Reducing Design Margins With Silicon Model Calibration


By Guy Cortez and Mark Laird It’s no secret to anyone that chip design gets harder every year. There are two major trends driving these ever-increasing challenges. The first is the continual scaling down to smaller design nodes. Although the pace of new node introduction has slowed somewhat in recent years, the impact of each new geometry and process is more dramatic than ever before. Acce... » read more

Automotive Electronics Reliability Requires In-Field Silicon Monitoring


By Lorin Kennedy and Dan Alexandrescu For everyday consumers, no products require reliability more than automobiles. While consumers may be willing accept their laptops and phones limiting performance or abruptly turning off when systems reach unacceptable temperature levels, that is not the case for the reliability of Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) or other safety critical system... » read more

Supporting Multiple Time Domains In SoC Production Test


Complex system-on-chip (SoC) devices make every stage of the development flow harder, and the challenges continue even after the silicon is fabricated. Automatic test equipment (ATE) screening for defective wafers and assembled chips is always challenging. Production test engineers constantly struggle to minimize expensive test pattern memory, test each wafer or chip as quickly as possible, and... » read more

Reimagining PVT Monitoring IP For Advanced Node GAA Process


As process technology continues to evolve, so must design tools and the IP that support them. One example of an industry evolution is on the PVT monitoring IP side. The process, voltage, and temperature (PVT) monitors embedded within chips provide feedback on silicon status at every stage of the lifecycle, including mission use in the field. The data gathered from the monitors enables benefits ... » read more

Silent Data Corruption Considerations For Advanced Node Designs


Ensuring reliability, availability, and serviceability (RAS) has long been an important consideration for many types of electronic systems, with major implications for chip design. Clearly, military hardware must be very reliable, and servers and automotive systems are also expected to be available constantly. Some amount of failure is inevitable, so being able to repair, avoid, or mitigate fau... » read more

AI-Driven Test Optimization Solves Semiconductor Test Costs And Design Schedules


Artificial Intelligence has become a pervasive technology that is being applied to solve today’s complex problems, especially in the areas involving exponentially large amounts of data, their analysis, and corresponding decision making that are otherwise limited by human abilities. Therefore, complex challenges in semiconductor design, test and manufacturing are a perfect match for AI. The... » read more

SLM Analytics Of In-Chip Monitor Data Unlock Greater Productivity And Cost Savings


When it comes to measuring key operational metrics such as power and performance of your silicon, in-chip monitors have been the longstanding cornerstone for providing such valuable measurements and insights. Data captured from these monitors – process monitors configured in the form of ring oscillator chains being the most common – can tell you if your chip is meeting the requisite power o... » read more

Mission Profile Analytics For The Automotive Industry


The automotive industry is undergoing a major transformation with the rise of electrification, connectivity, and autonomous driving capabilities fueling the need for a greater number of more advanced semiconductors. The associated regulatory expectations are also creating challenging safety and reliability requirements for automotive-grade silicon that need to be understood and managed over a w... » read more

Connection Perfection


Whether you are a DFT engineer or a SoC designer, connectivity validation will no doubt be a top priority when taking steps to guarantee the functionality and reliability of your device. SoC designs continue to grow in both size and complexity to meet the ever-growing performance and power demands associated with modern technology. To keep up with this fast-paced evolution, the corresponding D... » read more

Importance Of Certifications In Automotive IP


The automotive industry is renowned for its unwavering commitment to enforcing strict standards for enabling safety, quality, reliability, and security. However, upholding stringent measures to ensure vehicle safety and reliability has led to the need for predictive maintenance i.e., using advanced monitoring and analytical techniques as a part of Silicon Lifecycle Management (SLM) to anticipat... » read more

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