Inductance

and Partial
Inductance
What's it all
mean?
Bruce Archambeault, PhD
IEEE Fellow, IBM Distinguished
Engineer

Bruce.arch@ieee.org

Inductance
Probably the most misunderstood concept in
electrical engineering
Do not confuse inductance with inductors

Common Usage

Self inductance
Loop inductance
Mutual inductance
Equivalent inductance
Partial inductance
Partial self inductance
Partial mutual inductance
Apparent inductance
Bruce Archambeault, PhD

Inductance
Current flow through metal =
inductance!
Fundamental element in EVERYTHING
Loop area first order concern
Inductive impedance increases with
frequency and is MAJOR concern at
high frequencies

X L = 2fL
Bruce Archambeault, PhD

Current Loop = Inductance

Courtesy of Elya Joffe

Bruce Archambeault, PhD

Inductance Definition
Faradays Law

B
E dl = t dS

For a simple rectangular loop

Area = A

B
V = A
t
Bruce Archambeault, PhD

Given the Definition of Inductance

Do these have inductance?

Ground Strap

SMT Capacitor

PCB Via

Not until return path for current is identified!

Bruce Archambeault, PhD

Self Inductance
Isolated circular loop

8a
L 0 a ln 2

r0

Isolated rectangular loop

2

p
1
p
+
+
20 a
1
1
2
L=
ln
1+ p
+ 1 + 2
1+ 2

p
p

Note that inductance is directly influenced

by loop AREA and less influenced by
conductor size!
Bruce Archambeault, PhD

p=

length of side
wire radius
7

Mutual Inductance
2 = M 21 I1

How much magnetic flux is

induced in loop #2 from a
current in loop #1?

2
M 21 =
I1

Loop #1

Loop #2

2 =

S2

Bruce Archambeault, PhD

r
B1 (r ) n dS2

Flux from Current in Loop #1

Bruce Archambeault, PhD

Flux from Current in Loop #1

Bruce Archambeault, PhD

10

Change in mutual inductance with spacing

2

Mutual Inductance (nH)

X: 24
Y: 1.835

1.5

The magnetic field drops

off rapidly, so then does
the mutual inductance

1
X: 100
Y: 0.7312

0.5
X: 500
Y: 0.02507

0
0

200
400
600
800
Spacing between the coils(mils)
Bruce Archambeault, PhD

X: 1000
Y: 0.01955

1000
11

Mutual Inductance
Loop #1

Loop #1

Loop #2

Loop #2

Less loop area in loop #2

means less magnetic flux in
loop #2 and less mutual
inductance

Less loop area perpendicular to

the magnetic field in loop #2
means less magnetic flux in loop
#2 and less mutual inductance

Bruce Archambeault, PhD

12

Partial Inductance
We now know that a loop of current has
inductance
We now know that there must be a
complete loop to have inductance
But where do we place this inductance in a
circuit?

Bruce Archambeault, PhD

13

Zero-to-One Transition
Wheres the Inductance Go??

Power
Supply

And how could you possibly calculate it?

Courtesy of Dr. Clayton Paul

Bruce Archambeault, PhD

14

Total Loop Inductance from Partial Inductance

L total=Lp1+ Lp2 + Lp3 + Lp4 2Mp1-3 2Mp2-4
Lp2
Mp2-4

Mp1-3

Lp3

Lp1

Lp4
Bruce Archambeault, PhD

Courtesy of Dr. Clayton Paul

15

Partial Inductance
Simply a way to break the overall loop
into pieces in order to find total
inductance
L2

L1

L3

L4

L total=Lp11+ Lp22 + Lp33 + Lp44 - 2Lp13 - 2Lp24

Bruce Archambeault, PhD

16

Important Points About

Inductance
Inductance is everywhere
Loop area most important
Inductance is everywhere

Bruce Archambeault, PhD

17

Example
Decoupling Capacitor Mounting
Keep vias as close to capacitor pads as
possible!
Via Separation

Inductance Depends
on Loop AREA
Height above Planes

Bruce Archambeault, PhD

18

Via Configuration Can Change

Inductance
SMT Capacitor
Via

Best

The Good
Capacitor Pads

The Bad
Better
The Ugly

Really Ugly

Bruce Archambeault, PhD

19

High Frequency Capacitors

Myth or Fact?

Bruce Archambeault, PhD

20

What is Capacitance?
Q = CV

Q
C=
V
Capacitance is the
ability of a structure to
hold charge
(electrons) for a given
voltage

Amount of charge
stored is dependant
on the size of the
capacitance (and
voltage)

Consider a capacitor as a bucket holding lots of electrons!

