category: Blogs – MD

category: IoT, Security & Automotive

Lessons From Past Architecture Wars
By Marc David Levenson - 24 Jan, 2013 - Comments: 0

By Marc David Levenson There was an interesting IEEE panel discussion in Silicon Valley recently, reviewing the microprocessor architecture wars of the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. How did the Intel x86 architecture become so dominant when there were other capable designs, including more efficient RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computing) chips? How did the x86s overcome competition from Zilog, M... » read more

Hospital Privileges
By David Abercrombie - 24 Jan, 2013 - Comments: 0

By David Abercrombie In our double patterning (DP) conversations so far, we’ve discussed what it means to decompose a single layer into two masks, and identified typical configurations of polygons that can cause DP violations. We specifically discussed the most common odd cycle violations, and how to fix them by increasing the spaces between polygons. The reality, though, is that no matter h... » read more

Tightening the Purse Strings
By Christian Dieseldorff - 24 Jan, 2013 - Comments: 0

By Christian Gregor Dieseldorff When forecasting fab spending, capacity ramps, and related technology node transitions, analysts must not only examine the semiconductor industry, but also track and consider economic factors such as GDP, political events, oil prices, unemployment rates, and consumer sentiments. The latest SEMI World Fab Forecast report, published at the end of November 2012, re... » read more

ST-Ericsson’s 28nm FD-SOI Smartphone/ Tablet Chip
By Various Writers - 24 Jan, 2013 - Comments: 0

By Adele Hars In the last blog, we kicked off what promises to be an exciting year with the news that ST-Ericsson announced the NovaThorL8580 ModAp. It’s billed as “the world’s fastest and lowest-power integrated LTE smartphone platform,” is built on STMicroelectronics’ 28nm FD-SOI, and is sampling in Q1 2013. We said it was a game changer, and ST-E’s put together a really good... » read more

Fixing The Supply Chain
By Ed Sperling - 24 Jan, 2013 - Comments: 0

For all the promise and subsequent anxiety about moving to the next process node or stacking die, the real problem isn’t technology. It isn’t even cost per transistor. It’s who will take responsibility when something goes wrong. Notice the word “when” rather than “if.” Rising complexity means that chips no longer can be fully verified, so errors are a given. Some errors are wor... » read more

ST-Ericsson 28nm FD-SOI/ARM Chip Hits 2.8GHz at CES
By Various Writers - 22 Jan, 2013 - Comments: 0

Posted by Adele Hars, Editor-in-Chief, Advanced Substrate News ~  ~ What a great start to 2013: at CES in Las Vegas, ST-Ericsson announced the NovaThor™ L8580 ModAp, “the world’s fastest and lowest-power integrated LTE smartphone platform.” This is the one that’s on STMicroelectronics’ 28nm FD-SOI, with sampling set for Q1 2013. And it’s a game changer – for users, fo... » read more

Fitness And Chips
By Michell Prunty - 13 Dec, 2012 - Comments: 0

By Michell Prunty For most of 2012 Semico has focused on how new data is driving the consumer industry. This isn’t just for servers or cloud storage, but also for smart phones and tablets. New ways of interacting with our devices, like augmented reality, are becoming increasingly more available to the average consumer via the processing capability in our phones. With all this advanced tec... » read more

Interconnect Troubles
By Applied Materials Writers - 13 Dec, 2012 - Comments: 0

By Mehul Naik These days, transistor scaling is driving some of the most exciting innovations in device architecture and getting lots of attention as a result. What may be less obvious is the cascading effect transistor scaling is having on the interconnect. The biggest challenges result directly from pitch reduction required to support the increasing functionality. These include poor pattern ... » read more

Upping The Ante
By Ed Sperling - 13 Dec, 2012 - Comments: 0

The increasing number of research projects under way to solve many of the thorniest issues in the history of semiconductor design and manufacturing are a testament to just how tough the job has become. Never before have there been so many technological roadblocks at the same time—and so many potential options for solving them. Those challenges—or opportunities, as marketing execs like to... » read more

Eco-Friendly Strategy
By Mentor Graphics Staff Writers - 12 Dec, 2012 - Comments: 0

By Jeff Wilson If you want a winning fill solution at 20nm, you need a robust ecosystem in place with three main players. Each player has a specific role and, particularly as the new technology is defined, the players need to work in close partnership. Why is the ecosystem so important at 20nm? Because of the technological challenges, including process variability and design complexity. The... » read more

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