On-Wafer Calibration Comparisons of Multiline TRL with Platinum and Gold Conductors

Published

July 30, 2024

Author(s)

Tomasz Karpisz, Jacob Pawlik, Johannes Hoffmann, Sarah Evans, Christian Long, Nathan Orloff, James Booth, Angela Stelson

Abstract

On-wafer calibrations are critical for measurements of embedded devices at the correct reference planes. A major challenge in on-wafer calibrations is the development of accurate calibrations that cover a frequency range from MHz to THz. Another challenge facing on-wafer measurements is the lack of calibrations that are directly traceable to the SI. The multiline TRL (TRL) calibration is a promising approach for high-frequency traceable on-wafer measurements. However, this calibration is often practically limited in the low frequency regime by space considerations. Here, we compare the performance of several calibrations with different footprint requirements. Specifically, we compare three calibration kits: TRL fabricated with Au conductors, TRL fabricated with Pt conductors, and a series resistor (SR) calibration kit. We find that both the Au and Pt calibration kits perform well approximately 100 MHz. Then, we compare the performance of the different TRL calibration kits with reduced numbers of lines to assess the impact of device footprint on calibration quality. We find that changing the conductor material does not substantially improve the quality of the TRL calibration at low frequencies, while increasing the length of the longest line does.

Proceedings Title

International Microwave Symposium 2024

Conference Dates

June 16-21, 2024

Conference Location

Washington, DC, US

Pub Type

Conferences

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.1109/IMS40175.2024.10600255

Local Download

Keywords

On-Wafer Calibration, chip, TRL, Series Resistor, calibration comparison

Citation

Karpisz, T. , Pawlik, J. , Hoffmann, J. , Evans, S. , Long, C. , Orloff, N. , Booth, J. and Stelson, A. (2024), On-Wafer Calibration Comparisons of Multiline TRL with Platinum and Gold Conductors, International Microwave Symposium 2024, Washington, DC, US, [online], https://doi.org/10.1109/IMS40175.2024.10600255, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=957159 (Accessed October 9, 2025)