[SI-LIST] SV: Re: Copper Fill --- correction

  • From: "Anders Ekholm (ERA)" <Anders.Ekholm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: "'Jason.d.Leung@xxxxxxxxxxx'" <Jason.d.Leung@xxxxxxxxxxx>,scott@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, RayCaliendo@xxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Fri, 14 Jun 2002 15:25:18 +0200

Hi.
For other reasons than Signal Integrity ones, we want a uniform copper =
distribution
on the PCB, since otherwise it will bend. A uniform copper distribution =
is good
for mechanical reasons.

              Regards /Anders Ekholm


-----Ursprungligt meddelande-----
Fr=E5n: Jason D Leung [mailto:Jason.d.Leung@xxxxxxxxxxx]
Skickat: den 14 juni 2002 15:00
Till: scott@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; RayCaliendo@xxxxxxxxxx
Kopia: silist
=C4mne: [SI-LIST] Re: Copper Fill --- correction


Hi guys,
I understand that if the fill is too close to the signal trace it is =
going
to increase the capacitance and decrease the impedance in turn.
But my question will be why do we need to put a fill on the pcb. ( this =
may
be a basic question , and I always heard my colleagues saying it, but =
it
helps me alot, if there's a kind soul to help me to understand it)

thanks in advance
Regards
Jason

Scott McMorrow wrote:

> Okay, now I really need some coffee ... and it's 5:30 in the evening.
> Here's yet another correction and more elaboration.
>
> A square patch of copper on top of a dielectric and plane forms a =
crude
> cavity resonator which will have a number of natural resonant
> eigenmodes.  The first resonant point is a half-wave resonance.  The
> resonance frequency is equal to the round trip of a wave propagating
> back and forth across the region, much like what would happen in a
> square pool of water between the two walls.  For a one square inch =
patch
> of copper, the resonant frequency on FR-4 is somewhere between 2.7 =
and
> 3.3 GHz
>
> A very crude square patch
>
>          w
> --------------
> |                    |      resonant frequency =3D 1/( 2 * w * Vp)
> |                    |     Vp =3D velocity of propagation of wave in
> dielectric medium =3D c/sqrt(Er)
> |                    |      w =3D width and height of square
> |                    |
> |                    |
> ---------------
>
> Adding vias to the patch effectively pins the structure down and =
raises
> it's resonant frequency.  The spacing of the vias control the =
resonance,
> with a half-wave resonance being the lowest generally supported by =
the
> structure. Stitching the patch at all four corners actually does =
nothing
> to change the resonant frequency of the cavity.  However, placing a
> fifth via at the center will push the resonance up by a factor of 2.
>
>            w
> @------------@
> |                       |      resonant frequency =3D 1/( 4 * w * Vp)
> |                       |      Vp =3D velocity of propagation of wave =
in
> dielectric medium
> |           @        |       w =3D width and height of square
> |                       |     @ =3D Via stitch
> |                       |
> @------------@
>
> In essence, the via spacing has changed from w to w/2. These formulas
> are quite approximate, but will place us in the general playing =
field. A
> full-wave field solver such as PowerSI from Sigrity, or SIwave and =
HFSS
> from Ansoft, will provide much more exact resonance frequency =
analysis.
>
> So, the "rough" formula I gave for via spacing should be:
>
> via spacing =3D1/(2 * (f * Vp)) not 2/(f * Vp) as I had indicated.
>
> In my previous example, this would amount to a via spacing of 0.59
> inches, not 1.18.
>
> Sorry about my confusion.
>
> Scott
>
> --
> Scott McMorrow
> Teraspeed Consulting Group LLC
> 2926 SE Yamhill St.
> Portland, OR 97214
> (503) 239-5536
> http://www.teraspeed.com
>
> Scott McMorrow wrote:
>
> > My equation below has an error.
> >
> > The maximum via spacing should be:
> >
> > 2/(f * Vp)
> >
> > This accounts for the half-wave resonance which occurs between =
vias.
> >
> >
> > regards,
> >
> > Scott
> >
> >
> > Scott McMorrow wrote:
> >
> >> Ray,
> >>
> >> When the separation of the copper fill from any signal is > 20 =
times
> >> the signal-to-plane spacing there is no effect on the signals. So,
> >> for 5 mil dielectric thickness, the fill area to signal trace
> >> clearance should be 100 mils or greater.  I would also suggest
> >> grounding each fill area at multiple points to eliminate possible =
EMI
> >> coupling problems..  At a minimum, use ground stitch vias at four
> >> corners to contain resonances of the fill area.  For extremely =
high
> >> speed multi-gigahertz systems, the vias should be spaced a maximum
> >> distance apart of 1/(f * Vp) apart. Where f =3D the upper =
frequency of
> >> operation and Vp is the velocity of propagation of signals within =
the
> >> dielectric.
> >>
> >> For FR4 Vp is around 180ps/in.  For 3.125 Gbps signallling the =
upper
> >> frequency you are concerned with is the 3rd harmonic of the =
switching
> >> frequency, 4.68 GHz.  In this case, the maximum stitch via spacing
> >> would be
> >> 1/(4.68e9 * 180e-12) =3D  1.18 inches.
> >>
> >> Best regards,
> >>
> >> Scott
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
>
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