Due to the very high operational frequency of Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit components, the parasitic effects of test equipment play a major role in the measurement error for such devices. MMIC test bed layouts normally distort scattering parameter measurements due to the added capacitive and inductive effects of their connecting pads and traces, as well as cross-talk to neighboring on die components. An industry standard practice known as “De-Embedding” is normally implemented to remove the effects of test fixture induced error.

Agilent’s Advanced Design System (ADS) has built in capability to de-embed circuit effects with S-Parameter data, measured or simulated, from a given component. If the data is not supplied from a manufacturer, it can be accurately simulated in the ADS layout and momentum simulation environment.

In this research, the de-embedding capabilities of ADS are investigated, as well its suitability for optimizing MMIC test bed layouts from the perspective of de-embedding MMIC capacitors and inductors. The ADS de-embedding component is investigated with an ideal circuit as well as capacitor and inductor layouts in a realistic IC design to simulate the effects of a Ground-Signal-Ground test bed layouts on de-embedding. The same industry standard test bed layout is modified to improve the capacitor and inductor measurement results after de-embedding.