This research is on accurate models of the electrical performance of interconnections on digital circuits. Maintenance of the fidelity of a signal as it propagates through various interconnections is a key factor in proper functioning of integrated circuits (IC's). For very high-speed IC's, there is a complicated electromagnetic nature of the signal propagation. Accurate models of the complex interconnection structures are difficult to obtain. In the model being developed transient responses of signal propagation through interconnections are represented by the three-dimensional, full-wave, finite difference solution of Maxwell's equations in the time domain. This solution is being developed to conform to the interconnection geometries found in multilayer IC's. Attention is being paid to excitation and absorbing boundary conditions to ensure a high degree of numerical accuracy. Various interconnection structures are being analyzed, with special consideration being given to bends of different angles (connections on the same layer) and vias of different geometries (connections between adjacent layers).
