Multi-TSV crosstalk compensation based on digital MIMO channel equalization

Signal transmission in 3D integrated circuits (ICs) over through-silicon via (TSV) links inherently creates coupling interference on signal TSVs. This interference might be a crucial factor for the functional correctness of 3D ICs and therefore needs to be tackled. In this paper we propose a novel multi-TSV channel equalization method deployed in the digital domain, allowing almost perfect compensation of the crosstalk by inverting the impact of the individual coupling channels. The proposed equalization technique is carried out for a TSV-to-TSV scenario with realistic I/O termination and the corresponding performance is analyzed under consideration of analog-to-digital converter (ADC) impairments. The results show, that even in the presence of significant ADC clock jitter and tight ADC quantization restrictions, remarkable crosstalk mitigation can be accomplished.