Closed-Form Expressions for Crosstalk Noise and Worst-Case Delay on Capacitively Coupled Distributed RC Lines

Closed-form expressions for a crosstalk noise amplitude and worst-case delay in capacitively coupled two-line and three-line systems are derived assuming bus lines and other signal lines in a VLSI. Two modes are studied; a case that adjacent lines are driven from the same direction, and the other case that adjacent lines are driven from the opposite direction. Beside, a junction capacitance of a driver MOSFET is considered. The closed-form expressions are useful for circuit designers in an early stage of a VLSI design to give insight to interconnection problems. The expressions are extensively compared and fitted to SPICE simulations. The relative and absolute errors in the crosstalk noise amplitude are within 63.8% and 0.098 E (where E is a supply voltage), respectively. The relative error in the worst-case delay is less than 8.1%. key words: interconnection, crosstalk, coupled transmission lines, integrated circuit noise, delays