Wide-band substrate crosstalk sensor for wireless SoC applications

A CMOS 65 nm substrate crosstalk noise sensor with exceptional performance characteristics was implemented and used in sensing substrate crosstalk noise signals in a wireless communications System on Chip. The sensor is integrated and fabricated onto the same die with a pin grid array packaged ZigBee Transceiver. It provides gain of 6.5 dB in an operating bandwidth from 1 MHz to 4.5 GHz. The −1 dB gain compression point is measured for input signal amplitude of 124 mV. Its unique substrate noise sensing capacity is demonstrated using silicon measurements in an advanced wireless communication System on Chip, implemented in a CMOS process commercially available by TSMC, where a programmable CMOS control logic of 120 kGate acts as the substrate noise transmitter. The full analysis and its standalone performance are also supported with both silicon measurements and advanced radio frequency simulations results, including all RLCk parasitics from the silicon level till the package, the printed circuit board and the full measurement setup. The trends ruling the substrate crosstalk phenomenon in terms of the noise aggressor distance and the switching activity level are confirmed.