Preparing For 3D-ICs


Experts at the Table: Semiconductor Engineering sat down to discuss the changes in design tools and methodologies needed for 3D-ICs, with Sooyong Kim, director and product specialist for 3D-IC at Ansys; Kenneth Larsen, product marketing director at Synopsys; Tony Mastroianni, advanced packaging solutions director at Siemens EDA; and Vinay Patwardhan, product management group director at Cadence... » read more

Blog Review: Feb. 16


Arm's Mark Nicholson explains the software side of the Morello project to implement a prototype security-focused architecture, presenting a high-level view of the software stacks and discussing the status and roadmap of a range of activities. Synopsys' Ron Lowman finds that as IoT technology and capabilities of portable devices expand, the deployment of 5G networks and interest in AI and aut... » read more

Topology for Substrate Routing in Semiconductor Package Design


Abstract: In this work, we propose a new signal routing method for solving routing problems that occur in the design process of semiconductor package substrates. Our work uses a topological transformation of the layers of the package substrate in order to simplify the routing problem into a problem of connecting points on a circle with non-intersecting straight line segments. The circle, whi... » read more

Multi-Task Network Pruning and Embedded Optimization for Real-time Deployment in ADAS


Abstract: "Camera-based Deep Learning algorithms are increasingly needed for perception in Automated Driving systems. However, constraints from the automotive industry challenge the deployment of CNNs by imposing embedded systems with limited computational resources. In this paper, we propose an approach to embed a multi- task CNN network under such conditions on a commercial prototy... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: Feb. 15


Strong plastics The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has developed a new material that is stronger than steel but is light as plastic. The new material, which can be made in large quantities, involves a two-dimensional polymer that self-assembles into sheets. The material’s Young modulus—or a measure of how much force it takes to deform a material—is between four and six times gr... » read more

The Indispensables: The Diverse Electronic System Design Ecosystem


My summer of 2021 reading included a book called “The Indispensables: The Diverse Soldier-Mariners Who Shaped the Country, Formed the Navy, and Rowed Washington Across the Delaware” by Patrick K. O'Donnell. The book told the thrilling and largely forgotten history of the fishermen from Marblehead, Mass., a town 20 miles north of Boston, and their critical role in the Revolutionary War. M... » read more

Power/Performance Bits: Feb. 15


3D printed piezoelectrics Researchers at University of Notre Dame and Purdue University developed a hybrid 3D printer that combines multi-material aerosol jet printing and extrusion printing, integrating both functional and structural materials into a single printing platform. They used it to create an all-printed piezoelectric wearable device. The stretchable piezoelectric sensors conform ... » read more

Improving PPA In Complex Designs With AI


The goal of chip design always has been to optimize power, performance, and area (PPA), but results can vary greatly even with the best tools and highly experienced engineering teams. Optimizing PPA involves a growing number of tradeoffs that can vary by application, by availability of IP and other components, as well as the familiarity of engineers with different tools and methodologies. Fo... » read more

Label-Free C-Reactive Protein Si Nanowire FET Sensor Arrays With Super-Nernstian Back-Gate Operation


Abstract: "We present a CMOS-compatible double gate and label-free C-reactive protein (CRP) sensor, based on silicon on insulator (SOI) silicon nanowires arrays. We exploit a reference subtracted detection method and a super-Nernstian internal amplification given by the double gate structure. We overcome the Debye screening of charged CRP proteins in solutions using antibodies fragments as c... » read more

Week In Review: Manufacturing, Test


Fab tools Lam Research has rolled out a new suite of selective etch products for use in developing next-generation technologies, such as gate-all-around (GAA) transistors. In the fab, selective etch helps chipmakers with complex structures. These etch tools provide selective and precision etching without modifying or causing damage to other critical material layers. Composed of three new... » read more

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