US 6,477,057 B1Granted

High frequency de-coupling via short circuits

AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation

InventorsPatrick H. Buffet, Paul Lee Clouser, Danny Marvin Neal

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A method and implementing computer system are provided in which de-coupling capacitors are used at driver and receiver sources, and defined gaps are created separating power and ground areas on a voltage reference plane of a circuit board. Short-circuit via connections are also provided through one or more vias between spatially separated circuit board layers. Each driver or receiver module includes the driver or receiver along with an associated gap, capacitor and via connections to VDD and ground planes, all included within a defined proximity to effectively block switching energy and/or VDD noise from entering the tri-plate ground-to-ground reference system. In a related exemplary construction, signal lines are placed at predetermined positions between ground planes to provide a tri-plate circuit board structure for transmitting logic signals from a driver to one or more receivers.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A circuit board construction comprising:

a signal substrate layer arranged for having components mounted thereon;
at least one group of signal conductors on said signal substrate layer arranged to be connected between terminals of said components;
a first outer substrate layer positioned on a first side of said signal substrate layer;
and
a second outer substrate layer positioned on a second side of said signal substrate layer, said first outer substrate layer comprising a continuous conductive surface, said second outer substrate layer comprising a plurality of conductive areas, said conductive areas being electrically separate from each other, said circuit board construction further including a plurality of clamping vias connecting predetermined ones of said conductive areas on said second outer substrate layer with said continuous conductive surface of said first outer substrate layer in a manner such that said signal conductors between said components are positioned between conductive areas which are connected to a like potential.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.