Analysis and Characterization of Embedded Resistors for Wideband Applications

This paper will describe the high-frequency analysis and characterization of embedded resistors fabricated in organic substrates. Although embedded resistors have been widely used in organic substrates, detailed analysis and characterization at high frequencies have received very limited attention. Majority of previous research work focuses on low frequency performance and manufacturing considerations. In this research work, a novel embedded resistor fabrication technique was employed to allow design on demand implementation of resistors. Analysis and characterization were carried out for frequencies up to 20 GHz, along with a comparison between embedded resistors and discrete surface mount resistors. It can be deduced that the degraded performance in the discrete implementation occurs above 1 GHz and is mainly attributed to surface mount parasitics. Embedded resistors, in contrast, offer significantly better broadband performance up to 20 GHz, in spite of inferior tolerances within 20%. This results show that embedded resistors not only achieve improved area utilization but also greatly improved high-frequency performance.