High frequency printed circuit board via
AssigneeFormFactor, Inc.
InventorsEmad B. Hreish, Charles A. Miller
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A printed circuit board (PCB) via, providing a conductor extending vertically between microstrip or stripline conductors formed on separate layers of a PCB, includes a conductive pad surrounding the conductor and embedded within the PCB between those PCB layers. The pad's shunt capacitance and the magnitudes of capacitances of other portions of the via are sized relative to the conductor's inherent inductance to optimize frequency response characteristics of the via.
Claims30
An apparatus for conducting a signal between a first conductive strip and a second conductive strip residing at separate first and second elevations on a printed circuit board (PCB), the apparatus comprising:
- a conductor extending vertically within the PCB and providing a conductive path for conducting the signal between the first conductive strip and the second conductive strip, the conductor having impedance including inductance;
- and
- capacitive means in contact with the conductor and adding shunt capacitance to the conductive path, wherein the shunt capacitance is sized relative to the conductor's impedance to substantially optimize a frequency response characteristic of the conductive path when conducting the signal.
An improvement to a printed circuit board (PCB) via including a conductor providing a conductive path for conducting a signal between a first conductive strip and a second conductive strip formed at separate first and second elevations of the PCB, the improvement comprising:
- a capacitor embedded within the PCB in contact with the conductor and providing substantial first shunt capacitance at a position along the conductor between the first and second elevations.
An apparatus for conducting a signal between a first conductive strip residing on an upper surface of a printed circuit board (PCB) and a second conductive strip residing on a lower surface of a printed circuit board, the apparatus comprising:
- a conductor extending vertically within the PCB and providing a signal path for conducting the signal, said conductor having impedance including first series inductance;
- first capacitive means formed on the upper surface of the PCB in contact with the conductor and adding first shunt capacitance to the signal path;
- second capacitive means formed on the lower surface of the PCB in contact with the conductor and adding second shunt capacitance to the signal path;
- a first inductor formed on the upper surface of the PCB linking the first conductive strip to the conductor having a horizontally planar surface and adding second series inductance to the signal path;
- a second inductor formed on the surface of the PCB linking the second conductive strip to the lower conductor having a horizontally planar surface and adding third series inductance to the signal path.
The apparatus in accordance with clam 29 wherein the first, second and third shunt capacitances and the second and third series inductances are sized to substantially maximize a bandwidth of the conductive path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.