Comparative analysis of on-chip transmission line de-embedding techniques

Formal comparative analysis is presented of three known de-embedding and characteristic impedance estimation techniques for on-chip transmission lines, used after probe-tip calibration. Somewhat counterintuitively, experience accumulated in the field seems to suggest that the apparently most simplistic of the three gives much better results than the other two, more "accurate-looking" techniques. The reason, however, never seems to have been explained clearly. This paper attempts to explain why and suggests some new alternative techniques.