Analytical models for crosstalk excitation and propagation in VLSI circuits

We develop a general methodology to analyze crosstalk effects that are likely to cause errors in deep submicron high speed circuits. We focus on crosstalk due to capacitive coupling between a pair of lines. Closed form equations are derived that quantify the severity of these effects and describe qualitatively the dependence of these effects on the values of circuit parameters, the rise/fall times of the input transitions, and the skew between the transitions. For noise propagation, we present a new way for predicting the output waveform produced by an inverter due to a non-square wave pulse at its input. To expedite the computation of the response of a logic gate to an input pulse, we have developed a novel way of modeling such gates by an equivalent inverter. The results of our analysis provide conditions that must be satisfied by a sequence of vectors used for validation of designs as well as post-manufacturing testing of devices in the presence of significant crosstalk. We present...

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2002
• Where: TCAD
• Authors: Wei-Yu Chen, Sandeep K. Gupta, Melvin A. Breuer
• Keywords: Crosstalk, Crosstalk Effects, Non-square Wave Pulse, TCAD 2002