Ultra thin low ESL and ultra wide broadband silicon capacitors

Abstract

The very high capacitance platform of the 3D Silicon capacitors technology presents lots of interest in different domains. In this paper we'll focus on the Optical Networking, communications and high speed processors. The intrinsic silicon capacitors group delay, a key parameter in the phase sensitive broadband applications, will be compared with the multilayer ceramic capacitor (MLCC) one. All the components involved in the main signal line have indeed to manage properly their phase behavior to minimize their group delay impact on final performances. First, the intrinsic construction and the simplified equivalent electrical models will be compared. Secondly it will be demonstrated how the Silicon Capacitors are better candidates for performances, miniaturization and integration thanks to their low profile whereas the high thickness is a limiting factor for Ceramic capacitors. On top of the competitive overview of performances specific to the Ultra Wide Broadband Capacitors, signal integrity, frequency response, linearity, dielectric absorption, the silicon capacitor technology benefits will be detailed. Design recommendations will be given to those who want to optimize performances in the overall broadband optical system. The perspectives and roadmap for the future will be disclosed.