Spiral inductor substrate loss modeling in silicon RFICs.(radio frequency integrated circuits)

Microwave Journal, March, 1999 by Kuhn, William B.; Yanduru, Naveen K.

Spiral inductors are finding increasing application in RFICs operating at cellular; PCS; and industrial, scientific and medical (ISM)-band frequencies from 800 to 2400 MHz. Unfortunately, when constructed in standard, low cost, silicon IC technologies, these inductors suffer from poor quality factors (Q), which limit the circuit performance obtained (especially at the lower end of this frequency range).

The Q of on-chip inductors is ultimately limited by the series trace resistance of the thin metal layer on which the spiral pattern is formed.[1] However, energy losses from currents induced in the underlying substrate are also found to be significant,[2,3] often limiting Q to 50 percent or less of the series-resistance (R) limited value.[4]

This...

Read the rest of this article with a Free Trial at HighBeam Research.

Premium Content Partnership | HighBeam Research provides an in-depth online archive library of reference works.