TIME DOMAIN MODELING OF SILICON INTEGRATED SPIRAL INDUCTORS IN RF IC DESIGN

A “full-wave ” electromagnetic simulator for the analysis of solid-state spiral inductors in presence of lossy media, such as in CMOS technology, is presented. The EM numerical modeling has been used to determine the behaviour and discuss the basic loss mechanisms of planar inductors. Causes of loss and their relative importance have been discriminated and details of fabrication process have been correlated to actual device performance. Several integrated inductors have been fabricated and tested, allowing the validation of the 3D electromagnetic tool as a faster and cheaper alternative to experimental measurements. Finally, a clear characterization of RF-CAD compatible models has been possible