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Ann Mutschler

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Ann Mutschler is senior executive editor at Semiconductor Engineering.

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System Bits: March 3
By Ann Mutschler - 03 Mar, 2015 - Comments: 0

Observing antiferromagnetic order in ultracold atoms Rice University researchers have simulated superconducting materials and made headway on a problem that’s vexed physicists for nearly three decades using ultracold atoms as a stand-in for electrons. The research team, led by Rice, included researchers from Ohio State University, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, University of Cal... » read more

NXP To Buy Freescale For $16.7B
By Ann Mutschler - 02 Mar, 2015 - Comments: 0

By Ann Steffora Mutschler & Ed Sperling Dutch semiconductor giant NXP Semiconductors will buy Texas-based Freescale Semiconductor for $16.7 billion—$11.8 billion in cash, $5.6 billion worth of debts, minus $696 million in cash reserves—creating a combined company with a broad-based product portfolio and projected annual revenue of more than $10 billion. Given the size of the deal... » read more

IP Market Booms At Advanced Nodes
By Ann Mutschler - 26 Feb, 2015 - Comments: 0

As [getkc id="81" kc_name="SoC"] design and manufacturing costs rise, system OEMs are wringing as much of that increase as they can from ASIC vendors. The result is that engineering teams on the design and test side are being constrained by budgets at a time when complexity is rising and time-to-market pressures are increasing. At least one segment is benefiting from directly this. Budgetary... » read more

Processor Use Models Evolving
By Ann Mutschler - 26 Feb, 2015 - Comments: 0

Application-specific processing is a very broad category. It includes processors that are tuned for a specific application domain such as vision processing or software-defined radio for high-end wireless, or voice trigger in IoT devices. This category also includes narrowly focused processors optimized for a specific [getkc id="81" kc_name="SoC"], with a specific application within the chip. An... » read more

System Bits: Feb. 24
By Ann Mutschler - 24 Feb, 2015 - Comments: 0

New solder for semis A research team led by the University of Chicago has demonstrated how semiconductors can be soldered and still deliver good electronic performance by working out new chemistry for a broad class of compositions relevant to semiconductors. The compounds that the team developed can be used to join pieces of semiconductor, which researchers have longed struggled with. Th... » read more

How To Extend Litho Scaling
By Ann Mutschler - 19 Feb, 2015 - Comments: 0

IC mask [getkc id="80" comment="lithography"] today is sophisticated and complex. It's also a work in progress with a lot of unknowns as the industry struggles to increase productivity while reducing risk. The bulk of the work currently is focused on trying to figure out what would be a practical scheme for patterning lithography that could be used at 10nm and 7nm, said Gandharv Bhatara, Ca... » read more

System Bits: Feb. 17
By Ann Mutschler - 17 Feb, 2015 - Comments: 2

Can you hear light? Silicon photonics has gained increasing attention as a key driver of lab-on-a-chip biosensors and of faster-than-electronics communication between computer chips. The technology builds on tiny structures known as silicon photonic wires. The wires work because light moves slower in the silicon core than in surrounding air and glass. Thus, the light is trapped inside the wire... » read more

The LP R&D Ecosystem
By Ann Mutschler - 12 Feb, 2015 - Comments: 0

I don’t know about you, but I’m always fascinated to learn new things about chip design. New techniques for power reduction, new ways to use existing tools, new tools in general. Some of this is happening at universities, some in happening in industry consortiums or partnerships, and despite what some people say from time to time, there is still innovation happening within the EDA companie... » read more

The Art Of LP Analog
By Ann Mutschler - 12 Feb, 2015 - Comments: 0

The best way to reduce power in analog chips is to make architectural changes or adopt a new architecture for the individual block. However, there are also some design techniques used to reduce power in analog circuitry. Unlike digital circuitry, which allows an engineer to leverage a low power library and optimize through a constraints file with the EDA software to reduce power, the same do... » read more

Power Management Verification Requires Holistic Approach
By Ann Mutschler - 12 Feb, 2015 - Comments: 0

Semiconductor Engineering sat down to discuss power management [getkc id="10" kc_name="Verification"] issues with Arvind Shanmugavel, senior director, applications engineering at [getentity id="22021" e_name="Ansys-Apache"]; Guillaume Boillet, technical marketing manager at [getentity id="22026" e_name="Atrenta"]; Adam Sherer, verification product management director at [getentity id="22032" e_... » read more

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