Characterization and simulation of signal propagation and crosstalk on advanced Cu-SiO/sub 2/ on-chip interconnects for high speed circuits

Electrical high-speed signal characterization and simulation are presented for Cu-SiO/sub 2/ on-chip wiring structure. Propagation constant, characteristic impedance and R, L, C, G matrices are extracted from frequency measurements in a whole spectrum and compared to values obtained by EM modeling. Very good agreement is reported between measured and simulated signals for propagation and crosstalk waveforms. Next, from previous results, high-speed signal propagation along interconnects is simulated to investigate electrical performances as a function of design. The impact of copper wiring, low k-dielectrics and geometry on electrical performance in terms of signal propagation and crosstalk level are studied.