Parasitic capacitance
Encyclopedia
In electrical circuits, parasitic capacitance, stray capacitance or, when relevant, self-capacitance (of an inductor), is an unavoidable and usually unwanted capacitance
that exists between the parts of an electronic component
or circuit simply because of their proximity to each other. All actual circuit elements such as inductor
s, diode
s, and transistor
s have internal capacitance, which can cause their behavior to depart from that of 'ideal' circuit elements. In addition, there is always non-zero capacitance between any two conductors; this can be significant at higher frequencies with closely spaced conductors, such as wires or printed circuit board
traces.
often acts as though it includes a parallel capacitor
, because of its closely spaced windings. When a potential
difference exists across the coil, wires lying adjacent to each other at different potentials are affected by each other's electric field
. They act like the plates of a capacitor, and store charge
. Any change in the voltage across the coil requires extra current
to charge and discharge these small 'capacitors'. When the voltage changes only slowly, as in low-frequency circuits, the extra current is usually negligible, but when the voltage changes quickly the extra current is larger and can be significant.
Coils for high frequencies are often basket-wound
to minimise parasitic capacitance.
parasitic capacitance can usually be ignored, but in high frequency circuits it can be a major problem. In amplifier
circuits with extended frequency response, parasitic capacitance between the output and the input can act as a feedback
path, causing the circuit to oscillate at high frequency. These unwanted oscillations are called parasitic oscillations.
The capacitance of the load circuit attached to the output of op amps can reduce their bandwidth. High-frequency circuits require special design techniques such as careful separation of wires and components, guard rings, ground plane
s, power plane
s, shielding between input and output, termination
of lines, and stripline
s to minimise the effects of unwanted capacitance.
The parasitic capacitance between the base and collector of transistor
s and other active devices is the major factor limiting their high frequency performance. The screen grid was added to vacuum tube
s in the 1930s to reduce parasitic capacitance between the control grid
and the plate
, and resulted in a great increase in operating frequency.
In closely spaced cables and computer busses, parasitic capacitive coupling can cause crosstalk, which means the signal from one circuit bleeds into another, causing interference and unreliable operation.
s the impact of the wiring was negligible, and wires were not considered as electrical elements of the circuit. However below the 0.5-micrometre
technology node resistance
and capacitance of the interconnects started making a significant impact on circuit performance.
Major effects of interconnect parasitics include signal delay and noise.
Capacitance
In electromagnetism and electronics, capacitance is the ability of a capacitor to store energy in an electric field. Capacitance is also a measure of the amount of electric potential energy stored for a given electric potential. A common form of energy storage device is a parallel-plate capacitor...
that exists between the parts of an electronic component
Electronic component
An electronic component is a basic electronic element and may be available in a discrete form having two or more electrical terminals . These are intended to be connected together, usually by soldering to a printed circuit board, in order to create an electronic circuit with a particular function...
or circuit simply because of their proximity to each other. All actual circuit elements such as inductor
Inductor
An inductor is a passive two-terminal electrical component used to store energy in a magnetic field. An inductor's ability to store magnetic energy is measured by its inductance, in units of henries...
s, diode
Diode
In electronics, a diode is a type of two-terminal electronic component with a nonlinear current–voltage characteristic. A semiconductor diode, the most common type today, is a crystalline piece of semiconductor material connected to two electrical terminals...
s, and transistor
Transistor
A transistor is a semiconductor device used to amplify and switch electronic signals and power. It is composed of a semiconductor material with at least three terminals for connection to an external circuit. A voltage or current applied to one pair of the transistor's terminals changes the current...
s have internal capacitance, which can cause their behavior to depart from that of 'ideal' circuit elements. In addition, there is always non-zero capacitance between any two conductors; this can be significant at higher frequencies with closely spaced conductors, such as wires or printed circuit board
Printed circuit board
A printed circuit board, or PCB, is used to mechanically support and electrically connect electronic components using conductive pathways, tracks or signal traces etched from copper sheets laminated onto a non-conductive substrate. It is also referred to as printed wiring board or etched wiring...
traces.
Example
For example, an inductorInductor
An inductor is a passive two-terminal electrical component used to store energy in a magnetic field. An inductor's ability to store magnetic energy is measured by its inductance, in units of henries...
often acts as though it includes a parallel capacitor
Capacitor
A capacitor is a passive two-terminal electrical component used to store energy in an electric field. The forms of practical capacitors vary widely, but all contain at least two electrical conductors separated by a dielectric ; for example, one common construction consists of metal foils separated...
, because of its closely spaced windings. When a potential
Potential
*In linguistics, the potential mood*The mathematical study of potentials is known as potential theory; it is the study of harmonic functions on manifolds...
difference exists across the coil, wires lying adjacent to each other at different potentials are affected by each other's electric field
Electric field
In physics, an electric field surrounds electrically charged particles and time-varying magnetic fields. The electric field depicts the force exerted on other electrically charged objects by the electrically charged particle the field is surrounding...
