3D Full Wave Characterization of Components for Electronic based Systems

This project is processed within the GEMC Lab which is a research cooperation between Graz University of Technology and the Silicon Austria Labs (SAL). 

The functionality of electronic based systems increased rapidly over the last decades and it pervaded our everyday life. In order to keep up with the rising demands on electronic based systems (EBS) the design complexity vastly increases including shrinking components, high levels of integration and significant increased operation frequencies. Due to increasing complexity of EBS also the demands on electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) increases. To reduce the number of redesigns caused by EMC issues comprehensive and accurate simulation models to predict the EMC behavior at all phases of the design process are necessary. Therefore, the aim of this project within the GEMC Lab is to provide such models for active and passive components on different levels of abstraction (e.g. high fidelity full wave models or simple behavioral models).

• Efficient full-wave characterization of components addresses exemplarily the following research questions
• What impacts have parasitic effects on components such as e.g. multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCC) at a frequency range up to 10 GHz?
• How can a comprehensive full-wave characterization be utilized to predict the EMC behavior of such components up to 10 GHz?
• Which model order reduction techniques are suitable to reduce the complexity of those full-wave models?
• Which actions must be taken to validate developed full-wave models e.g. characterization of measurement setups?
   

Fig.1 Investigations on launching effects. Poynting-Vector plot at the interface region of an SMA-connector and a microstrip line.

Fig.2 Investigations on the mutual coupling between capacitors. a) Photograph of the test board with two MLCCs in shunt through configuration b) Poynting-Vector plot at 8 GHz showing the energy flow along the strip line.