On-chip interconnect inductance - friend or foe

Inductance associated with on-chip wires can no longer be ignored as chip operation frequencies increase into GHz regime. Because the magnetic field propagates a very long range, the extraction of wire inductance is not just dependent on the immediate neighboring environment. This paper discusses the various difficulties of extracting inductance of randomly placed wires in a typical chip environment. With dedicated return path, the wire inductance can be controlled and benefit the design of high-speed circuits. Specific examples are illustrated.