Title :
Physical boundaries of performance: the interconnection perspective
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Electr. & Comput. Eng., West Virginia Univ., Morgantown, WV, USA
Abstract :
Several interconnection issues relating to faults and reliability are reviewed. Whereas the occurrence of opens in interconnections or shorts between interconnections is well understood within conventional models of digital systems, the faults originating from the analog characteristics of signals propagating across interconnection lines (particularly long lines) is less often discussed. However, such functional faults are likely to become increasingly important, not only due to the higher frequency operation of VLSI circuits but also due to the development of advanced packaging schemes using thin film technologies and multichip modules (MCMs). Such MCMs are characterized by line lengths much longer than typically encountered within VLSI circuits. The `digital´ signal being transmitted across a long VLSI or MCM interconnection line is represented here as an `analog´ signal which must be restored to a legitimate digital signal level at the specified times imposed by flip-flops. Incorrect restoration of the `digital´ signal at the far end is treated as a fault
Keywords :
VLSI; digital integrated circuits; hybrid integrated circuits; metallisation; thin film circuits; transmission line theory; MCM; VLSI circuits; analog characteristics; digital systems; flip-flops; functional faults; higher frequency operation; interconnection issues; interconnection lines; interconnection perspective; long lines; multichip modules; packaging schemes; physical boundaries of performance; physical limitations; signal restoration; thin film technologies; waveform degradation; Circuit faults; Digital systems; Flip-flops; Frequency; Integrated circuit interconnections; Multichip modules; Packaging; Signal restoration; Thin film circuits; Very large scale integration;
Conference_Titel :
Defect and Fault Tolerance on VLSI Systems, 1991. Proceedings., 1991 International Workshop on
Conference_Location :
Hidden Valley, PA
Print_ISBN :
0-8186-2457-4
DOI :
10.1109/DFTVS.1991.199967