中的各种问题。这些问题包括损耗金属面和信号导体的建模；包装电磁辐射的计算；以输入/输出缓冲信息规范（IBIS）格式描述的非线性器件的仿真；从标准格式的数据文件中加载包的几何描述。快速和准确的信号完整性工具将大大有利于电子封装设计，这是推动美国电子工业发展所必需的。所提出的研究将导致商业信号完整性工具，可以为电子封装和印刷电路板的准确评估和设计提供及时和经济有效的手段。这些信号完整性工具对于未来高速电子系统的设计至关重要。* * *

*** 9801161 Chen The aim of this Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project from SIGRITY is to develop an ultra-fast signal integrity analyzer for multi-layer integrated-circuit (IC) chip packages and printed circuit boards. It has been demonstrated that electromagnetic fields in multi-layer electronic packages can be decomposed into several most significant modes, and each mode of field is solved with special fast algorithms. The proposed signal integrity analyzer integrates a fast electromagnetic field solver with transmission line and circuit solvers so those interactions between packages and IC chips are automatically taken into account. Ever increasing integrated-circuit transition speed and packaging density have posed severe challenges to the design of high performance electronic packages. It is generally accepted today that package performance is one of the major limiting factors of the overall system performance. Accurate signal integrity analysis of electronic packages demands electromagnetic field simulation. Existing commercial electromagnetic tools, however, are unable to provide timely and cost effective solutions for the design of practical package structures. This project is anticipated to achieve a prototype signal integrity tool that would be orders of magnitude faster than present commercial tools. In this Phase II project, simulation schemes will be further developed and implemented in the prototype software tool to handle various issues in practical packages. These issues include the modeling of loss metal planes and signal conductors; computation of electromagnetic radiation from packages; simulation of nonlinear devices described in Input/Output Buffer Information Specification (IBIS) format; and loading package geometry descriptions from data files of standard formats. Fast and accurate signal integrity tools should significantly benefit the electronic packaging design necessary to advance the U.S. electronics industry. The proposed research will lea d to commercial signal integrity tools that can provide timely and cost-effective means for accurate evaluation and design of electronic packages and printed circuit boards. These signal integrity tools are essential for the design of future high-speed electronic systems. ***