Bruce Archambeault, PhD

21

Comparison of Decoupling Capacitor Impedance

100 mil Between Vias & 10 mil to Planes
1000

1000pF
100

0.01uF

Impedance (ohms)

0.1uF
1.0uF
10

0.1

0.01
1.0E+06

1.0E+07

1.0E+08

1.0E+09

1.0E+10

Frequency (Hz)

Bruce Archambeault, PhD

22

0603 Size Cap Typical Mounting

9 mils

9 mils

10 mils*

20 mils

10 mils*

Via Barrel 10 mils

60 mils

108 mils minimum

128 mils typical

Bruce Archambeault, PhD

*Note: Minimum
distance is 10 mils but
more typical distance is
20 mils

23

0402 Size Cap Typical Mounting

8 mils

8 mils

10 mils*

20 mils

10 mils*

Via Barrel 10 mils

40 mils

86 mils minimum
106 mils typical

Bruce Archambeault, PhD

*Note: Minimum
distance is 10 mils but
more typical distance is
20 mils

24

Connection Inductance for Typical Capacitor Configurations

Distance into
board
to planes (mils)

0805
typical/minimum
(148 mils
between via
barrels)

0603
typical/minimu
m
(128 mils
between via
barrels)

0402
typical/minimum
(106 mils
between via
barrels)

10

1.2 nH

1.1 nH

0.9 nH

20

1.8 nH

1.6 nH

1.3 nH

30

2.2 nH

1.9 nH

1.6 nH

40

2.5 nH

2.2 nH

1.9 nH

50

2.8 nH

2.5 nH

2.1 nH

60

3.1 nH

2.7 nH

2.3 nH

70

3.4 nH

3.0 nH

2.6 nH

80

3.6 nH

3.2 nH

2.8 nH

90

3.9 nH

3.5 nH

3.0 nH

100

4.2 nH

3.7 nH

3.2 nH

Bruce Archambeault, PhD

25

Connection Inductance for Typical Capacitor

Configurations with 50 mils from Capacitor Pad to Via Pad

Distance into
board
to planes (mils)

0805
(208 mils
between via
barrels)

0603
(188 mils
between via
barrels)

0402
(166 mils
between via
barrels)

10

1.7 nH

1.6 nH

1.4 nH

20

2.5 nH

2.3 nH

2.0 nH

30

3.0 nH

2.8 nH

2.5 nH

40

3.5 nH

3.2 nH

2.8 nH

50

3.9 nH

3.5 nH

3.1 nH

60

4.2 nH

3.9 nH

3.5 nH

70

4.5 nH

4.2 nH

3.7 nH

80

4.9 nH

4.5 nH

4.0 nH

90

5.2 nH

4.7 nH

4.3 nH

100

5.5 nH

5.0 nH

4.6 nH

Bruce Archambeault, PhD

26

PCB Example for Return Current

Impedance
Trace

GND Plane

22 trace
10 mils wide, 1 mil thick, 10 mils above GND plane
Bruce Archambeault, PhD

27

PCB Example for Return Current

Impedance
Trace

GND Plane

Shortest DC path
For longest DC path, current returns under trace
Bruce Archambeault, PhD

28

MoM Results for Current Density

Frequency = 1 KHz

Bruce Archambeault, PhD

29

MoM Results for Current Density

Frequency = 1 MHz

Bruce Archambeault, PhD

30

U-shaped Trace Inductance

PowerPEEC Results
0.6
0.55
0.5

inductance (uH)

0.45
0.4
0.35
0.3
0.25
0.2
0.15
0.1
1.0E+03

1.0E+04

1.0E+05

1.0E+06

1.0E+07

1.0E+08

Frequency (Hz)

Bruce Archambeault, PhD

31

Two Wires in Parallel

Reduce inductance by factor of two? NO!

LParallel =

L p1 L p 2 M

2
p

L p1 + L p 2 2 M p
L p1 = L p 2 = L p

LParallel =

Lp + M p
2

Only if parallel wires are FAR APART!

Courtesy of Dr. Clayton Paul

Bruce Archambeault, PhD

32

Lets Apply this to Decoupling

Capacitors
Equivalent inductance
Two capacitors vs one capacitor
Relative location of two capacitors
Use via between planes as ideal capacitor

