High-frequency full-wave analysis of interconnects with inhomogeneous dielectrics through an enhanced transmission line model

Abstract – The paper deals with the inclusion of inhomogeneous dielectrics in a full-wave transmission line model for high-frequency analysis of interconnects. This “enhanced” transmission line model is derived from a full-wave integral formulation of the electromagnetic problem, and the inclusion of dielectrics is performed by an accurate semi-analytical evaluation of the Green functions for layered planar structures. The resulting model has a computational cost typical of a TL model but is able to perform a full-wave analysis in frequency ranges where the standard TL model may no longer be used. Moreover, as shown in the proposed examples, the model gives the possibility to investigate separately several phenomena affecting the high-frequency behavior of interconnects, like losses in dielectrics, unwanted radiation and excitation of parasitic modes