With the evolution of technologies, mixed-signal system integration is becoming necessary for combining heterogeneous functions such as high-speed processors, radio frequency (RF) circuits, memory, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), sensors, and optoelectronic devices. This kind of integration is required for convergent microsystems that support communication and computing capabilities in a tightly integrated module. A major bottleneck with such heterogeneous integration is the noise coupling between the dissimilar blocks constituting the system. The noise generated by the high-speed digital circuits can couple through the power distribution network (PDN) and this noise can transfer to sensitive RF circuits, completely destroying the functionality of noise-sensitive RF circuits. One common method used for mixed-signal integration in the package is splitting the power and/or ground planes. The gap in the power and ground planes can partially block the propagation of electromagnetic waves. However, electromagnetic energy can still couple through the split, especially at frequencies greater than 1 GHz. The AI-EBG structure in this dissertation has been developed to suppress unwanted noise coupling in mixed-signal systems and this AI- EBG structure shows excellent isolation (-80 dB ~ -140 dB), which results in a noise coupling-free environment in mixed-signal systems. The AI-EBG structure would be part of the power distribution network (PDN) in systems and is expected to have a significant impact on noise suppression and isolation in mixed-signal systems in future.

With electronic devices trending toward higher clock rates, lower voltage levels, and smaller form factors, the simultaneously switching noise (SSN), which is induced in package and printed circuit board, is one of the major factors affecting the performance and design of the high speed digital circuits. This noise will lead to false switching and malfunctioning in digital and/or analog circuits, and causes serious signal integrity (SI) and electromagnetic interference (EMI) problems for the high speed digital systems. Therefore, mitigating the SSN becomes a major challenge for the high speed circuits design. In this thesis, first of all, we introduce and discuss previously proposed solutions to suppress the SSN. These solutions include the use of decoupling capacitors, isolation moats, and electromagnetic bnadgap (EBG) structures. We analyzed the EBG structures and generated some EBG design rules. As the speed of digital circuits moving toward higher frequencies, the Double L-bridge EBG structure can be used to improve the performance of Hybrid EBG structure by employing the EBG design rules that were generated. The Double L-bridge EBG structure design improved the behavior at the high frequencies, which also maintained the low frequency performance. It is demonstrated numerically and experimentally. For fast estimating the stopband, we use one-dimensional lump circuit model. Then, we propose another structure, named Double Cross EBG structure. This design, compared to the Double L-bridge EBG structure, not only maintained the high frequency performance, but also improved the low frequency behavior. It is also both experimentally and numerically validated.

Transient current surges resulted from the simultaneous switching of output buffers in the high-speed digital circuits can induce significant ground bounce noise (GBN) on the chip, package, and printed circuit board (PCB). The GBN not only causes the signal integrity (SI) problems, such as glitches or timing push-out of signal traces, but also increases the electromagnetic interference (EMI) in the high-speed digital circuits. With the design trends of digital circuits toward higher speed, low voltage level, smaller volume, the impact of GBN has become one of the most important issues that determine the performance of electronic products. Adding decoupling capacitors between the power and ground planes is a typical way to suppress the GBN. However, they are not effective at the frequencies higher than 600MHz due to their inherent lead inductance. Recently, a new idea for eliminating the GBN is proposed by designing electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) structure with high impedance surface (HIS) on the ground or power plane. Several new EBG power/ground plane designs have been proposed to broaden the stopband bandwidth for suppressing the GBN. However there are some drawbacks, such as high cost, large area occupation and complicated fabrication process. In this paper, we propose a novel Hybrid EBG power planes for PCB or package to suppress the GBN. Its extinctive behavior of broadband suppression of GBN (over 10GHz) is demonstrated experientially and numerically. Finally, we combine the periodic high-low dielectric material with the EBG power plane to control the position and bandwidth of stopband.

In recent high-speed digital circuits with pico-second rising/falling edges, it is reasonable to consider the power/ground planes as a dynamic electromagnetic system. The simultaneous switching noise (SSN) or ground bounce noise (GBN), resulting from the transient currents which flow between power/ground planes during the state transitions of the logic gates, has become a critical factor to degrade the signal integrity (SI) and power integrity (PI) in PCB or package design. In order to accurately perform overall system-level power integrity simulation, extracting the SPICE-compatible models with the resonant effect being considered in the power/ground planes and incorporating the model into the conventional circuit simulator, such as SPICE, is essential. In this thesis, a two-dimensional transmission line (2D-TL) model is proposed for constructing the SPICE-compatible model of the power/ground planes. Based on this model, the ground bounce noise for the BGA package mounted on a PCB can be efficiently evaluated. It is found that the behavior of GBN between the only package and package mounted on a PCB (hybrid structure) is obvious different. Then, we combine the SPICE-compatible model of the power/ground planes with decoupling capacitors to fast evaluate the behavior of GBN. It also has a good agreement between our model and the measured result. Adding decoupling capacitors between the power and ground planes is a typical way to suppress the GBN. However, they are not effective at the frequency higher than GHz due to their inherent lead inductance. In recent, a new method for eliminating the GBN at higher frequency is proposed by electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) structure with high impedance surface (HIS). Finally, we utilize 2D-TL model to fast analyze the behavior of the EBG, and combine decoupling capacitors with EBG structure to research the suppression of the GBN.

The conventional mushroom-like Sievenpiper structure is re-visited in this thesis and a relationship is established between the dispersion and reflection phase characteristics of the structure. It is shown that the reflection phase frequency at which the structure behaves as a Perfect Magnetic Conductor (PMC) can be predicted for varying angles of incidence from the modal distribution in the dispersion diagrams and corresponds to the supported leaky modes within the light cone. A methodology to independently tune the location of the PMC frequency point with respect to the surface wave band-gap location is then presented. The influence of having said PMC frequency point located inside or outside the surface wave band-gap on a dipole radiation pattern is then studied numerically. It is demonstrated that the antenna exhibits a higher gain when the PMC frequency and band-gap coincide versus when they are separated. Two design cases are then presented for when the aforementioned properties coincide and are separated and a gain improvement of 1.2 dB is measured for the former case.

The conventional mushroom-like Sievenpiper structure is re-visited in this thesis and a relationship is established between the dispersion and reflection phase characteristics of the structure. It is shown that the reflection phase frequency at which the structure behaves as a Perfect Magnetic Conductor (PMC) can be predicted for varying angles of incidence from the modal distribution in the dispersion diagrams and corresponds to the supported leaky modes within the light cone. A methodology to independently tune the location of the PMC frequency point with respect to the surface wave band-gap location is then presented. The influence of having said PMC frequency point located inside or outside the surface wave band-gap on a dipole radiation pattern is then studied numerically. It is demonstrated that the antenna exhibits a higher gain when the PMC frequency and band-gap coincide versus when they are separated. Two design cases are then presented for when the aforementioned properties coincide and are separated and a gain improvement of 1.2 dB is measured for the former case.