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WHITE
PAPER
Understanding Broadband Electrical Behavior
of Through-Silicon Via (TSV)
Introduction
In order to meet the ever increasing demand for high-bandwidth microelectronics and heterogeneous
integration, 3D and 2.5D package design has become a mainstay in the IC world. At the epicenter of
modern package design is through-silicon-via (TSV) technology.
TSVs facilitate the vertical integration of multiple die. As the demand for TSVs increases across the
application spectrum (digital to mm wave), so does the need for a comprehensive understanding of their
electrical behavior over a broad frequency spectrum. Unfortunately, TSV electrical behavior over a broad
range of frequencies is very unpredictable due to the non-linear behavior of silicon.
In this technical paper we discuss the three distinct modes that dominate signal performance of a TSV and
contribute to their non-linear behavior:
• Slow-Wave Mode (SWM)
• Quasi-Transverse Electromagnetic (QTEM)
• Skin-Effect Mode (SEM)
A comprehensive understanding of why these modes occur is discussed with applied examples utilizing
Keysight ADS and Ansys HFSS.
SEANN AYERS - SR PRINCIPAL SIGNAL INTEGRITY ENGINEER
MERCURY SYSTEMS INC.
APRIL 2020
