A novel methodology for defining the boundaries of geometrical discontinuities in electronic packages

For efficient RF/microwave modeling, measurement and design of signal paths (e.g., from chip to chip or chip to board) in electronic packages, the boundaries of geometrical discontinuities along these paths must be accurately defined. In this contribution, a novel methodology for defining the boundaries of all geometrical discontinuities in electronic packages will be presented, illustrated and experimentally validated. Discontinuity is used in this work to describe any package/board component that distorts the electromagnetic (EM) field pattern on uniform transmission lines, e.g., flip chip interconnects, wirebonds, vias, bends on package/board traces, pins, solder balls, etc.