Power archipelago for GHz power filtering on printed circuit boards

Noise coupling in mixed-signal systems from shared power distribution networks can be a critical problem. Sensitive RF ICs have to be isolated from voltage fluctuations caused by simultaneously switching drivers. Suppressing this noise is therefore important to the performance of mixed-signal systems. This paper introduces the concept of the power archipelago, a new methodology for minimizing the transfer impedance of the power distribution network. The power archipelago is essentially a lumped element microwave filter in which the discrete elements have been translated to embedded elements, effectively filtering out noise from the power distribution network.