. They act like the plates of a capacitor, and store charge
Electric charge
Electric charge is a physical property of matter that causes it to experience a force when near other electrically charged matter. Electric charge comes in two types, called positive and negative. Two positively charged substances, or objects, experience a mutual repulsive force, as do two...
. Any change in the voltage across the coil requires extra current
Electric current
Electric current is a flow of electric charge through a medium.This charge is typically carried by moving electrons in a conductor such as wire...
to charge and discharge these small 'capacitors'. When the voltage changes only slowly, as in low-frequency circuits, the extra current is usually negligible, but when the voltage changes quickly the extra current is larger and can be significant.
Coils for high frequencies are often basket-wound
Basket winding
Basket winding is a pattern of winding electrical wire in a coil, used in making certain types of electronic components, such as inductors and transformers. The purpose of this type of winding is to minimize having adjacent turns of wire running parallel...
to minimise parasitic capacitance.
Effects
At low frequenciesFrequency
Frequency is the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit time. It is also referred to as temporal frequency.The period is the duration of one cycle in a repeating event, so the period is the reciprocal of the frequency...
parasitic capacitance can usually be ignored, but in high frequency circuits it can be a major problem. In amplifier
Amplifier
Generally, an amplifier or simply amp, is a device for increasing the power of a signal.In popular use, the term usually describes an electronic amplifier, in which the input "signal" is usually a voltage or a current. In audio applications, amplifiers drive the loudspeakers used in PA systems to...
circuits with extended frequency response, parasitic capacitance between the output and the input can act as a feedback
Feedback
Feedback describes the situation when output from an event or phenomenon in the past will influence an occurrence or occurrences of the same Feedback describes the situation when output from (or information about the result of) an event or phenomenon in the past will influence an occurrence or...
path, causing the circuit to oscillate at high frequency. These unwanted oscillations are called parasitic oscillations.
The capacitance of the load circuit attached to the output of op amps can reduce their bandwidth. High-frequency circuits require special design techniques such as careful separation of wires and components, guard rings, ground plane
Ground plane
In electrical engineering, a ground plane is an electrically conductive surface.-Radio antenna theory :In telecommunication, a ground plane structure or relationship exists between the antenna and another object, where the only structure of the object is a structure which permits the antenna to...
s, power plane
Power plane
In printed circuit board design, a power plane is the counterpart to the ground plane and behaves as an AC signal ground, whilst providing DC voltage for powering circuits mounted on the PCB.- Uses :...
s, shielding between input and output, termination
Electrical termination
Electrical termination of a signal involves providing a terminator at the end of a wire or cable to prevent an RF signal from being reflected back from the end, causing interference...
of lines, and stripline
Stripline
Stripline is a transverse electromagnetic transmission line medium, that was invented by Robert M. Barrett of the Air Force Cambridge Research Centre in the 1950s.- Description :...
s to minimise the effects of unwanted capacitance.
The parasitic capacitance between the base and collector of transistor
Transistor
A transistor is a semiconductor device used to amplify and switch electronic signals and power. It is composed of a semiconductor material with at least three terminals for connection to an external circuit. A voltage or current applied to one pair of the transistor's terminals changes the current...
s and other active devices is the major factor limiting their high frequency performance. The screen grid was added to vacuum tube
Vacuum tube
In electronics, a vacuum tube, electron tube , or thermionic valve , reduced to simply "tube" or "valve" in everyday parlance, is a device that relies on the flow of electric current through a vacuum...
s in the 1930s to reduce parasitic capacitance between the control grid
Control grid
The control grid is an electrode used in thermionic valves used to modulate the flow of electrons in the cathode to anode or plate circuit.- Operation :...
and the plate
Plate electrode
A plate is a type of electrode that formed part of a vacuum tube. The plate is impressed with a positive charge so that it may capture and flow electrons within a circuit....
, and resulted in a great increase in operating frequency.
In closely spaced cables and computer busses, parasitic capacitive coupling can cause crosstalk, which means the signal from one circuit bleeds into another, causing interference and unreliable operation.
Parasitic capacitance of interconnects in integrated circuits
In early integrated circuitIntegrated circuit
An integrated circuit or monolithic integrated circuit is an electronic circuit manufactured by the patterned diffusion of trace elements into the surface of a thin substrate of semiconductor material...
s the impact of the wiring was negligible, and wires were not considered as electrical elements of the circuit. However below the 0.5-micrometre
Micrometre
A micrometer , is by definition 1×10-6 of a meter .In plain English, it means one-millionth of a meter . Its unit symbol in the International System of Units is μm...
technology node resistance
Electrical resistance
The electrical resistance of an electrical element is the opposition to the passage of an electric current through that element; the inverse quantity is electrical conductance, the ease at which an electric current passes. Electrical resistance shares some conceptual parallels with the mechanical...
and capacitance of the interconnects started making a significant impact on circuit performance.
Major effects of interconnect parasitics include signal delay and noise.