Bruce Archambeault, PhD

33

What Happens if a 2nd Decoupling

Capacitor is placed near the First
Capacitor?
Via #1
distance
Observation
Point

Via #2 Moved in arc

around Observation
point while
maintaining 500 mil
distance to
observation point

500
mils

Bruce Archambeault, PhD

34

Second Via Around a circle

Port 3 ( x, y )

d1

Port 1

R: distance between Port 1 and Port 2 in

mil
r: radius for all ports in mil

d2

d: thickness of dielectric layer in mil

d1: distance between Port 3 and Port 1

in mil
d1 = R
d 2 = 2 R sin

Port 2

d2: distance between Port 2 and Port 3

in mil

d (R + r )2 (d1 + r )2
ln
4
r 3 (d 2 + r )

d +r
ln 2 1

d
+
R
r

4
d +r

ln 2

theta: angle as shown in the figure in

degree
Courtesy of Jingook Kim, Jun
Fan, Jim Drewniak

(R + r )
d

ln
3
4 (2 R sin( / 2) + r )r
4

Lequiv

Bruce Archambeault, PhD

Missouri University of Science

and Technology

35

Effective Inductance for Various Distances to Decoupling Capacitor

With Second Capacitor (Via) Equal Distance Around Circle
Plane Seperation = 35 mil -- Via Diameter = 20 mil
2100
2000
1900
1800
1700

250 mil

Inductnace (pH)

1600

500mil

1500

750 mil

1400

1000 mil

1300
1200
1100
1000
900
800
700
600
500
0

50

100

150

200

Angle (degrees)

Bruce Archambeault, PhD

36

Effective Inductance for Various Distances to Decoupling Capacitor

With Second Capacitor (Via) Equal Distance Around Circle
Plane Seperation = 10 mil -- Via Diameter = 20 mil
500
450
400

Inductnace (pH)

350
300
250
200
500mil
250 mil

150

750 mil
100

1000 mil

50
0
0

50

100

150

200

Angle (degrees)

Bruce Archambeault, PhD

37

Effective Inductance for Various Distances to Decoupling Capacitor

With Second Capacitor (Via) Equal Distance Around Circle
Plane Seperation = 5 mil -- Via Diameter = 20 mil
400

350

300
500mil
Inductnace (pH)

250 mil
250

750 mil
1000 mil

200

150

100

50

0
0

50

100

150

200

Angle (degrees)

Bruce Archambeault, PhD

38

Understanding Inductance Effects and

Proximity
1 via

10cm

2 via with degree 30

10mm

20cm
10cm

2 via with degree 90

2 via with degree 180

20cm

Bruce Archambeault, PhD

39

Current Density
[m]

[m]

A/m2

A/m2

[m]

[m]
[m]

[m]

A/m2

A/m2

[m]

[m]

Bruce Archambeault, PhD

40

Current Density in Planes

0.12

2
40 324

6
4

64

16

16
24 16
32
40
6546

16 16
32

0.085

0.08
0.08 0.0850.09 0.095 0.1 0.1050.11 0.1150.12

0.08
0.08 0.085 0.09 0.095 0.1 0.105 0.11 0.115 0.12
0.12
0.115

0.085

24

56

54
6
6
48

48

16

16 1
6

16
8

0.09

24
3240

0.08
0.08 0.0850.09 0.095 0.1 0.1050.11 0.1150.12

0.095

6744208 2
55664 42304

48

0.085

0.1

48
56
6840
6472

808
4
40
324
2

0.105
8

4032
24

0.1

241 8
68450468
32
40
4782 60
0
782 6 7 564
7248 5 432
0 2 16
24
8
16

56408
5766244

16

0.11

4042
6
7
48

0.105

8
44302

0.11

21
56344206
5664

16

0.115

0.12

0.09

6840
7820 0
72 56448
24 32
16

0.09

0.085

0.095

0.095

204
564736422

56

0.09

0.095

16

0.1

80

80
72 50648
4
32
16 24

0.105

80

64

820
6754468

24

72

0.105

16

0.11

2
430

80
48

0.11

16

5468
64
80

24

24

0.115

0.115

0.1

48 16

0.12

0.08
0.08 0.085 0.09 0.095 0.1 0.105 0.11 0.115 0.12

Bruce Archambeault, PhD

41

Effect of Plane width on Inductance

Case1 : 10 inches

Case2 : 5 inches
Case3 : 2 inches

Port1

Port2

1 inch

Bruce Archambeault, PhD

42

Loop Inductance is Affected by Plane Width

Case2 : 5 inches
Case1 : 10 inches

~ 330pH

Case2 : 2 inches

~ 250pH

~ 560pH

Bruce Archambeault, PhD

43

Current Spreads in a Plane

Narrower planes means the multiple current paths are

limited therefore effect of mutual inductance between
parallel paths increases!
Bruce Archambeault, PhD

44

Observations
Added via (capacitor) does not lower
effective inductance to 70-75% of original
single via case
Thicker dielectric results in higher
inductance
Normalizing inductance to single via case
gives same curve for all dielectric
thicknesses
Bruce Archambeault, PhD

45

Summary
Inductance has meaning only for current
loops
Size of the loop has the most impact on
amount of inductance
Current density also impact inductance
Partial inductance is a very useful concept
to understand which portions of the loop
have the largest impact on loop
inductance
Bruce Archambeault, PhD

46