Innovative PDN design guidelines for practical high layer-count PCBs

Abstract

In this paper, a method for modeling power delivery networks (PDN) is used to explore design guidelines for PCB-PDNs. The modeling technique is a physics-based circuit model extraction for the PCB-PDN structures including the power - power return planes that form an electromagnetic cavity, and all the power and return vias. The model response, i.e., PDN impedance, is available from SPICE simulation, and is used for the quantitative evaluation of the design. Various design scenarios are studied using practical PDN geometries and the impact of tradeoffs is illustrated. The model is physics based, so that the response-to-model and model-to-geometry have a one-to-one relationship. The impact of each geometry feature, or design decision, can be translated to a change in the PDN impedance in an intuitive manner, which is supported by the physics embedded in the model.