Mitigation techniques for crosstalk in ICs

Abstract

Crosstalk is a major concern among integrated circuit (IC) designers as it may contribute significantly to the amount of noise presented in a device. Hence, there is a need to mitigate the impact of crosstalk in order to preserve the signal integrity between interconnections. This paper will review several methods to mitigate crosstalk in high speed ICs. The methods include the usage of repeater, Schmitt trigger, shielding, skewing, space adjustment between signal wires and setting the coupling length of the signal wires. Although these methods are effective for crosstalk mitigation, the features might only be applicable due to certain constraints. Consequently, this paper will provide a sufficient review on each method as a guideline for crosstalk mitigation method selection in which the crosstalk is largely regulated in long interconnections.