Performance of signal link paths in presence of signal reference planes of EBG type

In the recent years the ever increasing demand for more bandwidth and higher data rate in telecommunication world led to develop integrated circuits with smaller and faster transistors. Low power supply voltage levels are used for reducing the semiconductor power consumption, leading to smaller signal swing and noise margin on board. In this condition the noise on the power bus becomes one of the main concerns for the board designer. A good technique for suppressing the power bus noise consists in using EBG (Electromagnetic Band-Gap) structures on the power/ground planes. But, in the presence of signals referenced to EBG type of plane, attention needs to be paid in analyzing the performance of the signal link paths. In this work, starting from measurements in the frequency domain, the performances of signals propagating on single ended and differential striplines are studied, when EBG layers provide the return to the current path.