Karen Heyman

  (all posts)
Karen Heyman is a technology editor at Semiconductor Engineering.

Author's Latest Posts

Quantum Computing Challenged By Security, Error Correction
By Karen Heyman - 04 Apr, 2024 - Comments: 0

The number and volume of warnings about a post-quantum cryptography (PQC) world are rising, as governments, banks, and other entities prepare for a rash of compromised data and untrustworthy digital signatures. Exactly when this will become a genuine threat is still somewhat fuzzy, because it depends on progress in developing robust qubits. A report by McKinsey & Co. estimates that by 20... » read more

The Challenges Of Working With Photonics
By Karen Heyman - 01 Apr, 2024 - Comments: 0

Experts at the Table: Semiconductor Engineering sat down to talk about where photonics is most useful — and most vulnerable — with James Pond, fellow at Ansys; Gilles Lamant, distinguished engineer at Cadence; and Mitch Heins, business development manager for photonic solutions at Synopsys. What follows are excerpts of that conversation. To view part one of this discussion, click here. ... » read more

Interconnects Essential To Heterogeneous Integration
By Karen Heyman - 28 Mar, 2024 - Comments: 0

Designing and manufacturing interconnects is becoming more complex, and more critical to device reliability, as the chip industry shifts from monolithic planar dies to collections of chips and chiplets in a package. What was once as simple as laying down a copper trace has evolved into tens of thousands of microbumps, hybrid bonds, through-silicon vias (TSVs), and even junctions for optical ... » read more

Backside Power Delivery Adds New Thermal Concerns
By Karen Heyman - 14 Mar, 2024 - Comments: 0

As the semiconductor industry gears up for backside power delivery at the 2nm node, implementation of the technology requires a re-thinking of established design practices. While some EDA tools are already qualified, designers must acquaint themselves with new issues, including making place-and-route more thermal-aware and how to manage heat dissipation with less shielding and thinner substr... » read more

Photonics: The Former And Future Solution
By Karen Heyman - 14 Mar, 2024 - Comments: 0

Experts at the Table: Semiconductor Engineering sat down to talk about where photonics is in the hype cycle and its secure role in data centers, with James Pond, fellow at Ansys; Gilles Lamant, distinguished engineer at Cadence; and Mitch Heins, business development manager for photonic solutions at Synopsys. What follows are excerpts of that conversation. [L-R]: Ansys’ Pond, Cadence�... » read more

SRAM Scaling Issues, And What Comes Next
By Karen Heyman - 15 Feb, 2024 - Comments: 0

The inability of SRAM to scale has challenged power and performance goals forcing the design ecosystem to come up with strategies that range from hardware innovations to re-thinking design layouts. At the same time, despite the age of its initial design and its current scaling limitations, SRAM has become the workhorse memory for AI. SRAM, and its slightly younger cousin DRAM, have always co... » read more

Memory’s Future Hinges On Reliability
By Karen Heyman - 14 Feb, 2024 - Comments: 0

Experts at the Table: Semiconductor Engineering sat down to talk about the impact of power and heat on off-chip memory, and what can be done to optimize performance, with Frank Ferro, group director, product management at Cadence; Steven Woo, fellow and distinguished inventor at Rambus; Jongsin Yun, memory technologist at Siemens EDA; Randy White, memory solutions program manager at Keysight; a... » read more

Dealing With Noise In Image Sensors
By Karen Heyman - 01 Feb, 2024 - Comments: 0

The expanding use and importance of image sensors in safety-critical applications such as automotive and medical devices has transformed noise from an annoyance into a life-threatening problem that requires a real-time solution. In consumer cameras, noise typically results in grainy images, often associated with poor lighting, the speed at which an image is captured, or a faulty sensor. Typi... » read more

Shifting Left Using Model-Based Engineering
By Karen Heyman - 25 Jan, 2024 - Comments: 0

As heterogenous integration increases design complexity and forces engineers out of long-standing silos, model-based systems engineering (MBSE) is becoming essential for improving quality and reducing failures in the field. While it may seem like a new buzzword, MBSE's principles date back to the 1990s. In essence, it's a process of building models that enable early decisions, which pays off... » read more

Rethinking Memory
By Karen Heyman - 22 Jan, 2024 - Comments: 0

Experts at the Table: Semiconductor Engineering sat down to talk about the path forward for memory in increasingly heterogeneous systems, with Frank Ferro, group director, product management at Cadence; Steven Woo, fellow and distinguished inventor at Rambus; Jongsin Yun, memory technologist at Siemens EDA; Randy White, memory solutions program manager at Keysight; and Frank Schirrmeister, vice... » read more

← Older posts Newer posts →

  • Sponsors

About

Navigation

Connect With Us

Copyright ©2013-2024 SMG   |  Terms of Service  |  Privacy Policy